Election Challenges and Voting MAchines

[Dreadsox]

How many of these closely contested elections will be challenged in court because of the voting machines?

Thoughts?

 

[Varitek]

Too many. Of course one is too many, and a challenge will be pretty much impossible to resolve with the electronic voting machines that don't leave a paper trail. Why anyone thinks this is a good idea is beyond me, unless they want to tamper.

Dreadsox, speaking of Diebold, our friend and Secretary of State Bill "chicken" Galvin is Dieboldizing MA. He's opposed by someone who is not as nutty as her up-ticket partymate and who is actually quite qualified compared to no-accountability, predicts-low-turnouts-why?, has-districts-including-Boston-being-audited-by-Feds-for-election-issues Galvin. Just encouraging you to consider other options when you vote tomorrow.

 

[zoney!]

Should be interesting here in Indiana.

You are no required to present a goverment issued I.D. to vote.

With six or seven close races, you are all but guaranteed a law suit. In fact, i would be shocked if we did not see one in Indianapolis with Julia Carson (D) and Eric Dickerson (R) (he is NOT the former Colt and Ram).

 

[deep]

How many of these closely contested elections will be challenged in court because of the voting machines?

Thoughts?

I think it will be the big story about this election.

I think there will be voter suppression.

I think recounting memory cards will be seen for what it is
the easiest way to steal an election.

 

[diamond]

only if the democrats lose both houses will it only then become an issue.

mark my words on that.

dbs

 

[trevster2k]

Is this the US election or some banana republic? Maybe some international observers should be brought in to ensure a fair process? And this is the supposed template for democracies around the world?

I wonder how one can even have a simple recount in a tight race now? Are the officials just simply going to look at the screen and say there are the results, no recount necessary. This whole thing reminds me of the joke about the upside down writing pen and the pencil. Just because you have technology doesn't mean you have to use it in every facet of life.

 

[Irvine511]

this is why i just voted absentee.

 

[deep]

Voting Machines Woes Cause Early Delays

By ANICK JESDANUN 11.07.06, 8:48 AM ET

Voting machines began wreaking havoc the minute the polls opened Tuesday, delaying voters in dozens of Indiana and Ohio precincts and leaving some in Florida with little choice but turn to paper ballots instead.

In Cleveland, voters rolled their eyes as election workers fumbled with new voting machines that they couldn't get to start properly.

"We got five machines - one of them's got to work," said Willette Scullank, a trouble shooter from the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, elections board.

Election officials in Delaware County, Ind., planned to seek a court order to extend voting after an apparent computer error prevented voters from casting ballots in 75 precincts. Delaware County Clerk Karen Wenger said the cards that activate the machines were programmed incorrectly.

"We are working with precincts one-by-one over the telephone to get the problem fixed," Wenger said.

With a third of Americans voting on new equipment and voters navigating new registration databases and changing ID rules, election watchdogs worried about polling problems even before the voting began Tuesday

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/11/07/ap3151381.html

 

[phanan]

only if the democrats lose both houses will it only then become an issue.

mark my words on that.

dbs

Yeah, it would never be an issue the other way around.

Never.

I'm glad you stick around to provide us with political laughs.

 

[Varitek]

this is why i just voted absentee.

I did too (I'm legitimately absentee) but who knows if that will get counted either after Florida 2000?

 

[trevster2k]

Why is your electoral process so complicated and different from state to state?

In Canada, we have the same voting method across the whole country in every region. We walk to the voting place, find the correct line, verify our name on the list, they give us our ballot which is basically a list of names with an empty circle next to each name. Some of our ballots have 6-7 names on them. We fold it up, bring it outside, the volunteer rips off the perforated end or we do, and we put it in the box. Simple.

Of course, there are close races which get recounts. I think there is a difference which automatically triggers a recount too. But we don't have the extra chaos above and beyond the election of debating the polling methodology and it's merits and flaws.

 

[Varitek]

^ yeah yeah we get it. We know already.

 

[Se7en]

If anybody encounters any problems voting today…please let us know.



We have reports in at least four counties that machines are registering votes for the wrong candidates as well as other problems with ballots.



So, again….give us a heads up if this happens to you….



Also a bit of advice….hit the review button before you cast your ballot.

this is quoted from a staff email sent by one of our reporters in the newsroom....

this are going fine! go back to sleep.

 

[deep]

Why is your electoral process so complicated and different from state to state?

