More W.Va. voters say machines are switching votes
In six cases, Democratic votes flipped to GOP
WINFIELD, W.Va. -- 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".
By Paul J. Nyden
Staff writer
WINFIELD, W.Va. -- 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".
In both counties, Republicans are responsible for overseeing elections. Both county clerks said the problem is isolated.
They also blamed voters for not being more careful.
"People make mistakes more than machines," said Jackson County Clerk Jeff Waybright.
Shelba Ketchum, a 69-year-old nurse retired from Thomas Memorial Hospital, described what happened Friday at the Putnam County Courthouse in Winfield.
"I pushed buttons and they all came up Republican," she said. "I hit Obama and it switched to McCain. I am really concerned about that. If McCain wins, there was something wrong with the machines.
"I asked them for a printout of my votes," Ketchum said. "But they said it was in the machine and I could not get it. I did not feel right when I left the courthouse. My son felt the same way.
"I heard from some other people they also had trouble. But no one in there knew how to fix it," said Ketchum, who is not related to Menis Ketchum, a Democratic Supreme Court candidate.
Ketchum's son, Chris, said he had the same problem. And Bobbi Oates of Scott Depot said her vote for incumbent Democratic Sen. John D. Rockefeller was switched to GOP opponent Jay Wolfe.
"I touched the one I wanted, Rockefeller, and the machine put a checkmark on the Republican instead," Oates said of her experience Thursday.
She said she caught the mistake, called over a worker in the county clerk's office and was able to correct her vote. But she worries other voters may not catch such a mistake.
When asked if she is sure she touched the box for Rockefeller, she said, "I'm absolutely positive."
Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood said on Saturday that he is upset there are "so many negative stories out there and not enough positive ones. We want people to vote. People need to know the facts.
"But we haven't had any major issues. We try to explain to voters how the machines work then they come in," Wood said.
In Putnam County, early voters have the option of asking for either touch-screen machines or optical scan ballots -- paper ballots on which people mark in their election choices.
Wood said some voters might not realize that touch-screen voting machines may take a few seconds to record their choices.
WINFIELD, W.Va. -- 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".
In both counties, Republicans are responsible for overseeing elections. Both county clerks said the problem is isolated.
They also blamed voters for not being more careful.
"People make mistakes more than machines," said Jackson County Clerk Jeff Waybright.
Shelba Ketchum, a 69-year-old nurse retired from Thomas Memorial Hospital, described what happened Friday at the Putnam County Courthouse in Winfield.
"I pushed buttons and they all came up Republican," she said. "I hit Obama and it switched to McCain. I am really concerned about that. If McCain wins, there was something wrong with the machines.
"I asked them for a printout of my votes," Ketchum said. "But they said it was in the machine and I could not get it. I did not feel right when I left the courthouse. My son felt the same way.
"I heard from some other people they also had trouble. But no one in there knew how to fix it," said Ketchum, who is not related to Menis Ketchum, a Democratic Supreme Court candidate.
Ketchum's son, Chris, said he had the same problem. And Bobbi Oates of Scott Depot said her vote for incumbent Democratic Sen. John D. Rockefeller was switched to GOP opponent Jay Wolfe.
"I touched the one I wanted, Rockefeller, and the machine put a checkmark on the Republican instead," Oates said of her experience Thursday.
She said she caught the mistake, called over a worker in the county clerk's office and was able to correct her vote. But she worries other voters may not catch such a mistake.
When asked if she is sure she touched the box for Rockefeller, she said, "I'm absolutely positive."
Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood said on Saturday that he is upset there are "so many negative stories out there and not enough positive ones. We want people to vote. People need to know the facts.
"But we haven't had any major issues. We try to explain to voters how the machines work then they come in," Wood said.
In Putnam County, early voters have the option of asking for either touch-screen machines or optical scan ballots -- paper ballots on which people mark in their election choices.
Wood said some voters might not realize that touch-screen voting machines may take a few seconds to record their choices.
"The reaction time [on the machines] may be different. And when you hit the screen a second time, it cancels your vote," Wood said. "When you get in a hurry, if you go to fast and hit it again, you can cancel what you just did.
"The main thing people need to remember is that when you are done voting, make sure everybody you wanted to vote for has a check mark beside them," Wood said.
