Is Iowa an automatic recount?

[MARALE]

Kerry lost by less than 1%, I heard that is an auto-recount.

total-1496214

Kerry-735366

Bush*-748443

Diff-13077

[bullimiami]

1. we need a HAND recount of the damn optical scan ballots

a machine retabultion is probably going to just be the same crap.

[MeasureTwice]

3. Actually, if you read up on blackboxvoting.com, you find that..

The biggest vulnerability with the optical scan machines comes as the totals are phoned in from the ballot machines in the polling places to the PC's in the county offices. The PC's in the county offices are vulnerable to hackers calling them up and changing things.
If they run the ballots through the same machines, but unplug the tabulating PC from the phone (and internet,) and carry the cards from the scanners to the PC, it's much more secure.

[mrdmk]

2. This is one argument against the optical scans

that has been used over and over for the transition to the DRE machines. They do not add up the same over and over. Each time you scan them, the result changes. That is why they do a hand count when the election is within a certain percentage, no joke. There is a known error rate in the using of these machines. Same with the punch cards, there is a known error rate.

[indy_azcat]

4. negative

It's only a freebie recount if the margin is that small and the recount reverses the decision. Some candidate (here Kerry kerry kerry... I mean Nader... er Cobb?) still has to request.

Check it:
http://www.electionline.org/site/docs/html/recount_provisions_-_part_1.htm

[jhgatiss]

5. I think we missed the deadline...

According to IdaBriggs we missed the deadline.

http://www.invisibleida.com/

That is unless someone is a lawyer that wants to take that to court.

[indy_azcat]

6. It was Nov 12

http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2004/general/Timeline4OfficialCanvassOfVotes.pdf

[spoogly]

7. Yes, unless

County was late in their canvass. It is 3 days after they complete their canvass, not necessarily Nov. 12. Did all counties canvass on schedule?

or administrative recounts for machine malfunctions:

50.50 Administrative recounts.
The commissioner who was responsible for conducting an election may request an administrative recount when the commissioner suspects that voting equipment used in the election malfunctioned or that programming errors may have affected the outcome of the election, or if the precinct election officials report counting errors to the commissioner after the conclusion of the canvass of votes in the precinct. An administrative recount shall be conducted by the board of the special precinct established by section 53.23. Bond shall not be required for an administrative recount. The state commissioner may adopt rules for administrative recounts.

If the recount board finds that there is an error in the programming of any voting equipment which may have affected the outcome of the election for any office or public measure on the ballot, the recount board shall describe the errors in its report to the commissioner. The commissioner shall notify the board of supervisors. The supervisors shall determine whether to order an administrative recount for any or all of the offices and public measures on the ballot.

Election Contest could still be brought by any candidate that received votes, I believe within 2 days after the official State canvass for the following grounds:

a. Misconduct, fraud or corruption on the part of any election official or of any board of canvassers of sufficient magnitude to change the result of the election.

.....

e. That illegal votes have been received or legal votes rejected at the polls, sufficient to change the result of the election.

f. Any error in any board of canvassers in counting the votes, or in declaring the result of the election, if the error would affect the result.

....

h. Any other cause or allegation which, if sustained, would show that a person other than the incumbent was the person duly elected to the office in question, or would show the outcome of the election on the public measure in question was contrary to the result declared by the board of canvassers