Midterm Elections-Early voting in Florida shows machine problems, votes for Democrats registering Republican instead!

Disturbing wouldnt you say?

Several South Florida voters say the choices they touched on the electronic screens were not the ones that appeared on the review screen -- the final voting step.

Election officials say they aren't aware of any serious voting issues. But in Broward County, for example, they don't know how widespread the machine problems are because there's no process for poll workers to quickly report minor issues and no central database of machine problems.

In Miami-Dade, incidents are logged and reported daily and recorded in a central database. Problem machines are shut down.

''In the past, Miami-Dade County would send someone to correct the machine on site,'' said Lester Sola, county supervisor of elections. Now, he said, ``We close the machine down and put a seal on it.''

Debra A. Reed voted with her boss on Wednesday at African-American Research Library and Cultural Center near Fort Lauderdale. Her vote went smoothly, but boss Gary Rudolf called her over to look at what was happening on his machine. He touched the screen for gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis, a Democrat, but the review screen repeatedly registered the Republican, Charlie Crist.

That's exactly the kind of problem that sends conspiracy theorists into high gear -- especially in South Florida, where a history of problems at the polls have made voters particularly skittish.

A poll worker then helped Rudolf, but it took three tries to get it right, Reed said.

''I'm shocked because I really want . . . to trust that the issues with irregularities with voting machines have been resolved,'' said Reed, a paralegal. ``It worries me because the races are so close.''

Broward Supervisor of Elections spokeswoman Mary Cooney said it's not uncommon for screens on heavily used machines to slip out of sync, making votes register incorrectly. Poll workers are trained to recalibrate them on the spot -- essentially, to realign the video screen with the electronics inside. The 15-step process is outlined in the poll-workers manual.

''It is resolved right there at the early-voting site,'' Cooney said.

Broward poll workers keep a log of all maintenance done on machines at each site. But the Supervisor of Elections office doesn't see that log until the early voting period ends. And a machine isn't taken out of service unless the poll clerk decides it's a chronic poor performer that can't be fixed.

Say it with me people, HIGHER TECHNOLOGY IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER!

Paper trails, RELIABLE machines-is it too much to ask?

IF this is already happening, i hate to think of what we'll see on Election day itself!  My blood runs cold!

And of course we "conspiracy theorists" are ALL in high gear, in Florida and everywhere else!  If you see anything to make you think your vote is not  being counted, SAY SO!  The only way we'll make it through this election with a semblance of integrity is if we all keep our eyes peeled for ANY abuse of the system, or unreliable machines.

We cant allow our system of government to be at the mercy of corperations who make voting machines, yet ignore flaws, or election precincts that are denied the machines they need, unfairly targeting minority areas.  lets not let them win this one!

Share this post on:

 •    •    •    •    •