Widespread Ballot counting problems, by Scripps Howard News Service

[rumpel]

Election study finds widespread ballot-counting problems

By THOMAS HARGROVE
Scripps Howard News Service
December 20, 2004

- A review of election results in a 10-county sampling revealed more than 12,000 ballots that failed to record a vote for president, almost one in every 10 ballots cast. The unofficial audit by Scripps Howard News Service uncovered malfunctioning voting machines, improperly designed ballots and poor accounting procedures around the nation.

The review of certified election returns led authorities to restore 662 votes for president in Louisiana and West Virginia that had been miscounted in easily detectable errors made by local officials.

But most of the ballots discovered missing in the study will remain lost.

full article
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=MISCOUNT-ELECT-12-20-04&cat=AN

[sandnsea]

1. Excellent story

I've always thought this is how the election machine "malfunctions" should be handled, as pure failures that are unacceptable. I counted 21 plain old machine failures across the country, not including the weird vote casting peculiarities and tabulating problems. And no money? HAVA allocated Four Billion Dollars.

This is particularly interesting. A scratch of all things.

"We sent a technician to Pike County to check," said Meghan McCormick, spokeswoman for Omaha-based Election Systems and Software Inc., which manufactured Pike County's optical scan machine. "There was a scratch on Sensor 'A' that has already been repaired. The scratch probably occurred during the election, but we'll never be certain."

[renate]

2. "unacceptable" is right

I just can't believe this is actually happening in the United States of America.

[rumpel]

3. The truth will come out!

:bounce:

[Rhapsody in Blue]

4. See how easy it was for one news organization...

... to just go in and LOOK at this stuff and report on it.

The fact that the election officials didn't even bother matching their vote totals with their ballot totals - jeez, how can this NOT be part of the normal canvassing routine??!!??!?

After reading this, I'm sending the reporter my South Dakota numbers, and maybe I'll distribute them to the parties again... "Election experts say any time 2 percent or more of ballots cast in a major race fail to record a vote, those numbers should be investigated."... well, time to investigate SD.

[Vidar]

5. Great article. Thanks for posting.

[rumpel]

6. welcome

it seems Will Pitt posted info on the most current article by the same org. this morning.

we the people, shall prevail

[k8conant]

7. More links to Scripps Howard reports: check % not counted

Percent of votes not counted, by state
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MISCOUNT-FINAL1-12-22-04

In Ohio, almost 1 in 50 votes for president don't count
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MISCOUNT-OHIO-12-22-04

2004 vote count smoother, still some problems
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MISCOUNT-FINAL-12-22-04

In 2004, New Mexico worst at counting votes
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=MISCOUNT-NM-12-22-04
:kick:

[Rhapsody in Blue]

8. We should add Scripps Howard to "our" MSM

These are great articles - sounds like we have a sympathetic ear at Scripps Howard, and we should remember to include them when we disseminate info .... they may not be the biggest MSM, but they ARE significant.

(reporter) Thomas Hargrove, [e-mail]

[Straight Shooter]

9. Take what Mr. Hargrove reports with a grain of salt

I'm sorry, I can't go into all the details right now because I'm still sorting through them myself, but I wrote Mr. Hargrove and sent a copy of the email to one of the clerks he quoted. It is not my style to speak ill of someone behind their back, and I wanted both parties to hear my opinion because both parties are directly involved (Hargrove and the clerk).

I must say, after an exchange of several emails, I'm 90 percent convinced that Mr. Hargrove is not quoting people accurately, or certainly not this particular individual who has corresponded with me in response to my email about this article. Mr. Hargrove has so far not responded. In all fairness, it's the holiday season and there was no sense of urgency in my message anyway.

From what I have read, however, this clerk's message has the definite ring of truth and sincerity.

I'll conclude by saying that not everybody who speaks in our favor and adds weight to the questions surrounding this election is motivated by good intentions. However, even if Mr. Hargrove's intentions are good, if his reporting is "sloppy," for lack of a better word, and causes harm to someone who is being aboveboard in the execution of their duty to the public, then I want no part of it.

JMHO, because sometimes it's good to hear both sides of the story.