Open Thread—Local & State

By Donna Ladd Tuesday, November 7, 2006 6 p.m. CST

For 85%
Against 15%
65% reporting

ID: 89868
Comment: Well, I was disturbed by the fact that the e-machines used at my place of vote did NOT have a paper trail. Nice female elderly poll worker told me "honey, we been using these har machines fer 10 yers" as if knowing I was using a 10 year old machine made it any better. This was in Clinton.
Author: Jo-D
Date: 2006-11-07T18:40:57-06:00

ID: 89869
Comment: Hinds, Rankin, Yalobusha, Lee, and I think Tippah counties elected not to get the new touch-screen machines because they already had "sufficient ones". I voted in Flowood this morning and had a hard time getting the touch-screen to respond. I didn't like the lack of a paper ballot to review or a receipt, which some states have. I work for a nonprofit that advocates for people with disabilities, and specifically I am working on our voter access grant, which is why I am still at work at 6pm!! We are working closely with the Sec. of State's office, and I recommend that you and anyone with problems voting please call the SOS at 800.829.6786 -- especially let them know your problems with the older machines. I already told my contact person there about it, and the more complaints they get, the more likely they will push the remaining 5 counties to get the new machines.
Author: andi
Date: 2006-11-07T19:01:39-06:00

ID: 89871
Comment: blah Matt Friedeman makes my stomach hurt. Every election time, he's on TV spouting off his Xtian COWSHITE!
Author: Jo-D
Date: 2006-11-07T19:13:39-06:00

ID: 89872
Comment: Unfortunately, you probably won't see things going back to the paper ballot system, but what I would like to see is that we get paper receipts at the very least.
Author: andi
Date: 2006-11-07T19:31:15-06:00

ID: 89873
Comment: I could have *sworn* that when the state decided to go with the new voting machines, enough hell was raised about a paper trail that Eric Clark agreed to only get machines with paper receipts. Did I just dream that?
Author: Rico
Date: 2006-11-07T19:41:42-06:00

ID: 89874
Comment: No, you are right, and 77 counties have those machines. Because Rankin, Hinds, Yalobusha, Lee, and Tippah already had "touch-screen" machines, they were given permission to continue using them and not upgrade to the new machines. So... yeah. I would like to see all 82 counties using the same system and getting a paper receipt at the end of the deal.
Author: andi
Date: 2006-11-07T19:48:20-06:00

ID: 89875
Comment: andi, i voted in flowood too and would love to see a receipt. No problem with my machine but those around me were bumfuddled by them. And they've used these for a while? I remember them in 2004, but you'd think if they're so easy the folks around me would have had an easier time. Lots of raised hands. I commend them for the voter roll though. I'd moved and gotten married and had no problems getting through.
Author: emilyb
Date: 2006-11-07T20:51:26-06:00

ID: 89876
Comment: the people around you might have had the same issue i did. instead of touching the box like you would on any other type of machine (like when you're at the checkout at the grocery), I had to hold my finger down on the box to make it register, and it took a few tries. probably just an old, worn-out machine. other than that, yeah it was fine. i didn't even have to show my registration card, which kinda bugged me, but no biggie. didn't get any calls at work today, so either i didn't do a good enough job getting the word out about voters' rights, or there have been a lot of improvements this year at the polls.
Author: andi
Date: 2006-11-07T22:11:21-06:00

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