The password for a touch-screen machine used in Virginia was publicized after the July hacking conference, the memo said, and one report indicated that one vendor with machines in Virginia uses a single password for all machines. The memo also notes that, unlike optical systems, touch screens leave no paper trail that can be used in post-election audits.

Before last year’s presidential election, Virginia officials stressed that all touch-screen machines were secure because they aren’t connected to the Internet.

Several localities raised misgivings about the move, defending the integrity of their systems and arguing that they’ll now have little time to shop around for the new equipment to fulfill an unfunded mandate.

The cities and counties that still use touch screens are scattered throughout the state. Most are rural localities, including several in far Southwest Virginia, that may not have been able to afford to buy optical-scan machines after state officials made clear that touch screens should be on the way out.