AP/Yahoo: Group Cites Electronic Voting Problems

[intheflow]

By SAM HANANEL, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The record use of electronic voting machines on Nov. 2 led to hundreds of voting irregularities and shows the need for higher standards, a voting rights group said Thursday.

The companies that make the electronic machines said their equipment was reliable and had relatively few problems considering the millions who cast their ballots.

<snip>

"The documented problems with touch screen machines, vote-counting irregularities and the fact that votes cannot be verified or recounted show us how vulnerable our democracy will be in the future when there are disputed or unclear results," said Kim Alexander, a project member and president of the California Voter Foundation.

The members of the verification project said they hadn't seen evidence that the problems would change the election results — President Bush (news - web sites) captured 60.5 million votes to Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites)'s 57.1 million. But they said the problems raised the specter of that possibility in a closer race.

Without a paper trail of electronic votes, they said...

<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=8&u=/ap/20041119/ap_on_go_ot/electronic_voting

MSM piece, which is good, but they don't mention optical scanners at all. Makes me think they're throwing us a bone while keeping the meat to themselves.

[eleny]

1. Keeping it kicked!

[flowomo]

2. "throwing us a bone".....

for heaven's sake, why, even when posting good news, which this is, do people insist on finding some dark motive or undercurrent to minimize or question its positive value? Have people become so paranoid that everything must be seen as the work of evil forces? This is GOOD news, and exactly what many posters have been demanding -- recognition by mainstream media that our voting system is in trouble. Can't we take good news anymore?

[HEFFA]

3. The news is only good if it's used to help produce positive results

News without action is like law without enforcement -- impotent. I don't know about you, but I've been writing letters to the editors of my local papers and bombing the networks with emails. We must mobilize if the good news that truly is contained in this report (and others) is to produce desirable (and necessary) results!

[intheflow]

4. You're right, of course.

I'm just so frustrated that voting equipment is being impounded in Flordia and all I hear in the MSM is news I read here 2 weeks ago!

But I'll try and reel my paranoid cynicism in. :tinfoilhat:

[flowomo]

5. thank you for taking my shot so graciously.....

we just need to regain a little sunny faith around here. :)

[KittyWampus]

6. Corporate Media Has A Habit Of Burying Untidy "News" The Owners

don't want to feature.

A vague mention somewheres on page 17, but hey, they mentioned it, right?

[simply_the_best]

7. Widespread Coverage Finally

I just Googled 'Election-Verification-Project' and 97 newspapers and TV stations are covering the story, oh happy day.

[Moderator]

8. DUplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1004064