I arrive at Precinct xx at 10:45 to vote. I got the little card used for electronic voting and was ready to go! I touched my choices. But, when I reviewed my summary of choices, the machine had selected the wrong candidates. I went through the summary again and tried to correct my vote using the instructions provided. Still, candidates I did not vote for showed up. I called the pole worker over and began to tell her about my problem. She leaned into the machine and touched the screen as she read my ballot. I was only a little miffed, since I had followed the instructions already.I rejected the ballot and started again. It happened again-my candidates were not recorded. I rejected the ballot a second time only to receive a flashing note that if I touched the screen again, the choices on the screen would be recorded as my ballot. I was hot! This was the second rejection and a new start only to be told my vote would be recorded improperly. I refused to remove the card until assistance came. I did not want this to happen to anyone else. No help came. It was 11:30 AM. My ballot was canceled. I began to demand real assistance.
She called her supervisor and only to get her cell phone voice mail. It was 11:45A.M. About the same time I began calling the xxx Board of Elections, a member of the Board of Elections came into vote and heard my complaints. He asked what was going on. She explained only to a Board of Elections Member her supervisor had gone to lunch and she did not know what to do about my problems. She told him she left a message for her supervisor. He immediately began to call someone, but stated "nobody is answering". So after waiting about 10 minutes, he got someone and said “there was a problem with the machines in xx”. He told them that they were not recording the votes and was concerned about the number of votes which would be lost. I stood and listened. I was floored.
I again tried the xx Board of Elections and I finally got someone after 10 minutes of waiting on a cell phone (yes, on a cell phone during peak hours). I had also called a friend who I asked to get the number(s) for voting problems that aired on the xxx Morning Show. She said she would get back to me. While my friend was retrieving this number, I even tried Tavis Smiley and Senator Barak Obama (I know…but I was flipped). I got Senator Obama's office and reported the conversation I heard and what happened with my ballot. I thought about my vote, I needed to fix it.
Since my ballot had been canceled, I asked for and got a new electronic voting card. The same problems occurred. I rejected the ballot. After rejecting the ballot a third time, during my second try at voting, I received a print out with my candidates. I was very suspicious of this recorded ballot (we need copies of our vote). The supervisor was still not back. No cavalry had come via the Board of Elections members call, and no machine was being swapped. This was 12:10 PM. Only the same lonely pole worker was present.
Frustrated, I left, but sat outside in the rain to see if the problem would get fixed. I had missed my 11:30 appointment, so … Outside like myself was the Board of Elections member and a gentleman (I assume a Board of Elections employee) were talking. The gentleman said to the Board of Elections member “there are sensitivity touch problems with the machines” He went on to say he did not know how to fix the problem, but there were also problems with the paper which recorded the votes for voters to review before voting.
He continued talking saying he thought that the paper problem could be fixed and he was swapping that machine for a new one, but not the touch sensitivity problem could not. As I listened, I remembered a second and third person experiencing my problems. So, there were two machines with sensitivity touch problems that he did not know how to fix. The Board of Elections member said we need a trouble shooter here. He sounded serious and was off to fix the problem. What about votes like mine and others? Will they count? How will this be rectified? I left the polling place at 12:30 PM wondering it this problem would be fixed.
The less of that we have, the better.
Excellent point. Do you think your professors will now admit that voter fraud has miraculously disappeared in the last 24 hours?:)
It has been said that the Harris County, Texas "eSlate" system has been the benchmark system for other States to consider utilizing in their elections...
It is not a touch screen system, it utilizes a mechanical "scrolling" system that highlights a choice that is entered by a separate "enter" button, not on the screen...
There are several other functions that give the voter the ability to skip to the "next" or "previous" screen, and it even has a "help" button, that pauses the voting process (by choice of the voter) and at last a "cast ballot" button in red...
The only drawback I saw this time is the increased risk of an inadvertant "cast ballot" punch...Instead of hitting enter to tabulate your choice, hitting the cast ballot button is pretty much the "coup de grau"...
You are done at that point, your "vote" is in the can, and there is no way to retrieve, cancel or redo your vote if your not happy...
The only thing I'd like to see is a plastic hard cover over the cast ballot button to keep any inadvertant contact from casting your ballot before your ready...
I saw several of these happen yesterday, and am going to officially suggest that design modification to the machines before the next election...
Even though this is a mechanical type computer voting system, I believe the parts and microswitches are robust enought to stand up better than a sensitive touchscreen system that can develop areas of pressure bleed out that can advance and blend into other areas that may confuse and register another selection...
But thats just my opinion...
They make it a point to educate people that these are not touchscreen systems, but it amazes me that there are still people around that start punching at the screen thinking its going to work...And even during our training, some people still try to touch something to make it works...
Amazing...
It doesn't bother anyone at that university that a tenured professor in the sociology department doesn't know the difference between a "poll worker" and a "pole worker"?
Well, think about it:
1. Voting machines are easy to tamper with.
2. Candidates are willing to spend a lot of money to win.
3. Some are willing to break the law to win.
I'd be surprised if the rats didn't rig this election. I mean, americans would have to be insane to hand over congress to the rats, considering the stakes. The terrorists are just too much of a threat for a sane person to take any chances. I hope there's a full and thouroug recount in Virginia...
Funny, to, how we got labeled the party of corruption... how soon they forget (William Jefferson anyone?)