Computer Problems Already Affecting Florida Voters

TAGmclaren writes "The Sun-Sentinel is reporting on computer glitches already affecting the election in - you guessed it - Florida. Of the 14 early voting sites that opened in Broward County on Monday morning, 9 were reporting problems. In Orlando County, the touch screens crashed. More generally, SFgate.com is keeping track of all voting issues across the country - including lawsuits and other ballot problems." Update: 10/19 03:38 GMT by T : Thanks to reader Dale J. Russell for pointing out that "there is no Orlando County. The city of Orlando, Florida resides in Orange County."

Comments

Windows and Bush.. just good friends

[Core-Dump]

Lemme guess, the voting machines are running Windows and Jeb Bush installed them...

I feel a Deja-vu coming....

Not surprising in the least

[beamin]

Electronic voting machines are the new tool for rigging elections. Instead of insisting manufacturers build in safeguards like printers to ensure that recounts are possible, the governor pushed to have Florida election law changed to not require recounts any longer.

You watch this issue. It'll be a nasty fight. The record number of people registering to vote aren't flocking to the county seat because they're happy: people in this country are apathetic when things are going the way they like. I don't see how Bush can win legally with the massive number of people turning out to register for the first time.

Re:That's orange county.

[StalinJoe]

Bwahahahahahahahaha!

"Those who cast the votes decide nothing; those who count the votes decide everything." - Josef Stalin

Since our collective laziness has changed nothing significant between 2000 and 2004, we should honestly be expecting the same manipulation (at the precinct level) this time around.

Since I expect the same amount of underhanded vote manipulation, I'd like to make an observation. That is, there are two problems with G.W. Bush re-stealing the election in 2004:

1) Four more years of the same does irreparable damage.
2) Hillary Clinton will become the first female U. S. President in 2008.

Check your sources.

[Penguinoflight]

Right in the link... "Expanding on his new documentary "Bush Family Fortunes" which is a compilation of Palast's BBC investigative reports on voter fraud and other wrongdoing, the Harper's article documents how:"

I dont think anyone could deny voting problems in FL. Making up claims like 4 to 1 votes uncounted will be democratic is kinda lame though.

There's no mention of illegal registrations(registrations of deceased people) in this article. Democrat illegal registrations are about 80% of the total, so 80% democrat "voters" getting cut out sounds about right too.

Re:What really bothered me today

[revmoo]

Bravo.

Answers to your questions.

[jgardn]

Hi, you must be new to this democracy thing. Apparently, you don't appreciate it as much as we Americans do, so I'm going to give you some answers to your puzzlements and quanderies. See, in America, we are the first democracy to function continuously for 200 years. Not even Greece or Rome could do that. So we know a few things about what works and what doesn't.

It puzzles me how somebody who won the vote of less than 25% of the population can claim to be democratically elected.

In a democracy, you have the right to vote for whoever you want, and the right not to vote. Abstention is also a vote (like NULL is a value). It just so happens that around 50% of the people in the US eligible to vote decide not to. They don't bother themselves with that burden. I wish they would educate themselves and get out and vote, but they'd rather do other things and thus give me twice as much voice as I would normally. I guess they trust me a lot.

If you want to change that you have two options: (1) Make it a law that you have to vote, or (2) Eliminate the non-voting half of the population. Neither of these options are satisfactory. And frankly, when they get re-engaged, it's usually for a good reason. (See, whether Bush or Kerry gets elected, it isn't going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. I mean, if Kerry gets elected, I'm not going to find myself in a gulag.)

Better yet - can claim a mandate as the leader of the "democratic free world". Hey, if the US president wants to be the leader of the democratic free world, let's open the election up to the rest of the free world...using a sensible electoral process.

Oh, you want to join the US? Here's how to do it. Have your government or the people pass a resolution to join the US. If the congress accepts, you will become a territory and we will appoint a governor for your state, who will control the police, the military, the finances, and the elections. (Governor = mini King, accountable to congress.) Next step is to set up a form of government satisfactory to our constitution. This means you need to adopt a constitution with three seperate branches of government with checks and balances. When enough time has passed, and you've proven that this whole thing isn't beyond your country's capability, you submit to the federal government that you want to become a state. Upon acceptance, all citizens of the state become eligible voters, and you get 2 senators and at least 1 representative.

That's how it's done. We're accepting applications right now, so go ahead and get your nation to apply. I heard Jordan offered once, but it was the king that wanted it and not the people, so we politely declined. Besides, it takes a while to go from a king to a democracy - at least 2 or 3 generations.

BTW - now that Iraq has been "liberated", shouldn't they also be allowed to participate in the election of the "leader of the democratic free world"?

No, you're confusing two things. We conquered Iraq, but we turned it over to Allawi. You remember, June 28, 2004? Yeah, there were headlines all over the papers about it. Iraq is no longer our territory. We no longer appoint governors to run Iraq. We have an ambassador there. We are invited guests there now. If Allawi says leave, we have two options: Reconquer Iraq and try again, or leave.

I am sure that if Iraq wanted to become the 51st state, that we would be happy to oblige. I wouldn't mind have the United States of the Middle East. But they don't want it, so we won't impose.

BTW, we're looking forward to the US of Europe - you call it the EU over there, but we know what you are doing. (Hint: Limited federal governments are better than strong federal governments. Don't ask me how I know this.) It'll be great only having to send one ambassador to Europe to tell you how degenerate you are for not supporting us in the Iraq war.

If the US presidential candidates don't want to open the ballots to the rest of the world, they should s