Glitch reports mount for e-voting machines

[Melissa G]

Glitch reports mount for e-voting machines
By Angela Gunn, BetaNews
October 30, 2008, 12:15 AM

It's six days until the American elections. Do you know whether your electronic voting machines are behaving?

The overwhelming majority of voters on Tuesday will encounter machines from Premier Election Systems, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems, or Election Systems and Software (ES&S). For your consideration, we present a roundup of problems currently known to be manifesting or to have recently manifested in testing and early voting, sorted by vendor.

* ES&S - The Omaha-based ES&S is, globally, the largest provider of election gear.

Problems with vote-flipping on the ES&S iVotronic Touch Screen Voting System have been reported four states already in 2008: West Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, and Missouri. In many cases, it's suspected that the machines are poorly calibrated. The problem seems to crop up most frequently with straight-party tickets (that is, where one votes all-Democratic or all-Republican).

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, concerned that the problems seem to be rather widespread, sent a letter to the secretaries of state in the 16 states where iVotronics are in use, strongly suggesting that the states follow West Virginia's lead and recalibrate their machines during early voting and before Tuesday's main event.

More problems from ES&S, Premier/Diebold, Hart Intercivic and Sequoia here...

http://www.betanews.com/article/Glitch_reports_mount_for_evoting_machines/1225325421

[BeFree]

1. Good

I just hope people report the glitches and then stand up to do something about it next year.

We knew it was coming, these glitches. And now so many more are aware and even almost 90% of DU is on the same page, so we are getting there. Where? Where election reform forum can be closed for good.

Confuscious say: either be patient or become a patient.

[altogetherooky]

2. Request paper ballots (if available)

They were trying to convince people to use the touchscreen at my polling place during the primary. I told everyone in line that we don't know if these machines are programmed to go for someone other than our candidate. I mean, there is no paper trail, for the love of God! I don't even think that election judges should be encouraging a particular type of voting, but I didn't know whom to complain to.

[demodonkey]

3. They are no "glitches", there are FAILURES. (words are important)

"Glitch" is a trivial little thing, even if 10,000 precious votes are lost.

FAILURE is, what it IS -- something bad, that needs to be corrected.

[Melissa G]

4. True That! n/t