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j/k. I agree with you whole-heartedly.
Come see TV from the reality-based community at RealityBasedTV.com
by MarkInSanFran on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 02:13:21 AM PDT
[ Parent ]
I am the decider.
As teacherken is for his. And you are for yours. And every other voter is for her or his.
"Do not lie and do not do what you hate." (Gospel of Thomas) - quoted by Tom Foxps. MD=Maryland
by KJC MD on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 02:18:51 AM PDT
That's what the j/k means.
by geordie on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 05:18:11 AM PDT
or ESS machine, you might be the decider.
"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower in a letter to his brother Edgar, November 8, 1954
by LostInTexas on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 06:11:39 AM PDT
new ballot readers.
The ballot readers have a counter on the left side. Read the counter BEFORE and AFTER inserting your ballot to see that your ballot is counted.
by SingleVoter on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 08:07:29 AM PDT
if it appears that your vote was not counted?
"We *can* go back to the Dark Ages! The crust of learning and good manners and tolerance is so thin!" -- Sinclair Lewis
by Nespolo on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 09:23:23 AM PDT
the number of pieces of paper fed into it? I suspect that counter protects your vote like those little radiation badges protect people from zoomies. "I just put your badge in the reader ... you're f-cked."
John McCain: He's not just crazy ... He's BATSHIT CRAZY!
by kbman on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 09:54:54 AM PDT
counts. Apparently you can scan whatever ballots you want, but unless you do a statistically significant and random hand count, changing the result on an optical scanner is as easy as changing the result on an electronic machine. And ballots can still be stuffed anyway. What they need is optical ballots with a some distinguishable mark (unique precinct stamp, thumbprint of poll worker - whatever...) that can prove the ballot came from the precinct.
Anyway optical counters are stupid when you could just have a public hand count of the ballots when the polls close like they do in Canada. It's even faster, open to the public, and way harder to cheat.
"We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." ~ Barack Obama
by Reality Bites Back on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 10:29:06 AM PDT
But can that be privatized and contracted to GOP-friendly corporations? After all, that is The [new] American Way.
by kbman on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 10:40:54 AM PDT
having people mark a paper ballot by hand. They put it in a simple box. Before voting, the box can be inspected by the public and shown to be empty, then the lid is closed and locked. At the end of voting, anyone who wants can gather around and the box is unlocked and the ballots hand counted by the poll workers as the public watches - and feel free to bring your video cameras. Each ballot can be verified by at least 2 people to ensure it is accurately recorded. When that is completed, you add up the votes and there is your verified, public, open, accurate count. In large precincts, there can be several boxes and multiple counting tables, all completely observable by the public.
Nothing is hidden, and it somehow takes less time than it does here, especially as there is no question as to the secret machine code, machines registering negative vote totals, and machines staying over at people's houses the week before the election. Not to mention what happens to the votes when they get transmitted to tabulators.
by Reality Bites Back on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 11:00:15 AM PDT
I was being facetious. Like saying, "but how can the Republicans steal office if we do something like you propose?" I was making your point from another [sarcastic] direction.
by kbman on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 11:05:32 AM PDT
/snark
Good point though - there would literally have to be an effort to avoid having even that process privatized by GOP cronies claiming it would be more "cost effective" somehow to have corporations with trade-secret protected proprietary hand vote counting technology hand count the ballots...
by Reality Bites Back on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 11:45:16 AM PDT
so i figured i'd beat the rush of folks coming out on the 29th to vote for edwards like i did. the last debate left me with no doubt who i feel will fight for WE the people, and ME the person. hrc has been scratched off of any possibility of ever getting my vote, even for dogcatcher. i've known for years about her position on wal-marts board and to me anyone, ANYONE who has EVER worked for wal-mart in the capacity of an attorney, in particular- well i'll put it this way, no lawyer having sat on wal-marts board can NEVER sit here and tell me now that they give a fuck about the little guy. wal-mart has never been about the little guy, so it is in direct opposition to all of this "concern" she claims to have now. she needs to take her billy and go the fuck home...
