ID rules, machines early voting problems

[oberliner]

Electronic voting machine problems frazzled voters and election workers in dozens of precincts as the polls opened Tuesday, delaying voters in Indiana and Ohio and leaving some in Florida with little choice but turn to paper ballots instead.

In Cleveland, voters rolled their eyes as poll workers fumbled with new voting machines that they couldn't get to start properly.

"We got five machines — one of them's got to work," said Willette Scullank, a trouble shooter from the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, elections board.

Election officials in Delaware County, Ind., planned to seek a court order to extend voting after an apparent computer error prevented voters from casting ballots in 75 precincts. Delaware County Clerk Karen Wenger said the cards that activate the machines were programmed incorrectly.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eln_voting_problems

[niceypoo]

1. All heavliy democratic areas, Im sure

[Kittycat]

5. Probably not Dem. in Delaware, but still.

I used to live in Delaware Cty. It's comprised of farmers & upper middle class/wealthy. It's the north suburbs of Columbus.

[Toots]

2. Boy am I ever surprised

And all the Republicans, who we know would never LIE, have told us these machines are the cat's meow. America will get all it deserves IMO.

[still_one]

3. No matter WHAT HAPPENS, the Democrats Better do something about this

IT HAS BEEN SIX YEARS SINCE OUR VOTING INTEGRITIY has been compromised, and very little has been done

The one advantage is that people are more aware

[geomon666]

4. ....

"History has shown that the machines are far more accurate than paper so we're quite confident in it," Cobb said. "There is absolutely no reason to believe that there will be any security issues, any hacking going on."

Yeah.

[leftchick]

6. New rules, machines frazzle poll workers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061107/ap_on_el_ge/eln_voting_problems

Programming errors and inexperience dealing with electronic voting machines frustrated poll workers in hundreds of precincts Tuesday, delaying voters in several states and leaving some with little choice but to use paper ballots instead.

In Cleveland, voters rolled their eyes as election workers fumbled with new touchscreen machines that they couldn't get to start properly until about 10 minutes after polls opened.

"We got five machines — one of them's got to work," said Willette Scullank, a trouble shooter from the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, elections board.

In Indiana's Marion County, about 175 of 914 precincts turned to paper because poll workers didn't know how to run the machines, said Marion County Clerk Doris Ann Sadler. She said it could take most of the day to fix all of the machine-related issues.

Election officials in Delaware County, Ind., extended voting hours because voters initially couldn't cast ballots in 75 precincts. County Clerk Karen Wenger said the cards that activate the push-button machines were programmed incorrectly but the problems were fixed by late morning.

[liberal N proud]

7. Sounds like another rovian plan is working well

Confuse them and disenfranchise them

[Lindsey]

8. The upside is.....

It shows what incompetent idiots the Diebold people are.

[Kelvin Mace]

9. FOR THE 4000TH TIME THIS YEAR

COMPUTER VOTING SYSTEMS MUST BE DESIGNED FOR USE BY HUMAN BEINGS WITH NO COMPUTER EXPERIENCE. IF YOUR SYSTEM FAILS WHEN USED BY ORDINARY HUMANS, YOU, THE DESIGNER ARE AT FAULT, NOT THE USERS.

[MGKrebs]

10. Atlanta too:

A few excerpts:

"Voting in at least one precinct — Bethune Middle School in DeKalb County — will be open an extra hour because “equipment” problems delayed the start of voting, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. A judge ordered the extra hour when one voter left because of the delay."

"At Atlanta’s Morningside Elementary School in neighboring Fulton County, equipment problems slowed voting to a trickle as poll workers had the use of only one working computer to verify voter eligibility. The other computers were working by mid-morning."

"Psychologist Maureen O’Harra saw her votes for four Democratic candidates show up as a vote for the Republican opponents. “I had to go back and change it,” O’Harra said. “When I reported it they seemed kind of bland about it. The final ballot … looked to be correct. But what I’m concerned about is if there are voters who aren’t as alert.”"

"Craig Bryant, another DeKalb County resident, had the same problem when he voted at the First Iconium Baptist Church in East Atlanta. Even though he went to great lengths to ensure his finger was positioned exactly on the candidates he liked in six or seven races, the computer screen indicated he had picked their opponents."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/elections/entries/2006/11/07/id_requirements.html

[superconnected]

11. Gee, I'd have thought getting the votes was sort of serious stuff

Instead it sounds like nobody tested this stuff, or trained anyone on it.