Posted on 10/24/2004 11:25:59 AM PDT by Cableguy
More trouble brewing in Ohio: Reader Evan Rogers sent us this absentee ballot from Cuyahoga County (Cleveland).
Looking at the ballot, one would assume that to vote for President Bush, you'd punch out the green square opposite the arrow. Nope. The right square for Bush is the red one, number four, near the top of the column. That corresponds, I guess, to the number 4 next to the arrow, and I assume that voters are instructed in what those numbers mean. What makes it unreasonable is that to vote for John Kerry, you punch square six, the blue one, which is just opposite Kerry's arrow. So Bush voters are likely to be confused; Kerry voters won't be.
There are probably dozens, if not hundreds, of such sources of confusion in various districts around the country. Depending on the election's outcome, any of them could be grounds for post-election lawsuits.
i sent it to drudge also
do you have the link to the article? i couldn't find it on the web.
The #4 does not actually appear red on the ballot, it was colored in to make a point.
I'm from Stark County, two counties south of Cuyahoga, but right now, I'm in Iraq, making contact with the Board of Elections a little tough.
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/news2004/1004/102404-ohio-butterfly-ballot.htm
Now this conservative website is on the case.
What moron tries to lineup a ballot with the voting brochure ? Punch card ballots are no harder to use than a bingo card.
I live in Wood County Ohio. I voted absentee last week. On my absentee ballot, you voted for Bush/Cheney by punching out the chad at number 4, not 14. A second point of note - at least in Wood COunty, the layout of the absentee ballot is exactly like the ballot used to vote in person. In both cases (absentee or in person), you punch out the little chads on the punch card. Furthermore, when voting in person, you slide the punchcard into a slot to the right of the printed ballot and when actualy voting, you don't even see the number of the chad you're punching out. If this is the actual Cuyahoga County ballot, the potential to defraud supporters of President Bush is huge. We could see essentially all of the votes for Bush in Cuyahoga County go uncounted.
Somebody had better find out if this is the real ballot and P D Q
that is how some systems works when you vote in the booth.
since you live in OH, can you let your local RNC/Bush guy know so he/she can get on the case? every vote counts in OH.
Any idea whether hole #4 or #14 appear elsewhere on the ballot? If not, punching #4, #14, or both should have the same interpretation.
That is appalling!
Can CABLEGUY OR anyone verify that he image posted is legit?
First of all, I am posting wht Powerline (respected bloggers) guys have put up on their website if you managed to follow the link. Second, someone posted that this was shown in a newspaper in Ohio. Third, I think you making accusations clearly shows what kind of person you are. I am making a complaint to the moderator.
When voting absentee, the punch card and the ballot are not forced into any particular alignment. Naturally, one expects the order of candidates on the ballot to be the same as the order of candidates on the punch card. But when voting in person - the device that holds the punchcard will align chad 14, not chad 4, to the right of the ballot as it is printed.
On my Wood County ballot, the first column of chads was rerserved for the Presidential election. Chad 14 on the Wood COunty punch card would not be a valid choice. But even if eventually all Cuyahoga County chad 14 punch cards are ruled to be for Bush, don't you see the damage this can cause by throwing the election in Ohio into doubt?
Knock it off!
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/9971498.htm
"When the ballots are placed in the machines, the numbers line up with the arrows," she said, sliding a sample ballot into a machine similar to the ones that will be used Nov. 2 to show how it lined up correctly..."
The confusion just seems to occur with the absentee ballots.
Look at the picture, do you notice something funny looking ? The ballot was moved up two notches when it was scanned, it is clear to see that the ballot does not match up with the brochure. I have voted absentee many times and you do NOT try to lineup the voting brochure with ballot. This post is total nonsense. It's braindead ! When you vote absentee you vote by number not by lining up the ballot with the brochure.
Knock what off ? Telling the truth ?
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