Reply #18: EAC report on problems with lever machines in 2004 [View All]

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

Can a lever machine produce undervotes? YES. The lever for any ballot item can be jammed.
The EAC reported this happened on levers in the 2004 election.

From the EAC report:

14b. Broken counter
A malfunction of a lever voting machine that renders the machine incapable of counting additional votes on any votable position

14d. Printer failure
A malfunction or interruption of the printer hardware, software, or mechanical components consti-tuting the mechanism for creating a printed result of all contests voted (includes printers on electronic and mechanical lever voting machines).

For lever machines, reasons for equipment malfunctions included stuck levers, incorrect ballot strips, broken curtain mechanisms, and printer failures (e.g., printer unplugged). For punch cards, reasons for equipment malfunctions included voter units not recognized (computer failure), data pack failures, broken counters, and ballot cards not punched through.

See
http://www.eac.gov/clearinghouse/docs/eds2004/eds-2004-part-2-chapter-11/attachment_download/file.