Someone tell me this about voting machines...

[WildBill]

How is it that our little state of about 2 million had voting machines with a paper trail and so much of the country didn't? How is it that Diebold, who sells themselves as being the kings of secure machine automation couldn't come up with something that we had here? Nevada is a VAST state, almost 3 times larger than Ohio made up mostly of podunk towns, yet all had these new machines. We had early voting started almost 3 weeks before election day, all done on new machines where after you voted the machine asked you to look at a PAPER ticket printed on the side and confirm if you agreed with it. The voter couldn't tamper with it because all you got was a receipt that would match to that ticket, but not the ticket itself. How is it possible we all got to use this and others didn't???

Should I be proud of my state or ashamed of our fellow states is what I want to know?

 

[eek.]

Thats the kind of system you need, paper confirmation of the vote cast.
A receipt is optional, but not a physical record of the vote cast.

I can't believe the founding fathers didn't write a cast iron voting system into the constitution, so that the people knew that what they were getting was verifiable, and it was adopted across the union.

A company will want a verifiable paper record for a reclaimed $2 hotdog you had for lunch on business. They wouldn't accept a paperless electronic business expense hotdogs system, (and neither would the revenue).

Voting is a bit more important than a 'dog, but a 'dog gets a paper trail and a vote doesn't???

 

[docmercer--banned]

Diebold ....

Big time Bushie backer and CEO in 2003 GURANATEED Bush would carry Ohio ... go read pieces from article I just posted

This would not suprise me one bit

 

[bblight]

WildBill - come up here to Massachusetts and see the old way of politics at work -

To mt understanding the the "Republican" precincts have paper ballets that are read and tabulated by a machine, and leave a paper trail; the "Democrat" precincts that I read about have other methods - mostly punch cards.

The Boston Herald editorialized that it's not in the best interests of the Democrat machine to have an easily read and audited ballot.

Why don't the Democrats take this to Federal Court and fight for a national standard?

 

[eek.]

You should ALL take this to Federal Court level and fight for a national standard.

Its in your own interest.

Its a fundamental weakness in your voting system.

 

[RobFunk]

great post BB, youre absolutely right. if it meant anything to them theyd do something about it.

had no Idea you lived in mass BB, welcome to the best run state in the country!

actually I believe in check and balance also and they said that the republican power in the state has hit an all time low, and I doubt romney will be in next time around. mass is so off key with the rest of the country, I pray that the Dems never F-UP by sending another mass native becuase they just cant relate to the rest of the US. its utopia comapred to the rest of the nation.

 

[bblight]

RobFunk - I'm not sure that I disagree.

Romney represents the new Republican party, while much of the power with the Republican base in Massachusetts still consists of the old line Brahmin Republicans, who are the vestiges of the Rockerfeller Republican Party - These people still think like the old WWII Republicans - basically social liberals to the extreme, and fiscal conservatives - many of them are "old" money!

Statewide, I find myself voting for the more conservative candidate, and that's usually a Democrat!

What a shame, but it's the truth!

Personally, I don't see Romney going anyplace as he's domne a pretty good job as Gov. Of course there are rumors that he'll run for Prez in '08

 

[JudgeWapner]

BB,i would very much like to see a National standard. How hard could this be?

 

[bblight]

Judge - trhe Dems would never allow it! It's not in their best interests!

Republicans would love it!

Just look at a county voting map for the us and you'll quickly figure out why the Dems wouldn't want it!

Me, I'm all for it!

 

[WildBill]

It is a total joke that a national standard isn't made and there surely are worse examples than our state. I just can't believe a state so far down the list in population size was one of the few that got it "right". It isn't rocket science. I found it really galling that some said they could provide voting machines no problem, but receipts? Problem.

 

[bblight]

WildBill - Kerry won in a lot of places because the political machines in those places fudged the counts.
Again, the Dems would fight a National Standard - it's not in their best interests.

 

[WildBill]

I don't care who it is, I think we all deserve one. FYI, I am not a Democrat, just wasn't going to vote for Bush.

 

[JudgeWapner]

BB,i doubt very seriously that the Dems would fight a national standard in voting. I know I wouldn't.

 

[Jointpleasure]

WildBill - Kerry won in a lot of places because the political machines in those places fudged the counts.
Again, the Dems would fight a National Standard - it's not in their best interests.

:hanging: