I may be the lonely DUer

[maseman]

that has to drive by the Diebold Corporate headquarters everyday...TWICE per day. You know those mornings when you wake up, feel good, glad to be alive? The moment I spot that blue shiny glass and fence surrounding the compound it wrecks my day...always!

I started traveling about an extra 8 minutes through traffic just to avoid seeing that place. What sucks is there are friends of mine who work there (mostly servicing their ATM machines) who are good people.

But it is a cold feeling knowing that behind those tinted blue glass windows there is fraud taking place. With software, it only takes one or two people to control and to manipulate. I have never been a conspiracy theorist because traditionally the noted conspiracies would have taken a massive amount of people and cover up. But not with software tampering. A little code here or there and the fix is in. Without any regulation, no one can contradict the code.

I am ordering my absentee ballots for my wife and I today. Is it failsafe? Who knows. But I refuse to touch that touchscreen Diebold machine no matter what. I won't do it. I even refuse to use an Diebold ATM machine. I know it doesn't really matter, but it somehow makes me feel better.

Happy Friday DU!

[Vexatious Ape]

1. Thats grim, indeed.

Imagine if you had to live in DC and had to see the White House everyday. They must go through a lot of anti-depressants around there.

[texasleo]

2. I drove by Halliburton yesterday.

:(

[Jed Dilligan]

9. The HQ?

They have a huge warehouse (or something...) near where I live

[mmonk]

3. The ATM I use closest to my house

was made by Diebold. A constant reminder.

[jhrobbins]

4. Not to sound like a whiner, but I think I would be glad to drive anywhere.

I got sick two years ago and getting around became increasingly difficult, therefore I sort of retreated to my house. Now even when I wake up and feel decent, I don't leave this house. The last time I left my house was last December to go see Brokeback Mountain and my friends had to coerce me then. I'm pretty sure I am agoraphobic because I have a physical reaction to leaving my front door. This internet is my connection to the outside.
Anyway, have a nice day.

[Broadslidin]

5. The Conservative Business Community Has Always Supported Fascists

:yoiks:

[RubyDuby in GA]

6. Absentee ballots:

As everyone knows, GA is a Diebold state. Damn you Cathy Cox! But I digress...

I serve as my county's Dem representative on election nights to certify the results. Myself and my Republican counterpart has to literally stand there and watch when the "count" the absentee ballots. They run each sheet through an optical scanner - made by - wait for it....Diebold. If they can change results on regular machines, why can't optical scanners be made to "scan" something else, like all Republicans and no Democrats, if they want to?

For the past 4 years, I make the effort anyway, but I know that my vote isn't being counted.

[never_get_over_it]

7. I'm in Florida

and I feel my vote is not being counted the way I cast it - and it is SO DEPRESSING....

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. Optical scans can be iffy, but there is an upside to them --

there must be a physical ballot for them to scan. If a suggestion of fraud is allowed to surface, there are the ballots that can be visually verified - unlike the e-vote where there isn't even that much.

[liberalmuse]

10. My neighbor works for Diebold.

There's a Diebold van in his driveway. :(

[Catherine Vincent]

11. You're not alone.

It disgusts me everytime I have to use the diebold atm machine. It seems they've taken over all the atm machines.

[anarch]

12. your ATM-servicing friends must get a lot of work

My bank replaced most of their ATM's with Diebold machines, and they seem to be broken about two-thirds of the time....

[maseman]

13. I don't talk much him about Diebold

He has nothing to do with the voting stuff and I am sure he doesn't really feel like talking about it.

I actually still walk into my bank and do it in person. Call me old fashioned, but it helps keep them employeed.