NationStates Jolt Archive

Florida's fixin' to fuck up another election, this time with defective voting machines. It seems some voting machines in Florida will assign your vote to a different candidate. One man who showed up for early voting had his vote switched from the Democrat candidate to the Republican. He noticed what was happening, but how many folks won't notice? Florida should be removed from the Union temporarily until it can get it's shit together.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15869924.htm

arstechnica recently did a 'how to commit vote fraud' thing abut the machines they use. It's ludicrously open to abuse. Back to paper ballots dammit, that way we at least need more than one bad apple to rig a state election.

What I want to know is this - how many glitches go the other way? How many times does a person try to vote Republican and then is shown voting Democrat? I saw the same thing in Houston two years ago, where people who voted a straight Democratic ticket were shown voting for Bush (those who voted straight Republican tickets were shown as not casting a vote for President.)

In a state where a district with 600 registered voters turned in 4,000 votes for the Shrub, I would expect no less.

A free and independant Florida! Yay!!! I am all for that. We should name it the New and Improved Conch Republic. Orange juice and Disney World for all!

Anything to stay in power. Precisely why I don't trust machines that were built by Diebold or a variation thereof.

In order to have fair and balanced elections, we have to make it equally possible for each party to win. Obviously this means we are going to have to let the Republicans cheat.

In the interests of fairness and balance, of course.

In order to have fair and balanced elections, we have to make it equally possible for both of parties to win. Obviously this means we are going to have to let the Republicans cheat.

In the interests of fairness and balance, of course.

Even if we don't let them, they will cheat.

A better question would be when will democrats stop crying 'cheaters!' when they lose an election?

A better question would be when will democrats stop crying 'cheaters!' when they lose an election?

When you guys stop cheating.

A better question would be when will democrats stop crying 'cheaters!' when they lose an election?

When the zombie voter plague that infests Chicago and the sons of election officials slash enough tires to allow for nationwide landslides for the DNC.

When the zombie voter plague that infests Chicago and the sons of election officials slash enough tires to allow for nationwide landslides for the DNC.

I wuld have thought that by now the DNC would have figured out how to steal a couple of elections for themselves. Really, it shouldn't be that difficult.

When you guys stop cheating.

Indeed, Drunk Commies. Indeed.

Broward Supervisor of Elections spokeswoman Mary Cooney said it's not uncommon for screens on heavily used machines to slip out of sync, making votes register incorrectly. Poll workers are trained to recalibrate them on the spot -- essentially, to realign the video screen with the electronics inside. The 15-step process is outlined in the poll-workers manual.Why the fuck are we using the damn things in the first place then?

Seriously - how hard is it for voters to put a fucking X in the box next to the guy they want to vote for!

Who needs these machines?!

Seriously - how hard is it for voters to put a fucking X in the box next to the guy they want to vote for!

Who needs these machines?!

Florida says: Pat Buchanan

Seriously - how hard is it for voters to put a fucking X in the box next to the guy they want to vote for!

Who needs these machines?!

its not the voting; its the counting

if you think that paper ballots systems are immune to corruption you have never seen the vote counters suddenly "find" a box of uncounted ballots at the last minute.

In order to have fair and balanced elections, we have to make it equally possible for each party to win. Obviously this means we are going to have to let the Republicans cheat.

In the interests of fairness and balance, of course.

Democrats designed and approved the Butterfly Ballot.

after the 2000 Election Democrats demanded the Electronic Voting machines we see today be put into circulation as soon as possible and without further delay, ignoring Jeb Bush's warnings about possible reliability issues with such a new technology.

There were some serious allegations of voter fraud in the 2002 Democratic Gubernatorial primary which lead to Janet Reno's defeat, who many Democrats did not want to win feeling she was too weak a candidate against Jeb Bush.


But of course, it is the Republicans' fault. ;)

But of course, it is the Republicans' fault. ;)
That's the price you pay for holding all three branches of government: when the governing is shitty, you get the lion's share of the blame.

But don't worry, we're working to lift this burden from the Republicans just as fast as we can! :D

All according to plan (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=502003).

All according to plan (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=502003).

