Weird AZ GEMS results

[ignatzmouse]

I just happened on the posted results from Pima, AZ here:

http://www.co.pima.az.us/elections/results.htm


If you scroll down the page to some of the local races, a LOT of undervotes begin to appear, the first at State Reps Dist. 25 where two Democrats are pitted against two Republicans. The same holds for the next race with 2 Dems vs 2 Reps, the next race with 2 Dems against each other, etc. The undervotes only appear when we have more than one Democrat in race, one Democrat against two Republicans, or other multiple case scenarios - but never in unopposed contests or contests where there is one candidate from each party. The possibility is crossing my mind that maybe GEMS is getting confused on vote flips when the choices don't fit the correct program layout. But I definitely don't want to jump to conclusions. If it has a justified answer, that is fine. But what is happening here? Can someone explain the "undervotes" scheme via GEMS?

[Goldeneye]

1. hmmm...there a lot of undervotes

Anyone know why that might be?

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Looking at the data in FL

it seems a fair number of people don't vote, ie can't make a choice in particular races.

The pattern that I'm seeing is that most people voted for President, even though there are undervotes there too. Then State Senator gets about 3 to 5 times more undervotes than President. After that the number of undervotes goes way up for races like House of Reps and for amendments the undervotes can be very high.

[ignatzmouse]

4. This result is different

No, in this data sheet there are no undervotes in any of the other races -- even the uninteresting ones. There are "blank votes," but the undervotes must be something different. The are no undervotes for President, Senator, etc. They are only there when there is a multiple candidate field that includes two Democrats, or one Democrat against two Republicans, etc. Even in the unopposed races, there are no undervotes.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Do you know what kind of voting equipment they have in Pima?

That is odd to have separate categories for blank votes and under votes. With different results in each category, but zero undervotes in the main races?

Also, if they are using optical scanners and/or touch screens how did they end up with overvotes? Overvotes are suppose to be impossible on those systems, unless they are coming off the absentee ballots?

[ignatzmouse]

10. Diebold AccuVote Optical Scan (n/t)

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. Optical Scanners can be programed in different ways

That was the problem we had with them in FL in 2000. In Duval County they were programmed to accept any ballot. In other counties, such as mine, they were programmed to reject the ballot and the voter was given the opportunity to correct it. It was another blatant example of how BushCo manipulated the outcome.

[dewaldd]

2. What is "Blank Voted" vs "Under Votes"?

Call them up and ask them.

[Rhapsody in Blue]

6. I noticed that too

In the races where you see a lot of undervotes, there's a corresponding decrease in the blank votes (relatively speaking). Maybe it's just a difference in terminology?

[Village Idiot]

5. It's a really strange area to study -

but very rewarding, if you know where to look...I have heard that there are a bucket of ballots in Fla. that have the voter selecting a Democratic Senator, a Democratic Supervisor, etc...only to vote for BUSH for President...

Very strange, indeed...

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Especially since Castor the DEM for Senate

got more votes than Kerry did for President? Yet the Senate race had a strong 3rd party candidate, who got three times as many votes as Nader and the fact that fewer votes were caste in the Senate Race?

[Patsy Stone]

9. I've been following your posts

I wonder if you've done these types of anaylsis on FL counties. Specifically Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

http://elections.miamidade.gov/
http://www.browardsoe.org/elections/elections.php3?LID=1
http://www.pbcelections.org/results.htm

Thanks,
PS

[ignatzmouse]

11. Thank you. I will look them over. n/t

[Patsy Stone]

12. Thanks!

Hope you had a great turkey day. Gobble Gobble.

[AndrewClarke]

14. Undervotes

The "number of under votes" category appears to be nonzero in races where the "vote for" category is greater than one.


In other words:

If you are supposed to vote for one person, and you don't pick one, that's a blank vote.

If you are supposed to vote for two or more, and you don't pick anybody, that's a blank vote--but if you vote for one person, that's an under vote.

[Rhapsody in Blue]

16. That's it! Makes sense - thanks for the explanation.

n/t

[YellowDoginthehouse]

15. One of the questions I have is this

Ann Rodriguez ran unopposed for County Recorder. How can you come up with overvotes on an uncontested seat?

It's impossible.

[Igel]

18. A guess:

It looks like there was a write-in space. Maybe they voted both for Rodriguez and a write-in candidate?

And as far as the undervotes go: could it be that they were supposed to vote for 2 people, and only voted for one (or maybe the "slate" voting option was programmed only to select one candidate?).

[YellowDoginthehouse]

19. There wasn't a write in space

I voted on that ballot. I live in Pima County.

[Rhapsody in Blue]

17. And look at the overvotes, in all the races

The vast majority of them are coming from Early Voting - how does that happen? Were they using a different ballot?