Glitch could force state to vote again - BBV

plan9_pub (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-09-04 03:17 PM
Original message
Glitch could force state to vote again - BBV

Edited on Tue Nov-09-04 03:22 PM by plan9_pub
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/10133265.htm

More than 4,500 votes irretrievably lost in coastal Carteret County could trigger a new statewide election if the official margin of victory in two Council of State races is close enough, state election officials said Monday.

Does this mean that NC's electoral votes would be up for grabs again?

The problem, which one expert called one of the worst election glitches nationwide, occurred on a machine that wasn't set correctly.

Gary Bartlett, the state board's executive director, did not know Monday if the state has ever had to redo a statewide election; it hasn't happened in recent memory. A second election would cost between $2.5 million and $3.5 million, he said.

"It was a simple mistake, one that could be fixed with a simple two-second key stroke," said Jack Gerbel, the company's president. "None of our customers have ever lost even a single vote, and now this."

HOW DO THEY KNOW NO ONE LOST VOTES????!!!!!

Gerbel said the machines flash a warning message when there is no more room for storing ballots. "It was either ignored or overlooked," he said.

Bartlett said Carteret County elections officials have sworn the message never appeared.

Gerbel said his company is looking for a way to stop the machines from accepting votes after the memory is full.

IS THIS GUY FOR REAL??!! My cat could write code to prevent this from happening.

David Allen
Publisher, CEO, Janitor
Plan Nine Publishing
http://www.plan9.org
http://www.blackboxvoting.com


original thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x973692

in one county cause statewide elections? I'm not saying I'd mind, I'd love to vote for Kerry twice.