I trhought your plan was to get us all on gabbly (http://gabbly.com/http://forums.jolt.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=1227)? Why the hell aren't you there now? :p

I trhought your plan was to get us all on gabbly (http://gabbly.com/http://forums.jolt.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=1227)? Why the hell aren't you there now? :p
Can't get on today -- I've got class, homework, and a Halloween thingy to go to tonight. I might get on this afternoon, but it's unlikely.

Of course, someone could always sign on and impersonate me... :eek:

A better question would be when will democrats stop crying 'cheaters!' when they lose an election?

When a machine stops taking THREE FUCKING ATTEMPTS for a person to vote Democrat. How many, PRAY FUCKING TELL, such "mistakes" benefit the Democrats rather than the Republicans? Oh - you'll say - it's not important. You know why? Because you Republicans don't give a fuck about democracy, that's why. Because you want to stay in power no matter how many people have to be killed for it. That's why. At least admit it.

Also, the Democrats are, by the polls, not even close to losing, unless, as good Republicans they are, Republicans cheat.

its not the voting; its the counting

if you think that paper ballots systems are immune to corruption you have never seen the vote counters suddenly "find" a box of uncounted ballots at the last minute.

I think the only reason things like this happen is that BOTH/ALL sides are happy for it to be possible to abuse the system as they will both have a go. If this was not the case then sooner or later a party would pass a law that all counters would be strip searched and placed in a sealed room with the sealed boxes to make the count. Which would then be verified by a second set of counters.

I say we take off, nuke all of Florida from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

I think the only reason things like this happen is that BOTH/ALL sides are happy for it to be possible to abuse the system as they will both have a go. If this was not the case then sooner or later a party would pass a law that all counters would be strip searched and placed in a sealed room with the sealed boxes to make the count. Which would then be verified by a second set of counters.

I'd vote for it.

I'd vote for it.

Me too. But the monkeys in charge might be less willing.

I trhought your plan was to get us all on gabbly (http://gabbly.com/http://forums.jolt.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=1227)? Why the hell aren't you there now? :p

I note some of us are in forums2.jolt.co.uk and some are in forums.jolt.co.uk. We should merge.

Democrats designed and approved the Butterfly Ballot.

after the 2000 Election Democrats demanded the Electronic Voting machines we see today be put into circulation as soon as possible and without further delay, ignoring Jeb Bush's warnings about possible reliability issues with such a new technology.

There were some serious allegations of voter fraud in the 2002 Democratic Gubernatorial primary which lead to Janet Reno's defeat, who many Democrats did not want to win feeling she was too weak a candidate against Jeb Bush.


But of course, it is the Republicans' fault. ;)

The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney. By your logic, if someone feeds me into a cotton gin, killing me horribly, it's Whitney's fault, not the person who murdered me.

Democrats designed and approved the Butterfly Ballot.

From wiki: LePore was a registered Republican, but then switched her party to Democratic because, according to her, "when I ran [for the supervisor position], I chose Democrat because the incumbent was Democrat and the county registration is predominantly Democrat." After the 2000 election, she switched her party registration to No Party Affiliation.

So, "idiot who jumps on the XYZ band wagon" designed and approved the Butterfly Ballot" is perhaps a little more accurate.

after the 2000 Election Democrats demanded the Electronic Voting machines we see today be put into circulation as soon as possible and without further delay, ignoring Jeb Bush's warnings about possible reliability issues with such a new technology.

Voting machines are the responsibility of each county Elections Supervisor in each County. Not Jeb Bush or the Democrats.

There were some serious allegations of voter fraud in the 2002 Democratic Gubernatorial primary which lead to Janet Reno's defeat, who many Democrats did not want to win feeling she was too weak a candidate against Jeb Bush.

And your point is...

Florida's fixin' to fuck up another election, this time with defective voting machines. It seems some voting machines in Florida will assign your vote to a different candidate. One man who showed up for early voting had his vote switched from the Democrat candidate to the Republican. He noticed what was happening, but how many folks won't notice? Florida should be removed from the Union temporarily until it can get it's shit together.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15869924.htm

If this country has a Republican ruled senate and house after the elections, I swear to god I'm leaving. This time I am not joking either.

When one loses an election, the clearly logical response is to shriek at the top of your lungs "they cheated!" like a six year-old. Such infantilism in politics...

