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Indi Guy

(3,992 posts)
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 01:45 PM Oct 2012

CBS4 Investigates: Palm Beach County’s 2012 Ballot Debacle...

Source: CBS Miami



...It was Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections, Susan Bucher, and her team who discovered the mistake. In two races, winners including Paglia were announced and certified… when they were actually the losers. Bucher said Palm Beach’s optical scan election system had – unbeknownst to anyone-mixed up the race results. As a result, the wrong winners and losers were called. When asked by CBS4 Investigative reporter, Michele Gillen, what is was like to declare the wrong winners? Bucher said, “It humiliating. It was awful. It was never our intent.”...

...Bucher said that if the audit was done on all races there could be other elections where the wrong winner was chosen. However, what is most outrageous to Bucher is that this technical problem, she told Gillen, was known by the vendor. The company did not ever reveal this information to her.

“We took over this equipment in 2007. They never disclosed the error,” said Bucher “The company didn’t own up to it real quickly and neither did the state. And we had to prove that it was a software error and we did so.”

...“You know the first thing that they tell you is you’re going to scare the voters,” Bucher said. “Well you know what… we’re scared too.”

Read more: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/10/09/cbs4-investigates-palm-beach-countys-2012-ballot-debacle/

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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CBS4 Investigates: Palm Beach County’s 2012 Ballot Debacle... (Original Post) Indi Guy Oct 2012 OP
Error. Rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiight. valerief Oct 2012 #1
This alone makes me suspicious: vduhr Oct 2012 #5
...the other 'handful' of states opting out of federal certification of machines (from OP video)... Indi Guy Oct 2012 #7
I wonder if these all have Teahadist governors. nt valerief Oct 2012 #8
My guess is that most of them do. Indi Guy Oct 2012 #9
Arkansas has a Dem governor BlueToTheBone Oct 2012 #13
So we have the... Indi Guy Oct 2012 #15
Doesn't it? I'm working very local. BlueToTheBone Oct 2012 #17
As you can see, your state Arkansas is one of the "handful" that opted out of federal... Indi Guy Oct 2012 #20
Me too. I have friends that work with the machines BlueToTheBone Oct 2012 #23
I expect ewagner Oct 2012 #2
Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Oct 2012 #3
Click on CBS logo for video... Indi Guy Oct 2012 #4
Get ready for a 2013 election results disaster again! demo dutch Oct 2012 #6
K&R idwiyo Oct 2012 #10
well, we knew about this, so this is actually great news renate Oct 2012 #11
It seems that some of the local affiliates of the MSM didn't get the memo from headquarters... Indi Guy Oct 2012 #18
This is what happens to election officials with blind faith in salesmen Kelvin Mace Oct 2012 #12
Another Palm Beach County ballot error. When it rains it pours. hay rick Oct 2012 #14
The "errors" sure are piling up aren't they... Indi Guy Oct 2012 #16
Thank you, Indi Guy. This is sad. Rec. n/t Judi Lynn Oct 2012 #19
I don't trust electric vote counting libodem Oct 2012 #21
The irony is that... Indi Guy Oct 2012 #22

vduhr

(603 posts)
5. This alone makes me suspicious:
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 02:25 PM
Oct 2012

"...the State of Florida tests and certifies the voting machines for the state. Florida is one of just a handful of states that opted out of the federal program that certifies voting machines… deciding to do it on its own."

It would also be interesting to know who the other "handful" of states are.

Indi Guy

(3,992 posts)
7. ...the other 'handful' of states opting out of federal certification of machines (from OP video)...
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 02:49 PM
Oct 2012
  • Maine
  • Vermont
  • New Hamshire
  • New Jersey
  • Michigan
  • Tenessee
  • Mississippi
  • Arkansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Kansas
  • Nebraska
  • Montana

BlueToTheBone

(3,747 posts)
17. Doesn't it? I'm working very local.
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 06:33 PM
Oct 2012

We have a candidate for our newly drawn district...Butch Berry. I have no idea if he will make it, but here's to the effort.

Indi Guy

(3,992 posts)
20. As you can see, your state Arkansas is one of the "handful" that opted out of federal...
Thu Oct 11, 2012, 11:32 AM
Oct 2012

...certification of voting machines; so I hope there's no funny business with your polling results.

ewagner

(18,964 posts)
2. I expect
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 01:53 PM
Oct 2012

at least a dozen "told ya so" posts to appear...

Interestingly enough it was the Palm Beach Elections Supervisor who blew the whistle....far cry from 2000

renate

(13,776 posts)
11. well, we knew about this, so this is actually great news
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 03:08 PM
Oct 2012

I'm thrilled to see this in the MSM. Even better, it's ahead of the election, so it can't be dismissed as sour grapes.

Indi Guy

(3,992 posts)
18. It seems that some of the local affiliates of the MSM didn't get the memo from headquarters...
Thu Oct 11, 2012, 03:21 AM
Oct 2012

...that says they're supposed to stand down from real investigative journalism.

 

Kelvin Mace

(17,469 posts)
12. This is what happens to election officials with blind faith in salesmen
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 03:51 PM
Oct 2012

and who fail to have any IT security professional on staff.

hay rick

(7,633 posts)
14. Another Palm Beach County ballot error. When it rains it pours.
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 04:36 PM
Oct 2012

Article here: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/ballot-snafu-draws-fears-of-voter-confusion-in-cou/nSYmj/

From the article:

To the dismay of three Florida Supreme Court justices who have been targeted for defeat by conservative groups, at least 60,000 absentee voters in Palm Beach County may have difficulty finding the judges' names on the November ballot.

While the error appears to be a far cry from the infamous 2000 butterfly ballot that spurred people to vote for a different presidential candidate than they intended, the effects could be equally severe, said an attorney for the justices who also represented George W. Bush in the county’s 12-year-old election debacle.
...

Bucher blamed an Arizona printing company for the error that occurred on the first batch of absentee ballots that were mailed out Oct. 2. Unlike the dozens of other offices and referendum questions on the ballot, there is no heading on the section where voters can decide whether Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and R. Fred Lewis deserve another six years on the high court.

While voters are alerted elsewhere on the ballot, for instance, that they are voting for a county commissioner or a state senator, there is nothing to indicate that in this section they are being asked to vote for a Supreme Court justice. The same problem exists for the two judges seeking reappointment to the 4th District Court of Appeal.

Indi Guy

(3,992 posts)
16. The "errors" sure are piling up aren't they...
Wed Oct 10, 2012, 06:20 PM
Oct 2012

Seems that some vendors are being compromised; and it also seems that there needs to be some investigation on that level.

libodem

(19,288 posts)
21. I don't trust electric vote counting
Thu Oct 11, 2012, 12:09 PM
Oct 2012

It scares me. Rovian to push voter fraud with the ID laws and ACORN and then manipulate the vote count on the other end. Our worthy opponents and their ALEC agenda are far ahead of us with the evil scheming.

We thought the Soviets were bad with the 30 year plans, these seditious bastards have nothing on them.

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