Ketchum said, "I am educated person. I know what I wanted. I am anxious to see who wins.
"My son Chris said, 'Mom, I didn't vote for the people who came up on that machine. I wanted to go back and vote again. I called the lady at the polls and she said it was my fault because of the way I was punching the buttons.'
"I want a paper ballot. I think it was very bad when they did away with paper ballots. I wish you had something in your hand that is a record of how you voted.
"I never felt that way before. It was early voting, so we went over there to get it over with. We won't do that again," Ketchum said.
Last week, three Jackson County residents said they experienced similar problems when they cast early ballots at the county courthouse in Ripley.
Virginia Matheney, one of those voters, said Friday, "When I touched the screen for Barack Obama, the check mark moved from his box to the box indicating a vote for John McCain."
Retired factory worker Calvin Thomas of Ripley said he experienced the same problem.
"When I pushed Obama, it jumped to McCain. When I went down to governor's office and punched [Gov. Joe] Manchin, it went to the other dude.
"After I finished, my daughter voted. When she pushed Obama, it went to McCain. It happened to her the same way it happened to me," Thomas said.
Jackson County Clerk Jeff Waybright, a Republican, said 400 other people voted without reporting any problems.
Wood said he and Waybright are both very careful to guarantee people's votes are recorded properly.
Wood said, "Voting machines are very reliable. I hate the fact that stories like this are printed. It makes everybody get scared.
"That is not good for anybody. Where the fault is, I don't know and the voter doesn't know. There needs to be good communication between the voters and the poll workers."
Wood offered this advice to voters: "The best way to solve this whole problem is that before you leave the voting booth, make sure on the review screen that everybody you want to vote for is checked."
More than 1,000 voters from 48 local precincts in Putnam County cast early ballots in the past three days, Wood said. Putnam County has 36,000 registered voters.
pkcRAISTLIN
voting machines are a disgrace.
shaolin_Z
quote:
Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
voting machines are a disgrace.
And, I think you'd agree, at best have highly questionable role in a democratic system. At worst, a serious hazard threatening the democratic process. On another note... if McCain ing wins this election, I will be convinced that, in most probability, it would be due to ing Diebolt.
DJ Shibby
quote:
Originally posted by shaolin_Z
And, I think you'd agree, at best have highly questionable role in a democratic system. At worst, a serious hazard threatening the democratic process. On another note... if McCain ing wins this election, I will be convinced that, in most probability, it would be due to ing Diebolt.
Agreed. This company is very sneaky...
shaolin_Z
quote:
Originally posted by DJ Shibby
Agreed. This company is very sneaky...
Yeah, further complicated by the fact that they won't even let ther source code be reviewed by anybody:
quote:
The Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
The SEI works with leading-edge software developers and acquirers to apply and validate the new and improved practices. SEI staff members help the DoD solve specific software engineering and acquisition problems by applying these practices.
The SEI's core purpose is to help others make measured improvements in their software engineering capabilities and to develop the right software, delivered defect free, on time and on cost, every time.
To be successful, integrated teams of developers, acquirers, and software users must have the necessary software engineering skills and knowledge to ensure that the right software is delivered to end users.
'Right software' implies software that satisfies requirements for functionality, performance, and cost throughout its lifetime
'Defect-free' software is achieved either through exhaustive and endless rework or by developing the code right the first time. The SEI's body of work in technical and management practices is focused on developing it right the first time,,which results not only in higher quality, but also in predictable and improved schedule and cost"
...which implies making the ing source code available :mad:.
Anyone with enough capital should help lobbying for these guys:
quote:
EFF Convinces North Carolina Judge To Throw Out Diebold E-Voting Case
Monday, November 28th, 2005
E-Voting Company Forced to Comply with Election Transparency Laws
Raleigh, North Carolina - Responding to arguments made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a North Carolina judge today told Diebold Election Systems that the e-voting company must comply with tough North Carolina election law and dismissed the company’s case seeking broad exemptions from the law.
EFF intervened in the case earlier this month, after Diebold obtained a broad temporary restraining order that allowed it to evade key transparency requirements without criminal or civil liability. The law requires escrow of the source code for all voting systems to be certified in the state and identification of programmers. In today’s hearing, the judge told Diebold if it wanted to continue in the bidding process for certified election systems in the state, it must follow the law and if it failed to do so, it would face liability.