impeach-it does the body good impeachment-it isn't just for blow jobs anymore impeachment-i can say no more i expect no less
by playtonjr on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 04:41:47 PM PDT
When HRC was on the Wal-Mart board, Sam Walton was a proponent of "Buy USA". Almost everything that was in Wal-Mart at the time was made in the USA. It was when Sam died that the kids went to China for the crap Wal-Mart sells now. Looking to expand their wealth that Sam worked for all his life. He wasn't the greatest boss mind you, but it was a "Buy America' thing.
She has a tongue that could clip a hedge
by TX Scotia on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 05:04:45 PM PDT
and I live, we DO vote on Diebold machines - with no paper trail. That is supposed to be changing, but not in time for the November election. And we have a Democrat to blame for buying them, too.
by Lujane on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 08:38:29 AM PDT
Teacherken lives in Virginia, as he stated at the beginning. For some reason I thought he lived here - maybe this is where he teaches?
by Lujane on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 08:40:01 AM PDT
live in Arlington VA
Those who can, do. Those who can do more, TEACH! If impeachment is off the table, so is democracy
by teacherken on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 11:13:38 AM PDT
That takes real dedication - of course your dedication and passion have shown through in your diaries. I used to live in Greenbelt and teach in Landover, but didn't have the classroom management skills to be effective with the students I had. I admire those who are successful at it - we need more of you.
by Lujane on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 07:30:47 PM PDT
if I am not dropping my wife off on Capitol Hill where she works, I have a 25 mile drive, and do not hit my first light until I am less than 1/2 mile to school, then have only a total of two lights.
Going home it is 4 lights, but on two of them I can sometimes get away with a right turn on red depending upon traffic. It is not bad. There are teachers who live in Maryland who have longer (mileage and/or time - mine takes about 35 minutes most days) commutes than do I.
by teacherken on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 07:36:32 PM PDT
Absentee ballots leave a paper trail and while the optical scanners that read them can be tampered with, the ballots themselves can hand counted in a challenge situation.
by Flint on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 09:43:15 AM PDT
because I am an election judge, but sometimes I wonder if the absentee ballots are actually counted.
by Lujane on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 07:32:36 PM PDT
Colorado just banned those machines.
Six other states banned them because they were proven to be flipping votes.
The Republican primary in SC just had tremendous problems with them.
So what machines are going to be used in the Dem primary on Saturday? The same machines of course!
I really can't stand the bickering between Hillary's and Obama's campaigns, but to use these machines is just going to be an invitation to all out war between them no matter who wins.
by Flint on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 08:53:02 PM PDT
who has come out for a ban on DRE voting machines is Edwards. Elizabeth said she'd make it one of her top three priorities to rid the country of black box voting. I don't know about you, but we sure as hell need more than just a paper trail.
Edwards Democrats and Progressives Unite! Visit us at EENR Blog
by sarahlane on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 09:19:39 AM PDT
This is one of the strongest reasons that I support Edwards and will continue to do so.
Edwards has lead where others follow and he not only has said what he will do on the issues in a comprehensive form, but stated how he will accomplish his plans, how he will fund them, and unlike most politicians... he put it in writing.
The Plan to build One America http://www.johnedwards.com/...
by Flint on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 09:48:37 AM PDT
... international absentee votes in Ohio in 2004, so even voting on paper is no guarantee. Thank god we have an honest Secretary of State this time, may she watch over her shoulder.
Pssst ... the Midnight Oil is burning ... drop by sometime. Pass it on
by BruceMcF on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 10:51:33 AM PDT
We just moved out to Delaware county and we're hoping its better here.
What a change from the NYC "pull the lever" machines. There was something so comforting about them.
by jm taylor on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 03:15:03 PM PDT
wide narrow
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