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| 5-2-06: Is the 2006 election train st... |
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| Author |
Message |
    
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 4424
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 5 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 5:19 pm: | 
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Casualties to date:
Summit County, Ohio: Last minute memory card replacements. 10 memory cards on machines were replaced first thing in the morning before or just as voting began, said Summit County Board of Elections Director Bryan Williams. (Citizens: documentation for all replacement memory cards can be found on the poll tape and the "memory card status report" audit log, available via public records requests.)
Ft. Wayne, Indiana - Microvote machines missing Tinker; the MicroVote machines were missing Vincent L. Tinker's name. Officials said that didn't affect the results, because there were 22 openings and 22 candidates. Tinker’s name appeared on ballots for the older machines, they said. (Citizens: Capture this kind of thing on cell phone photo so you will have proof. Next time it might "matter.")
Moore County, NC: batteries installed in the ES&S M100 electronic counting machines failed on the first try. The batteries had been tested earlier and were working just fine, but failed when the equipment was plugged in for the 6:30 a.m. start, she said. (Audio recording would have documented this incident more completely.)
Midland, MI - There were zero votes cast at Longview Elementary School during today's countywide school board election. It is City of Midland precinct 13-2 and has 1,006 registered voters. "I don't remember when there's been none, absolutely none." said Karen Holcomb, Midland County clerk.
Ohio: Ken Blackwell takes the GOP nomination for governor. Link at bottom.
Alameda County (Calif.) Elections Registrar resigns. She's going to run the Marin County June 6 election. (But what about Alameda?)
Knoxville Tennesee - The Knox County Election Commission has announced that they may not post any election results tonight. Technical difficulties with the electronic voting machines are preventing tabulation of the votes. The county IT Department is working on the problem, a spokesperson says the problem could take minutes or hours to correct. Members of the commission and volunteers are continuing to count the paper ballots. (Good thing they have them, and don't you wish a cell phone camera was capturing the importance of these ballots?)
Ohio: Some counties released results despite the order to hold off until Cuyahoga County's results were in. Ohio officials refused to release election results late Tuesday based on a judge's decision to keep a Cleveland polling place open late because it had not opened on time. Blackwell told local election boards they could count ballots but ordered them not to release results until all polls closed. (link at bottom)
Jackson County Indiana - election officials continue to await the fix of a software glitch that has slowed the tallying of election results tonight. Only 6 precincts have been counted. (Wouldn't it be great to have a recording of this?)
Clark County Indiana: "Results will take hours and hours and hours" "the worst scenario you can imagine" Results are being read to a woman who is manually typing them in. Computers are having trouble reading results brought in from voting machines. (more details below) Next time: Get evidence - this would have been a good one to get on video
- Counting difficulties in North Carolina: Henderson County election officials report difficulty with results. New ES&S machines are causing problems for workers who are trying to get totals. (We'd all know a lot more if these conversations had been captured with a pocket audio recorder).
- Diebold CEO Tom Swidarski huddles with angry election officials. Michael Vu (Cuyahoga County election supervisor) steaming mad. (Great opportunity for a cell phone photo, right?)
- Senior citizen punches out Ohio voting machine. TSx succumbs to TKO. Photos below. (Aren't you glad there's a photo? )
- Ward 19 has irate citizen -- booth official gave him Democrat ballot and reportedly went ahead and cast the ballot. He wanted a Republican one. He filed a police report. (If he'd brought a pocket recorder, he'd have the proof he needs.)
- 17,000 absentee ballots to be counted by hand at midnight in Cleveland. (It's not midnight yet. Don't forget to bring pocket audio recorder and camera.)
TKO of Diebold TSx
- Voters in Cumberland County NC loved the ES&S touch-screens. Well, four of them did. As of 2:00, pretty much everybody else decided to take a pass on trying the touch-screen. (Don't you wish a pocket voice recorder had captured people turning down the touch-screen sales pitches?).
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article?id=232158
- Marion County Indiana car stolen. Unfortunately the ballots were inside. (Minor glitch, poll opened late.) Another minor glitch: Some voters voted twice on school board race.
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=4848362&nav=menu188_2
- Ohio: Brook Park Rec Center had problems with Diebold TSx printers. Toilet paper roll hanging out of the printer, causing delays in poll opening. (The Diebold machines were spewing a paper trail several feet long -- what a great cell phone shot that would have been!).
