Election Day, November 2, is when people go to the polls to vote their choices for who will represent them in national, state, county, and local offices, as well as for various levies, taxes, and various other issues and referendums. Vote they will, but will their votes be counted the way they are cast?
There are an alarming number of “voting machine errors” being reported around the country. Nevada, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and Washington have all reported recurring improperly cast votes with electronic voting machines.
These “errors” have a consistent trend. In cases reported thus far, computer voting machines in some locations have not properly recorded the wishes of voters as entered on the touch screens. Commonly what occurs are votes for one candidate, or party, being incorrectly recorded by the machine for the opposition.
In Clark County, Nevada, for example, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is running for his Senate seat against Sharon Angle (R), voters have reported, and had confirmed, that Reid’s name was already checked on the computer ballot when it appeared on the screen. In other cases, votes cast for Angle changed spontaneously to indicate the vote was cast for Reid.
There are an alarming number of “voting machine errors” being reported around the country. Nevada, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and Washington have all reported recurring improperly cast votes with electronic voting machines.
These “errors” have a consistent trend. In cases reported thus far, computer voting machines in some locations have not properly recorded the wishes of voters as entered on the touch screens. Commonly what occurs are votes for one candidate, or party, being incorrectly recorded by the machine for the opposition.
In Clark County, Nevada, for example, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) is running for his Senate seat against Sharon Angle (R), voters have reported, and had confirmed, that Reid’s name was already checked on the computer ballot when it appeared on the screen. In other cases, votes cast for Angle changed spontaneously to indicate the vote was cast for Reid.
Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax said there was no voter fraud, although issues do come up as the touch screens are sensitive. For that reason, Lomax said, a person may not want to have their fingers linger too long on the screens after they make a selection. Complaining voters disagree, stating that no matter how they, or election officials, tried to record the proper vote by touch screen, it was only accomplished with many tries and much difficulty.
Voter fraud of this type can, and does, occur when technicians who program the computers modify the program, a simple task, to change the results of your vote. It is quick and simple for a knowledgeable technician and easily goes unnoticed if you are not aware the problem may exist.
With this in mind, it is strongly suggested that when you cast your vote using a computer, you check closely to make sure that your vote is recorded as you cast it. If you have any doubt as to the correct recording of your vote, call an election judge before you close the screen. Once you had directed the computer to record the vote, it cannot be changed.
This is your election. Do not allow your vote to be stolen. Carefully check to be sure your vote is recorded as you desire.
I have a comment about this article and others that I’ve seen like it. If someone was going to reprogram the voting machines to record votes for one party or candidate they would not show the incorrect vote on the screen where voters would see it and raise questions. They would show the person’s actual choice on the screen and on the optional print out (If the machine being used has that option) and then switch the vote for their party or candidate when the voter completes the transaction and the votes are written to the final media (smart card, paper etc.). Why would anyone wanting to defraud a vote deliberately do anything to raise suspicions?
ReplyDeleteI’m not saying there’s no way this could happen, I’m skeptical of these claims in this article. To me this is like the hanging chats from Florida in the 2000 election, all driven by the conspiracy theorist.
Anyway that’s my two cents…. J