“The North Carolina legislature showed great leadership and courage in passing one of the most robust voting machine transparency laws in the country,” said EFF Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. “The court decision reiterates what EFF had been arguing on behalf of our client all along: Diebold is not entitled to special rules.”
EFF intervened in the case on behalf of North Carolina voter and election integrity advocate Joyce McCloy, with assistance from Don Beskind and the North Carolina law firm of Twiggs, Beskind, Strickland & Rabenau, P.A. EFF argued that Diebold had failed to show why it was unable to meet election law provisions requiring source code escrow and identification of programmers, and asked the court to force Diebold and every other North Carolina equipment vendor to comply.
Diebold could appeal the ruling, go forward with its bid, or withdraw from the process. However, Diebold told the court that it would likely withdraw the bid if the company did not have liability protection.
North Carolina experienced one of the most serious malfunctions of e-voting systems in the 2004 presidential election when over 4,500 ballots were lost in a voting system provided by Diebold competitor UniLect Corp. The new transparency and integrity provisions of the North Carolina election law were passed in response to this and other documented malfunctions that have occurred across the country.
The North Carolina Board of Elections is scheduled to announce winning voting equipment vendors on December 1, 2005.
And the ex-CEO is now on McCain's team. Convenient, eh?
LazFX
makes for a great action adventure movie...
Voting Machines rigged..
Rumors of Martial Law...
A lame duck GOP that has now resorted to B.S. scary black man tactics struggling to stay in power with a structure made to serve a sinister purpose...
Returned troops back fresh from Iran; possibly on stand by...
All of the racial undertones now the only thing McCain has to run on....
Have ya seen this???
these kind of people scare the out of me..... I grew up around many of these types and had to live with this kind of ignorance DAY to DAY... yeah I am that ing old....and these types would use this "real" fear to do what ever the far right tells them to...
Negra . that word sent shivers up my spine...
this could be a turning point in American History folks!!
I am voting early and setting up shop at the fort on Election Night.
think I am joking ??
or maybe its just the buzz....
DJ Shibby
quote:
Originally posted by LazFX
makes for a great action adventure movie...
Voting Machines rigged..
Rumors of Martial Law...
A lame duck GOP that has now resorted to B.S. scary black man tactics struggling to stay in power with a structure made to serve a sinister purpose...
Returned troops back fresh from Iran; possibly on stand by...
All of the racial undertones now the only thing McCain has to run on....
Have ya seen this???
these kind of people scare the out of me..... I grew up around many of these types and had to live with this kind of ignorance DAY to DAY... yeah I am that ing old....and these types would use this "real" fear to do what ever the far right tells them to...
Negra . that word sent shivers up my spine...
this could be a turning point in American History folks!!
I am voting early and setting up shop at the fort on Election Night.
think I am joking ??
or maybe its just the buzz....
If there is a revolution, and there will be, it'll just be the severing of the old consciousness from the new.
If you're raw about it... then I feel for you, and you can feel what we have all felt these last 7 years.
jerZ07002
quote:
Originally posted by LazFX
wow....i love my country. :nervous:
hardcore trancer
Ok seriously you people have got to do something about these rednecks down there.These people are bringing your country down.Send them all to in Alaska and please dont let them get out.
DJ Shibby
quote:
Originally posted by hardcore trancer
Ok seriously you people have got to do something about these rednecks down there.These people are bringing your country down.Send them all to in Alaska and please dont let them get out.
They kill themselves off naturally... :eyes:
The17sss
Jesus Christ. Why aren't any of you the least bit concerned about the 200,000 ing mismatched votes that are being allowed to pass in Ohio after their DEOMCRAT secretary of state got the court to overrule a federal appeals court that had ordered Ohio's top elections official to do more to help counties verify voter eligibility???? Why aren't you focusing on the ACORN scandels in at least 13 states now, where Mickey Mouse, 7 year olds, the Dallas Cowboys, and deceased people are registered to vote on their forms, and where several of their volunteers admitted they made up names because they were told to meet a quota? Some people are even registered 150 times. No mention of any of that, but we're back to the GOP voter machine conspiray deal? what a joke