- Ohio: Lack of three-pronged adaptors closes polling site for hours - Only had sockets for 2-prong plugs, couldn't open polling place until 1:30 p.m. -- Polling place stays open until 9:30. http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51671
In at least two Ohio counties, there were reports of people leaving without voting when poll workers did not have machines operating as precincts opened. Poll workers at a neighborhood center in Cleveland did not show up for the scheduled 6:30 a.m. opening, said Cheryl Ellis, a community outreach manager for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. (Because this was reported promptly, there was time to get it in front of a judge and hold the polls open).
http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=25334
Summit County, Ohio: "John Daley of Cuyahoga Falls said poll workers wrestling with new equipment told people to come back later. 'They said you can’t vote yet because we don't know how to get these machines on,' he said. A handful of people left, but he persisted and voted." (Wish they'd documented this with an audio recorder!). http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=25334
Mahoning County, Ohio: Perplexed voter uses pen to write in his vote on the touch-screen. (The ensuing confusion would have been fun to capture on audio). http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=25334
Rochester Indiana: In northern Indiana, automatic tallying machines in Rochester would either not accept ballots or only intermittently. (Imagine the detail that would have been captured with a pocket audio recorder) http://www.wcpo.com/news/2006/local/05/02/in_elections_eve.html
Citizens: Get a $39 pocket audio recorder at Radio Shack. These come with a clip. Polls are a public place. Clip recorder on your purse, belt, pocket. Switch it on and leave it on -- while you vote, if you are a poll watcher.
The great American Evidence Hunt
Tell your circle of influence: When you go vote, clip on an audio recorder. Never know what you're gonna get!
Alabama - Primary, June 6
Alaska - Primary, Aug. 22
Arizona - Primary Sept. 12
Arkansas - Primary May 23
California - Primary June 6
Colorado - Primary Aug. 8
Connecticut - Primary Aug. 8
Delaware - Primary Sept. 12
District Of Columbia - Primary Sept. 12
Florida - Primary Sept. 5
Georgia - Primary July 18
Hawaii - Primary Sept. 23
Idaho - Primary May 23
Illinois - General election Nov. 7
Indiana - Primary today, May 2
Iowa - Primary June 6
Kansas - Primary Aug. 1
Kentucky - Primary May 16
Louisiana - General Nov. 7
Maine - Primary June 13
Massachusetts - Primary Sept. 19
Maryland - Primary Sept. 12
Michigan - Primary Aug. 8
Minnesota - Primary Sept. 12
Mississippi - Primary June 6
Missouri - Primary Aug. 8
Montana - Primary June 6
Nebraska - Primary May 9
Nevada - Primary Aug. 15
New Hampshire - Primary Sept. 12
New Jersey - Primary June 6
New Mexico - Primary June 6
New York - Primary Sept. 12
North Carolinia - Primary May 2
North Dakota - Primary June 13
Oregon - Primary May 16
Ohio - Primary May 2
Pennsylvania - Primary May 16
Rhode Island - Primary Sept. 12
South Carolina - Primary June 13
South Dakota - Primary June 6
Tennessee - Primary Aug. 3
Texas - General Nov. 7
Utah - Primary June 27
Vermont - Primary Sept. 12
Virginia - Primary June 13
West Virginia - Primary May 9
Washington - Primary Sept. 19
Wisconsin - Primary Sept. 12
Wyoming - Primary Aug. 22
Record it. Document it. Or you'll regret it.
Jackson County Indiana software defect: http://www.tribtown.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=186&ArticleID=18845&TM=77981.73
More on Clark County Indiana: "The official results are going to take hours and hours," said Keith Groth, Clark County clerk. "The system is rejecting the packs and the information therein, which is the vote totals.This is the worst scenario that you can experience." http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/NEWS02/60502035
Links: Counting difficulties in NC: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/NEWS01/60502051/1188
Some counties released results early
http://www.forbes.com/technology/feeds/ap/2006/05/02/ap2716024.html
Knoxville's tabulator boxed in http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4851438
Alameda County's Elaine Ginnold resigns: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/14483963.htm
Blackwell takes it: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1916338
Zero votes: http://www.ourmidland.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16573818&BRD=2289&PAG=461&dept_id=472542&rfi=6
Moore County NC: http://www.thepilot.com/news/050306voters.html
PERMISSION TO REPRINT GRANTED, WITH LINK TO http://www.blackboxvoting.org
Microvote machines missing Tinker: (No link) Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette, "Election Day calm as voters comply with photo ID rule " May 3 2006.
