Computerized Voting Machines

[highnote]

I live in Darien, Connecticut. I voted in an election this month and used a mechanical voting machine. When I left the voting booth the gentleman attending the booth said to me that I should remember this day because it is the last time the town will be using the mechanical machines. He said they were switching to computerized voting machines.

I asked him what was wrong with these machines. He said there was nothing wrong with them and that they have proved very reliable.

In my town they are always complaining about the budget. So if they want to save money then why spend money on something that isn't broken?

Given what I know about computers, I think it would be easy to manipulate.

Has anyone else used computerized voting machines?

[Secretariat]

The people of Ohio.

[highnote]

The people of Ohio.

My kingdom for a straight man. :D

I know there exist people in the population who have used computerized voting machines.

Let me rephrase my question.

Does anyone on this board have experience using a computerized voting machine?

[JustRalph]

The people of Ohio.

yep..........and every one of them was found to be working correctly.


Go on........get it out of your system..........Loser..........

[highnote]

yep..........and every one of them was found to be working correctly.


Go on........get it out of your system..........Loser..........


Thanks.

Now let me rephrase the question again. I am still not quite getting the responses I was hoping for.

If you have used a computerized voting machine, will you please share your experience using the machine and also your general thoughts about that machine?

[DJofSD]

They've been tried in a large number of counties of CA. Some counties like San Diego decertified them.

The major supplier is Diebold. Supposidly they're correcting problems but I've not heard about any new efforts to recertify the newer machines for upcoming elections.

A large amount of distrust has been generated by various interested groups. From insufficent training of poll workers to questions of integrity and lack of proof that what the voter actually indicates as the vote is what is recorded, i.e. a verification after the fact that what was "marked" is what is recorded by the registar, leads people to tell the companies pushing the new devices to 'do better'.

And, to put a point on it, the underlaying software is Windows.

Those of us that do not trust a system of computers to be used without very high levels of security and a way to audit the entire process would strongly advise to not use the current technology.

[Trijack]

We have used them here in San Juan Capistrano, Ca for the last two elections. They are easy to use with plenty of instructions posted and also in the voting pamphlet. This last special election only took me about a minute to vote. Seems the way to go, at least there won't be any hanging chads

[46zilzal]

I faxed my last vote

[twindouble]

I think they will work just fine as long as no one can vote online.

[lsbets]

We still use paper and pencil ballots here. No problems at all with them, easy to use and they don't cost the county a ton of money.

[Bobby]

Yea I voted in the Hot Springs/Oaklawn gambling election that passed by like 90 votes. Keeneland-sized purses coming!!!!!!!!

Anyway . . .
We completed the arrows with a pencil to vote for or against it. Then we put it into a machine. Is that computerized?
Or is computerized a touch screen?

[GaryG]

Better not use them in Florida....they weren't smart enough to use the old ones. At least these don't have any chads!

[Tom]

I faxed my last vote

And you candidate got "faxed" as well! :D