Comments on: Today is Election Day!!!

By: Luther Weeks

Luther Weeks — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:41:37 +0000

Consider Observing the Public Post-Election Audits (0.00 / 0)
Four Groups Organizing Citizens To Observe Post-Election Audits:

Today the Connecticut Citizen Audit Coalition announced a program to organize citizens to observe the post-election audits following the November election. The coalition members are the League of Women Voters of Connecticut, Common Cause Connecticut, the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, and CTVotersCount.

Info our Sign-up at: http://www.CTElectionAudit.org

More on Diebold’s recent bull here: http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=91

and here http://www.ctvoterscount.org/?p=87

By: Quod Felix

Quod Felix — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:55:03 +0000

[quote comment="21968"]One thing about the new machines is they don’t allow over-votes. If you screw up, the machine spits it back out, and you get a do-over!

So no wasted ballots, and a big thumbs up to Susie Bysiewicz for getting things right.[/quote]

But apparently, you cannot refer to your old ballot when completing your new one.

When one voter was leaving the polls, she was thanked by a friendly campaign volunteer who said, “Thank you for voting,” she replied, “I DIDN’T VOTE” and told the story of having her ballot rejected and then not being allowed to refer to it to fill out the new one. So she just threw in the towel and left. I understand why, I guess, but it seems like there ought to be a reasonable way to prevent fraud while enabling someone to refer to the old ballot.

By: MikeCT

MikeCT — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:31:08 +0000

So no wasted ballots, and a big thumbs up to Susie Bysiewicz for getting things right.

She tried her best to get things wrong, insisting on a touch screen system over the vociferous objections of registrars of voters and democracy advocates, writing her RFP for voting machines to specifically exclude optical scan machines, refusing to listen to or meet with critics, harrassing her opponents (sending a letter to the boss of a professor critical of the new machines), and finally reversing course when the opposition became overwhelming and when it became clear that her chosen vendor couldn’t meet the requirements of the contract. It’s a pattern with her. Take the wrong stance until it becomes totally politically unviable, then take credit for your smart decisions when you’re forced to reverse yourself.

By: TrueBlueCT

TrueBlueCT — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:14:10 +0000

One thing about the new machines is they don’t allow over-votes. If you screw up, the machine spits it back out, and you get a do-over!

So no wasted ballots, and a big thumbs up to Susie Bysiewicz for getting things right.

By: gerardw

gerardw — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:46:04 +0000

So I read The Journal Inquirer story:
[quote]
After filling out the ballot, voters then line up to have their ballot read by an optical scan machine. The machine can read the ballot whether it is placed face up or face down, though Bysiewicz said election officials recommend the latter to ensure privacy.
[/quote]
and think I’m all ready and go to the polls and…
the ballot is two-sided. How am I supposed to put it face down, Madam Secretary?

By: ACR

ACR — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:39:46 +0000

>>Ron Paul set a fundraising record yesterday Nov 5. Over $4 million via online contributions in one day!

Until all the parents realize what their kids have been up to with their “emergency use only” credit cards.

By: CT-Freeper

CT-Freeper — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:01:57 +0000

[quote comment="21944"]This morning in Waterbury the new machines got off to a shaky start. There were unconfirmed reports of people leaving the polling places without voting because our moderators were very confused. By the time I left my station at 7:40 AM, however, things seemed to be moving faster. At least the people leaving the polls weren’t complaining anymore.[/quote]
No troubles for me when I voted in Waterbury this morning at Blessed Sacrament. I didn’t pay attention to the counter on the scanner though, but since I voted early (6:15), there was an obvious “thunk” as my ballot fell to the bottom of the shred barrell…er, storage bin.

I agree with all of the other posters who felt a little dissatisfied with the fill-in-the-circle style of voting vs. the lever machines. I liked the levers better as well.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:12:29 +0000

As someone preparing for the LSAT right now, I did not enjoy voting. I filled in the bubbles for the Democratic slate + Republican Ed Pocock for Town Council. Then I slipped my ballot into the mystery box.

I saw a number on the display on the shredder, it said 163. Then when I fed my ballot into the machine, it still said 163. That’s not a counter, is it?

By: Genghis Conn

Genghis Conn — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:39:20 +0000

[quote post="1154"]While Ghengis you may have felt more secure with a thud and a bell going off, that was no more proof that your vote was counted than anything else.[/quote]
True enough. It’s just what we were all used to, I suppose.