Summit County Ohio memory cards: (no link) Pre-election testing of the memory cards was dismal, and both Democratic and Republican leaders expressed severe reservations. But last-minute scrambling brought not only back-up cards that passed practice runs but back-up cards for the back-up cards. Williams said he was concerned that some memory cards might fail. When the cards did not fail, he said he wasn't surprised at how smoothly the election went. Beacon-Journal, May 3 2006: "Optical-scan grades high, director says "
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William Brandes
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Williambrandes
Post Number: 17
Registered: 12-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 7:48 pm: |
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Another possibility for you folks with cell phones. If you have server access can even save the files to your own directory. Skinny? Crate an account (FREE) with - www.gcast.com - and you can make audio reports with your cell phone (toll free call) as an MP3 podcast. I do it here - www.oneblindguy.com - William |
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 4427
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 8:05 pm: |
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Right on, William! And if you bring a laptop while watching the vote-counting at night, you can upload digital photos to it and get them online immediately. |
William Brandes
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Williambrandes
Post Number: 18
Registered: 12-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 8:28 pm: |
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I will post more on my blog. But, here in Knox county, Ohio one precinct did not open on time because the printer malfunctioned and it took a technician 45 minutes to get it running (note - poll workers, bless them, arrive one hour before the polls open, 5:30am. I'm sure there were a few that would have skinned that tech if able). A freaking printer! I guess it pays to buy HP/grin. Well, by now you know my take on all of this. Get rid of these plug-in appliances.
Side-note: Ballot had room for a write-in, so, as a lark typed in my name. Won't count. Or, will it? We'll see. William |
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 4428
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 8:48 pm: |
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Good job, William. By the way, they don't count the write-ins unless it will make a difference. But a write-in won -- apparently it helps to write a guys name on a touch-screen in pen? (That's the guy who won). |
William Brandes
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Williambrandes
Post Number: 19
Registered: 12-2005
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 10:05 pm: |
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Here are the direct video links to election stories on WKYC - http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=22642&sid=51671&bw=hi [Lack of three-pronged adaptors closes polling site for hours]. Link will open to video and rest of stories. What a mess. Kill the machines! Note in one story that an official speaks to the need of hand counting as going backwards. LOL - I consider it going forward. William |
William Brandes
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Williambrandes
Post Number: 20
Registered: 12-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 10:14 pm: |
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By the way, is it "Dee" bold or "Die" bold. I hear both. No pun intended. William |
Kathleen Wynne
Moderator
Username: Admin_ii
Post Number: 272
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 6:56 am: |
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William,
It's "Dee"bold, but with the problems they've been having lately, it will soon be "Die"bold.
I wish I could understand why, despite all the many, many, many problems we are still experiencing with these machines, election officials still think hand counting is too much trouble.
One reason might be is to them "citizen oversight" translates into "quality control" and no one likes it at first. In any job, newly enforced quality control measures always causes people to grumble and complain. Later, they find it actually makes their jobs easier. Citizens need to find ways to show election officials that citizen oversight would make their jobs easier in the long run. That we, not the vendors, are their real allies in heldping them administer an honest election that everyone would have confidence in. More importantly, they need to learn to embrace such an idea because it's our civil right!
Kathleen
(Message edited by admin_ii on May 03, 2006)
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
TRIPLE PROTECTION FOR ELECTION 2006 - STARTING NOW:
(1) Use Freedom of Information, public records requests ("All American Paper Chase")
(2) Try Dumpster Diving for Democracy
(3) Candid America Project - Don't leave home without your camcorder
HOW TO DO IT: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/6.html
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V. Kurt Bellman
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Formerelecdir
Post Number: 157
Registered: 04-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 7:46 am: |
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Kathleen,
Yes, it is our civil right. The reason many E.D.'s don't like hand counting of ballots is that they are convinced, rightly or wrongly, that they will be unable to recruit enough people to do it. This much is certain, it may need DIFFERENT folks from those who are enjoying doing precinct election work WITHOUT hand counting. Any time hand counting even a few dozen absentee ballots comes up, you should hear the poll worker grumbling! We probably need a whole new "breed of cat" to do poll worker jobs, if that's the case.
Have you taken a position on "drafting them", similar to jury duty? I think it might take that kind of effort.
To answer the thread question: train is on the tracks, but another train is approaching, head on. Bradblog fellow is correct. This MAY keep getting worse. |
Linda Franz
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Linda_franz
Post Number: 286
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 8:10 am: |
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I've always thought, in the areas that have colleges and universities, that what better experience for the political science classes than to get some work credit for working elections- poll workers, ballot counters, ....
Ditto classes that are supposed to prepare you for public administration.
And how about some high school, at least seniors, getting involved through their history classes and that kind of thing?
Sure, it involves people administration- but hopefully it serves a couple purposes. Gets people involved at a young age, gives them experience, and gives them a stake in the election process.
