[POL] Florida Republicans Tell Some Voters to Skip Touchscreens, Vote Absentee

[skyko]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBQJJBL9XD.html

Florida Republicans Tell Some Voters to Skip Touchscreens, Vote Absentee
Associated Press
Published: Jul 29, 2004

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Republican Gov. Jeb Bush has tried for months to persuade Florida voters touchscreen voting machines are reliable. His own party apparently hasn't gotten the message.
The state GOP paid for a flier critical of the new technology and sent it to some south Florida voters where a primary election is scheduled next month.

"The new electronic voting machines do not have a paper ballot to verify your vote in case of a recount," the message states. "Make sure your vote counts. Order your absentee ballot today."

That's what Democrats and a coalition of civil rights groups have been saying in legal challenges, trying to force the state to provide a paper trail in case the touchscreen machines malfunction.

"It is insulting that the leadership's own party would believe that the system is broke," said Sharon Lettman Pacheco, spokeswoman for People for the American Way.

The machines are being used in 15 of the state's largest counties.

The governor, unaware of the mailing beforehand, wasn't happy.

"I think he was disappointed that there would be any message that's out there that criticizes these machines," Bush spokeswoman Jill Bratina said.

Neither was President Bush, whose picture was featured on the GOP flier. "We did not authorize the use of the president's image," said campaign spokesman Reed Dickens. "It was inappropriate. I speak for the president and it does not represent the views of the president."

Earlier this week, state election officials reported that a computer crash erased detailed records from Miami-Dade County's first widespread use of the touchscreen machines in the 2002 gubernatorial primaries and other elections.

 

[piggyandpeewee]

I think it's a pretty savvy move on Jeb's part...

Everyone knows that Republicans know how to vote, Butterfly,
punch card, write in or absentee... It's called motivation and
intelligence. Period!

 

[bigwavedave]

Earlier this week, state election officials reported that a computer crash erased detailed records from Miami-Dade County's first widespread use of the touchscreen machines in the 2002 gubernatorial primaries and other elections.

it turns out they weren't making any backups. they claim to have remedied this problem. clearly there is a ways to go before this technology can be trusted, if ever.

you can see why they are called the Stupid Party.

 

[CygnusXI]

Screw it!

Make it like American Idol and have the states "Phone in their vote" during prime time TV.

If you ain't got a phone, I don't wanna hear you anyway.

GOD!

This election is gonna be a mess beyond mess's(<--Word?)
NOTHING is perfect and I can just see the lawsuits, incitement and rioting coming now...
From whom?
Go figure.

 

[fruit loop]

The election is irrelevant

My fellow Eastern Stars and Masons have finally completed our centuries-long wait to take over the world and will seize power the day after election day.

 

[piggyandpeewee]

Inquiring minds want to know...

fruit loop... Will you gals be riding goats?
bwd: Evidently a record of the voting in this instance exists on CD for posterity, so don't get your "chads" in a bunch just yet!

 

[bigwavedave]

bwd: Evidently a record of the voting in this instance exists on CD for posterity, so don't get your "chads" in a bunch just yet!

i'd be happy to be wrong but i haven't seen the reporting to which you refer?


The lost Miami-Dade information was discovered after the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition requested all data from the 2002 primary.

Faraj said the fact Miami-Dade did not have a backup system in place until December was "unacceptable."

She said a member of the Division of Elections met with Miami-Dade officials "to find out what happened and why we were not notified."

Miami-Dade officials did not immediately return phone calls Wednesday seeking comment.

Faraj said it should be standard procedure for counties to backup data and that state elections supervisor Dawn Roberts is checking with the state's other 66 counties to make sure they do so.

Counties reached by The Associated Press Wednesday said they do have a backup plan, most with two or three different types of redundancy. All said they were confident with the machines and the data on them, and noted that tests are also done in a public forum for voters to witness.

In Collier County, the data is stored on three different servers and also on CD, said elections supervisor Jennifer Edwards.

"We back up everything up and we back up the back up," she said.

Broward County has four types of backup, but lost some computer files from the 2002 and 2003 elections, said Gisela Salas, Broward's deputy supervisor of elections.

"Even though the data is there, there has been some data that has been corrupted" and there are some bad files, she said.

Salas said the corruption happened during the transfer of uploaded data, and the office isn't sure whether it was due to operator or software error. She said the data for 2004 elections thus far has been perfect.

This type of loss of data underscores problems with the system, Simon said.

He noted recent glitches, including revelations by state officials last month that the touchscreen systems used by 11 counties had a bug that would make a manual recount impossible. Earlier this month, a newspaper study indicated touchscreen machines did not perform as well as those that scanned paper ballots.

http://cbs4.com/newslocal/topstoriesmia_story_210105156.html

other problems in other places:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0211/S00049.htm