Pa. voter charged with smashing touch-screen machine

Phillyburbs.com, AP ^ | November 7, 2006

[Dane]

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A man was arrested at a polling site Tuesday after election workers said he smashed an electronic voting machine with a paperweight, police said.

Michael Young, 43, of Allentown, will face charges of felony criminal mischief and tampering with voting machines, Assistant Police Chief Ronald Manescu said.

Authorities said they did not know the motive for the incident, which happened around 12:30 p.m. at the polling place inside the Good Shepherd Home.

"He came in here very peaceably and showed his ID, then he got on the machine and just snapped," volunteer Gladys Pezoldt told The Morning Call of Allentown.

Witnesses said Young then sat down and waited for police, who arrested him without incident.

The machine's screen was damaged and it was not immediately clear whether the votes recorded on the machine could be retrieved. More than 130 people had voted at the site by the time of the incident.

The machine is valued at more than $5,000, police said.

[John Jorsett]

2006 version of hanging chad.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

But officer, I don't see what the problem is! I was just writing in my choice for "None of the above!" < /sarc>

[Eagle of Liberty]

Do a search. I bet there is a thread on DU from someone claiming to be a friend of Michael Young.

[EQAndyBuzz]

He just snapped? Why did he have a paperweight in the first place? This was premeditated.

[jpl]

Let me be the first to ask:

Bush's fault?

[G8 Diplomat]

it was not immediately clear whether the votes recorded on the machine could be retrieved.

Probably a Dem and the machine had too many Republican votes on it.

[kcvl]

Michael Young, Custodial Supervisor

Parkland School District, PA

[Dane]

I found a Michael Young from Parkland School district as the Custodial Supervisor in Allentown. Not sure if its the same dude or not.

Union goon perhaps.

[SaxxonWoods]

Defendant: "Well, Your Honor, it seemed like a good idea at the time."

[roostercogburn]

This sounds like a set up. The media will use this guy to portray the frustration with electronic voting.
My question is if the RATS do not trust this type of voting, do we go back to punch cards? What is next?

[threeleftsmakearight]

or his carton of cigarettes

[Califelephant]

He saw Karl Rove's face appear on the screen and he flipped out.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Who wants to bet he was either union member and/or a state/school employee?

[NickatNite2003]

Where'd the paper weight come from?

[Cobra64]

Paper weight?

Hell, he should have used this:

[John Jorsett]

He just snapped? Why did he have a paperweight in the first place? This was premeditated.

The article didn't say he had it with him, so it could have been the polling place's.

[G8 Diplomat]

but could it have been to stop other from voting????

Perhaps. Or a new way to commit voter fraud--if most of the votes on the machine aren't for your candidate, smash it! /sarcasm

[dfwgator]

[ozoneliar]

Where'd the paper weight come from?

Ban Paper weights.

[txhurl]

Good GOD that's funny, man.