Where California goes, the nation often follows. In the case of electronic voting machines, this state is only catching up with a flock of other states, but its remedy is drastic enough to sound a warning to everyone.

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen decertified several voting systems that are widely used there, pending improved security measures. Local officials predicted the move would cause severe problems in the state's Feb. 5 presidential primary and cost millions of dollars.

The reason for this controversial step was a state review by University of California computer experts. It found that voting machines sold by three companies -- Diebold Election Systems, Hart InterCivic and Sequoia Voting Systems -- were vulnerable to hackers who might change election results. Machines made by Election Systems & Software were also decertified because the company did not supply information on time.

Many voting registrars were angered by the action, and the companies themselves complained that the study was done under unrealistic conditions and that their machines had a record of accuracy.

Perhaps this action was excessive, but it reminds America of the ticking time bomb at the heart of the democratic process. One day the theoretical danger will explode into a real problem. (Pennsylvanians should be concerned. The companies targeted in California are used by many counties in the state. Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland, Greene and Cambria counties alone use machines from ES&S.)

This is a problem that began in Washington, D.C., -- and it should be addressed in Washington, D.C.

After the 2000 presidential election fiasco in Florida, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act. It was supposed to usher in a new era of computerized voting machines with uniform standards. Instead, it brought more problems.

What Congress should do is pass HR 811. Sponsored by Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., the bill would insist that a voter-verified paper ballot be produced. It has 216 co-sponsors, including Reps. Tim Murphy, Mike Doyle and Jason Altmire from Western Pennsylvania.

The bill is a start, not a panacea. States like Pennsylvania need to look anew at the security of their systems. A disturbing finding in California was that even with voter-verified paper audit trails, systems can be rigged.

The Democratic takeover of Congress has opened up a world of possibilities and one of them is a piece of unfinished business -- restoring confidence in the nation's system of voting. Shockingly, there has been no action on HR 811 since May.

When Congress comes back next month, this should be a major priority. California's concerns are far bigger than California.