California is only one of many states not to have learnt the lesson from Florida: 25 other states still use the old punch-card system.

ECONOMIST: Californian politics

In 1935 IBM landed a contract to tabulate employment for the Social Security system and put those dusty punch-card machines to work.

FORBES: Job Killers: A Rogues' Gallery

It has a precedent in the introduction of the Powers punch card system into this country by the Prudential, and the subsequent creation of Powers-Samas to make the machines.

ECONOMIST: The business world