In Canada, we have the same voting method across the whole country in every region. We walk to the voting place, find the correct line, verify our name on the list, they give us our ballot which is basically a list of names with an empty circle next to each name. Some of our ballots have 6-7 names on them. We fold it up, bring it outside, the volunteer rips off the perforated end or we do, and we put it in the box. Simple.

Of course, there are close races which get recounts. I think there is a difference which automatically triggers a recount too. But we don't have the extra chaos above and beyond the election of debating the polling methodology and it's merits and flaws.

short answer - corruption


long - bull shit answer

because it is up to the individual states to determine voting laws (it's in the constitution)

this same crap answer was accepted for decades to prevent or suppress minorities from voting


I have often thought about a process that could work better

And what you do in Canada is much like what I was thinking

it really is not that hard to come up with a national system on paper that could be recounted and uniform

once one learn the process, every other voting experience would go very smoothly

 

[trevster2k]

Another question, we get to leave work for up to 4 hours to go vote and still get paid on election day. I don't think this is the way it is in the US or again is it on a state by state basis?

 

[deep]

Another question, we get to leave work for up to 4 hours to go vote and still get paid on election day. I don't think this is the way it is in the US or again is it on a state by state basis?

no way

hourly workers tend to vote Democratic.

they must choose between waiting in line without pay

or not voting

 

[deep]

Language Barrier

None of the voting machines were working when Irvine resident Hallie Willoughby went to her polling place in Irvine's University Hills at 8:30 a.m. And there were no paper ballots available in English, Willoughby said.

She said she was offered paper ballots in Chinese,
Spanish
and Vietnamese.

-- Marla Fisher

"I told him I’d come back later,” Willoughby said.

Marion Pack, Congressional candidate Steve Young’s campaign manager, said she also had received calls about voting problems in Irvine. “One of our volunteers had gone to vote at West Park Elementary School and at that location there were no machines functioning and no paper ballots available. People were being turned away without being able to vote.”

I was the second person to vote this morning in Fullerton. The system went fine until just after my final cast, then the printer went down with my votes still showing on the paper. Makes me wonder if it actually went through but I didn't have time to wait around to see what they did except that she shut down my system.

Posted by: Jackie Taylor at November 7, 2006 12:56 PM

 

[deep]

Re: Re: Election Challenges and Voting MAchines

I think it will be the big story about this election.

I think there will be voter suppression.

I think recounting memory cards will be seen for what it is
the easiest way to steal an election.

i will concede

that my concern

seems to be in error

for which I am glad


I still do not believe in these machines

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

My town still had the fill in the circle SAT style paper ballot

 

[zonelistener]

Another question, we get to leave work for up to 4 hours to go vote and still get paid on election day. I don't think this is the way it is in the US or again is it on a state by state basis?

It is a state-by-state thing (much like the election styles).

I received a document via e-mail over the weekend giving managers guidance on what they need to provide their employees from state to stae for voting. Most policies seemed reasonable.

My current state did not have guidelines. This FURTHER shocked me when I stopped by a convenience store on Tuesday morning and found out you could not buy alcohol on election day while the polls where open.

SO, the state will not help you get out of work to vote...but they WILL NOT let you buy alcohol! Makes PERFECT sense.

 

[yolland]

^ Welcome to Indiana...

Incidentally, if your new home here is a rental--be aware that this is also one of the most notoriously biased-against-the-tenant states in the country, legally speaking.

 

[U2DMfan]

This FURTHER shocked me when I stopped by a convenience store on Tuesday morning and found out you could not buy alcohol on election day while the polls where open.

Funny, I had never even heard of this law before until about two weeks ago. We just overturned our stupid similar law Tuesday.

Apparently these laws were put on the books to stop people from dropping in bars and buying rounds as to 'buy votes'. Ya know "hey go vote for my guy!! blah blah" That's the way they explained it on one local news show here.

The strange thing is, bars remained open the whole time.

 

[zonelistener]

Incidentally, if your new home here is a rental--be aware that this is also one of the most notoriously biased-against-the-tenant states in the country, legally speaking.

Luckily, I was able to purchase a home when I moved here!


There are quite a few crazy laws here. But, I have found unique situations/laws in every state I have lived in.

 

[diamond]

that the Dems won hugely, I notice theyre remarkably "ok" with Diebold results this election, nor were there any real cries of voter suppression, go figure.

 

[deep]

that the Dems won hugely, I notice theyre remarkably "ok" with Diebold results this election, nor were there any real cries of voter suppression, go figure.

The GOP voters are rarely the victims of suppression.


In black districts in Maryland voters had to wait 2 and 1/2 hours to vote? This is suppression, intended or not. The fact that it may not have changed an outcome, it just reduced the margin of victory.

