Voting

[Mark_Henderson]

When I voted this afternoon, the mean age of the people manning my polling place was about 78. Although there was a short line, I waited for five minutes because the lady checking people in, after repeatedly going through the list of names, told the woman in front of me that she wasn't registered -- before finally locating her name. The poll worker then had trouble finding my name until someone came over and told her, "Gladys, that's Cypress Street with a 'C'." Gladys then said to me, "Ok, you're Soledad?" and started to check off the name of a woman who lives in my building. If Soledad had my beard or baldness pattern, I'm guessing she wouldn't go out much.

Isn't it kind of shocking how half-assed the voting process is to elect the leader of the free world. No ID was required, so anyone could show up claiming to be me, or anyone from the neighborhood who's appeared in the obituaries in the last four years.

There are something like 3,600 counties in the US and they all administer the elections differently. The people who are in charge of counting the ballots are generally partisan political appointees. When I think about it, I'm actually surprised that Florida, 2000 type issues haven't come up more often.

Many Americans like to think that our system of democracy is the best, but don't you that some pretty obvious improvements can be made with this?

[Annihilus]

It was a breeze where I live - though you are right about the age of the people manning the polls (my grandparent's age). Funny enough, the one kid with the N-Z list couldn't have been any more than 18.

I drove into the parking lot, showed my ID (which was required) and voted - pulling out of the parking lot about 10-12 minutes later. It was a breeze.

[PA_PATS_FAN54*]

me and my wife waited in line for over 2 1/2 hours. People in other counties where giving up after waiting for over 4 hours.
It is unfathomable that in this day and age the voting process is at best severely out dated in 75% of the country.

[bideau]

It does amaze me that we can't invest money into a voting system that's both unform and reliable.

I hear worries about using computer technology to speed up the process and make the vote counting accurate and quick. People worry about glitches and hacking. But yet, everyday, we trust these computers to handle trillions of dollars worth of transactions without giving it a second thought.

A reliable, safe, accurate and hack proof system can be implemented if we're willing to invest in it. It's about time we move into the modern world.

[Annihilus]

Originally posted by bideau

A reliable, safe, accurate and hack proof system can be implemented if we're willing to invest in it. It's about time we move into the modern world.

Amen buddy - there's absolutely no reason this system can't be updated, and no excuse for it really. It's pretty incredible to think that I can pay someone for an item purchased on eBay electronically and they have the funds directly deposited into their bank account in one day, yet we are still voting on paper ballots and hand counting them weeks (or months) later.

You'd have thought that someone would have figured this out four years ago.

[PA_PATS_FAN54*]

lol I wish we had paper ballots here! In PA we still have to use the lever system. 3 booths for our district 3 freakin booths

[bideau]

Originally posted by Annihilus
Amen buddy - there's absolutely no reason this system can't be updated, and no excuse for it really. It's pretty incredible to think that I can pay someone for an item purchased on eBay electronically and they have the funds directly deposited into their bank account in one day, yet we are still voting on paper ballots and hand counting them weeks (or months) later.

You'd have thought that someone would have figured this out four years ago.

Unfortunately, I think there are two main issues. First is money. It would be a monumental expense to implement and then maintain. The cost would probably have to be shared between all levels of government from federal down to local.

Second, put the government in charge of something like this and its bound to be screwed up. Which company would get the contract to design and implement this. We'd be talking billions of dollars of revenue.

[Undertaker #59]

The should AT LEAST move up to the technology of the 60s and use punch cards. Get some automation.

[bideau]

Originally posted by Undertaker #59
The should AT LEAST move up to the technology of the 60s and use punch cards. Get some automation.

Hanging chads, my friend, hanging chads :sulk:

[Annihilus]

Originally posted by bideau
Unfortunately, I think there are two main issues. First is money. It would be a monumental expense to implement and then maintain. The cost would probably have to be shared between all levels of government from federal down to local.

Second, put the government in charge of something like this and its bound to be screwed up. Which company would get the contract to design and implement this. We'd be talking billions of dollars of revenue.

I don't disagree with those points at all....yet you still don't hear anyone (at least I don't) even talking about doing it. I find it hard to believe that there isn't a way it could be done in this day and age.

We have brilliant people designing rocket planes to fly rich people out into space, you'd think that there would be someone around with enough brainpower trying to figure out how to improve the election process in the U.S.

[Undertaker #59]

Originally posted by bideau
Hanging chads, my friend, hanging chads :sulk:

True...

Hmm....how about the standardized test things that you use a #2 pencil for? Throw them in the machine. If people can't stay within the lines, and the machine spits it out, it doesn't count (much like it didn't count when you got that answer wrong in school because you were too spastic to stay in the little circle.)

[bideau]

Originally posted by Undertaker #59
True...

Hmm....how about the standardized test things that you use a #2 pencil for? Throw them in the machine. If people can't stay within the lines, and the machine spits it out, it doesn't count (much like it didn't count when you got that answer wrong in school because you were too spastic to stay in the little circle.)

That's what my precinct does. We use a marker to fill in an oval circle. It really sucks when you forget your glasses at home and you're not sure if you're really filling in the right spot.

There's gotta be a major business opportunity here for some entrepeneur.

[Annihilus]

Originally posted by Undertaker #59
True...

Hmm....how about the standardized test things that you use a #2 pencil for? Throw them in the machine. If people can't stay within the lines, and the machine spits it out, it doesn't count (much like it didn't count when you got that answer wrong in school because you were too spastic to stay in the little circle.)

That's what they use in my precinct. As I mentioned before, no waiting in line, in and out in ten minutes. When you're done filling in the little dots with your pen, you go and put it in a little machine (looks a little like a fax machine) where your vote is instantly tabulated. Once the poll closes they have the results right then and there.

[Undertaker #59]

OH.....that's cool!

Mine is stone age. They are filled in using a pencil and marking "X" and all hand counted. :banghead:


But yeah, I don't understand what the big deal is. I could write a program in BASIC and run it on a Commodore VIC 20 from 1982 that could get the job done.

[dchester]

Originally posted by Annihilus
That's what they use in my precinct. As I mentioned before, no waiting in line, in and out in ten minutes. When you're done filling in the little dots with your pen, you go and put it in a little machine (looks a little like a fax machine) where your vote is instantly tabulated. Once the poll closes they have the results right then and there. That's what we use as well, except they're rather large cards (at least 8 1/2 x 11). I think it's a pretty good system. They can be counted by machine, or by hand if needed. They even have a box to fill-in for write-in candidates.
________
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[#1Patsfan_chica]

When I went to vote all the people were old. The good thing was that I went in the morning, there were no lines and I was in and out in about 5 minutes.o:-) :archive: