Touch-screen voting's steep learning curve (SF Chronicle)

Touch-screen voting's steep learning curve
Rollout in 21 counties brings glitches

John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writer

Monday, June 19, 2006

While 21 more California counties made the leap into touch-screen voting in this month's primary election, problems continued to surround the controversial electronic systems.

Across the state, troubles linked to the high-tech systems delayed voting, slowed counting and left people questioning the results of tight elections.

( big snip)

The insinuations enrage San Diego County Registrar Mikel Haas, who said voting materials have been carried to the polls by volunteers for the past 40 years.

"How do they think the voting materials get there?" he asked. "That the election fairy shows up at 6 a.m. at every polling place?"

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/19/BAG8QJGDBL1.DTL&hw=Busby+Bilbray&sn=001&sc=177


I wouldn't trust the Election Fairy, either.

If yes, San Diego folks, check your printout receipts carefully.

"Although San Diego, like many other California counties, only used touch-screen voting to meet the 2002 Help America Vote Act requirement for disabled-accessible voting, the county plans to be all-electronic for the November election. The new complaints haven't changed that, Haas said.

"Counties choose touch screens for a reason," he said. "We have ballots in four languages and many versions of an increasingly complicated ballot. You can't tell me that doesn't call out for a computerized solution."
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It's good that the voting problems in CA are getting some coverage in a major CA paper -- LA Times, where are YOU?

can't.

He obviously doesn't comprehend the security issues with electronic voting - one person tampering with a Diebold voting machine (used by San Diego) that's sitting in their home for days/weeks can affect all the results from the county.

There's no way CA and federal laws can be upheld with Diebold voting machines being sent home with poll workers with a few hours of training. Obviously, other counties have found a way (someone from Orange County described the process in another thread). Although the real issue is the lack of security of all the electronic voting machines in use.

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"The insinuations enrage San Diego County Registrar Mikel Haas, who said voting materials have been carried to the polls by volunteers for the past 40 years.

"How do they think the voting materials get there?" he asked. "That the election fairy shows up at 6 a.m. at every polling place?"

-- very, very, very nice for Diebold hackers!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

"That's the way my mom did it and it was good enough for her!"

:hi:

There is no learning curve involved. The learning curve has been worked out in the past, before these rotten machines ever sat in a precinct. They were designed to manipulate votes, and they manipulate votes. Where is the learning curve?

to understand this so just trust us."