I await the date that the Super Bowl loser screams "CHEATER!" at the winner and demands infinite replays until they win. They'd have a precendance, after all...

I say we take off, nuke all of Florida from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

1. My mother always said there are no monsters. No real ones. But there are, aren't there?

1. My mother always said there are no monsters. No real ones. But there are, aren't there?

Damnit, where's that from? It sounds so familiar.

Damnit, where's that from? It sounds so familiar.

Aliens. Newt says it to Ripley IIRC.

Aliens. Newt says it to Ripley IIRC.


The 'nuke the site from orbit' comment is from Aliens too.

The 'nuke the site from orbit' comment is from Aliens too.

Yep. Great movie

When one loses an election, the clearly logical response is to shriek at the top of your lungs "they cheated!" like a six year-old. Such infantilism in politics...

I await the date that the Super Bowl loser screams "CHEATER!" at the winner and demands infinite replays until they win. They'd have a precendance, after all...

A good point you have there.

Sadly, it doesn't apply in a state with a history of voter fraud, with a machine that took three attempts to vote Democrat, made by a company that is able and willing to tamper with it.

Otherwise, a good point you have there.

1. My mother always said there are no monsters. No real ones. But there are, aren't there?

"I'm the Monster's Mother." :eek: :D

Can anybody find links to the Diebold internal memos?

A good point you have there.

Sadly, it doesn't apply in a state with a history of voter fraud, with a machine that took three attempts to vote Democrat, made by a company that is able and willing to tamper with it.

Otherwise, a good point you have there.some other points people are missing are...

1) it was caught because the voter double checked his screen before finishing.

2) there are procedures to correct those machines.

3) some counties have measures to remove problem machines.


now, unlike the old punchcard ballots, once the hole is made, it cannot be unmade.

some other points people are missing are...

1) it was caught because the voter double checked his screen before finishing.

2) there are procedures to correct those machines.

3) some counties have measures to remove problem machines.


now, unlike the old punchcard ballots, once the hole is made, it cannot be unmade.

Some countRies - like mine, Brazil, for instance - have voting machines that work flawlessly. We have voted with them ever since about 2000, and there has never been a case of fraud or any such problem. It's also a safe system.

So, quo bonum that in the US, a country much more advanced technologically than mine, there is this kind of problem?

We should go back to paper ballots with an x-mark...or maybe optical scanned thingies like the lottery

Some countRies - like mine, Brazil, for instance - have voting machines that work flawlessly. We have voted with them ever since about 2000, and there has never been a case of fraud or any such problem. It's also a safe system.

So, quo bonum that in the US, a country much more advanced technologically than mine, there is this kind of problem?

Electronic voting machines?

and remember, these voting machines are new (only been used what... twice? in most areas)

and more technology does not mean less glitches. ;)

Electronic voting machines?

and remember, these voting machines are new (only been used what... twice? in most areas)

and more technology does not mean less glitches. ;)

Electronic, yes.

Well, in here, it works fine - indeed, most results closely resemble the polls.

http://www2.samurai.com.br/urnaeletronica/ue2000

The big one is the one which people use to vote. The small one is the one used by the folks at the voting place to pass the person's document number to the electronic ballot.

Like the old adege, It's not the votes that count, its who counts the votes.

Thats alright Kerry is trying to lose the election in 2006 all by himself for the DEms....they should have shot him after he lost to Bush in 2004...he seems determined to kill them in 2006...wwhat an asshole :eek:

I've said it in other threads, but I'll say it again.

We still use paper ballots where I live...the day we switch to voting machines is the day I move.

I barely trust a person with "handling" my vote...I sure as hell am not going to trust some fucking machine with the same responsibility...not with the track-record these things are making for themselves.

I wuld have thought that by now the DNC would have figured out how to steal a couple of elections for themselves. Really, it shouldn't be that difficult.

Meh, they just don't have the cheating down like they used to. The Republicans just change the ballots, the Democrats are remarably good and convincing the "life impaired" crowd to vote for them.

Why the fuck are we using the damn things in the first place then?

You want to know the best part of it? The sketchiest machines were installed in the most heavily Democratic parts of the state--Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties. In other parts of the state, you get to vote on optical scan machines--not down here. I cast my vote on the first day of early voting, but I have no confidence in the system because there's no paper trail.