When Sherry White Battle alleged back in 2003 and again in 2005 that the voting machines used in Norfolk did not properly count votes, her claims were dismissed as being those of a crackpot. I don’t know about 2003, but in the 2005 race, complaints of voters attempting to vote for one candidate and having the vote summary screen show another candidate’s name were certainly reported. I was present at a precinct in Norfolk when a voter came out and complained about it. I do not have a sense of just how widespread this was but it is the reason I support paper-verified voting.
Now from yesterday’s Georgia primary, we get reports of a similar thing happening:
“You’ve got electronic voting machines. Many people called in and shared their concern. They pushed the button for Cynthia McKinney and Hank Johnson came up. It wasn’t one time, it wasn’t two times, it was many, many times,” Karen Fitzpatrick, who has been monitoring elections for US Rep. McKinney’s re-election campaign, told Atlanta Progressive News in an exclusive interview.
Let me repeat: The McKinney Campaign says they have documented complaints of voters here in Georgia whose votes FLIPPED BEFORE THEIR VERY EYES on Diebold machines.
Is everybody crazy? I don’t think so. The bigger question for me is why are those who are in charge of making sure that every vote is properly counted so resistant to paper-verified voting if, in fact, every vote is being properly counted? As a CPA, it is a no-brainer to me. Just as proper recordkeeping requires an audit trail, so should voting. If there is nothing to hide, then why can’t we see proof that the votes have been properly counted?
The Virginia General Assembly had HB 1243 and SB 424 before them this year; both bills were continued to the 2007 session. Now, I understand they had some pretty important work to do during the session this year, like pass the Marshall Newman bill, but I happen to think that the integrity of the voting process is just a bit more important. So I’m putting in my request (again) today: when the session reconvenes next year, please make this a priority.
This great experiment called the United States of America depends on it. Virginia needs to join the 27 states who have deemed paper-verified voting a requirement.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I disagree because of cost reasons but that is not why I am commenting.
I wish you would not call it the “great experiment” of the United States. I know this is a term I have seen before, and I know you do not mean it this way, but it makes it seem like we are temporary or that we do not deserve to be a superpower because we are just an “experiment” that ended up working out. The USA is here to stay and is not an experiment.
The other times I have seen these I believe were in Portfolio Weekly, the free weekly alternative, in reference to something the author did not agree with. The article ended with something like, if this problem is not corrected, then the great American experiment will cease, or something. I do not remember the exact words, obviously or even what the article was about. I just don’t think the USA should be refered to as the “great experiment”.
My precinct in Hampton Roads recently switched to the touchscreen voting. I was very careful to watch where I touched and the result. In one case a different entry was shown than what I was sure I had pushed. I backed up and re-did it without a problem.
But I did figure out what caused the problem. I had touched the name straight on and with my fingertip. Somehow this resulted in the name right below my choice being selected. I assume it had something to do with the closeness of the choices and perhaps a too fat fingertip. I re-did it once with the same result. When I re-did it again, I approached with my fingertip to the side (I came in from the left rather than straight-on) and had no problem at all.
I would like to see some sort of paper trail that would at least reconcile the number of votes on a machine with the number of votes cast. And if an ATM or credit card terminal can spit out a little piece of paper verifying one’s transaction, I can’t imagine why we can’t come up with a relatively cost-effective means of doing the same thing with voting machines. Even when I used to vote on the punch ballot with chads I was able to see my vote counted when I fed it into the machine by the exit door.
BTW, love your blog.
Thank you Vivian for raising this very important issue. I want to be able to know that my public officials are “legitimate” from the President of the US down to my local sheriff. I regularly contact Tim Kaine’s office about this issue. The Democratic party isn’t even trying to create an alternative…one of my main arguments of WHY we need more than 2 parties in this country…(besides the fact that a 2 party system makes it so much easier for the corporations to buy and control our government). If I can get a piece of paper at a gas station I should be able to get a piece of paper to check my results and put in a box for recounts.
And if the printers are “too expensive” go back to the “valid, verifiable” brands of optical scanners.
Virginia is one of only 14 states in our country that is not requiring a paper trial AND does not require audits. Something’s happening here…and “we” are considered a “swing state” in some quarters for this fall election!
Hahahaha. Virginia a swing state!! [Snicker]
hrconservative – The USA has been referred to as “the great experiment” since its inception. Take a minute and Google the phrase – you will find its usage by folks on both sides of the aisle and almost none of them in a derogatory manner. James Garfield in 1881 said “We can not overestimate the fervent love of liberty, the intelligent courage, and the sum of common sense with which our fathers made the great experiment of self-government.” Take a look at this from the conservative side. Too bad you had a negative impression of the phrase. But in an environment where things are constantly changing, I think we can safely say that the experiment of self-goverment is ongoing.
As for the costs – that’s a smokescreen. Do a bit of research before you spout off like that. First and foremost, not all of Virginia has converted to touchscreens yet. The new machines purchased could be required to have paper-verification. Second, the existing machines can be replaced with optical scan machines for far less than it would cost to retrofit the existing machines, which I understand would cost about $10 million statewide – hardly a significant amount in a budget the size of Virginia’s. Finally, how much is it worth to you to know that your vote has been properly counted?
Olivia – you are exactly right. Even without tampering, the machines may not properly register a vote. Oh – and guess who makes ATM machines?
Glad you like the blog 😉 Come back often.
I agree with Vivian, the cost shouldn’t be a reason not to have a paper trail. Americans simply should be able to go to the polls and know that their vote was counted correctly. In cases where the election is close, it is extremely important that all votes are properly counted. Having a paper trail is simply a method that can be used to verify the validity of a vote.
Many people decide not to vote because they feel as though their vote won’t make a difference. That is a shame and more potential voters should not be pushed away from the polls just because they believe their vote might be counted wrong.
I don’t mind paper verification, if it does not cost that much. Hopefully, they can catch those than have not converted to machines yet and make them paper verified. Ten million is still a lot of money though.
Hopefully paper verification would occur before the vote was cast. Otherwise, after someone saw that their vote was cast wrong, it would be too late. I don’t believe there would be tampering, but with these touch streens, it is easy to make a mistake on the heat-sensored pad. I can see someone casting wrong that way, but then getting the slip of paper after they vote. By that point, it may be too late, unless Virginia allows you to go back.