New Rules, Machines Frazzle Voters Early

[dogday]

Problems Crop Up Early As Poll Workers Tangle With New Voting Machines, Databases, ID Rules

Nov 7, 2006 (AP)— Programming errors and inexperience with electronic voting machines frustrated poll workers in hundreds of precincts early Tuesday, delaying voters in Indiana and Ohio and leaving some in Florida with little choice but 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.

"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.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2634388


And so it begins

[slackmaster]

1. Oh goody, I can't wait

It wasn't enough that I spent most of the last two days with the dry heaves. I want to be frazzled too.

:argh:

[Lautremont]

This might become the classic quote of Election 2006:

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



This is the TROUBLE SHOOTER speaking?

[dogday]

2. And there is more

Technical glitches reported in early voting

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Voters put the Republican congressional majority and a multitude of new voting equipment to the test Tuesday in an election that defined the balance of power for the rest of George W. Bush's presidency.

Both parties hustled to get their supporters out in high-stakes contests across the country, Democrats appealing one more time for change, and appearing confident the mood was on their side.

Republicans conceded nothing as their vaunted get-out-the-vote machine swung into motion. (Watch CNN political analyst go over the latest polls -- 2:09 )

About a third of voters were using new equipment, and problems in several states were reported right out of the gate. The government deployed a record number of poll watchers to the many competitive races across the country. (Watch why the monitors are being dispatched -- 1:59 )

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/07/election.roundup.ap/index.html

[malaise]

3. They can't stop the fugging wave

that's coming.

[dogday]

4. Plus There is this story

Election Fixing Charges Fly in Utah Town


SALT LAKE CITY -- Folks love voting in Daggett County. Even when they may not live there.

Daggett County registered 947 voters for Tuesday's election -- four more than the county's population in 2005, according to the most recent Census figures.

Now, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's office is looking into complaints of vote-stuffing in the county, spokesman Paul Murphy said.

Democrats suspect County Clerk Vickie McKee is letting outsiders swell the Daggett County registration rolls to give Republicans an advantage. They say the father of the deputy running against Democratic Sheriff Allen Campbell has 14 adults registered at his household.

The Republican deputy, Rick Ellsworth, told KSL-TV that his father's address is being used by family members who own property in the county but don't have their own address

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-voting-utah-county,0,4986979.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[KurtNYC]

5. "We got five machines one of them's got to work" -- ahhhh !

To live without the shackles of grammar and logic is to be truly Republican.

[dogday]

6. FBI looking into possible Va. voter intimidation

Officials probing reports of phone calls allegedly intended to confuse voters

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into the possibility of voter intimidation in the U.S. Senate race between Sen. George Allen, a Republican, and Democratic challenger James Webb, officials told NBC News.

State officials alerted the Justice Department on Tuesday to several complaints of suspicious phone calls to voters who attempted to misdirect or confuse them about election day, Jean Jensen, Secretary of the Virginia State Board of Elections, told NBC’s David Shuster.

Jensen told NBC that she had been contacted by FBI agents. The FBI in Richmond refused to comment.

State Democratic Party counsel Jay Myerson said in a written statement issued by the Webb campaign that he believed Republicans are behind an orchestrated effort to suppress votes for the Democratic challenger.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15603344/

[dogday]

7. And Yet Even More Problems

9:00 am Eastern Time And Already Problems Being Reported (Plus How To Make Sure Your Vote Counts)

CNN has just reported that about 70 polling places in Indiana did not open this morning. They are saying it was a problem with the machines with the software not being loaded right and right now about half those polling places are open. They are also going to court to get the polling places opened longer. Funny how when you hear people like Ken Blackwell talk, they say there is no problem with the machines - that it is always with the poll workers. Well right next door, we see a problem with the MACHINES!.

I also added a link to the top of each page. That will take you to the Democrats Voting Protection Resource Center. They have all the information you need, and a 1-888-DEM-VOTE phone number if you have any questions or notice/have any problems at the polls.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/11/07/900-am-eastern-time-and-already-problems-being-reported-plus-how-to-make-sure-your-vote-counts/

[dogday]

8. And yet another story

Florida ballot terminals favor Republicans

Florida voters using electronic ballot machines are having persistent problems choosing Democrats in early elections, the Miami Herald reports.

The touch-screen gizmos seem strangely attracted to Republican candidates. One voter needed assistance from an election official, and even then, needed three tries to convince the machine that he wanted to vote for Democrat Jim Davis in the gubernatorial race, not his Republican opponent Charlie Crist.

Another voter who went Democrat across the board kept finding Republicans listed in the summary screen. He made repeated attempts until, finally, the machine registered his votes correctly, and he cast his ballot.

Yet another frustrated voter who complained of difficulties selecting a Democrat was told that the machine she was using had been troublesome. Poll workers fiddled with it for a bit, and then it seemed to work properly


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/31/florida_termina... /

As Gomer Pyle used to say... Surprise! Surprise!

[Supersedeas]

9. Ohio and Florida -- Blackwell and Jebbie still can't get their act together