Spend the money educating the next generation instead of on machines that break down, can't be audited, have to have special storage year round, need continual upgrades, have to hire techs.... |
V. Kurt Bellman
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Formerelecdir
Post Number: 159
Registered: 04-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 8:33 am: |
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Linda,
That is a really good idea, and SOME of that is being done. The one problem that kept cropping up in colleges in my area is that our primaries are usually right around spring final exams, and the November election date falls near autumn mid-terms. At least that's the excuse I was given. But you're right. Colleges should probably make this quasi-required for some majors.
BTW, in a rare fit of forward thinking, the PA legislature has allowed 17-year-old high school students with "exemplary academic records" to serve as poll workers, with the approval of the high school principal. This experience creates lifetime voters, in my opinion. |
Jim March
Moderator
Username: Jimmarch
Post Number: 157
Registered: 01-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 10:39 am: |
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Live Free, Die Bold.
---------
William: QCast looks like a good idea BUT I don't trust cellphone microphones to do a very good job. They can't pull in sound at a distance, by design.
I just finished a brief "Activist's guide to personal audio and video recorders":
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/73/73.html?1146677763
If you already have a digital tape recorder of some sort I've got instructions there on how to hook it to a PC (Radio Shack cable/adapter part numbers) plus downloadable recorder software. But a much better bet is to get a digital record that has direct-to-PC file transfer capabilities.
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
TRIPLE PROTECTION FOR ELECTION 2006 - STARTING NOW:
(1) Use Freedom of Information, public records requests ("All American Paper Chase")
(2) Try Dumpster Diving for Democracy
(3) Candid America Project - Don't leave home without your camcorder
HOW TO DO IT: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/6.html
|
Ron Crane
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Ron_crane
Post Number: 142
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 5:53 pm: |
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quote:Ft. Wayne, Indiana - Microvote machines missing Tinker; the MicroVote machines were missing Vincent L. Tinker's name....
Ah yes, I vaguely remember writing about the possibility of presentation frauds. Vaguely. And maybe only a few times. ;-) |
Bev Harris
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 4441
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 11:39 am: |
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Officials: Machines Not To Blame For Problems At Polls
As explained by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and Diebold, the problem wasn't the machines, it was the fact that technicians couldn't get there to fix the machines fast enough.
[Whuuuut?]
"Some precincts have more machines on the blink that those that were working. This was due in part to dozens of Election Day technicians, or EDTs, not showing up on Tuesday. The EDTs are volunteers trained to fix any problems with the electronic Diebold voting machines.
[Whuuuut? Volunteers trained to fix machines? This is security? Who are these volunteers? What background checks have been done on them?]
"The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and Diebold said the technicians could have prevented the meltdown at several greater Cleveland polling places."
In addition, the machines couldn't read the absentee ballots. Not the machines' fault, say Diebold officials, it's the ballot's fault.
[But wait -- time for the citizenry to get the evidence: Public records time!]
- Was there an L&A test?
- How did ballots that can't be read pass the L&A test?
- Who printed the ballots?
- Who trained and offered technical assistance to the person person who defines the ballots?
-- Would this be Diebold?
-- Michael Vu?
-- Who?
"Vu said he was not surprised that there were some glitches with the new electronic voting system, but he was more disappointed with the absentee-counting problems."
[Actually, citizens say Vu was red-faced and angry and called the Diebold CEO, Tom Swidarski, on the carpet for this failure.]
"Diebold officials said it had 23,000 electronic voting machines being used across Ohio on Tuesday, and the only problems reported were in a handful of precincts in Cuyahoga County."
[We'll see.]
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/9153634/detail.html
More election day issues: Citizens, when you go to vote, put a $39 pocket audio recorder in your pocket or purse. Turn it to "record" when you arrive and then just ignore it -- if things happen, you'll have the evidence. And evidence is the most effective way to fight back.
Citizen's guide to audio and video tools:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/73/27587.html
See this link for more reports:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/1954/27580.html
Like this: Diebold TSx touchscreen gets a whuppin' by a flustered senior citizen: Hit link above for photo.
permission to reprint granted, with link to http://www.blackboxvoting.org |
Russell Novkov
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Rnovkov
Post Number: 46
Registered: 02-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 8:58 pm: |
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We need to have trained paid technicians not volunteers, we need technicians who is able to be there on time, if they cant do their job fire them and hire replacements, somebody who knows what they are doing. |
V. Kurt Bellman
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Formerelecdir
Post Number: 164
Registered: 04-2006
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 7:51 am: |
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Russell and Bev,
This is the next new scandal. This is NOT a new issue to me, though. This was discussed openly as long ago as summer of 2002, just before HAVA was passed. Doug Lewis of the Election Center addressed our convention (by the way, he knew almost everything that was going to be in HAVA) and warned us about this very problem.
