READER COMMENTS ON

"E-Voting Train Wreck 2008: The Horry County, SC Disaster"

(34 Responses so far...)





COMMENT #1 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 10:16 am PT...





Well at least cnn's covering it. Thank you John. You know what my worst fear is? Nothing comprehensive will by done about electronic voting systems by the presidential election and when they melt down it'll be idiot boy's excuse to declare martial law!

COMMENT #2 [Permalink]

... bruce said on 1/19/2008 @ 10:22 am PT...





Thanks John; actually ancient, no it will again go to the now really stacked SCOTUS.

COMMENT #3 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 11:05 am PT...





Your probably right Bruce, deja voo doo.

COMMENT #4 [Permalink]

... Zeke O\'Brien said on 1/19/2008 @ 11:39 am PT...





Great that the mainstream media is finally reporting this stuff. I believe we will turn the tide on this Rovian disaster and our time will be looked back at as a dark time in American political history. Thanks for the great work.

COMMENT #5 [Permalink]

... Big Dan said on 1/19/2008 @ 12:31 pm PT...





WMUR will say, "South Carolina e-voting Going Fine".

COMMENT #6 [Permalink]

... Badger said on 1/19/2008 @ 12:50 pm PT...





Hey, put NPR in there with WMUR. About 45 minutes ago, I was listening to news on NPR and they were talking about the primaries in South Carolina but no mention of whether the participants got to vote.

COMMENT #7 [Permalink]

... Badger said on 1/19/2008 @ 12:52 pm PT...





On a different note, maybe this happening to a Republican primary will show the non-partisan nature of the problem.

COMMENT #8 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 1:03 pm PT...





Hey is there any way to get the ACLU or someone to sue the FCC for allowing the major networks to not cover this most critical issue to democracy? I mean hey, they are suppose to use those public airwaves for our best interest aren't they?

COMMENT #9 [Permalink]

... Patriot Henry said on 1/19/2008 @ 1:07 pm PT...





Voting Problems Meanwhile McCain's campaign team complained this afternoon they heard reports of voting problems in Horry County, near Myrtle Beach, S.C. McCain's state press spokesperson B.J. Boling said she heard that some of the electronic voting machines in the county malfunctioned and that polling sites were running out of paper ballots. "We've heard reports of people literally casting ballots on scraps of paper," she told ABC News' Ron Claiborne. "We are encouraging people to try again. The county says it is trying to reset machines and get as many paper ballots out as they can." Chris Whitmire confirmed that a number of voting machines in a number of precincts in Horry County had difficulty this morning from human error in preparing the voting machines for the election, reports ABC News' Tahman Bradley. http://www.abcnews.go.co...ry?id=4158690&page=1

COMMENT #10 [Permalink]

... Doug Dingus said on 1/19/2008 @ 1:51 pm PT...





I'm reproducing this here, because now is the time. As the feel good stories come up, challenge them! Ask them for their supporting facts and research. The mess in SC right now, prompted this comment. In 2004, I challenged a story, then published by WIS TV. They changed a headline from "machines worked perfectly", to "machines worked as designed". Enough of these and producers will take note. Some of the commentary is dated, given where we are today, but the idea is unchanged. Challenge election feel good stories. All of them! Each reader here on Brad Blog can do this and spread the word for others to do it. All it takes is some fact prep, know it cold, then ask question after question of story authors and producers. Over and over. They will respond to those, and that's where we get a chance to do some advocacy. That's it everybody. Just didn't know where else to put this! Dealing with Voting Machine Ignorance, One media person at a time by DOUG DINGUS {Ed Note: Well Doug, how about giving us a link instead? And please read the rules for commenting. Thank you. --99} * This paper, originally published on OpEdNews.com, is reproduced here, with only a minor edit, for later reference.

COMMENT #11 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 1:52 pm PT...





Sorry to say Patriot Henry, but that is the classic flash in the pan while Rome burns news story. I know every little bit helps, but I want some real accountability NOW from the FCC!

COMMENT #12 [Permalink]

... steve talbert said on 1/19/2008 @ 1:55 pm PT...





this is probably a good thing that it happened with a GOP election. They will be p*ssed off and complain about it and the state will pay attention. As to whether they will pay attention to see what they should oo based on who is doing well in Nov is another story.

COMMENT #13 [Permalink]

... Mark A. Adams JD/MBA said on 1/19/2008 @ 1:58 pm PT...