By: adamcs95

adamcs95 — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:36:02 +0000

If it makes everyone feel a little bit better, there is a counter on the scanner that tallies how many people have voted (I was #91 this morning), I proudly watched it go up as my ballot slid in effortlessly. While I do miss the bells and whistles of the old machine, I feel more like my vote was counted watching that number go up. While Ghengis you may have felt more secure with a thud and a bell going off, that was no more proof that your vote was counted than anything else. The machine could have been broken, it likely would have made the same sound you would be none the wiser, at least this way you have a paper trail.

For those that haven’t voted yet and want to hear some sort recognition of there vote, I would suggest kindly asking the election worker to regale you with a series of beeps, it would certainly make for a more entertaining election experience.

By: TrueBlueCT

TrueBlueCT — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:35:07 +0000

Hmmmm. To go to the polls, or not?

Once again another meaningless vote in a one-party town.

Will there ever be another election where my vote actually means something?

Probably not.

Sigh…

By: gmr

gmr — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:34:45 +0000

I had no objection to the lever machines. Was there ever any allegation that the lever machines did anything wrong or that someone had tampered with them? I guess the problem with the lever machines was spare parts.

Not crowded at Ridgefield this morning at 7:30. Not much to vote on either. First selectman will be won by the incumbent Democrat who’s been there for four or five terms now. All the other boards will remain in Republican control (there wasn’t even Democrat opposition to many of them). Double sided ballot with those silly markers and ovals… And instead of all blue haired ladies, there was a nice looking younger blonde woman showing people how to use the new machines.

By: Genghis Conn

Genghis Conn — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:51:54 +0000

And I saw that about Ron Paul. Impressive. That, if you’re wondering, is about how much Chris Dodd raised in one of his better quarters.

By: Genghis Conn

Genghis Conn — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:50:22 +0000

Interesting, mj. I would think that a higher turnout would benefit Mathews, since I assume an energized electorate in Hartford would be looking for change. I could be wrong, though.

Republitarian–there are going to be many random audits of voting machines to make sure they are counting. But again, it’s hard to know for sure unless they audit your particular machine. Before, I had faith in the mechanics of the voting machine, because I could hear something happening when I pulled the lever. This is different.

By: Republitarian

Republitarian — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:49:05 +0000

On a bright note – Ron Paul set a fundraising record yesterday Nov 5. Over $4 million via online contributions in one day!

By: Republitarian

Republitarian — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:47:51 +0000

Yes I absolutely agree.
Voting was very unfulfilling – no clink of the lever.
I also did not like that they gave us felt tip pens to use as it specifically says on the back of the ballot to use a pen or pencil to fill in the circle. I hope felt tip markers get picked up by the scanner.
I came away not really feeling sure that my vote would be counted.
How do they know if the scanner scans properly – Do they have people from each party counting the ballots in the scanner box and comparing the numbers on the final receipt tickets from the scanner? (NO.. I am sure they don’t unless there is a recount)
So how can they be sure the scanner scanned properly?
I’m not liking this new process – although I am glad we have paper ballots as proof.

By: mj

mj — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:43:57 +0000

The polls seemed busy this morning as I voted in Hartford. I ended up choosing I. Charles Mathews. My primary concern is the loss of all the major employers in the last year: ING, Mass Mutual, WFSB, and MetLife. Thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenue we are losing. That will affect schools, roads, and services. There are so many vacant lots downtown that are perfect sites for those companies to build new headquarters yet they left. We need to stop the bleeding.

By: toucan

toucan — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:16:52 +0000

Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani said yesterday that the crime-fighting successes of the disgraced former police commissioner, Bernard B. Kerik, outweighed his legal problems, and added that “if I have the same degree of success and failure as president of the United States, this country will be in great shape.”

Rudy placed the emergency command center in the WTC; Kerik said nothing and people died as a result of that decison. Rudy was a failure and so is Kerik.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/us/politics/06giuliani.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

By: toucan

toucan — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:59:57 +0000

I thought Nelson might have a shot against incumbent Ken Flatto until I just read that Healy plans to stop in Fairfield to give him support. Shit, that’s bad news fro fairfield.

http://ctgop.blogspot.com/2007/11/god-save-republic.html

By: bpb313

bpb313 — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:56:58 +0000

This morning in Waterbury the new machines got off to a shaky start. There were unconfirmed reports of people leaving the polling places without voting because our moderators were very confused. By the time I left my station at 7:40 AM, however, things seemed to be moving faster. At least the people leaving the polls weren’t complaining anymore.