Virginia e-voting machines truncating candidates' names
By Evan Blass 
posted Oct 24th 2006 10:04PM
posted Oct 24th 2006 10:04PM
We're not sure what the bigger story here is: the fact that some Virginia e-voting machines have been "broken" since they were purchased four years ago, or the fact that Diebold wasn't the manufacturer. It seems that three jurisdictions in the state -- Alexandria, Falls Church, and Charlottesville -- use machines made by Austin's Hart InterCivic, all of which cut off candidates' names and party affiliations on the summary screen used to verify a voter's choices before the ballot is cast. Since names are displayed properly on the pages of the individual races, this is admittedly not the world's greatest threat to democracy, but it does highlight the ridiculous amount of red tape required to fix a problem with these devices -- in this case, making adjustments for the larger font size being used. Even though this flaw was evident as far back as 2002, secretary of the State Board of Elections Jean Jansen said she only recently became aware it; meanwhile Hart InterCivic can't touch the machines until it performs a system-wide firmware upgrade next year, and even that is contingent upon certification from state regulators. The good news is that recent publicity about the issue has seemingly jostled Jansen out of her stupor and encouraged her to go on the offensive, as evidenced by her comment on the likelihood of fixes being in place by the 2007 elections: "You better believe it. If I have to personally get on a plane and bring Hart InterCivic people here myself, it'll be corrected." Hey, we're all for kidnapping programmers to fix these problems too, but bragging about it in the Post seems like a surefire way to get your felonious plans thwarted.
Jean Jansen wasn't aware of it? Then who WAS aware of it and why didn't they tell her anything about it over the past 4 years? Isn't it her JOB to be aware of things like this?
I live in Charlottesville...great. Happy voting.
My district in Virginia uses some "WinVote" machines, and they look like a VB6 app that some kid threw together in a weekend. I mean, really, I can't go to the ATM and make a deposit without getting a receipt, but all I get from voting is an odd thunk from an otherwise electronic machine?
It's ridiculous. But once in power, politicians are understandably hesitant to tamper with the system that got them elected.
Apparently she doesn't vote.
When are people going to realize this is not a good idea?
You know - up here in Canada, we use paper ballots. They're black with a row of large easy to find white circles on one side - and the name and party of the candidate clearly printed in a white box directly next to the circle. You take a standard HB pencil and make a big X or check mark in the circle next to the one you want... fold it in three and stick it in a box.
It'a primitive. It's simple. We get the results of the election with less than 1% error within 6 hours of the close of the first poll. When there's a conflict or a recount is needed, we just recount the actual paper ballots.
While we're at it - what's with this bizarre registration thing? Every citizen has a right to vote - why is that being limited by imposing restrictions and deadlines on people? Up here, registration is just a convenience and isn't required. All you need is proof of residence and citizenship on the day of the election.
It seems like the US is making things vastly more complicated than necessary.
We can't do anything that easy. In 2000, a bunch of people in Florida didn't read the ballot before starting in punching out holes in their punch-card ballot (did you ever hear about a "hanging chad" or "bulging chad"?) before looking at who they were voting for. The news put people on tv that said that the ballot was confusing, and it led to a manual recount, until the Federal Supreme Court ordered the counting to stop.
Another problem is checking for resident status. In Georgia, if memory serves me correct, it was ruled that showing I.D. would be considered a poll tax because it would require someone to spend money to get an i.d. card. We also have many voter fraud problems. I've herd that the number of fraudulent votes casted in Washington State was around 20,000 when the votes separating the winner and looser of it's governor's race was around 500 votes. That is why we are messing around with these e-voting machines. We are too stupid and dishonest to be voting the old way.
I agree with you 100%! Not only are these newfangled methods more complicated, they are based on technology that's just plain too new and unstable to be used in the first place.
Actually, there's one thing I don't agree with you on. I think the registration is required so one voter doesn't go and vote ten times at ten different precincts. I think we've had problems in the past with voters crossing state lines to vote in other states' elections. Still, this extra measure is just one more complication that threatens to thwart someone's rights.
The systems need to be foolproof. What we have now is not nearly as foolproof as it could be, and this MUST be corrected. I don't care if it taes a week to get the results in!
I live in Charlottesville too Kendall. I'm only 17, but it's too bad this hit home. And when there's finally a chance to get rid of Goode and Allen THIS has to happen. Oh well, it's not like it favors any particular side; it just puts stupid people at a disadvantage... come to think of it, that might not be a bad thing...
But why 3rd world can - and US cannot?
http://www.louiseferguson.com/resources/evoting-row.htm
You guys over there are overly political.
Try to recall when something in US was made on technical ground - rather than political. You always try to sell something - even in case of government to people who elected them.
IOW, US won't get normal e-voting, unless Apple wouldn't jump into the market ;) Apple is the only company which still follows moto "technology for people", not the usual perpetuated by M$ "people for technology."
I'll say this one more time: the reason that all the voting machines and ballots with confusing punch-holes exist is because it is a huge business. Lots of money is put into the voting machines and tools, both by the state governments and the companies that make the machines.
It all boils down to money, eventually. It always does.
Maybe we should gather all of the USA in one big room and count the hands. We could take pictures of them all to counteract fraud.
While we're at it - what's with this bizarre registration thing? Every citizen has a right to vote - why is that being limited by imposing restrictions and deadlines on people? Up here, registration is just a convenience and isn't required. All you need is proof of residence and citizenship on the day of the election.
Yeah, it's a right, but what keeps someone from voting twice, each in a different place? Properly registering people avoids problems like ballot stuffing and missing ballots.
In Brazil, when you turn 18, you are supposed to register yourself for voting at local Election Department. At time of registration, you'll be given a voter card (for free) and you'll be assigned to specific ballot section (as nearest to your home as possible). From that point on, you can only vote in this place. If you move, you're supposed to update your registry, informing your new address to a nation-wide registration system. This keeps voters from voting in more than one section/city/state in the same election.
Americans should let go this touchscreen thing. It doesn't work and it's expensive. In Brazil, the Voting Machine consists of a numeric keypad and a black and white screen. To vote, you just punch the number of your candidate and hit "confirm". Even illiterate people can do it =)
What do college students do when they want to vote while living away from home?
Do you have absentee ballots?