KDKA (Pittsburgh, PA): Voters Experiencing Difficulty With New Machines

[Penndems]

Cross-posted from the Pennsylvania board:


(KDKA/AP) PITTSBURGH The polls are open, but voting machine problems have been reported at several polling places in Allegheny County.

County elections officials are not saying what's wrong or how long it will take to fix the problems.

Technical issues are preventing voters from casting ballots at the following locations:

(UPDATE: 4 of 5 machines repaired) St. Thomas Church, Gibsonia (Richland District 4)

Whitehall Methodist Church, Weyman Road, Whitehall Borough

Christina Church Assembly of God, Bethel Church Road, Bethel Park

Robinson Elementary School, Route 60, Robinson Township

New Wilmington, American Legion Hall, Route 158.

Addison Hall, 2136 Elmore Square, Hill District

Vann School, 631 Watt Street, Hill District

Emory United Methodist Church, 3225 North Highland Avenue, East Liberty

Cuddy Fire Hall, Millers Run Road, South Fayette Township

Berkeley Hills Fire Hall, Ross Township, Ward 1- District 1

Lemington Elementary School, Lemington Avenue, Lincoln-Larimer

Presbyterian Church, Hay and Biddle Street, Wilkinsburg

South Hills Assembly of God, 2725 Bethel Church Road, Bethel Park (paper ballots are being used)
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Link:
http://kdka.com/local/local_story_311074032.html

[Orrex]

1. "not saying what's wrong or how long it will take to fix"

Nice. They should just say "Stay home until we tell you to come out and vote, folks!"

[Penndems]

2. Pittsburgh is Rick Santorum's home base

It seems very odd that they're having problems there.

BTW, there also seems to be voting glitches in Lebanon County, PA:

http://www.pennlive.com/elections/patriotnews/blogs/index.ssf?/mtlogs/penn_election/archives/2006_11.html#201834

They're keeping the polls up an extra hour there.

I need to post this in the Pennsylvania Forum.

[cnlst8]

3. Please, I'm from Pittsburgh and he is not like here.

I even know one of Santorum's neighbor near his Penn Hills home, which he rarely goes to unless for political intent, and he said a number of ppl there were disgusted to see him back there during Trick-or-Treat. Santorum brought O'Reilly camera crew with him for photo-ops with the local kids (who could care less). Lame PR stunt.

[Penndems]

4. Sorry - I meant to say that Pittsburgh is where Santorum votes

and claims to be a citizen there.

[Orrex]

7. Yeah, I'm in Pittsburgh

The thing about Santorum is that people who hate him hate him for specific reasons that can be spelled out clearly. People who support him do so "because he's pro-family values" or "he's done a lot of (unnamed) things for Pennsylvania." No one who takes a close and open-eyed look at him can continue to support him.

[aquart]

5. I want these machines in landfill.

[Penndems]

8. The Pennsylvania GOP wants them shut down and impounded

Here's the statement they released:

PAGOP: VOTING MACHINES FAILING ACROSS THE STATE - 11/7/2006

Nov. 7, 2006 Contact: Scott Migli, Executive Director

For Immediate Release [phone]


PAGOP: VOTING MACHINES FAILING ACROSS THE STATE


HARRISBURG – Republican State Committee Chairman Robert A. Gleason Jr. issued the following statement after hearing reports that voting machines have been malfunctioning across the Commonwealth.


“We need to make sure this election is fair and that every single Pennsylvania voter gets an opportunity to cast their ballot. Machine failures are occurring in various parts of the state, and we need to take the appropriate steps to ensure an accurate vote. The Pennsylvania Republican State Committee advises the following actions be taken:


1. Counties should impound and take out of service all affected machines and turn them off.
2. These defective machines need to be replaced.
3. Do not recalibrate the defective machines. This will affect the integrity of the vote count from the defective machine, because once these machines are recalibrated the evidence of the defect and the miscast votes due to machine error will be lost forever.
4. The affected counties should start using emergency paper ballots where the machines are defective, which is the remedy provided for in the Pennsylvania Election Code.
5. Counties should not extend voting hours, but if they do voters who cast ballots after 8 pm need to vote by provisional ballot.

###

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Link:
http://www.politicspa.com/pressreleasedetailed.asp?id=7456

[aquart]

9. Finally. Something to be bipartisan about.

Support those Republicans!

[Boo Boo]

6. Boy, that sure is a lot of locations. What'd they do, upgrade the

software without testing it? Wonder what the demographic breakdown of those districts is.