Blogged by Brad on the road…
“Primary voting-machine troubles raise concerns for ’06” is the headline on the front page of today’s USA Today. The article even quotes regular BRAD BLOG Guest blogger John Gideon of VotersUnite.org.
Here’s their lede…
“There’s a lot of evidence that some of those fears are coming to pass,” says Doug Chapin, president of Electionline.org, a non-partisan group that studies elections. “The theory that new technology results in error seems to be borne out early in the process.”
The article is mostly stuff that regular BRAD BLOG readers are likely familiar with while the MSM is still busy playing catch-up on these matters. (Who could have forseen such troubles, after all?)
The Voting Machine Industry and Elections Officials, are, in general, still in denial mode — blaming “human error” for the “glitches”. That too will change over time as the MSM realizes they’re being sold a bill of good when they report such things within that phony framework.
The story covers briefly, USA Today-style, the many troubles in the IL primaries (previously covered by BRAD BLOG here), including the 400+ missing Sequoia Memory Cards in IL (previously covered by BRAD BLOG here), the 100,000 extra votes added by Hart InterCivic and ES&S machines in Tarrant County, TX (previously covered by BRAD BLOG here and here), the TX Sec. of State’s shutdown of a recount in Tom Green County, TX (previously covered by BRAD BLOG here) and the former Conservative Republican (they don’t mention that part) Supreme Court Justice preparing to challenge the election in TX (previously covered by BRAD BLOG here — with more to come very shortly on this, btw!)
From the 2 states to have disastrous primaries so far, USA Today also looks forward to the 48 more still ahead of us, noting that “10 states hold primaries in May, including Pennsylvania, which is scrambling to train voters and poll workers.”
And our man Gideon, ever the eternal pessimist (can’t image why) is then quoted as follows:
No worries. Plenty of Election Officials and Voting Machine Vendor spokesfolks are quoted in more detail to let us know that everything is perfectly under control.
Wonder if they’ll get into the whole deal about how 2004 was RIDDLED with this kind of crap, or if they’ll just keep that on the QT (since they burried it then and would look pretty assinine now for not blaring that trumpet then).
Perhaps we’ll get something changed before the 2006 elections.. but I’m not holding my breath. Probably not till the ’08 Presidentials.. then we can get a Dem in the big chair (who can’t do shit because we’ll still have all the Pugs pulling all the strings). Maybe (s)he’ll get impeached for a hummer too..
Front page huh?
Well it’s ABOUT F**KIN TIME!!!
(I still say it’s too bad some industrious young hacker couldn’t turn the tables in a couple of these races and make the least favored candidate win 100 percent of the vote, just for grins and publicity)
Any of the rest of the "6 or 7" of y’all feeling the urge to write letters to the editor and point them towards the information that’s been posted on bradblog regarding this issue for THE PAST TWO YEARS OR SO???
I saw this the other day on another thread but now I’m really worried,Where the hell is Doug Eldritch? Hes usually all over these stories ,I haven’t seen him around in at least 2 weeks. Anybody hear from him?
Did something happen that I missed?
From http://www.usatoday.com:
There are two ways to comment on editorials, columns or other topics in USA TODAY, or on any subject important to you:
• Write a letter to editor@usatoday.com. Please include address and daytime phone numbers for verification.
• Submit an opinion piece to The Forum, USA TODAY’s op-ed page. Please consult our guidelines.
Any submission to USA TODAY may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.
… we are the BLOG … resistance is futile …
Kestrel,
Thanks for the USA Today email address.
I sent a thank you letter to Mr. Grimm, who wrote the Miami Herald article on Ion Sancho, but I have to echo you & Savanster on this one.
I’m glad to see it on their front page.. FINALLY!!.. but this article strikes me as kind of like putting a bandaid on someone’s knee as they bleed to death from several gunshot wounds.
Still, a response from 6 or 7 couldn’t hurt. We need to let them know we’re paying attention.
We face many problems and many solutions are proposed. I see little chance for correcting most of these problems unless we can have honest elections. Imagine little old me on the west coast able to "adjust" the vote count in an Ohio precinct through my computer, sending recount instructions to the voting machine unknown by poll workers. Modems in computerized voting machines, responding to cell phones make it possible…and likely.