The voting problems reported so far

[Cowperson]

A report at MSNBC summarizing the election issues that have come up so far today, including Republicans arriving at their campaign headquarters to find tires slashed on 24 rental vehicles they were going to use to transport voters.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6364144/

Cowperson

[arsenal]

Why can't democrats just challenge peacefully like the republicans? Why do they have to resort to violence? ;_;

[Heaton]

I seriously hope the above comment is supposed to be sarcastic or the irony bus might have itself a new victim.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by arsenal@Nov 2 2004, 02:12 PM
Why can't democrats just challenge peacefully like the republicans? Why do they have to resort to violence?

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally posted by arsenal@Nov 2 2004, 08:12 PM
Why can't democrats just challenge peacefully like the republicans? Why do they have to resort to violence? ;_;

I just spit sandwich all over my monitor! Thanks.

[Table 5]

people at my internship have been reporting really long lines.....up to 2 hour wait to vote this morning. Im sure that would deter more than a few people.

[sbailey924]

Thank you, early voting!

[Alexandria]

I voted using a touch screen for the first time today. Wow, I can see now see why people have problems with this kind of voting...

It has nothing to do with it being in electronic form but the method they use to record the votes.

You get a little plastic card, bring it to the machine and insert it and do your voting. There is a nice confirmation screen at the end where you can review all your selections. Next you turn your little plastic card to a guy who is supposed to run it through a second machine. This machine takes what is on the card and dumps it to a database (?) and then erases or resets the information on the card. He then gives the same plastic card to the next person in line.

I have no idea if he ever ran my card. He just put it down next to the machine to get back to it later.

I don't like how you reuse the plastic cards and do not receive any verification that they are going to run your card into the second machine before handing it out to someone else.

I can see the potential for abuse, but then again, I guess they could mess up your paper cards while you weren't looking too...

I think the accidental error rate is probably worse then doing it with paper. It's just too easy for them to forgot to dump your info from the card or even press the wrong button and erase your data before they dump it for the next person. There is some definite room for improvement with current electronic voting systems.

[arsenal]

Originally posted by Lanny_MacDonald+Nov 2 2004, 02:41 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Lanny_MacDonald @ Nov 2 2004, 02:41 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-arsenal@Nov 2 2004, 08:12 PM
Why can't democrats just challenge peacefully like the republicans? Why do they have to resort to violence? ;_;

I just spit sandwich all over my monitor! Thanks. [/b][/quote]
Anything for you Lanny

[Resolute 14]

It always amazes me how the Americans have so many problems despite advanced voting technology, while we rarely have issues with simply marking an X beside our candidate using a paper ballot and a pencil.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Nov 2 2004, 04:49 PM
It always amazes me how the Americans have so many problems despite advanced voting technology, while we rarely have issues with simply marking an X beside our candidate using a paper ballot and a pencil.

In some states the people are voting for like 30 different things so that complicates the hell out of it I guess.

In Montana they are voting for stuff like "allocate money to control noxious weeds" and "allow open pit gold mining" and gas taxes and medical marijuana and on and on. They also elect a whole bunch of people that get appointed here like Sherrif and DAs and stuff like that.

Quite the ordeal I guess.

[Agamemnon]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos+Nov 2 2004, 11:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RougeUnderoos @ Nov 2 2004, 11:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Snakeeye@Nov 2 2004, 04:49 PM
It always amazes me how the Americans have so many problems despite advanced voting technology, while we rarely have issues with simply marking an X beside our candidate using a paper ballot and a pencil.

In some states the people are voting for like 30 different things so that complicates the hell out of it I guess.

In Montana they are voting for stuff like "allocate money to control noxious weeds" and "allow open pit gold mining" and gas taxes and medical marijuana and on and on. They also elect a whole bunch of people that get appointed here like Sherrif and DAs and stuff like that.

Quite the ordeal I guess. [/b][/quote]
Yep.

It would probably be a lot easier if they split some of those votes up. No reason to have to vote for Governor, Rep., maybe Senator, and President all in one day. Some municpalities also coincide, sherriffs, judges, etc., etc.

Its insane. If there are huge issues w/ the way this is done, they should cure the disease (too many freaking things to vote on at once) instead of the symptoms (people bitching because they feel they're votes aren't counting). I don't recall any real scandals in recent Canadian voting history, and we do it pretty half-assed low-tech.

My two cents anyway.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos+Nov 2 2004, 11:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RougeUnderoos @ Nov 2 2004, 11:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Snakeeye@Nov 2 2004, 04:49 PM
It always amazes me how the Americans have so many problems despite advanced voting technology, while we rarely have issues with simply marking an X beside our candidate using a paper ballot and a pencil.

In some states the people are voting for like 30 different things so that complicates the hell out of it I guess.

In Montana they are voting for stuff like "allocate money to control noxious weeds" and "allow open pit gold mining" and gas taxes and medical marijuana and on and on. They also elect a whole bunch of people that get appointed here like Sherrif and DAs and stuff like that.

Quite the ordeal I guess. [/b][/quote]
There are actually noxious weed control departments in Montana....at least where I'm from there are. It's a big deal to Montanans I guess.

I was trying to count, but didn't do it completely. I would estimate I voted on 30 issues/races today.

Many of the races were uncontested. Mostly judges. I think there were 2 races out of about a dozen that had two candidates. We had the Pres/Senate/House which were all contested...as was Sherrif, the afforementioned couple of judges.

Then we had a state school board seat (uncontested), only 1 ballot issue (arena), 5 Supreme Court judges that you could either retain or vote to oust.

So despite voting on about 30 things, there were really only a handful that meant anything at all.

[Resolute 14]

Originally posted by RougeUnderoos+Nov 2 2004, 04:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RougeUnderoos @ Nov 2 2004, 04:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Snakeeye@Nov 2 2004, 04:49 PM
It always amazes me how the Americans have so many problems despite advanced voting technology, while we rarely have issues with simply marking an X beside our candidate using a paper ballot and a pencil.

In some states the people are voting for like 30 different things so that complicates the hell out of it I guess.

In Montana they are voting for stuff like "allocate money to control noxious weeds" and "allow open pit gold mining" and gas taxes and medical marijuana and on and on. They also elect a whole bunch of people that get appointed here like Sherrif and DAs and stuff like that.

Quite the ordeal I guess. [/b][/quote]
All you need is a 30 page booklet. One page, one issue, one vote.

[Cowperson]

What's up with these five hour lineups to vote?

Did they spend $500 million on campaigning and $1.95 on polling stations?

Were Americans surprised there would be an election today?

Isn't it a function of having enough stations to accomodate the anticipated vote?

Cowperson