A thought...

Why is it that in 2000, and in 2004, there were only widespread election irregularities in decisive battleground states?

I mean, it's straight up clear that Washington is going to go for the Democrat...it's what we do...and we never have election irregularities in the national races.

The Republicans whoop it up in (don't mess with) Texas...their voting machines and vote counts seem to work just fine.

However, when the going gets tough, and the election is close...Florida and Ohio go sideways.

In watching the reports during the day, that trend may be continuing...in some precincts in Florida there are power failures, pens that bleed all over the ballots causing them to be invalidated (and hopefully with new ones issued to the voters), and voting machines that are having problems with their optical scanners.

I'm not hearing of any problems in non-battleground states...just Florida, so far.

Coincidence?

What's the saying? The first time (2000) is a singularity, the second time (2004) is a coincidence...the third time is a conspiracy?

Thoughts?

Fish on...

Todd

Seems to be a little all over. Nothing that will change anything though. We have some in the Pa., Fl and Ma so far. I can only imagine there will be problem in Oh as well. I think this seems to get a lot of media attention after the Fl of 00'. Probably more than it deserves.
It is all about the "band wagon syndrome". One person starts teh panic and through the media it spreads and spreads. No impact this year and hopefully we wont see all the challenges that seem to now be the norm if people dont get their way.

Another 2000 debacle may lead to widespread rioting. Sure hope there are no major shenanigans.
Obamalax...it'll keep elections regular.

Then there's Virginia mailing out absentee ballots to our troops 35 days before the election. They will not be all back in time. McCain has launched a suit to get those votes counted. Sounds like Gore and Florida trying to disqualify the military vote in 2000. Anyone, I don't care what party they are from who tries to disqualify the military vote is a coward!

Their votes are just as, if not more important than inner city street thugs recruited by ACORN.

Prove me wrong!

Maybe he was trying to save their lives?

I think most of this, from acorn to voting irregularities, amounts to a non issue. When you're counting 90 million discrete events, there's going to be some swirl. The way we learn about the swirl is through the media and they're all concentrated in the battleground states LOOKING for anything vaguely irregular and then amplifying it. The news is always looking for the strongest visual/angle, so you go to a place where it's possible 2 votes being mis-counted could change the election.

The military guys votes should obviously be counted, but it won't IMHO matter, Obama will win in a walkover today.

If I were king of elections, it'd be 100% paper ballots (take your pick absentee or polling places). #2 pencils for everyone. I choose the Canada method... See the last few paragraphs here: http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2003/pulpit_20031211_000795.html

Two more states are reporting ballot and/or voting machine problems...and both, coincidentally, are important battleground states...Virginia and Pennsylvania...

As of yet, no mention of trouble in Utah, or Washington, or anywhere else there is a clearcut leader.

Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia...

Fish on...

Todd

I like the black panthers with billy clubs outside polling places in Phily. Yep the city of brotherly love.

More than likely hired by the GOP.

No need to prove you wrong. All eligible Americans should be able to vote, and easily. Eight hour lines are simply not acceptable. This should be a non partisan issue. But it's not. Dems. and repubs have both tried many dirty tricks to either suppress the vote or to alter it. It un-American and should be prosecuted vigorously.

A leading Republican strategist has said repeatedly we do not want a big vote. The smaller the number allowed to vote the better off we are.

I hope one of the first things Obama does is to have a nonpartisan group develop voting reforms that include a full audit trail for every vote, easy absentee voting and no purging of registered voters without each potential purged voted having a chance to prove they belong on the rolls. That seems totally reasonable to me.

Anyone who thinks only the other party is guilty of vote juggling has their head up their azz

It may be a non issue to you and it may not matter to you. But if everyone felt that way I wouldn't bother to vote in Oregon. The liberals in Portland carry the state every year. I refuse to be a part of that group thru indifference.

I like the paper ballot part. Bring back the polling places and booths. Too easy for lazy people to vote by mail, Or let their family members vote for them!

Yeah that whole majority vote thing stinks if you aren't in the majority.

I voted this afternoon. I had a choice between paper or electronic. I took paper. At least it has a chance of being found in a King County election worker's desk as oppossed to being out in cyberspace somewhere.

I watched those lines this morning and I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. Machines breaking down and 2 hour waits, I am sorry, but it shouldn't be happening with every state and county knowing that this was goiong to be a huge turnout. I say it is mostly lack of planning and failure to test machines, with some shenanigans thrown in.

Todd,

Karl Rove isn't known as a political genius without good reason!

Sg

Read "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" by Greg Palast.

You expect the election workers, lawyers and press to work all day Saturday??

I think you should be able to walk up to a machine, have it scan your tattoed barcode and vote.

Move to England. I just read that a citizen in Londen can expect to be photographed more than 300 times in one day.

This summer I fished with a Scotsman who said that they will send you a ticket if the time between when they photographed you leaving town and arriving at the next was less than could be accomplishes by driving at the speed limit. Talk about a load of crap!

This is another area where the far right and far left need to join together to protect our right to privacy.

Didn't they try something like that in Germany during the 30s?

Having worked in elections in previous life for a decade or so, every election has irregularities in it. They are not conspiracies or results of election workers trying to change the outcome. Election workers do their job because they believe in the process and frankly are too busy to even think of doing something untoward.

Most people don't see it because the media doesn't care unless there is a race that is close and of a large enough stature. If you are working in a county that happens to have problems and a race for a statewide office is close the media will be all over you, which consequently makes resolving any issues that much harder.

Voting systems are tested before each and every election and sealed until election day. However, just like a light bulb it may have worked when you turned it off but the next time it is turned on it could fry. You can also never test a system with a full load like a real life situation. You can test them with a simulated load but it is hard to duplicate 1+million people voting right now.

Merch