Did you miss the really big news that came out about South Carolina last week? It was mentioned on the Voice of the Voters radio show. You know, that news that could end secret vote counting in America if some Presidential candidate wanted to take action to enforce the fundamental right to know that our votes are counted. See, Scoop – Top Scoop January 19, 2008 - Appeal to Edwards - Take a Stand for Voting Rights by Michael Collins

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0801/S00151.htm Read the top story published on OpEdNews.com on January 17, 2008 - An Open Letter to Senator John Edwards: The Constitution Prohibits Secret Vote Counting! Will You Take Action?

http://www.opednews.com/...an_open_letter_to_se.htm Read the top story published on OpEdNews.com on January 17, 2008 - South Carolina Elections Are UNCONSTITUTIONAL!?!

http://www.opednews.com/...south_carolina_elect.htm Briefly: Article II, § 1 of the Constitution of South Carolina states, “the ballots shall not be counted in secret.” Computers count inside their case, with no oversight, just like they are told to do, unless of course, they malfunction or are hacked. Computers count votes in secret. No one can see a computer count, and therefore, using computers to count votes in secret violates South Carolina’s Constitution! This is the election integrity jackpot, a Constitutional provision prohibiting counting votes in secret! No more need to refer to case law, evidence, or logic to argue against secret vote counting, at least in South Carolina. Senator Edwards, you have courageously spoken out against touch screen voting. Will you take action to require South Carolina to follow the law? How about another Presidential candidate? Please help us make sure that the votes are counted accurately. GO TO http://www.votecount2008.org/ and JOIN NOW!

COMMENT #14 [Permalink]

... Joyce McCloy said on 1/19/2008 @ 2:31 pm PT...





nice reporting, John. Lets hope this is a catalyst for SC ditching the touch screen machines.

COMMENT #15 [Permalink]

... liz said on 1/19/2008 @ 2:59 pm PT...





I voted today in Columbia SC on one of these Ivotronic machines. They are terribly confusing. I am not sure if I cast my vote or not. There was no way to assure me.

The screen makes you confirm your choice but after you press vote, you get NO CONFIRMATION>

BAD MACHINES> POORLY SPENT MONEY

COMMENT #16 [Permalink]

... Bob In Pacifica said on 1/19/2008 @ 4:03 pm PT...





Well, the same crappy machines will be used in South Carolina next Saturday when the Dems vote. I hope they have enough paper in Horry County.

COMMENT #17 [Permalink]

... fite4it said on 1/19/2008 @ 4:14 pm PT...





The fact that cnn is reporting it makes me wary !!!

COMMENT #18 [Permalink]

... John Y said on 1/19/2008 @ 5:42 pm PT...





This has more to do with NH than SC, so I hope it is appropriate enough to put it here. This is from the Book VOTESCAM, which you can read parts of online. I was thinking about the "secure" ballots in NH.

"A woman in her sixties examined a security box brought in by a precinct captain. 'Your seal is broken,' she said. 'Yes, I know,'the precinct captain replied. Ken focused on the male clerk who had brought the seals in the paper sack. 'What are the extra seals for?' Ken asked. 'These?' 'Yes. Those.' 'Oh, they're just in case any come in broken or something.'He shuffled them lightly about with his fingers." Most of the book is about purported vote scams in the computer age - starting around 1972.

http://www.constitution.org/vote/votescam08.htm

COMMENT #19 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 6:35 pm PT...





Exactly John Y, I'm a judge of elections and all our memory cards are "protected" by is a dealy wop plastic tie thingy, as if I couldn't have my own!

COMMENT #20 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 6:42 pm PT...





And the god damn things sit over night(s) at a place with acess to by a number of people!!!!!

COMMENT #21 [Permalink]

... Dredd said on 1/19/2008 @ 6:56 pm PT...





"we are just solid from a different point of view"

COMMENT #22 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 6:59 pm PT...





Ya know, I went down to the evoting hearing in dc a couple of years ago and saw Professor Felton flip the vote in under 30 seconds with my own two eyes! I say the new Holt bill should be madatory not a choice and STRICT chain of custody should be added also. Then make the networks report the true status of vote counting in this country. Lets see how us dumb americans act then!

COMMENT #23 [Permalink]

... Ancient said on 1/19/2008 @ 7:03 pm PT...





Thanks Dredd, jus checking.

COMMENT #24 [Permalink]

... BillORightsMan said on 1/19/2008 @ 10:05 pm PT...





HAVA NICE DAY! While the crooks who cooked up HAVA (Bob Ney & Jack Abramoff) are sitting in jail, their work for the "permanent republican majority" is rippling throughout the country! Every time something like this is reported in the corporopress, it is dismissed as a "glitch", a rarity, a non-event that "a few voters" were affected. I never thought I'd hear about voting machine sleep-overs again after the fiasco in the Bilbray-Busby district, but here it is again! And voters casting votes on "scraps of paper"? What, did they think that those would count? That they were "provisional" ballots? I agree with Steve Talbert @#12 "this is probably a good thing that it happened with a GOP election" because it should open some eyes on the Right to just how bad these machines are and therefore how fragile our hold is on our democratic republic. John Gideon aptly points out (worth repeating here) "Also in question is whether memory cards will be saved between the two primaries, as per federal law." Will the "memory" cards be "initialized" again for the Dem primary, with a bunch of GOP tallies still on them? Or are they using separate "memory" cards? PAPER PEN AND PEOPLE! imbillorightsmanandiapprovethismesage (thanks everybody for the hard work!)

