Desertdog
Member
There was a recent case in PRK where the electronic machines was used in a local election, and there was 134 votes where the voters did not push the "submit vote" button. 134 uncounted votes and no way to see how they voted. My, my.
To me, the electronic voting machines, seem to be created to have the outcome they want with no paper trail. How convenient.
I still like the paper ballots where they run them through the readers after you finish voting.
Congressman Sues, Wants Voting Machines To Create Paper Printouts
POSTED: 11:17 PM EST January 17, 2004
http://www.local6.com/news/2773681/detail.html
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- A congressman pushing to require electronic voting machines to produce a paper trail is taking his case to the courts.
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Boca Raton Democrat, filed a lawsuit Friday in Palm Beach County against Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore, claiming the officials are violating their duties to ensure votes are counted accurately by not using machines with paper printouts.
Wexler, who said he wrote Hood and LePore over the issue several months before he filed the suit, wants printed duplicates of all ballots cast on the electronic voting machines used in 15 Florida counties. He said this is the only way to accurately recount ballots in a close race, and guarantee fair elections.
Elections supervisors across the state oppose spending more money on the machines, saying the voting systems can already provide a paper record of each person's vote.
Hood's office didn't return a call seeking comment Saturday. The answering machine at the Palm Beach County elections office did not accept messages.
Wexler is not the only one focusing on the voting machines. Last week's special election for Florida House District 91, which is split between Broward and Palm Beach counties, fed the debate over the need for an official paper trail.
Ellyn Bogdanoff won that election by 12 votes, but there were 134 undervotes, or ballots that did not register a choice for any candidates.
Because all but the absentee ballots in that election were electronic, officials could not conduct a traditional manual recount. That prompted Palm Beach County commissioners to ask the state for the authority to retrofit touch screen voting machines so they produce paper ballots - at a cost of $2.2 million.
To some extent, the debate has broken down along party lines. Many Democrats say a paper ballot is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the vote, while Republicans largely oppose the idea.
"I think there is heightened sensitivity among Democrats because we were the victims last time," said Chris Griffin, a Tampa lawyer who was the regional chairman of the Gore-Lieberman campaign for West Central Florida. "If the roles were reversed, you'd have a reversal in sensitivity."
Wexler said his suit isn't based on partisan issues.
"There is nothing Democratic about it, and there is nothing Republican about it. This is as American as apple pie," he said.
Lepore said there's no simple fix that will satisfy all constituent groups. She said some people question what language the printouts would be in, and advocates for the blind argue printouts would erase the benefits of the electronic machines' audio features, which let blind voters cast secret ballots.
In addition, LePore said the counties require state approval to add the printing devices.
"It's not as easy as going to Office Depot and buying printers," LePore said.
Sequoia Voting Systems, which supplied the voting machines used in Palm Beach County, plans to seek federal certification for a printer by the end of March. Federal certification is required before state certification.
Kurt Browning, Pasco County elections supervisor and Legislative Committee chairman for the state elections supervisors association, said the organization opposes printers.
"We just don't see the need for it," Browning said. "These counties have spent millions and millions of dollars on voting systems."
Though he said some people would be more confident in the voting system if there were a paper record, Browning said it was a question of "spending millions of dollars to keep a relatively small number of people happy."
To me, the electronic voting machines, seem to be created to have the outcome they want with no paper trail. How convenient.
I still like the paper ballots where they run them through the readers after you finish voting.
Congressman Sues, Wants Voting Machines To Create Paper Printouts
POSTED: 11:17 PM EST January 17, 2004
http://www.local6.com/news/2773681/detail.html
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- A congressman pushing to require electronic voting machines to produce a paper trail is taking his case to the courts.
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, a Boca Raton Democrat, filed a lawsuit Friday in Palm Beach County against Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood and Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore, claiming the officials are violating their duties to ensure votes are counted accurately by not using machines with paper printouts.
Wexler, who said he wrote Hood and LePore over the issue several months before he filed the suit, wants printed duplicates of all ballots cast on the electronic voting machines used in 15 Florida counties. He said this is the only way to accurately recount ballots in a close race, and guarantee fair elections.
Elections supervisors across the state oppose spending more money on the machines, saying the voting systems can already provide a paper record of each person's vote.
Hood's office didn't return a call seeking comment Saturday. The answering machine at the Palm Beach County elections office did not accept messages.
Wexler is not the only one focusing on the voting machines. Last week's special election for Florida House District 91, which is split between Broward and Palm Beach counties, fed the debate over the need for an official paper trail.
Ellyn Bogdanoff won that election by 12 votes, but there were 134 undervotes, or ballots that did not register a choice for any candidates.
Because all but the absentee ballots in that election were electronic, officials could not conduct a traditional manual recount. That prompted Palm Beach County commissioners to ask the state for the authority to retrofit touch screen voting machines so they produce paper ballots - at a cost of $2.2 million.
To some extent, the debate has broken down along party lines. Many Democrats say a paper ballot is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the vote, while Republicans largely oppose the idea.
"I think there is heightened sensitivity among Democrats because we were the victims last time," said Chris Griffin, a Tampa lawyer who was the regional chairman of the Gore-Lieberman campaign for West Central Florida. "If the roles were reversed, you'd have a reversal in sensitivity."
Wexler said his suit isn't based on partisan issues.
"There is nothing Democratic about it, and there is nothing Republican about it. This is as American as apple pie," he said.
Lepore said there's no simple fix that will satisfy all constituent groups. She said some people question what language the printouts would be in, and advocates for the blind argue printouts would erase the benefits of the electronic machines' audio features, which let blind voters cast secret ballots.
In addition, LePore said the counties require state approval to add the printing devices.
"It's not as easy as going to Office Depot and buying printers," LePore said.
Sequoia Voting Systems, which supplied the voting machines used in Palm Beach County, plans to seek federal certification for a printer by the end of March. Federal certification is required before state certification.
Kurt Browning, Pasco County elections supervisor and Legislative Committee chairman for the state elections supervisors association, said the organization opposes printers.
"We just don't see the need for it," Browning said. "These counties have spent millions and millions of dollars on voting systems."
Though he said some people would be more confident in the voting system if there were a paper record, Browning said it was a question of "spending millions of dollars to keep a relatively small number of people happy."
