Free Republic

WASHINGTON — Hoping to counter waves of Russian Twitter bots, fake social media accounts, and hacking attacks aimed at undermining American democracy, state election officials around the country are seizing on an old-school strategy: paper ballots. In Virginia, election officials have gone back to a paper ballot system, as a way to prevent any foreign interference. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolfe this month ordered county officials to ensure new election equipment produces a paper record. Georgia lawmakers are considering legislation to replace a touch-screen voting system with paper. Top election officials around the country are growing increasingly alarmed about this fall’s...

"We have to make sure that, we can not just count the ballots but verify every name and signature!"

The state of Maryland is returning to the paper ballot in 2016. “When we say `paper ballot,’ what do we mean?” said Linda Lamone, State Board of Elections. Which brings up the irony and another candidate for the Coburn government waste file. “Then we have to do a very extensive public outreach because the voters in Maryland have been using a very different voting system,” Lamone said. “We need to make sure people know how to vote when they go to the polls in 2016.” Yes, the low information voter will have to be trained on how to use something...

~EXCERPT~ CINCINNATI — Ohio’s effort to clean up its voting system before the presidential primary on March 4 has pitted state election leaders against local officials over an order to provide a paper ballot to any voter who requests one. Secretary of State Jennifer L. Brunner, a Democrat, wants to eliminate touch-screen machines for the November election from the 53 counties that still use them and install optical scan machines to provide a paper trail. Because the conversion cannot be completed in time for the primary in most counties, Ms. Brunner ordered the printing of paper ballots as an interim...

Yesterday my day started at 0600 hours. In my role as 'inspector' of a local polling place, I had five clerks to supervise in setting up the five electronic touch screen units we were going to use, and prepare for a 0700 hours opening of the poll to voters. Each of the clerks had received a three hour training course from staff of Registrar of Voters office, to acquaint them with their function election day. I formally opened the polling place at 0700 hours. All went well, as voters were processed - each received a plastic card which would activate...

Fla. Man Charged After Dialing 911 More Than 900 Times POSTED: 7:20 a.m. EDT July 2, 2003 UPDATED: 7:32 a.m. EDT July 2, 2003 WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A 22-year-old man was charged with misusing the 911 system after dialing the emergency number more than 900 times since May, taxing dispatchers and police. Howard V. Hill Jr. was arrested Monday and released from the Palm Beach County Jail on his own recognizance. Unlawful use of the 911 system is a first-degree misdemeanor. During many of the calls, Hill claimed an officer had been shot, indicated he wanted to...