He knew that the counties were going to rely on the vendors to provide all the technical help, and he knew the vendors would expect the counties to cover that themselves, either through contractors or hiring new people.
In short, WE WERE WARNED. I doubt Doug Lewis only warned Pennsylvania.
I vividly remember Doug Lewis' big ol' voice booming over the audio in a huge hotel ballroom, and all the vendor reps lined up along one wall. He said, "Look at 'em, folks. They're standing over there looking very uncomfortable, 'cuz they know I'm right."
Well, ol' Doug was right. Everyone's trying to do this on the cheap, and it's biting everyone right on the backside.
There is simply no excuse, and the only reason is that if the "total cost of ownership" of DRE's had been fully disclosed, there would have been a constant parade of local officials in their Congressman's offices seeeking to repeal HAVA. And if they did that, the money gravy train could have dried up. So I believe there was a "conspiracy of silence" to hide the total cost of ownership.
Are you aware that some DRE players only got back into the business AFTER Florida 2000? They could smell the greenbacks that far away.
Kurt |
Adele Eisner
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Eisnera
Post Number: 3
Registered: 01-2006
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 12:42 pm: |
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Participating in a citizens' exit poll, I talked to more than 60 people about the process as they left the polls in the chaos that was Cuyahoga's on May 2.
Though I did not have my recorder running for the most part, got names and phone numbers from most, who also acceeded to a follow-up interview - which will be recorded as necessary.
The following are my general raw notes/often direct quotes from the second polling place I visited, in very educated and interested Cleveland Hts, OH. - The Church of Savior - where only one or two of 12-15 machines were running until about 1pm. (See conflicting statements of reasons below. (I'd believe multiple pollworkers who all confirmed same thing, rather than one BOE worker who wanted to blame the problems on pollworkers.)
Even then, when I returned a bit after 6pm until close at 7:30p, some of the machines had failed again, and were shut down.
I post these raw notes with first names only, and no phone numbers.
_______________________________
Cleveland Hts. 2 G, H, I, J
10:30a – about 1p, then again 6:15p to 7:30p
Doing citizens exit polling outside about the process:
More than 75% of people, including pollworkers, did not know to check the printed ballot – the official ballot - that it was under brown door flap. Door stayed closed. Many people were amazed/appalled/embarrassed to find out it was there from me afterwards, but they did not know it. Many figured it was not there, and were amazed to find - that there was not a printed ballot that came out of machine to be put in ballot box as they had expected.
Some very sighted people among the few who found it, could not read the printed ballot – too small/unclear; insufficient lighting/too small unclear to read. (Amazing since these machines were brought in by HAVA under the excuse of helping the diabled, particularly the blind, vote without assistance.)
Given the many fits and starts at this location, since they did not have most machines running OK until 1 pm, it would be necessary to make sure that votes did not get wiped out or added at each change.
A complete reconciliation with pollbooks needs to be done here.
- that the number of votes (op scan and touchscreen) match the number of signatures in pollbook. But since some voters were sent away with only “error” on screen, no ballot cast, if number of ballots cast does match signatures in pollbooks, it will be a sign of tampering with results at BOE.
A check needs to be looked at – also that all paper trails at each start and end are with memory cards and were signed off at each start and close; that they ran a zero report on each new card.
At one Shaker community center, people had to sign in to building to get into the building, before the polling place!
At Martin Luther Jr. High in morning – a location with mostly Black voters – registered people were being asked to show ID – against the law, until OH HB3 cuts in on June1.
Most polls opened late – 7 or beyond.
About 1/4 of people found summary report on screen very confusing/impossible to check.
More than 1/2 of people talked to were disgusted, frustrated, said no confidence.
Most felt bad for pollworkers. Most pollworkers here also felt bad/overwhelmed.
Some ready to forgive as “first time”. Others said it has to go. Some said thank goodness “only a primary” – which in the end has no “only” about it.
Clarence – 10:15 - Campaign worker
Voted at Martin Luther King Jr. High at 7a
Had to show ID ( drivers license.)!
His name was in the pollbook. Votes in every election. Noticed that most everyone there had to show ID.
10:30a Comments from campaign workers outside in parking lot
Still on optical scan in Church of Savior. Voters are complaining a lot when coming out. Polls began about 7. Late because chaos because machines not working
Noticed that one guy came back because poll was not open at beginning.
People were saying there were lots of breakdowns.
Many said some pollworkers didn’t show up.
