ST. Pete Times: Paper ballots could cause trouble in close races

glowing

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Mon Aug-11-08 01:37 AM
Original message

ST. Pete Times: Paper ballots could cause trouble in close races

As early voting begins today for the Aug. 26 primary, elections officials are quietly praying for lopsided results.

Paper ballots bring their own trouble in a close race: In a manual recount of over-votes and under-votes, officials must study poorly-marked ballots for signs of voter intent.

And controversial rules aren't yet in place about how to discern a voter's intent on mismarked ballots

"We've come full circle," said Susan Gill, elections supervisor in Citrus County. "How far do we go? We're not mind-readers."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article766054.ece

So, this is how they intend to steal the election.... by trying to say a box is not clearly marked or is dimpled or is smudgey... Freaking great.

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Arnold Judas Rimmer

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Mon Aug-11-08 01:40 AM
Response to Original message

1. Reverse psychology....

"Paper ballots are so bad!!11!!! We need to switch completely to DIEBOLD touch screen machines. Oh, and do away with those nasty caucuses too!11!!

So that we can have a nice, orderly election every time. Just like Stalin and Saddam did. :)

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glowing

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Mon Aug-11-08 03:27 AM
Response to Reply #1

6. They would like that very much.

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JustABozoOnThisBus

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Mon Aug-11-08 09:32 AM
Response to Reply #1

11. Stalin and Saddam are so yesterday ...

Mugabe is the new icon.

GWB can ignore the results of any election and just keep on presidin' forever!!!

:rofl:

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MrModerate

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Mon Aug-11-08 01:41 AM
Response to Original message

2. Right. And tallies that can only be interpreted or manipulated . . .

using proprietary software created, concealed and controlled by demonstrably right-wing voting technology companies -- tallies that disperse like a cloud of electrons, leaving no recoverable records -- are sooooo much more reliable.

They certainly think we're stupid, don't they?

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eppur_se_muova

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Mon Aug-11-08 01:44 AM
Response to Original message

3. Truth is the biggest problem Repugs face ... they're gonna get voted OUT.

Edited on Mon Aug-11-08 01:47 AM by eppur_se_muova

So they're doing all the whining they can about how they really, really, NEED to replace those old-fashioned paper ballots with their fantabulous, shiny new voting machines. Disgusting.

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glowing

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Mon Aug-11-08 01:44 AM
Response to Original message

4. I'll see how it goes during the primaries... Nothing is error proof.. but

we know that they try and cheat the system.. What I worry about is certain precints oops, running out of ballots in Nov. Reg. is way up and its tilted Dem.

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Gabi Hayes

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Mon Aug-11-08 02:28 AM
Response to Original message

5. one word answer:

Canada

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Apollo11

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Mon Aug-11-08 03:43 AM
Response to Original message

7. Paper ballots are the only way to ensure a reliable result

This is the conclusion that the Dutch government has reached.

http://www.minbzk.nl/actueel/112441/nieuw

Approximate translation:

Voting with pencil and paper
May 16, 2008
As long as there is no good alternative, the Netherlands votes with pencil and paper. This has the Ministerial Council decided on a proposal from the Secretary of the Interior. Research shows that the reliability of an electronic voting machine cannot be guaranteed. The government considers that it has no advantage compared with pencil and paper votes.

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glowing

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Mon Aug-11-08 03:53 AM
Response to Reply #7

8. Well, here up is down and down is up... It sort of gets confusing at times.

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mahina

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Mon Aug-11-08 04:49 AM
Response to Original message

9. Just like during the caucuses, we have to manage expectations on our side.

Teach our communities to be prepared to wait, and rebuff the next yuppie riot like those chad warriors from Tom Delay's Washington offices.

We need tactics to moot their attempts to rush the counts. Ideas?

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MaineDem

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Mon Aug-11-08 09:27 AM
Response to Original message

10. This is bull shit

It's much easier to discern voter intent with a paper ballot. We do recounts on paper ballots A LOT here in Maine and we have no trouble with intent.

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L0oniX

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Mon Aug-11-08 09:49 AM
Response to Original message

12. This is just more St Pete Times bull shit. Those ballots are so easy to mark.

I already turned in my mail in ballot and the marking system is very obvious. You have to fill in the circle by each choice. If you can't do that clearly, you should have your high school diploma revoked and have your little red wagon taken away.

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