Machine Problems Frustrate Early Voters

[danarhea]

In Tennessee, Democrats have been frustrated, as they cast their votes, only to have the machines flip their votes to the Republican candidate. And today, Republicans have been similarly frustrated, as their votes have been recorded as Democratic votes by the machines.

Are we going to get rid of these damn machines yet? Or at least have a paper trail?

Article is here.

 

[Smoke[MaxX]]

Brilliant!

{If Entry = 'Democrat'
Then 'Republican' -> Vote
If Entry = 'Republican'
Then 'Democrat' -> Vote}

Republicans will win this next election by the amount the Democrats should've won it.

 

[marduc]

Sounds like all these issues are a result of election supervisors not calibrating the touch screens properly. Although a technical problem likely due to human error, it is still a serious problem for every flipped vote that gets reported, how many actually make it through?

If someone was savvy enough it could be possible to tweak the calibration in favor of one candidate or other if the method to calibrate is similar to touchscreen systems I am familiar with. That could be disastrous if it occurs.

Agreed those machines need dumped.. Glad Florida did, I was amazed our latest voting system (3rd since 2004) was a breeze, just fill in circles on the pieces of paper, and slip them into a slot in the machine. Sometimes the old fashioned way is the best way.

 

[Binary_Digit]

Are we going to get rid of these damn machines yet?

What we need to do is get rid of these incompetent engineers/companies who keep turning out this crap and replace them with somebody who knows what the **** they're doing. Limiting the candidate's name to 14 characters, launching programs stored on removable media, error-prone touch screens, poorly-designed UI's, etc, etc, etc. Good lord, it's not that god damn hard!

 

[ludahai]

I saw some video of similar problems in West Virginia. The problem seemed obvious, at least in that case. The screens were BELOW the eye level of the person casting the vote. It may LOOK like you are pushing the button for the person you are voting for due to your eye angle, but in fact, the optical scanner sees you voting for the person ABOVE that. Very simple matter of angle of sight.

Can't say if this is the case in Tennessee.

Else, we need Serena Butler to start up our own Butlerian Jihad. :mrgreen:

 

[BWG]

What we need to do is get rid of these incompetent engineers/companies who keep turning out this crap and replace them with somebody who knows what the **** they're doing. Limiting the candidate's name to 14 characters, launching programs stored on removable media, error-prone touch screens, poorly-designed UI's, etc, etc, etc. Good lord, it's not that god damn hard!

Isn't it strange that ATM machines all over the world physically give you exactly the correct amount entered, instantly and accurately debit or credit your account and print you a receipt with up to the minute information (all in less than a minute--depending on the operator...LOL), but we can't even count a mark on a vote machine without problems...

 

[Smoke[MaxX]]

Excellent solution. Everyone should "vote" by going to an ATM and donating funds to the campaign of the candidate of their choice. The person with the most contributing donators wins.

Oh wait...

 

[danarhea]

Excellent solution. Everyone should "vote" by going to an ATM and donating funds to the campaign of the candidate of their choice. The person with the most contributing donators wins.

Oh wait...

That's OK, everyone can use counterfeit money to balance it all out. The dollar will work for that.

 

[The Mark]

It does seem to me that it should be easily possible to design and build a voting machine which does not have all these problems.

A better question in my mind would be: Why it has not been done already?

 

[marduc]

It does seem to me that it should be easily possible to design and build a voting machine which does not have all these problems.

A better question in my mind would be: Why it has not been done already?

They have it is called pen and paper.. something Florida has gone back to after trying all the hanging chad/touch screen experimentation. Fill out the form, slide it in the optical scanner to record the vote, and all done, and a paper trail to back it up... amazingly easy. Florida just might actually get this election thing right for a change.. knock on wood.

 

[Truth Detector]

Brilliant!

{If Entry = 'Democrat'
Then 'Republican' -> Vote
If Entry = 'Republican'
Then 'Democrat' -> Vote}

Republicans will win this next election by the amount the Democrats should've won it.

Fascinating giant LEAP of reasoning based on this story don't you think?

But then, taking giant leaps of reasoning and divining votes from hanging chads is now a part of the Democrat apparatchik.

Crap like this further erodes what little trust Americans already may have in the system thanks to wild eyed speculations like these; I want to thank Democrats for bringing us to this state; must be part of that "working together" crapola Obama keeps talking about.

My favorite Liberal mantra: "the Democrats should've won it."

Carry on.
:roll:

 

[Truth Detector]

That's OK, everyone can use counterfeit money to balance it all out. The dollar will work for that.

Hey Dan, try putting some counterfeit money through an ATM machine sometime and tell me how it worked for you.