Some didn’t feel like standing and waiting. Some used optical scan/voted provisionally. ( Mine- this is a big question here. A few seemed to think that because they voted on optical scan they had to vote provisionally. To check later )
10:35
Campaign worker – Jeff
“A voter who came out at about 7a which was a time when it was taking a very long time to vote, said to me, ‘It’s chaotic in there. I wouldn’t trust it as to security. Call your candidate.’ (meaning Julian Rogers - because I’m here for Julian Rogers.)
Later, at about 8 a voter came out and said, ‘I couldn’t vote for your guy, because I had to vote a Republican ballot, in order to vote against Ken Blackwell. But the big irony is, none of his machines are working.’”
10:45 Spoke to Alvin Mays as he was leaving – who said he is employed by the BOE. He said everything was alright now. That pollworkers thought they didn’t have Supervisor Access Cards ( the “keys” to start the machines)– that’s why they could not start machines. He also said that he brought them (????) He said pollworkers had them all along – that they (all 12???) didn’t know where to look – with a kind of “you know those pollworkers kind of attitude.” (See pollworker comments below.)
Talked to some poll workers on individual breaks later – Each one said they knew where to look – the Supervisor cards were NOT there -until the BOE man brought them.
Mays also said they were doing fine inside. That they had been using optical scan ballots and voting provisionally (!) Don’t know if it was Mays lack of knowledge or if that’s what was happening.
11:15 Anne – Pollworker on break 2G
"Just got access codes. They just brought them in."
She was outside with Wilma another pollworker, who came out after her.
Wilma said disgustedly, "Yes, they just got the access codes and the machines are still not working."
Approx 11:00 am
Man in County van pulled in. Told a campaign worker he needed to put in some “data chips” Carried in a clear plastic bag of memory cards.
License plate – (redacted)
The County (not BOE) man came out. Name – David Hughes ( did not want to talk much)
He said he brought new memory cards. He said he put in 9 new memory cards in 3 precincts. (Were there votes on the old ones? Did they run new zero reports?) Left at approx 11:20
Approx 11:20 am – Mike O’Malley from the PD newspaper left. Had talked to some campaign workers. Said was roused out of bed to cover Church of Savior problems of zero to two machines working.
David Pcinct 2H 11:15a
“Had to vote twice –
Used the card twice
Took it out
“It didn’t take”
Don’t know of any printed ballot
Didn’t hear it printing
At end it said “error” both times
They said “he’s done”
So I left
Karen – 11:15a
"It was fine
Touchscreen was fine"
Printed record – Heard printing
Was expecting to get a ballot to put in ballot box
Workers said don’t get printed copy
Didn’t know to look under flap to even see it.
Mr and Mrs. M P 11:25a
"I hate it."
"Coding card for right party didn’t work right twice."
Too many things going on – they were still trying to fix a couple of other machines
Liked the way screen could be adjusted to sit down.
They have streams of paper all over on the floor. (!)
They’re still removing rolls of paper. (?)
Neither knew they could see a printed paper ballot.
11:17 Abbie –
It was strange. I didn’t think I’d be voting in those giant bubbles. (optical scan ballot)
11:20 Ruth – – 2J
It was fine. They showed me. Touchscreen was fine. I was a lucky one. I had one touchscreen that was working. ( Mine – Don’t know if this was the only machine working. So much for "no one" at the site knowing where to find the access cards in the black notebook….)
“The classes for pollworkers need to be more than one day.”
She had gone to library to observe a BOE training over weekend. There were pollworkers there at the refresher course who had not been to a class before. She saw the class. It needs to be more than one day. Lots of things to learn. Not broken down clearly. Not practiced. For something that these people don’t normally do, don’t get to practice before starting.
Approx 12 noon
Charles
It was very slow. The machine didn’t work at first.
The individual card (voter access) didn’t work at first. It had the incorrect information on it.
Re: printed ballot
Didn’t have or know there was a paper trail. Didn’t know there was a door to open.
“The whole thing was much more complicated than I expected.
After all these are the ATM people.”
Elizabeth – Precinct 2G
It was very easy. Appreciated the large print on screen. Gentleman pointed out what to do. Better than punch card. Punch card you can’t change.
(Left at about 1pm when it got very slow, and it seemed machines were running.)
Then after about 6 pm - at Church of Savior/ Cleveland Hts.
Approx 6:10p - Phyllis 2G
40 minute wait
2 machines were not working again.
They were short on voter access cards. Kept asking each other – do you have a voter access card. ( someones must have walked off with them)
6:15p - Debra
Campaign worker in lot
Voted at Community Center at Lee and Chagrin in Shaker Hts - at about 7 am. Had a horrible experience.
Just to get in to the polling room, she needed to sign in at front desk of bldg. and get a “visitor tag” for the building.(!)
