E-voting problems in Florida

Miami Herald ^ | October 28, 2006 | Charles Rabin and Darran Simon

[foxfield]

Broward Supervisor of Elections spokeswoman Mary Cooney said it's not uncommon for screens on heavily used machines to slip out of sync, making votes register incorrectly. Poll workers are trained to recalibrate them on the spot -- essentially, to realign the video screen with the electronics inside. The 15-step process is outlined in the poll-workers manual.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Now you are on to something! I bet they will clear all the problems up if they make those confused people down there pay a quarter to vote.

[Fresh Wind]

This one has my BS meter pegged.

[agere_contra]

I never heard such garbage in my life. "Out of sync video screen". I love you guys, but I can't believe how screwed up the American voting system seems to be.

[traditional1]

[foxfield]

When I voted in the recent primary, I wanted to change one of my votes that showed on the "review screen". I looked for a way to navigate back to the "voting screen" but I could not find one. I tried changing the vote on the review screen but it would not change. I finally noticed a "help button" and used it to call up some instructions. (You know, if all else fails, read the instructions.) I learned that to change my mistaken vote I would have to touch the incorrect vote to turn it off (like a toggle) so that I could then vote for the other choice.

I managed to figure it out. After all, I have decades of experience with computer technology. But, I can see how someone who has never used a computer, like many who vote in certain Florida precincts, could have problems. Not to mention poll workers who have no technical knowledge or skills.

[Gaffer]

It is because someone told the Democratic voters how to mess up the screens, that's why...these aren't random problems or problems caused by heavy use, it is intentional.....

[poobear]

"these phony voting machine problems always happen in dnc stronghold like Broward county which is 80 % dem. the dem election supervisor is a moron that has been relieved of her job numerous times and a judge has put her back in job ! the evil congressman from that area is A Hasting , the famous disbarred federal judge! So you have the brain dead and probably many actually dead voting or also voting in NYC too putting these fools and crooks in charge . Dems are just Sheep !"

DING DING DING!!!

NAIL OF THE DAY!!!

[Gaffer]

The US Constitution does not specifically grant the individual the right to vote.....

[usmcobra]

That may explain how I voted for Hugo Chevez....

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Watch Katherine Harris win by 20 points!"

If she does, I will scream voter fraud.

[Edit35]

Debra A. Reed voted with her boss on Wednesday at African-American Research Library and Cultural Center near Fort Lauderdale.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESEARCH center??!!

Now THERE'S an unbiased place for a voting booth.

[rippingmyhairout]

You are absolutely right! I'm on the FL gulf coast, we use the E machines, and we do not have ANY problems here whatsoever. But the DUM stronghold counties in this state are ALWAYS having problems....because, simply put, they are lying (just like the good little cheating liberals they are). If there were truly a problem, it would happen all over the state. However, it just doesn't.

[foxfield]

Designing good graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is a science unto itself.

For voting, no computer GUI can compare to the user interface of a paper ballot.

Paper ballots are not immune from abuse and poor design, but at least most people can relate to them. But, most importantly, and unlike the e-ballots, they are human-readable, optically scannable, and permanently storable.

[Condor51]

****....voting. It is a human right in America.....****

Uh, no it isn't a 'human right'. It's a right of US citizenship and then only one that may be exercised by certain 'adults'.

[beaversmom]

What's this......they're voting for Buchanan again?

LOL:) Now that would be suspicious.

[beaversmom]

Uh, no it isn't a 'human right'. It's a right of US citizenship and then only one that may be exercised by certain 'adults'.

You mean my baby daughter can't vote? That's pretty biased.

[DouglasKC]

This is such baloney. Democrats are generating these e-voting horror stories because they are terrified of e-voting. Electronic voting makes elections HARDER to fix. Dems have had it easy for decades. When e-voting becomes widespread we'll no longer have suspicious vote totals in areas like Detroit and other dem strongholds.

[Abathar]

I just wish that my ATM machine would withdrawal funds from the banks own account instead of mine if it isn't calibrated often enough. Funny that they do countless millions of transactions every day without a hiccup when money is at stake. I think we should just all vote at our banks, put your bank card in and hit the "Fast Cash $40" button to vote for Republicans and "Make a Deposit" for the Dems....

[beaversmom]

This cry of fraud will be a permanent one when things don't go the Dem way. We saw it in 2000 and 2004. We all know that it's the Dems that commit the vast majority of voter fraud. Unfortunately that doesn't get covered like the make believe stuff.