BBV: Election Supervisor Keeps it Simple

In the backwoods county of Swain, in Western North Carolina, one election supervisor has her hat on straight. She lays out why BBV is a problem. Ya think any big city folks can learn something from her?
****************************

Weeks sees several benefits to the lever machines, including rock-bottom maintenance costs. Computer technology advances so quickly that computerized machines could require expensive upgrades every few years. Plus, the lever machines don?t require electricity. Weeks worries about what would happen if there were a power outage on Election Day. Would the votes already cast be wiped out? Would voters be told to come back to the polls later that day when electricity was restored? She also worries about the effect of computerized machines on senior citizens who are unfamiliar with computers.

Weeks is also concerned about accuracy. Computer voting machines hold no hard copy of the votes ? no ballots, no imprints, no rolling counter visible to all. All that?s there is a number somewhere on a silicon chip.

With lever machines, Weeks can clearly see them processing votes. A counter on the outside of the booth turns over every time the curtain is open and shut. If the lever mechanisms stop working, the counter stops rolling over.

Weeks likes the hands-on simplicity the lever machines offer users. Voters select candidates by pulling down little switches next to the names of their choice. They can review their decisions and change a vote if they like. Upon leaving the booth, voters pull a lever that opens the curtain. The lever registers the votes. Each name displayed on the front of the machine coincides with a dial in the back of the machine that rolls over like a counter for each vote cast. At the end of the day, precinct workers unlock the back of the machine, and the counter shows the number of votes cast for each candidate.
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/11_03/11_05_03/fr_swain_relies.html

I voted many, many years ago.

gin

I voted on one for the first time in 2000. Had always voted via punch card before that. I kinda made fun of the thing that day in 2000, but the next day I saw the wisdom of using such a simple trustworthy appliance being used to count my vote.


I like computers. But I'd never want one to be used to record my vote. Not unless I programmed it, or at least knew the programming was as close to perfect as it could be. As it is today, with secret computer programs being used to count votes....I just say NO!

of the lever machine is better. Thank you for posting this. I will forward it to my election supervisor in NC!

...I like this person's down to earth ideas.

But some of the worst scams have been with lever machines.

If someone is watching the gears turn, they are watching YOU vote. That is a no-no.

These things do not produce a ballot that can be recounted.

Paper is simple and requires no electricity too. And it trumps the lever machines because it can be recounted.

Does the state have recount laws? If it does, wanna bet these things violate them?

Lever machines are the archaic form of touch screens. Although, I do think they are less prone to tampering, but not on a par with other systems.

But I always wondered about the punch cards too.
Those cards are counted on a computer, right?


I wonder if someone could volunteer to have their individual vote not be secret? That way, say several hundred individuals could become 'Testers' of machine votes. You would cast a ballot that would be assigned a number and then you could go back over the records and see for yourself that the record is correct.

I do know that on these archaic machines, you can look at the vote totals before and after you vote. At least then you can see if your vote was tabulated or not. It really is quite simple to keep people from looking at the machine while you vote, and no one, by law, is allowed to hang around for long before or after they vote, just the workers.

Still, paper is the only way to cast a true and verifiable vote. Until then, at least we can keep the corruptible computers outta the process.