How many voters left to go to work or pick up their kids?

And the Dems still won?

 

[DILETTANTE]

Another question, we get to leave work for up to 4 hours to go vote and still get paid on election day. I don't think this is the way it is in the US or again is it on a state by state basis?

Sigh. That makes SO much sense. Before each election, some newspaper somewhere will have an article on the front page about the low voter turnout in the US. Often these articles leave out the fact that many people have schedules that make voting difficult. Anyone with a serious commute -- particularly if it involves using public transportation -- risks not getting home in time to go to the polls. Around here I think they were open from 7am to 8pm -- which sounds great unless you work 9-5ish and have a difficult commute. Also, as deep (I think?) said, blue collar workers, and people with minimal job flexibility are most affected by this -- so the problems don't impact everyone -- or even each political party -- equally. Some employers give people 2 hours off to vote. Many -- like mine -- don't. I'm sure that voter turnout would be much higher if paid leave were a national policy.

And -- just to tack on another rant: This was my first election with the new machines. This was also my first election without curtains. The lack of privacy in a relatively small space troubled me. I think that the touchscreens would be easily visible if anyone cared to look, and the large sample ballots that some of us brought with us would be very visible. So, no privacy, and no paper trail. We really need to revise these so-called "improvements".

 

[deep]

something is WRONG!

Florida 'Missing' 18,000 E-Votes in Close Race

Irregularities in Sarasota County House of Representatives race spur Florida recount and calls for revote.

Grant Gross, IDG News Service
Friday, November 10, 2006 02:00 PM PST

Government watchdog group Common Cause has called for an investigation of electronic voting machines used in Florida's 13th congressional district because of 18,000 missing votes.

About 18,000 people who cast votes in other races in Tuesday's election failed to record a vote for either candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. At last count, Republican candidate Vern Buchanan led Democratic candidate Christine Jennings by less than 400 votes in the race to succeed Republican Katherine Harris, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate.

Nearly 13 percent of voters in Sarasota County picked candidates in other races but did not choose a candidate in the House race. More than 35 callers to Common Cause's voter hotline left messages Tuesday saying the e-voting machines appeared to leave off a vote for Jennings on their summary screens, said Ben Wilcox, executive director of Common Cause Florida. In neighboring Manatee County, just 2 percent of voters did not cast a ballot in the congressional race.

Call For Revote
Some voters caught the omission and were able to go back and vote again for Jennings, but others may have missed the problem, Wilcox said.

"Sarasota County election officials must conduct a revote," Wilcox said. "The machines should be impounded, audited and tested to determine if voters were unable to cast a ballot and why. Sarasota County voters deserve an explanation."

Undervoting for top-of-the-ballot races on e-voting machines is typically under 1 percent, according to a study released this year by the Brennan Center for Justice.

No Receipts
The county did not require the Elections System and Software (ES&S) e-voting machines to include paper printouts.

"This is part of the reason we've been calling for a paper trail," Wilcox said.

Ironically, Sarasota County voters on Tuesday approved a ballot measure requiring paper trail ballots to be used as a backup to the e-voting machines.

Sarasota County voters cast about 16,000 more votes in the Florida governor's race and in the Senate race than were recorded in the House race. About 4,000 more people cast ballots for the county's Southern District Hospital Board than were recorded in the House race.

 

[diamond]

I read somewhere on the w.w.web that Mr Deep has signed a contract to espouse the virtues of Diebold voting machines since his surrogates ran the table so well in this last election

 

[diamond]

The GOP voters are rarely the victims of suppression.


In black districts in Maryland voters had to wait 2 and 1/2 hours to vote? This is suppression, intended or not. The fact that it may not have changed an outcome, it just reduced the margin of victory.

How many voters left to go to work or pick up their kids?

And the Dems still won?

Now please explain to us exactly "how" these machines suppressed who you call "victims", and why do you refer to these voters as "victims"?

This is pandering to a mindset in it's simpliest form.

In my own experience this year, I requested an early ballot, it never arrived.
Instead of not voting, I called and found out what to do. I was directed to my public library a week before the election to vote there.
Guess what? It took 1.5 hours in line I WEEK BEFORE the actual election date. Guess what else, I didn't feel victimized.

Continually relegting a class of people to victimhood is not only old, weak and of no purpose, it impedes progress of what their real worth is which is that we are all equal as human beings.

Please come up with a new mantra.

Thank you,

dbs

 

[Dreadsox]

Republicans lose better...that is for sure!