Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
There have been no media reports of any huge meltdowns in yesterday’s primaries. The reports may still come but so far all of the reports have been of minor problems. The one major issue is that after all of the previous primaries and caucuses it seems as if the four states that held primaries yesterday were all surprised that turnout was going to be high. How can any jurisdiction be caught without enough paper ballots? How can voters be sent home without voting because there was not enough paper to go around? Listen up Mississippi and Pennsylvania…turnout is going to be high. Prepare for it.
One of the issues we heard from the Ohio media is the reports that very few voters asked to use paper ballots even though they were there to be used. Instead they chose to use the touch-screen machines. Of course, the reports don’t mention if the voters were offered paper ballots as a choice or if the ballots were kept hidden unless a voter specifically asked for one. The reports come from county election officials who were not happy about having to provide paper ballots so any news may be slanted.
Meanwhile legislation is moving in Colorado that will force counties to use paper ballots in November. Iowa is another step closer to paper ballots and away from touch-screen voting. Franklin Co Ohio has announced that they are seriously considering scrapping their touch-screens for optical-scan and paper ballots….
- NAtional: Diebold chair blasts United Tech offer
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/03/05/afx4734528.html - NAtional: Diebold chairman criticizes takeover bid in new letter
http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/16256006.html - NAtional: Defense Contractor Seeks to Buy Diebold
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/03/defense-contrac.html - AR: White County – Early voting options needed
http://www.thedailycitizen.com/articles/2008/03/05/news/top_stories/top01.txt - AZ: Voting Review
Pima County prepares to address election challenges and make changes
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=oid:107536 - CA: San Mateo County – Vote turnout totals 59.3 percent, county says
http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=1759 - CO: E-voting machines get OK
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/04/e-voting-machines-get-ok/ - CO: Coffman certifies the last of electronic voting machines
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080304/NEWS/328832066 - CO: E-voting machines regain certification, clerks prefer mail ballots
http://www.ouraynews.com/Articles-i-2008-03-05-175223.112113_Evoting_machines_regain_certification_clerks_prefer_mail_ballots.html - CO: State finishes recertifying voting machines for 2008
County clerks are pleased, but legislators are still weighing a bill to require a mostly paper-ballot system.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_8454311 - CO: State lawmakers set to vote on paper ballot election
http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=7968709 - CO: Paper Ballots Pass First Hurdle
http://www.myfoxcolorado.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5948473&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 - CO: Morgan County — Editorial – Paper ballot too expensive
http://www.fortmorgantimes.com/articles/2008/03/05/opinion/editorials/voting%20editorial.txt - IA: Panel backs ballot scanners in elections throughout Iowa
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NEWS10/803050371/1001/NEWS - MS: Mississippi election officials have paper problem
http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=7971838&nav=menu93_1_2 - NM: KKOB Radio News Anchor Laura MacCallum Quits After Station Pulls Stories About Alleged Republican Vote-Buying Efforts
http://f-brilliant.blogspot.com/2008/03/kkob-radio-news-anchor-laura-maccallum.html - NM: Rep. Heather Wilson Accused of Felony Vote-Buying in New Mexico; Reporter Quits After News Director Scrubs Story
https://bradblog.com/?p=5766 - NY: Less Restrictive Absentee Ballot Rules Called For
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19360167&BRD=1776&PAG=461&dept_id=6363&rfi=6 - NY: The Necessary Component: Paper Ballots
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_wayne_st_080304_the_necessary_compon.htm - OH: Ballot Problems Slow Cleveland Count
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/04/ballot-problems-slow-cleveland-count/?mod=googlenews_wsj - OH: Ballot Shortages Plague Ohio Primary Amid Unusually Heavy Voter Turnout
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/us/politics/05vote.html?ref=politics - OH: Democratic ‘surprise’ overwhelms
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080304/NEWS01/303050007/-1/CINCI - OH: Editorial – Voters have done Ohio proud
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=402150&Category=3&subCategoryID= - OH: Shortage of ballots leads to extended voting hours in Ohio
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NEWS09/803050442 - OH: Crossovers use all the ballots
Some are told to wait – or come back later
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NEWS01/803050380 - OH: Ballots cast with few minor problems reported
http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NEWS03/803050348/1002/NEWS01 - OH: Cuyahoga County – Optical scan voting works in Ohio
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/45924-1.html - OH: Franklin County – County could spend millions to scrap touch-screens for paper ballots
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/03/05/BOEmachines.html?sid=101 - OH: Montgomery County – Few problems with Montgomery County voting
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/04/ddn030408votingweb.html - OH: Sandusky Co. Polls Delay State Results Until 9 p.m.
