Pennsylvania's voting system mainly touch screen, no paper ballots?

[mzmolly]

See here > http://www.verifiedvoting.org/verifier/map.php?&topic_string=5std&year=2008&state=Pennsylvania

Currently PA polls show Obama/Biden in the lead by five points, but the voting system concerns me.

Given this is a state that Hillary won in the primary, wouldn't it be easy to assert that PUMA's flocked to Palin?

PA and MI are considered crucial to the fall election.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080830/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_campaign_battleground_stakes

"Obama's challenge becomes far greater if he loses either Pennsylvania or Michigan. Even if he won all the other Kerry states from 2004 and added the Bush states of New Mexico, Nevada, Iowa and Virginia — a state with 13 electoral votes that Democrats haven't won in decades — he would lose the election."

Any PA residents feeling good about election integrity in the state? Is there anything the Governor can do pre-election to ensure we don't have another Ohio on our hands?

Thoughts and or reassurances are appreciated. ;)

[dontforgetpoland]

1. I might be naive, but I'm not worried about Pa as of now.

Democrats are killing Republican in voter registration in Pa this election cycle before and after the Democratic primary in April.

And it's basically the same system in '04 when Kerry won by 3% and the polls were tighter back in that race than in this election.

I'm from Western Pa and I travel across the state a lot and I hardly meet any enthusiastic McCain supporters.

[mzmolly]

2. I hope the polls are so far

out that they can't possibly pull a fast one. I hate to fasten my tinfoil hat here, but even if the election is legit, if there is any question about the results, it's not good for democracy.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. I'm not sure the PUMAs were ever in favor of Hillary, really, but just all about

being divisive. I mean, if they were progressives there is no way they could vote for a vagina that comes with conservative anti-woman policy, is there?

The Greens have TWO women on their ticket. Why aren't the PUMAS raving over that?

[mzmolly]

7. I agree. My point was supposed to convey the method of

a Rovian win for McSame. ;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Agreed. The voter disenfranchisement and election rigging are his most primary

methods, but M$M spin and framing come in a direct and close second.

Palin will give them the cover of an excited base, where there wasn't one before.

[Meshuga]

4. PUMAs are a fake group

It is a swiftboat tactic created by a person who contributed to McCain 2000 campaign. I wonder how many of them PUMAs count in the 18,000,000 Hillary voters. Probably nothing significant. So McCain can have the PUMAs since he was going to have them even if Hillary on the ticket.

[mzmolly]

6. I agree. My post is about the "excuse" for a McCain win in PA.

Sorry I wasn't clear. :hi:

[MarjorieG]

5. The fundies are the reason we could lose/have stolen in 2004, as cover ...

single issue fervor. How is the fundie community in PA. Palin has been the web/fundie's choice for months. This is an effort to GOTV, and pick up with a perky personality where they can.

And our team is so worthy, so meshed, in sync..argh!

[rug]

9. The problem is more basic in my small county.

The Republican-controlled county is adding voting machines - but mainly in Republican precincts.

http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2008/08/30/pike_county_courier/news/8.txt

[mzmolly]

10. .

[mzmolly]

11. Was Palin chosen so that PA is open to theft?

With no paper trail in PA, could they sell the "Hillary voters moved to Palin in PA" rationale for Dems losing the election?

I've been reluctant to believe in the premise of stolen elections, but with Siegelman talking about Rove stealing elections for a decade, I'm becoming very concerned about the next election.

[kwolf68]

12. If we dont get PA

Then something is HORRIBLY wrong. Long way to go and Palin may actually walk on water at some point, but as of now PA is looking good. PA is one of the 10 best educated states...Democrats usually win those states.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Here in Philly, I wouldn't call what we have a "touch screen"

in the terms that I have seen of other machines. It's more of a vinyl membrane thing with raised buttons that you push. The machines do produce a paper printout with tabulated totals that would get collected by the election folks. The machines are these: http://www.phillyelection.com/engweb.htm

There have been rules put into place that allow "provisional ballots" (which I believe are paper) if there are issues with registration and possibly if there are the usual machine breakdowns, etc., if such lasts for some period of time and people want to vote but can't wait.

The bigger problem would be polling place switcheroos or broken machines or late setup of machines, etc. I think though that since the repukes are in such a minority here, there probably won't be any tampering in that sense regarding McLame. The party machine will make sure of that. Can't speak for the rest of the state but Philly is by far the largest voting block in the state and is known to produce 200,000 - 400,000 "excess" votes during enhanced turnout, over election norms - all to help Dem candidates win in the state. This excess offsets a general low voter turnout in much of the rest of the state. Having a primary turnout this year of nearly 50% in this city is almost unheard of as you are lucky to get 10 - 20%. Generals are much better, so just based on the primary turnout, the general looks to potentially be record-breaking. Put all the urban areas - Philly, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Allentown, and Scranton together and get those college kids out in State College (to supplement those in the cities), and this state will definitely go blue.

Doesn't seem that there is someone as "exciting" as a Reagan from the repuke standpoint, that would drive them to come out in droves... The hardcore would but I think alot of the others might just stay home if nothing changes between now and November.

[Junkdrawer]

14. In PA, a voter verified paper audit trail is illegal...

When the different manufacturers submitted for approval, anyone with a voter verified paper audit trail had to DISABLE it before it could be approved.

I kid you not.