2022 Midterm Elections Live Thread

Free Republic | 11/08/22

[BigEdLB]

Does NY report people who have voted by hour like here in Cali? If so we can see turnout rate. Bannon was talking about that. I turned off Charlie Kirk bbecause he said turnout was light in AZ. No one believes that. He may be trying to increase turnout. But he is turning people off. No one believes him

[PghBaldy]

My polling place had paper ballots (normally has touch screen machines). Not sure if I missed news on this or what. We had to then scan them through a machine.

[surrey]

Voted in a burb south of Boston and the place was packed. We have 6 precincts so there were no lines and everything moved quickly. We use paper ballots which are scanned by machine which then tells you when it’s recorded. We have a governor’s race and I doubt the Republican ,Diehl ,stands a chance.

[cgbg]

Good process—exactly the way it should be.

[Political Junkie Too]

I don't understand why technology improvements aren't making the casting and tabulating of ballots faster and more secure. There is no excuse for elections that take days to count.

How come credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express can process a combined 100 million transactions a day, but our states can't process a few thousands of ballots? Something has to change.

Why can't we combine the best technologies to make a seamless voting system that can count the votes instantaneously?

I suggest that the following technologies be used to make a more secure voting procedure:

1. Use rewritable credit cards to record each person's vote.
   • Hotels can program cards like this to open selected room doors right at the front desk. Why can't ballots be recorded on the chip or magnetic strip in the same way?
2. When a voter checks in at the front desk, give them a credit card/room key type ballot that they insert into a voting machine.
   • The registrar will have the voter sign the voting roll.
   • A credit card/room key will be programmed to that voter (instead of handing them a paper with their voter code) and handed to the voter.
   • The voter goes to a voting booth/machine and inserts the card into the voting machine. The ballot for that voter will then appear on the screen.
   • The voter makes his choices and presses "submit vote." The machine records the vote onto the card and the voter retrieves the card.
3. The voter walks over to a tabulating machine. This machine can be similar to credit card point-of-sale registers that we see all across the world. The voter inserts his card into the machine.
   • The machine reads the card and displays the ballot on the screen. The voter is prompted to confirm the ballot.
   • The machine then counts the vote and sends the transaction to the main transaction server, just like with credit card transactions.
   • The machine keeps the card for reuse just like how ATMs keep cards that are deemed to be stolen or fraudulent.
   • The card is wiped after the vote is transmitted and an acknowledgement is received.
   • Periodically throughout the day, an election worker will retrieve the wiped cards from the tabulation machine and bring them back up to the front desk for resuse.

Why can't a voting procedure like this work? Why can our credit card and hotel companies process billions of transactions this way, but we can't leverage that technology to improve the voting booth?

-PJ

[Life_Liberty_Property_1776]

Any recommendations for websites that will have a good summary of results?

[Clemenza]

Voter early last Wednesday in NJ-8. Little Bobby Menendez is unfortunately safe as my new Congresscritter (any congressional district centered on Jersey City hasn’t elected a Republican in over a century). Nevertheless we have a contested school board election with the union-endorsed slate having a credible challenge from a reform slate centered on greater transparency and choice.

We are also selecting our Sheriff (who oversees security at the courts and for all county offices - but not for us plebes who are subject to our city police) as well as our County Clerk (who assures that my grandfather remains a vote for the Dems even though he has been dead for 29 years).

[Maine Mariner]

Using this process the error rate is usually one or two ballots per 1000 cast. Not bad,

[cowboyusa]

Dom Giardono just said huge turnout in Bucks County.

[cll]

PA?

[cowboyusa]

Yes

[CarolinaReaganFan]

Nah, sometimes it’s better to just take out the trash and focus on winning it back in 6 years.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) — A county in New Jersey is experiencing issues with its voting machines. All machines in each district in Mercer County are down due to a printing and scanning issue with the ballots.

It’s important to emphasize that voters in Mercer County can still vote. The Mercer County clerk says there’s a problem with Dominion Voting Systems’ scanners not reading the ballot.

A Dominion spokesperson says they believe the problem is with the printed ballots and not its technology.

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/voters-can-still-cast-ballots-in-mercer-county-despite-issues/

[telescope115]

Just got back from voting. Straight Republican. Up yours, Pritzger!

[telescope115]

Why won’t it work?
Because the Powers That Be wouldn’t be the Powers That Be anymore.

[GOPJ]

How come credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express can process a combined 100 million transactions a day, but our states can't process a few thousands of ballots? Something has to change.

If crooks were allowed to work for Visa, MasterCard and American Express - and IF they could 'skim' money off random transactions AND they had the power to keep the corrupt system in place - we would have the same mess with those companies we have with voting machines.

[cll]

Markets:

Dow -0.5%
S&P -0.6%
NDQ -0.0%

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Voters 78 & 79, Ridgeway Township, WI. It was PACKED! Never seen it so busy and I’ve voted in the same place for all elections (Township Hall) since moving here 6 years ago. We had to wait 30+ minutes to vote, and this is in a Cow Town of 300!

Bodes well for our side. With the exception of one young couple with a small child, everyone else was a Senior...and we know how they vote. ;) Everyone was upbeat and HAPPY to be voting, as if their vote might actually, legitimately be counted this time around. I find this VERY encouraging!

[cll]

Great story, thanks!

[traderrob6]

See post #39.