Ballot spoilage in Cuyahoga County -- map

[montrose]

Blackwell says there's going to be a recount. They're not going to start counting chads again, are they?

There be chads within!

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[OXENinFLA]

What do they mean by "spoilage"?

[AppyPappy]

In Palm Beach, the accidentally spiked them for Buchanan.

[montrose]

laid at the feet of the Democratic Party It might fuel the push for federal election standards though, per "equal protection."

[montrose]

What do they mean by "spoilage"?

In this case, the difference between the total votes for president and the number of authority-to-vote slips given out at the precinct. So it would include undervotes
overvotes
hanging,dimpled,pregnant,drunken chads
people who might have left line after getting an authority-to-vote slip (say the wait became too long)
machine error

[OXENinFLA]

ahhh, thanks

[GianniV]

Folks - I have an idea - it's now official that most liberals/democrats are complete losers. So, I recommend that you stop associating with any of these people socially. I've started to completely ignore my democrat friends and feel so happy and refreshed. Most of my liberal friends were total pessimists and just brought me down. I no longer respond to their voice mails and e-mails.

So - take my advice and ignore these folks. It's great medicine and a good start to the Christmas season.

[Landulf of Capua]

Who decides if there will be a true recount (handcount?)of the entire state of Ohio. How is this doen and when. Also when does the electoral college meet ?

[IamConservative]

"Majority of spoilage still seems to run along major route of travel though"

What are you inferring from that? Bad neighborhoods? Traveling buses of fraudulant voters?

I am actually surprised there are more than 97 out of 100 valid votes for President in any precinct. Factor in "no votes" and mistakes.

[Mr. Thorne]

Some lawyer just came on the news (noonish).

Says there's gonna be an Ohio recount, and that Kerry supporters will be pleased, since the vote is going to swing from GW by 100+ thousand to Kerry by 100+ thousand.

Of course, this is totally non-partisan, and backed by such religious leaders as the Reverand Jesse Jackson.

Oy.

[dawn53]

If Florida is any predictor of how many spoiled ballots can actually be counted, then very few of them will count.

The Dems (on DU at least) seem to actually be hoping for a hand recount of the entire state...not just the spoiled ballots. I have no idea if that's what's entailed in a recount. I thought a recount was just running the ballots through the machines again, and then hand counting the rejected ones (spoiled ones).

[Howlin]

On a punch card ballot I dont see how any overvotes wind up being counted if they cleanly punched two holes.

Did you miss the 2000 election? They actually tried to decided which PUNCH/HOLE/CHAD they 'meant' to punch by how deep it was.

[zeaal]

I worked the polls and even though there are posters in all the ballot booths with HOW TO VOTE and a poll worker told each voter to connect the arrow with the special marker provided ... you would not believe the number of ballots that were kicked back out (spoiled) because people CIRCLED the candidates name. eek. When a spoil such as this occurred, our election judge issued the voter a new ballot, retained the spoiled one a special 'Spoiled' envelope and the voter got another chance to do it right. Why are there any spoiled ballots in Ohio? Do they not use optical scanners?

[Bikers4Bush]

I'm inferring that there were some precinct hoppers.

[jscd3]

Familiar with the practice but can't say if it happenned in Cleveland. After all, there were lot's of votes not cast for a variety of judge positions and ballot issues as well.

Whether it was intentional fraud, a true non-vote, or just plain sloppiness on the part of the voter, the fact is that the numbers are not even close.

Ohio, for all of its faults, is not Florida. Message to DU Lurkers: Stick a fork in it, it's done.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Also, my idea, contained within my tagline, for your perusal.

[Oblongata]

"Does not voting on an issue/candidate void the ballot?"

I hope not. Here in Wisconsin, I left all the races where there was an unopposed democrat blank. That better not have voided my ballot. Not voting in a race is just as valid a statement as a vote cast.

[Psycho_Bunny]

"Undervote"

The person who invented that word - and any person who uses that word without laughing derisively, or spitting on the ground - needs to have their a$$ kicked.

[Tuxedo]

Someone needs to post the pic of the guy in FL looking at the ballot with BUSH punched out on it.

This is likely a result as posted above of ballot spiking. And double votes are always tossed. Ohio Law does not permit anyone to discern the intent of the voter.

[SolidSupplySide]

"Undervote"

The person who invented that word - and any person who uses that word without laughing derisively, or spitting on the ground - needs to have their a$$ kicked.

I was a poll watcher in my early 20s. I assure you that the term "undervote" pre-dates 2000. And the term "undervote" has a useful meaning. It describes a race in which no vote has been cast. It is useful to understand this concept because an undervote of 0% is as alarming as an undervote of 10%.

My county used punchcard ballots. I never heard the term "hanging chad" or "pregnant chad" prior to 2000. But that doesn't mean those terms were not in use.