COMMENT #25 [Permalink]

... Linda said on 1/19/2008 @ 10:15 pm PT...





If what was done to those WH e-mails that undoubtedly would have implicated Rove, Cheney et al in Plamegate and in the U.S. attorney firings is any indication of what is happening/has happened/will happen to this election's memory cards ... well, you can just kiss those little pieces of technology good-bye.

COMMENT #26 [Permalink]

... Liberty Belle said on 1/20/2008 @ 12:13 am PT...





Glad to hear they're allowing voters to create their own ballots from paper on hand. I'd rather vote on toilet paper than anything counted on an electronic voting machine!

COMMENT #27 [Permalink]

... molly said on 1/20/2008 @ 4:43 am PT...





Bet those S.C. Republicans are scrappy!

COMMENT #28 [Permalink]

... randy said on 1/20/2008 @ 6:23 am PT...





Were there any exit polls done? Did they match the results?

COMMENT #29 [Permalink]

... Doug Dingus said on 1/20/2008 @ 8:50 am PT...





"Every time something like this is reported in the corporopress, it is dismissed as a "glitch", a rarity, a non-event that "a few voters" were affected." This is why the stories should be challenged! When fluff stuff like that is published, particularly online, mailing the author / producer, with simple questions like, "If this is just a glitch, why did California de-certify those same machines in use in South Carolina?" "Cite your source for facts that show these machines are operating in a manner that is trustworthy, and in line with state law." "Did you know it is not legal in South Carolina for the votes to be counted in secret?" (see comment above for that source) Ask a direct question, professionaly, and when the answer is given (if it's given), you have a one shot conversation --a chance for advocacy. The conversation has moved to the point where "bad voting machines" can now be reported. This is a good thing, and needs to be leveraged.

COMMENT #30 [Permalink]

... Phil said on 1/20/2008 @ 10:40 am PT...





COMMENT #4 Zeke O\'Brien said on 1/19/2008 @ 11:39 am PT... Great that the mainstream media is finally reporting this stuff. I ain't heard nothing about this on the west coast. CNN, is not broadcast out here, satellite or cable only. Corporate media, is not covering any EVM problems. Voters/Citizens still don't know there's any problem, we hear a bunch of "feel good" speech segments/rolls by the "top candidates."

No worthy substance, or relevance. They press upon the public this is important, yet fail to realize the importance of electronic vote tabulation device failures themselves. Corporate media gets a grade of F. e.g. FAILED. * "top candidates" means the top candidates defined by the "corporate media"

* "corporate media" should replace mainstream media

COMMENT #31 [Permalink]

... McGarth said on 1/20/2008 @ 10:45 am PT...





Look the stage has been set,Clinton will somehow win with the help of the machines & the "Establishment" & we will see no change in this country.The only way for the progressive movement to come forth atop is for the Repukes to again have the prezidency & keep running our country it into the Dump like it's going.Once the vile of the citizenry is awaken then & only then can the progressive agenda come atop once more.HClinton will certainly not bring it forth.But what is shocking is to see poor folks who have had their jobs out-sourced & the women whose families have been squeezed by the outsourcing lining up to support the Clintons.It's exactly why we are going under.

COMMENT #32 [Permalink]

... KG Ellliott said on 1/21/2008 @ 4:57 pm PT...





".... Horry County South Carolina's ES&S touch-screen voting machines are in a near total meltdown." Excuse me ! They didn't finish turning the machines on !!! And yet here comes the black helicopters. They didn't push the reset button. It's in the manual. In fact it's likely on a label on the bloody machine. Everyone is so spooked about this that we forget that the best, easiest way to steel a vote count is to re-count paper ballots.

COMMENT #33 [Permalink]

... Joe Spenner said on 1/21/2008 @ 6:36 pm PT...





Paper ballots are the only honest method for casting honorable votes. COMPUTER VOTING IS WORSE THAN SENDING BLANK CHECKS THROUGH THE MAIL! How many more electronic fiascos are needed to give a thumbs down on computers, after all the facts they have so often faked our sacred votes?

COMMENT #34 [Permalink]

... BOB YOUNG said on 1/22/2008 @ 4:48 am PT...