This was the second year they didn’t open on time – not until about 7 am.
Everyone was waiting and wondering what was going on. No one knew what was going on.
Had an elderly resident from her assisted living home with her. Told poll worker to let the woman wait with her because she would have to help the woman when she voted. The poll worker took the woman to another machine and started her which caused great confusion. “Terrible listening skills”
They almost left it was so confused.
Approx. 6:30 pm
Sam
Long wait. About 30 minutes. Wife came in morning, said to wait until evening.Chaos..
“I have no confidence in this whatsoever”
Has friend who tried voting at Coventry Elementary School at 7:30a “who could not vote at all.”
7 pm
Simon
It’s ridiculous that we don’t get a paper ballot to check and put in a ballot box.
7:05 pm
No Name given
The summary at end was very confusing. It pushed everything together. Very confusing. Couldn’t really check.
Re: printed ballot
I need to assume that it was OK
I could not really see it to read it. It needs to be much larger and clearer.
7:15pm
No name given
Voted. No problems. Paper record matched.
7:15 pm
No name given
Voted. No problem. Paper record matched. Said much easier than previous way.
7:15 pm
Mike
Voted. No real problem. But didn’t like the summary review – the split column. Very confusing. In order to check in order of voting, had to page down 4 pages all the way to end of first column, then back up to top of second column, then page down again. Very confusing. It needs to be just one column.
Re: printed ballot – didn’t know there was a door to open to see it.
_____________________________________
Also BOE needs to do a serious study to obtain decent voting sites, with access, sufficient electricity, and with sufficient parking.
4PM-4:30pm Fulton Avenue Library
The small parking lot was completely full. No cars moved in the 1/2 hour I was there.
It was raining, and the only parking was about 1 block away on the street.
Noted 6 cars pulling into lot, people looking around, then leaving. ( Don’t know how many were voters or library patrons. 2 however, were there to vote for sure – they said so and took literature while still pulling in.)
No voters went in, and no voters came out in the half hour.
Campaign workers in lot said that by 4 pm only 35 voters had voted there.
5:10 PM-5:45 PM
Everlasting Evangelical Church - Eddy Rd.& St.Clair
No parking lot at all. Campaign workers standing on sidewalk, with building only that sidewalk-width away from street. Other groups of men, besides campaign workers, standing around same area in front of building, apparently waiting for hot meal or similar. Many walking by with daily shopping; some walking by, obviously spaced out on something.
Dingy little entrance to polling site.One person walked in. 2 people left in the half hour I was there. Don’t know if they were voters or not. No one would lift eyes, let alone speak to me.
Stood with Freddie Moore, a candidate in that district.
He stated that that polling location they had trouble getting machines going. They were up at about 7:30 am. Three precincts – Q,J and F
Oddly there is a large, fairly new and clean looking county building across the street – with a huge parking lot, and oddly there is another small designated polling site less than a block away. |
Adele Eisner
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Eisnera
Post Number: 4
Registered: 01-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 1:11 pm: |
|
A few notes from early morning at exit-quesitoning in Cuyahoga County - at a polling site with mostly elderly voters. Names and phone numbers not given.
Here talked to almost 60 people.
- More than 85% here did not know there was a printed ballot to check. Flap doors here remained closed.
- Not enough electric cords sent from BOE. Could not put up at least one machine.
- Election Day Technician did not show up. Pollworkers upset/angry overwhelmed by 7a. Were told the EDT would take care of threading the paper. They didn't know how.
Poll did not open until about 7:10am - until they and one student volunteer pollworker got machines up and going.
-At about 8 am one woman walked out and told of watching 3 machines go blank, as one person was trying to cast ballot.
- Later those people walked out upset.Not sure if they cast ballot or not, but were told they had ( though their screens were still blank!)
- For the next hour voters reported waits of 20-30 minutes.
- One man came out screaming angry - about non-private vote. Need the poll workers to show what to do, and they hang around see everything you're doing! Hate it!
- "Everyone can see what you're doing" some said.
- One woman apparently in late 70's came out looking confused and sad. Said she voted.Pollworkers nice and helped her. Such confusion! Said she has voted in every election. Has always liked coming to the polls. But now - maybe an absentee ballot next time. Not this again!
Early,around 7:20a, a man who identified from BOE, named Joe, was on phone in parking lot. Walked in, came out a few minutes later. Back on phone and left. His presence seemed to affect no change at all before I left at about 9:40a.
