As Election Nears, Counting the Vote Faces New Pitfalls

Wall Street Journal ^ | 5 October 2004 | Jackie Calmes

[COBOL2Java]

Provisional Ballots, Voter IDs,
Antiquated Technology
Loom for Bush-Kerry Race
Will Ohio Be the Next Florida?

By JACKIE CALMES
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
October 5, 2004; Page A1

Four years after electoral chaos in Florida sent the Bush-Gore presidential battle to the Supreme Court, sparring is erupting around the country over the very procedures intended to prevent a repeat, even as some familiar problems loom just weeks before Election Day.

A new federal election law that was meant to bring more uniformity to locally run elections is itself spawning a patchwork of inconsistent policies in different states. Language in the law allowing voters to cast "provisional votes" when their registration is in doubt has already set off legal battles over which provisional ballots will ultimately be counted. New voting technology has sparked debates over the possibility of computer hacking, even as the infamous punch-card machines, outlawed in Florida and elsewhere, are still in use in parts of 22 states.

Compounding all this is the challenge of training poll workers for new machines and new legal questions, and the likelihood of record crowds at the polls, amid unprecedented efforts to mobilize new voters.

With this year's presidential race tight, and Senate control at stake as well, both parties have legal teams ready to fight in states where controversy erupts -- raising the prospects of another Florida-style mess. That's especially true in the closest battleground states, including New Mexico, Nevada, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida itself.

Election experts agree that Ohio holds the greatest potential for trouble. The state is not only the one most hotly contested by President Bush and Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts...

[COBOL2Java]

Sorry for the excerpt, posting rules apply for Wall Street Journal. Viewing rest of article requires registration.

[COBOL2Java]

The article mentions the four biggest voting dangers. Brief summary:

• Provisional Voting:

  Untold thousands of newly registered voters will learn when they arrive at the polls that because of new antifraud mandates they aren't properly registered. Even if they are, they may be asked to present photo identification for the first time.

  But unlike some Floridians, who were turned away four years ago when their names were mistaken for those of felons, would-be voters this year can't simply be dismissed. The Help America Vote Act passed by Congress in late 2002 -- HAVA for short -- requires all polling places to provide "provisional ballots" to voters whose status is in dispute. Those ballots will be cast on the spot and counted later if voters' eligibility checks out...

• Voter Registration and IDs:

  Another major innovation of the new federal law -- requiring statewide voter databases -- won't be ready nationwide until 2006. Forty-one states have gotten federal waivers from the requirement for various reasons, including cost. Ever since the Florida controversy, advocates of databases say poll workers should be able to resolve questions about voters by instantly looking up whether they're registered...

• Voting Technology:

  Americans in parts of 42 states will vote on new machines of some sort, Electionline.org figures. Six systems will be in use across America. About a third of registered voters have optical-scan systems, in which they darken spaces with a pencil on paper ballots "scored" by machines. Slightly fewer voters live in areas with touch-screen or keyboard technology. About one-fifth live where punch-card systems remain in use. The rest are in mostly rural areas with paper ballots or some mix of systems...

• Pollworkers and Voter Education:

  "If those two things are working properly, that's going to eliminate most of your problem," says Mark Pritchett, who was executive director of Florida's Special Task Force that investigated the 2000 chaos and proposed changes.

  But finding and training enough poll workers is a chronic problem. Now many of these volunteers and low-paid workers will have new responsibilities: checking IDs, deciding on provisional ballots, dealing with new machines and -- another change in law -- guaranteeing access for the disabled. That's on top of likely record turnout and long lines...

[sarasotarepublican]

This is very important. In case you missed it, this was posted earlier this AM. Please fill it out and email it.

http://capwiz.com/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=6486121&content_dir=ua_congressorg&mailid=custom

[Noachian]

New voting technology has sparked debates over the possibility of computer hacking,...

From what I hear about the new electronic voting machines they're a law suit waiting to happen, and the Dems are ready to go to court over any tight outcome of this election.

[COBOL2Java]

Duly emailed. Thanks for re-posting.

[Enterprise]

I hope that the Republicans have the stomach to fight voter fraud as fervently as the RATS fight to commit it.

Check cashing businesses have a system wherein you fill out their forms, and then you have your index fingerprint electronically scanned into their ID system. From then on, they don't ask you for identification when you cash a check. I would favor this ID system when voting. Have the voters fill out voting forms and have their fingerprint registered in the system. From then on, all the voter needs to do is have their print validated when voting.

[backhoe]

Click the picture & goto "last" for the latest on Vote Fraud:

  -- we all need to be clear about the danger this issue poses-- this is the October Surprise from the Left, and they are not even being subtle about it- why should they, with the compliant media, news & entertainment divisions, on their side.

Besides the obvious goal of throwing the election to Kerry, if that fails, the results will be so contested, so dubious, that President Bush will be vulnerable to all sorts of attacks and stigma- even impeachment.