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WV Voters Say Machines Are Switching Votes

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the he-who-pays-diebold-wins dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Three Putnam County voters say electronic voting machines changed their votes from Democrats to Republicans when they cast early ballots last week. This is the second West Virginia county where voters have reported this problem. Last week, three voters in Jackson County told The Charleston Gazette their electronic vote for 'Barack Obama' kept flipping to 'John McCain.'"

6 of 900 comments (clear)

  1. Capitalism at it's worst by DontLickJesus · · Score: 0, Troll
    These sorts of things should have never been left to the hands of the business sector. I would never champion F/OSS as the answer to every problem, but in this case it seems quite clear that a transparent SIMPLE solution will be the answer. I'd also like to point out that the problems that keep creeping up with these machines are just straight up ridiculous. Let's look at a few:
    • Open USB ports: Seriously? It's not exactly difficult to disable them, like many IT offices do and have done for years.
    • Poor touch screen arrangement/responsiveness: This technology is far from new. My grandmother knows how to understand a touchscreen, and so does yours, no matter what you want to believe. If the ballot looks confusing, it was intentional.
    • Rouge software: This one is my favorite. Voting "technology" is not a crazy science; it's a bunch of people re-inventing "check the box". The machines most likely won't (or wouldn't if done right) need software upgrades. The most external "programming" they should ever need is to update the candidates on them. Why are these things running full pc hardware/software? The simplest answer is usually the best.

    While I don't find it hard to believe that an elitist group would seek to control elections this way, my gut tells me it really comes down to is Corporate America selling the Y2K fix for democracy. Just like then it's mostly unnecessary, and for what we'll pay we should have just bought a better ballot.

    --
    Where genius and insanity become confused true wisdom is found
  2. WHY THEY DO THIS:? by WEGAH · · Score: 0, Troll

    Hahahaha!! Reading this from Us if funny, Seems again a president with less votes from POPULATION can win. Yesterday In Brazil, they have the 2 Turn of elections ( 1 turn, population decide between a lot of canditates, the 2 most winers, have after a 2 election where one have 51% of votes WIN). They used AGAIN the eletronic machines. same they are using last 10 YEAR and if we think in TESTS like the ones in US, more time. ITS simple. Small. NOT TOUCH SCREEN, BUT BIG SIMPLE KEYBOARD WITH NUMBERS, YES, NO, NULL with BIG COLOURS AND BAILER TO BLIND. AND AFTER ALL PROCESS OF PUT NUMBER OF CANDIDATE, YES, NO, NULL HAVE THE CONFIRM. the screen is simple, black white, candidate number big, photo BIG. The system use standard components, EASY AUDI TABLE. AND A CLOSED (BACK BOX LIKE) CASE. From a total of 406.000 URNS, 285 broke and most of the ones that come from 1998 election ( OFFICIAL DATA here http://www.tre-mg.gov.br/eleicoes/eleicoes_2004/resumao1/urnas.htm). Everyone can ask the results of URNS when the electoral section close. SAME ME. from all time using this thing. almost no case of ALLEGATION OF FRAUD ( same the parts blame each other, don't discuss the system). EACH ONE HAVE A COST OF R$1.425,96 today near U$ 620,00 The one FLAW is the lack of PAPER confirmation like votes to STANDARD PEOPLES audit. But next ELECTION. after you confirm your VOTE. the urn will print the vote and you can put put inside the VOTE PACK for further analyses and if need. EACH URN can surviee for almost 6h without energy and a simple CAR BATTERY can be used to extend this ( not need a crazy SAT ELITE/NASA with a KIND OF RARE PLUTONIUM like US :-) ) that leave just some minutes of use. More than ELECTRONIC system, was the system to count the votes. each place with electronic urn, or have a kind of secured cable communication or even middle amazon or deep country cities have a sat antenna to transmit the data just after close the electoral zones. So, 8h after the end we know 100% of VOTES COUNT. and we speak MORE THAN THAT, in a test way. the voters already have a ELECTRONIC kind of ELECTORAL DOCUMENT tested finger and eyes to confirm the votes and that Who are in document is who VOTES. and worked 100%. with standar electronics. NOT SUPER MAMBO JAMBO DARPHA/NASA ELECTRONICS. WY a country like US that have/PRINT ( want see who will pay the bill) so much money can not do a simple thing like this? Seem always someone want money or give margin for a kind of fraud. ITS something we cant understand. Why not BLAM a kind of PATENT in this system that already exist ( like do always) and build lot of this systems ( yes, seem they need jobs there now).. and just use this? Hoo, the Brazilian machine use OPEN SOURCE Soft. Something US cant use, maybe because security ( paedophiles or terrorism can take advantage of this, or maybe the P2P. how? don't know, but seems GOVERN speak this all the time now). Well.. why so difficult do it? EVERYONE need to ask, WHY the govern still doing this kind chit? WHO HAVE ADVANTAGE WITH THIS? BECAUSE SOMEONE HAVE. OR WHO RECEIVE MONEY TO DO, OR WHO RECEIVE MONEY TO RESEARCH or JUST A WAY OF MANIPULATE a PERCEPTUAL of VOTES in a CRAZY CONSPIRATIONAL WAY ( something after last 2 elections in US seems be the most obvious). IT IS

  3. What do you expect? by SuperKendall · · Score: 0, Troll

    When the media becomes insistent enough that a specific outcome is the right one, why does it surprise you that polls indicate the outcome they desire is more likely? The act of reporting that McCain has no hope is of course a technique to try and insure McCain voters will not feel motivated enough to come to the polls...

      So whichever way it goes this year, I wouldn't be surprised - because we the electorate are not being fed clean data to evaluate what might actually happen. Moreso this year than in any other year previous.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  4. Too logical... by kdean06 · · Score: 1, Troll

    That's because computers can't tell the difference. Terrorcrat 1 or terrorcrat 2 makes no difference to the voting machine. Losses abound either way.

  5. Re:50 million can't use a computer? Ain't it funny by Uberbah · · Score: 1, Troll

    Yes, seriously. Just recall Bill Clinton's jockeying to dodge baseless Republican witch hunts left and right...

    Fixed that, too. Things to keep in mind:

    1) Republicans investigated and re-investigated everything from White Water to Vince Foster.
    2) They came up with jack squat.
    3) They finally had to settle on a manufactured perjury charge (which Clinton didn't even do)
    4) The worst thing they could pin on him was a manufactured perjury charge.

    Let's set Ken Starr on your ass with a $60 million+ budget to destroy your life and see how you you look, mmmkay? Not to mention the enormous hypocrisy over throwing Probable Cause and "innocent until proven guilty" out the window for Clinton, yet we know for a fact that Bush has broken laws, treaties, and the Constitution.

  6. Re:50 million can't use a computer? Ain't it funny by plasmacutter · · Score: 1, Troll

    I see. Therefore, we should disqualify Obama as Commander in Chief as well because he never served in the military.

    I suppose you could call failing your mission and spending the whole war as a POW "service". I would call it disgrace.

    --
    VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!