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Use pottery shards. Which are immensely more secure than mail in ballots or voting machines.
As others point out. Almost every European country implements something close to this standard or better. Some have done so for longer than the US has existed.
This isn't costly. Most of the cost comes from printing the ballots, which you already do. And issuing the IDs, which you already do for driver licenses. The rest can be handled for free by volunteers.
The idea that this doesn't scale is nonsense. France can get same day results for 50 million votes with this system. That's twice the voting population of California. And we do it on five continents, multiple times a year, last time was with only three weeks notice.
And the idea that this doesn't quell questioning of the process I just don't see. That last one was one of our most contentious elections yet, the country is divided to the degree that nobody can get a majority and the smallest of margins would be extremely consequential for everyone, and yet nobody even thought to question the process because all it takes to convince yourself your vote is properly counted is lose a holiday afternoon to count it yourself.
All you need to achieve this is a small percentage of volunteers, logistics for printing the ballots and some empty space to put the ceremony. The rest is literally just coordination and political will.
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