The fascinating about this debate about machines not being able to be accurate enough to count votes is the knowledge that the same machines count and dispense billions of dollars every day without a single error.

Equal to this willful denial is the notion that hand counted or optical tabulating machines are more accurate than those computers. Makes me wonder why we would trust those darned computers to count all our cash and why we still don't have thousands of those green shaded dudes clicking away on those manual counters.

Hey, maybe this is a great idea for Obama to create all them jobs he's going to fabricate when he gets elected???

Carry on. :rofl

 

[American]

People bitched about hanging chads, now they bitch about electronic voting. Look, make up your damn mind how you want it. Nothing is perfect, and this voter fraud phenomenon wasn't popular until 2000. So prior to 2000 we never had errors? Pullleeeeeaze! Maybe Clinton shouldn't have won, eh? I think people need to chill.

 

[Truth Detector]

People bitched about hanging chads, now they bitch about electronic voting. Look, make up your damn mind how you want it. Nothing is perfect, and this voter fraud phenomenon wasn't popular until 2000. So prior to 2000 we never had errors? Pullleeeeeaze! Maybe Clinton shouldn't have won, eh? I think people need to chill.

"Nothing is perfect, and this voter fraud phenomenon wasn't popular until 2000."

Until a whiney and pathetic Democrat Party decided they wanted to steal the election by disenfranchising the voters of Florida.

This singular event, which was unprecedented by previous elections no matter how close, is part of the erosion of the election process; the continued whining and bitching from whiney Liberals and Democrats will only serve to further erode credibility and the integrity of our system.

NOTHING good can come from such pathetic constant whiney blather; NOTHING.

 

[Gibberish]

People bitched about hanging chads, now they bitch about electronic voting. Look, make up your damn mind how you want it. Nothing is perfect, and this voter fraud phenomenon wasn't popular until 2000. So prior to 2000 we never had errors? Pullleeeeeaze! Maybe Clinton shouldn't have won, eh? I think people need to chill.

The problem is there is no reason the system shouldn't operate as required. As pointed out earlier we have many globally used machines that sufficiently and accurately run proccess without issue.

This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an issue with the Government as a whole continuously hiring a incompetent manufacturer to build a sub-par machine to be used for our Democratic elections.

 

[Truth Detector]

The problem is there is no reason the system shouldn't operate as required. As pointed out earlier we have many globally used machines that sufficiently and accurately run proccess without issue.

This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an issue with the Government as a whole continuously hiring a incompetent manufacturer to build a sub-par machine to be used for our Democratic elections.

It's a State issue; just making sure you get it.

Carry on.

 

[Gibberish]

It's a State issue; just making sure you get it.

Carry on.

It needs to be a federal issue as one states incompetence affects the rest of the nation.

 

[Truth Detector]

It needs to be a federal issue as one states incompetence affects the rest of the nation.

I believe that would require a Constitutional Amendment; just saying.

 

[Gibberish]

I believe that would require a Constitutional Amendment; just saying.

There would need to be a constitutional amendment for the federal government to provide the states with the electronic tools for voting?

 

[Truth Detector]

There would need to be a constitutional amendment for the federal government to provide the states with the electronic tools for voting?

No, for the Federal Government to involve itself in State voting; but you are free to continue thinking it is otherwise.

Tell me something, do you REALLY think that if only the Federal Government will provide a uniform voting computer all the claims of fraud and abuse will end?

Carry on.

 

[Gibberish]

No, for the Federal Government to involve itself in State voting; but you are free to continue thinking it is otherwise.

When did I say the federal goverment would involve itself in state voting? Providing the tools to vote for quality control purposes does not require the fed from actively being involved in proccess of state voting.

Tell me something, do you REALLY think that if only the Federal Government will provide a uniform voting computer all the claims of fraud and abuse will end?

Not at all. But if a single source is providing the tools then there is less chance of mishap and if there is mishap there is a single source to go to for resolution.

It's a simple IT matter. You don't let each department in a company independently acquire and support their own computers. You have a central source (usually IT) manage it.

 

[marduc]

more food for thought:

Princeton publishes how-to guide for hacking Sequoia e-voting machines - Engadget

something needs done, and "proprietary" software with unpublished source code, touch screens with human error likely (whether calibration, or a misplaced finger), easily hacked voter systems such as this link providxes.. all without a paper trail.. no wonder so many people have such high doubts of the sanctity of their vote.

Although the states should ultimately be in charge of their vote.. I think that there should be one system in place nationally. All these attempts to build a better mousetrap just create more problems and doubt than they assuage.