Voter Fraud is a REALITY! :(

[Leslie Anne]

Originally Posted by DGTess

Without paper, though, Gore couldn't have screamed about Florida.

Give it a rest, woman. It's been 8 years.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I didn't grow up in Idaho, and when I voted here I couldn't believe it was retro. You have to go to the Fairgrounds, ID isn't required, and you can even register day of. We have these little push pin things that pop out for the candidate. All the poll workers are little old ladies, aka the blue haired mafia.

Where I grew up we voted in the neighborhood, a school cafeteria, church basement, someone's garage, etc., after spending time in Alaska I am thoroughly impressed with their system. My friend is from Southeast Alaska, goes to school in Fairbanks, and she told me every single polling place in the state has every single ballot for every town, village, city, borough and so on. They set up on the UAF campus but you can vote at any place in the state, it is a scantron sheet, and they read it and the results are electronically sent to Juneau.

I was just double checking the hours for voting tomorrow, and we've joined the 20th century? We have optical scan voting, YAY!!!!! But there's some issue when I checked online which precinct I'm in. Their map doesn't jive with the information on the form, and it isn't a type either. Good thing regardless of the precinct I vote in the same place.

[Buttonz]

Originally Posted by barbino

I am a paid election judge in my area. I think that most of the "volunteers" around the country are actually paid. Working the polls makes for a very long day (Chicago: 4:45am to approx. 10-11pm). Also, most precincts spend 2-3 hours the night before setting up. I know the rule in the county that I live in is that you have to be in line before closing. If people are in line at the time the polls are scheduled to close, we are supposed to post a judge at the end of the line. Anyone who comes after that person cannot vote.
During the primaries one of the poll watchers in my precinct was really upset with me because I did not allow two of his friends to vote- they came after the scheduled closing time. Anybody that is in the line at closing time should be allowed to vote, I believe--but as previously mentioned, each state does it dfferently. Every voter is responsible for knowing the rules in his/her own state. The election judges are there to enforce the state & county rules "by the book." There are books/manuals that govern the proper procedures for all aspects of Illinois elections. I would imagine all other states have this as well.

In New York it's the same way. It's been a few years since I've worked the elections (2004 was my last) but unless something has changed drastically, it still is the same way.

I miss working the election...although it is a SUPER long day and tiring, it was always a lot of fun.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Yeah, the paper receipt would be an improvement, but I'm really just surprised by folks who feel like paper ballots are as far as we should ever take voting in terms of technology, and it just doesn't make sense to me, seeing that paper ballots aren't foolproof in terms of fraud and improvements could likely be make to electronic voting.

We vote statewide on Diebold, and it doesn't bother me that much. I feel like trying to perfect electronic voting makes more sense than using a zillion different paper methods.

I've seen local elections turn around by the paper print out. It made me a believer.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by honeychile

I've seen local elections turn around by the paper print out. It made me a believer.

"Then I saw her face..."

Oh wait, this isn't the song name game thread?

[lyrica9]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

You're in Travis County, right? I've already heard a few horror stories coming out of there.

nah, i'm from travis county, but i'm living in denton county.
i can see how there would be a move for voter fraud in travis, since it's the little blue oasis.

[kafromTN]

Voter intimidation can occur both ways. Foxnews is the only one I've seen reporting this, but here's some raw footage of voter intimidation in Philly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGbKHyGuHU

Say what you will, I think Foxnews is more fair and balanced than other news organizations.

just my $.02 worth

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by kafromTN

Say what you will, I think Foxnews is more fair and balanced than other news organizations.

just my $.02 worth

Which is about what it's worth.

Not saying that, for example, MSNBC is any better, but Fox might as well have been on the McCain-Palin campaign payroll the last few weeks.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Which is about what it's worth.

Not saying that, for example, MSNBC is any better, but Fox might as well have been on the McCain-Palin campaign payroll the last few weeks.

Do you think they make more than Matt Lauer makes on the Clinton payroll?

[kafromTN]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Which is about what it's worth.

Not saying that, for example, MSNBC is any better, but Fox might as well have been on the McCain-Palin campaign payroll the last few weeks.

Check out the CMPA.

To explain it's like a -10 to +10 number line, with 0 being absolutely neutral, Foxnews is a +3 while CNN, MSNBC, CBS etc are -7s or -8s. I never said they were not slanted, but they are slanted less than the others.

CNN, MSNBC, CBS etc probably are on the Obama payroll. I like to look at both sides, I have a viewpoint b/c I do look at both sides of an issue.

Don't worry I'm not a McCain supporter, but in politics today I'm forced to vote for the lesser of evils.

[preciousjeni]

I've never voted in NY before (only GA). They had these machine deals where you flip down tab next to your selection and then, when you've finished, you flip a big red level over to lock in your vote. I'm assuming papers were being punched but I never saw any paper.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Do you think they make more than Matt Lauer makes on the Clinton payroll?

As a group or just, say, Sean Hannity?

Originally Posted by kafromTN

Check out the CMPA.

To explain it's like a -10 to +10 number line, with 0 being absolutely neutral, Foxnews is a +3 while CNN, MSNBC, CBS etc are -7s or -8s. I never said they were not slanted, but they are slanted less than the others.

CNN, MSNBC, CBS etc probably are on the Obama payroll. I like to look at both sides, I have a viewpoint b/c I do look at both sides of an issue.

Don't worry I'm not a McCain supporter, but in politics today I'm forced to vote for the lesser of evils.

You mean the CMPA that a former FoxNews contributor founded? That CMPA? I'm afraid I take them with a grain of salt.

To be clear, I wasn't meaning to suggest that Fox is slanted while other news sources lack biases of some kind. In fact, I tried to imply otherwise. I think it's better to admit that than to pretend they are objective (or fair or balanced). But, just based on my own observations, I just can't agree that Fox is the most balanced of them. Not saying it's the worst (in terms of objectivity -- I mean, there is still MSNBC), but I can't say it's the best either.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

I've never voted in NY before (only GA). They had these machine deals where you flip down tab next to your selection and then, when you've finished, you flip a big red level over to lock in your vote. I'm assuming papers were being punched but I never saw any paper.

Welcome to the 1970's! Those are the really old machines. The machine itself tabulates the votes when you pull that red lever and it is recorded on the back of the machine. That's how we all used to vote. They were used for years and years and years. I loved, as a kid, going with my mom and watching her disappear into that booth, pull the curtain and then come back out again. It seemed so important and mysterious and certainly more private than cardboard dividers!

ETA: The last time I used one like that was 1984!

[agzg]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

I've never voted in NY before (only GA). They had these machine deals where you flip down tab next to your selection and then, when you've finished, you flip a big red level over to lock in your vote. I'm assuming papers were being punched but I never saw any paper.

That was the first type of machine I ever voted on. In NY.

[aephi alum]

We had those old lever voting machines up until last year. I remember my mom voting with those machines back when I was a toddler.

I have to say that there was something satisfying about throwing that big red lever and hearing the machine go CHA-CHUNK! But I much prefer the new optical scanner system. It's quicker, it's quieter (!), the scanner will spit your ballot out if it can't read it, and there are actual physical paper ballots to count if any problems arise.