Newspaper: Discrepancies found in numbers of Gaston votes, voters

[sled]

Newspaper: Discrepancies found in numbers of Gaston votes, voters

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031779228434&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099

Associated Press

Thursday, November 18, 2004

GASTONIA, N.C. - The number of recorded votes and voters don't match
in more than half of the precincts in Gaston County, more evidence of
Election Day problems.

The number of ballots cast and the number of voters signed in by poll
workers were different in 29 of the county's 46 precincts, according
to a review done by The Charlotte Observer. The discrepancies raise
the possibility that some people could have voted twice, while others
might have cast ballots that were not counted.

"What you're sharing with me is highly irritating," said Gaston
Elections Director Sandra Page, who said she had not known of the
problems.

She blamed the discrepancies on precinct workers who failed to follow
instructions.

[DeadManInc]

1. Gaston

Page said she remained convinced that the county's reported election results are accurate.


With this many fuck-ups how could someone make such a statement?

[mcg]

2. Previously in Gaston County ...

12,000 votes uncounted in Gaston

"She said officials failed to release the votes from the machine on which they were stored into the database where votes were tallied."

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/politics/10137450.htm?1c

---

"In Gastonia NC, Elections Director Sandra Page is investigating why more than 13,000 votes were excluded from the county's unofficial election results. ...
The county pays a technician from Diebold to operate its systems on Election Day. That person was in charge of transferring early votes from electronic storage to the counting computer. Diebold believes the transmission was interrupted, said spokesman David Bear. ..."

http://blog.democrats.com/node/656/trackback

[troubleinwinter]

3. "irritating"??!!! Ms. Page gets the Understatement Award.

[GetTheRightVote]

4. I am just amaze at the endless mistakes made in this election

So when in history have we ever been able to get our votes counted correctly ?? Can anyone prove this fact to me, that there is a good election out there somewhere for us to find.

[troubleinwinter]

5. Paper ballots, my dear. Able to hand count.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. As if it were a mere annoyance

rather than a serious matter requiring investigation...

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. Precinct workers are to blame.. it's just a minor problem..

Yet another small error, please step away from the issue.

This is really starting to make me physically ill.

How many "discrepancies" can one election have? It's like an onion that you just keep peeling away layers wondering if you ever will find the center.

[Rose Siding]

8. Big DELICIOUS cookies for the Charlotte Observer!!!

The PAPER busted her; the media...journalists...investigation by a reporter...a FREE PRESS. Someone did their job and discovered that the GOVT *didn't*

THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.

[Spangle]

9. This article should be Renamed

The Many ACTUAL reasons why Paper Ballots should be used.

When the public, etc. was being "sold" this type bill of goods, the voter machine people minimized these types of possiblitys as "rare or never" going to happen.

This county should be made to revote. And charges should be made. What eveer the reasons, the Elections Directoris responsible. Either by lack of training beforhand. Or lack of fore thought on realistic proceedures. I tell you guys.. These people are NOT really use to being questioned and needing an actual audit. IF the system was inplaced where data was knowen right away.. and they would be held liable for their actions.. Things would change in a hurry!

Absentee ballots, the public should know at all times how many have been requested, returned.. and they should be counted as a GROUP and listed as such. Same with provisionals and early voting. Each broken down for easy audit.

All the informaton should be made avalible on the web on a DAILY bases. We shouldn't have to wait until the media gets the Elections people to "talk" about the numbers of this or that.

AFter voting, the pcts use to post the results for that pct on the door of the pct so the local people could KNOW what was going on. That was part of the "people's audit." That is being taken away from us. Posting the data on the web RIGHT AWAY is the ONLY way we can get that right back.