Officials Reject Plan to Fix Voting Machines

Newsday ^ | 4/16/03

[areafiftyone]

The city won't fix its broken voting machines after all, and one elections commissioner alleged it's because Republicans want to keep voters confused.

The Board of Elections yesterday reversed a plan that would have repaired devices on the 7,000 machines, which people accidentally left without voting.

One Democrat joined with the five Republicans on the board to block the machine repairs.

"The Republicans understand it's in their interest to keep voters confused," said Manhattan Democratic Commissioner Douglas Kellner, who spearheaded efforts to have the machines fixed.

The broken devices are believed to be the cause of an estimated 60,000 lost votes in the 2000 presidential race, according to a Newsday analysis.

The lost votes sometimes occur when voters push down the lever entering their selections, but push them back up before throwing the handle to record their votes. In other cases, voters throw the handle without pushing down the levers. The lost votes, also known as the undervote, amounted to 3.9 percent of the citywide vote in that election. The percentage was higher in some districts.

Kellner estimated that 80 percent of those votes would have gone for Democratic candidates.

But Commissioner Stephen Weiner, a Queens Republican, denied that the board was politically motivated in yesterday's decision. "To characterize this as some kind of Republican anti-voting maneuver is incorrect," said Weiner, giving other reasons for his decision to vote against the repairs.

"There are some people who don't want to register a vote, but who report to the polls for civic reasons," Weiner said, arguing that those people should not be forced to vote.

Weiner also noted that the city is only several years away from acquiring new machines. He was not present for the March vote, but voted yesterday not to fix the machines, one reason for the reversal.

Kellner said the city could fix 98 percent of the voting machines in-house with parts that cost less than $20,000.

[SwinneySwitch]

Republicans know that anyone who votes demoncrat IS confused!

[lilylangtree]

In our neck of the woods, the taxpayers spent some money to computerize our voting procedures last year and consolidate a number of precincts. I (and some other Repubs and RATS) lost my job as an elected Precinct Committee Officer because of the reorganization. Also, I've worked a number of elections under the new computerized system. Thus far, computerized voting seems to be working fine.

[NYFriend]

"There are some people who don't want to register a vote, but who report to the polls for civic reasons," Weiner said, arguing that those people should not be forced to vote.

This is poorly worded or misquotes. It sounds like nonsense, but what he's really saying is that people show up and may vote for some offices, like town judge or clerk, or whatever, but may not like either Presidential (or Senate or whatever) candidate, and they decide not to pull that lever. The "undervote", as it is called, is a continuing theme in every contested NYC election.

[mewzilla]

Can somebody mess with the software, though? That's been my biggest concern with computerized voting.

[daffyduct]

Kellner estimated that 80 percent of those votes would have gone for Democratic candidates.

If someone isn't smart enough to know how to vote, do we really want them to vote?...oh..I forgot...they are the Democrat Base.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Democratic official admits that 80% of easily confused voters are Democrats.

[areafiftyone]

We have the old voting machines with the levers. Jeeze I learned in elementary school how to vote in the machine and that was in the 60's

[IYAS9YAS]

We have the infamous punch cards...I have never heard of or seen issues with hanging, pregnant, dimpled or otherwise molested chads in our area.

They were either fully in place or fully punched out.

[Mitchell]

Thus far, computerized voting seems to be working fine.

Without a paper trail accompanied by audits of randomly selected elections, how can one know?

[lilylangtree]

The paper trail is the numbered ballot. Computerized in the sense that a ballot is slipped into the machine (much like a portable copier) and recorded on a chip. At the end of the voting period, the machine releases the number of votes which should correspond to the ballot books. Everything must add up at the end of the evening. The chip is removed, data taken and counted at central Elections HQ.

[areafiftyone]

I have never had any problems with the machines myself!

[GovernmentShrinker]

I think it may also mean that many feel compelled by union pressure to be seen showing up at the polls. The union thugs would monitor how they voted too, if they could figure a way. Many of these unions operate by handing out work opportunities to favored members -- not showing up to vote could cost a member a lot of money. Those who are annoyed with the union pressure and not thrilled with any of the candidates either, may well choose to go into the booth and not vote.

[mabelkitty]

LOL! So THAT'S why the fear of "machines".

[mabelkitty]

Nobody was ever concerned about punch cards that automatically show up in large boxes one hour before a precinct closes.

Funny how they are worried now that it takes some sort of hand-eye coordination to cast a vote.

[dljordan]

You better believe it! There have been allegations of software tampering already.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I think it may also mean that many feel compelled by union pressure to be seen showing up at the polls. The union thugs would monitor how they voted too, if they could figure a way. Many of these unions operate by handing out work opportunities to favored members -- not showing up to vote could cost a member a lot of money. Those who are annoyed with the union pressure and not thrilled with any of the candidates either, may well choose to go into the booth and not vote.

[GovernmentShrinker]

My biggest concern with computerized voting is that the masses can't possibly understand how it works, or follow any technical discussion of how it's kept secure, or of how an alleged problem is being effectively investigated. At least the masses THINK they understand the physical systems, and if they're concerned, they or someone they know can sign up to work on recounts like the Florida debacle. If they KNOW they can't understand a computerized system, they will be easily manipulated by unsavory political activists into believing that an election was "stolen", and quite possibly into reacting violently.