General confusion among people exiting with a little less than 10% of the people interviewed thinking that this was a good step/ an improvement. About 20% made comments about how we can't trust elections anyway. |
Catherine Ansbro
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Catherine_a
Post Number: 2345
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 1:27 pm: |
|
What a remarkable report, Adele. This is great work. The chaos is palpable, as is the frustration and the disappointment and the widespread problems of various kinds. I would have loved to get some of those County and BOE folks on audio tape.
These excerpts were some of my "favorites":
Approx 11:00 am
Man in County van pulled in. Told a campaign worker he needed to put in some “data chips” Carried in a clear plastic bag of memory cards.
License plate – (redacted)
The County (not BOE) man came out. Name – David Hughes ( did not want to talk much)
He said he brought new memory cards. He said he put in 9 new memory cards in 3 precincts. (Were there votes on the old ones? Did they run new zero reports?) Left at approx 11:20
------------------------------------
David Pcinct 2H 11:15a
“Had to vote twice –
Used the card twice
Took it out
“It didn’t take”
Don’t know of any printed ballot
Didn’t hear it printing
At end it said “error” both times
They said “he’s done”
So I left
-----------------------------
Mr and Mrs. M P 11:25a
. . . They have streams of paper all over on the floor. (!)
They’re still removing rolls of paper. (?)
. . .
------------------------------
Approx 6:10p - Phyllis 2G
. . . They were short on voter access cards. Kept asking each other – do you have a voter access card. ( someones must have walked off with them) |
Linda McGlaughlin
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Mennowoman
Post Number: 4
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 6:54 am: |
|
Spoke with other precinct workers yesterday--our PA primary is next Tuesday. Will be using E S & S machines, which need "card" (I'm assuming voter access cards) and other workers who attended a Grassroots meeting were told that if ran out of cards, some would be "reprogrammed". Is this legal?? What happens to votes on the reprogrammed cards?
So unnecessarily scary--paper ballots would be so much easier and self-explanatory!!! Will be handing out information only in Primary, but will wear tape recorder for my own forray into the electronic voting venue and see if I can catch anything happening.
linda |
Kathleen Wynne
Moderator
Username: Admin_ii
Post Number: 302
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 7:42 am: |
|
Linda,
quote:if ran out of cards, some would be "reprogrammed". Is this legal?? What happens to votes on the reprogrammed cards?
You are correct in being concerned. You could ask your election official what are the procedures regarding the use of memory cards during a real election, specifically, what they are should they run out and are reprogrammed and how they make the transition without disturbing the votes on the previous card. By law, in Ohio, procedures followed by poll workers must be in writing and I bet it's the same in PA. So, I would get a copy of those procedures ASAP.
I'm not the "techie" here at BBV; however, I will check with Jim when I get in the office and ask for his technical view regarding reprogramming memory cards and post it here. Although we are not nearly as familiar with the ES&S system as we are with Diebold, I can't imagine that there would that much difference between how the memory cards work in both systems.
Bravo about bringing your tape recorder! But, since PA is a two-party consent state, this means you must do your recording in a public setting and it is best to make the recorder visible, though it can be quite small and discreetly placed.
Will be back soon.
Kathleen
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
TRIPLE PROTECTION FOR ELECTION 2006 - STARTING NOW:
(1) Use Freedom of Information, public records requests ("All American Paper Chase")
(2) Try Dumpster Diving for Democracy
(3) Candid America Project - Don't leave home without your camcorder
HOW TO DO IT: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/6.html
|
V. Kurt Bellman
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Formerelecdir
Post Number: 242
Registered: 04-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 8:26 am: |
|
Kathleen and Linda,
Be careful. There are more than one kind of "card". There are memory "cards" of the sort that Diebold uses that stay in the machine all day and are used to transmit returns to the courthouse. That's a memory card.
Then there are the voter activation cards, which are a completely different size, and they are inserted into the machine by or for each voter to activate his or her correct ballot. (PA uses a closed primary system.) The cards that they are worried about running out of are these activation cards. They are designed to be reused over and over again, but experience in many states reveals that some voters have been walking out with them. Hence, a possible need to get more of them to a precinct.
Don't mix up your cards. |
Kathleen Wynne
Moderator
Username: Admin_ii
Post Number: 304
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 10:00 am: |
|
Many thanks, Kurt, for clarifying the card issue.
Kathleen
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
TRIPLE PROTECTION FOR ELECTION 2006 - STARTING NOW:
(1) Use Freedom of Information, public records requests ("All American Paper Chase")
(2) Try Dumpster Diving for Democracy
(3) Candid America Project - Don't leave home without your camcorder
HOW TO DO IT: http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/6/6.html
|
William Brandes
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Williambrandes
Post Number: 30
Registered: 12-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 10:06 am: |
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