County-$17 million touch screens can't handle big elections

[Algorem]

Commissioners want new voting machines
$17 million touch screens can't handle big elections, Cuyahoga officials say

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1164794175139720.xml&coll=2

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Joan Mazzolini
Plain Dealer Reporter

Cuyahoga County commissioners want to dump their new touch-screen voting machines, which cost taxpayers $17 million, and get another system in time for the 2008 presidential election.

"Even though we have a substantial amount of money in it, we're considering scrapping the whole system," Commissioner Tim Hagan said.

Hagan and Commissioner Jimmy Dimora said the county can't afford to spend $14 million to run every election the way they did the Nov. 7 general election. Commissioners threw millions of dollars to the Board of Elections for poll worker training, consultants and extra machines.


The spending worked -- the election was mostly a success, with just a few polling locations having trouble getting the touch screen machines running on time. The biggest complaint was long lines at some locations...

[Land Shark]

1. dump 'em now, a small price to pay for real democracy

people that don't want public supervision of elections need to read this:

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x460763>

[texpatriot2004]

2. K & R nm

[bullimiami]

3. get some paper and pens. wtf?

[philb]

4. Voting in Cuyahoga has been a disaster in 2004 and 2006

Not any better in 2006 using DREs than the disaster of 2004 using punch cards.
And given the magnitude of the problems and unreliablity and unaditability of the DREs, plus their high cost to operate,
the public should demand they go to a more transparent and reliable system.

I think its possible to use opti-scan with open source code for compilers and suitable checks and balances. Much more reliable, lower cost to operate, and more transparent.
You have a paper trail, as needed, and can do random audits to increase transparency.

www.flcv.com/cuyahog6.html

for 2004 problems see the other Cuyahoga thread

[rumpel]

5. How is it that this "merchandise" can not be returned for a full refund?

Do they not advertise the machine to be 100% accurate? False claim advertising, eh?
Why give voting machine vendors extra leeway, when any other business has to take their product back, or face the FTC.

The voters should sue the companies to have their tax dollars returned -if the counties do not have the guts to do so.