http://www.myfoxtoledo.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=5938354&version=14&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1 - OH: Stark County – Results delayed by optical scan ballots
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=9&ID=402189&subCategoryID=31 - OH: Warren County – Demand for Democratic ballots swells with voter turnout
http://www.western-star.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/04/ws030408turnoutweb2.html - PA: Bucks County – Voting machine official defends reliability to unhappy constituents
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/213-03052008-1498392.html - PA: Bucks County – County to stick to voting machines
Bucks commissioners show no signs of switching to scannable ballots
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1_2vote.6298178mar05,0,6148816.story - PA: Lackawanna County – County scraps e-voting plans
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19359763&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6 - RI: Some voters hit snags
http://www.projo.com/news/politics/content/WB_wwvote_03-05-08_8O98I6E_v8.37341ee.html - TX: Angelina County officials blame machine errors on delay in election results
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/03/05/election.html - TX: Angelina County – Late-night vote-tally snafus ‘probably set some records’
http://www.lufkindailynews.com/hp/content/news/stories/2008/03/06/Counting_Problems.html - TX: Clermont County – Massive Crossover Voting In Clermont County
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c79d4e7c-6388-4de0-86fe-d74e97777cfe - TX: Dallas County – Voters gripe about delays, confusion at polls
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080305_wz_votecomplaints.25b5044e.html - TX: Harris County – Investigation Launched Into Vote Stealing
http://www.click2houston.com/investigates/15492166/detail.html - TX: Travis County – Problem machines cause voting delay
Technicians out all day Tuesday, but not all problems reported
http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2008/03/05/University/Problem.Machines.Cause.Voting.Delay-3252663.shtml - VA: Senate passes bill to extend election polling in emergencies
http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/senate_passes_bill_to_extend_election_polling_in_emergencies/5179/
**”Daily Voting News” is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in “Daily Voting News” may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**
Of course these states knew the turn out would be high. There is no excuse for their lack of preparedness. We should be suspicious.
I think you should investigate the numbers to see if ballot shortages were consistent with precincts with likely Obama supporters. Some of the same Rovian tactics that Bush used to steal the White House seem to be occuring in States where Hillary wins: flipped totals, disenfranchisement by long lines, machine failures and ballot shortages. All appear to benefit Hillary. That’s a statistical impossibility.
Here in WA state Republicans showed up at the Democratic Caucuses and they weren’t voting for Hillary, they were supporting Obama.
Here in Portage county Ohio (Kent) we walked into a crowd I’m happy to say. When we said we wanted paper, two workers looked at each other and asked “paper? Don’t you want to use a machine ?” Once we convinced them to get us paper ballots one got disgusted and reluctantly got them. Eye rolling, head shaking, people around us got the hint that paper didn’t get you treated very well.
Well YEAH, wanting paper implies that you actually CARE about your vote and aren’t just going to vote on FAITH in the poll worker’s ability to prevent your vote from being stolen.
Don’t worry, they’ll find a way to avoid having to give you paper — give them time.
BTW, anybody have any independent confirmation on those reports of precincts in NYC with ZERO votes for Obama? Is that urban myth or reality?