Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
As should be expected by anyone who follows elections as closely as we do, the news today is again full of articles from Sarasota Co., Florida where the counties paperless ES&S voting machines failed to register over 18,000 votes for a 13th Congressional District race. ES&S and the county elections director are, of course, blaming the problem on the voters just not wanting to vote in the race. Meanwhile the media is full of anecdotal evidence that the machines failed to register votes in that race. The lesson is that Never, NEVER should the decision of who wins a race come down to a decision made by a voting machine. Never! NEVER should a voting machine be part of the decision. If the voters don’t want to vote in a race then it’s their decision and there should be no doubt that was their decision. A paper ballot gives us that information. A box with circuitry and software gives us nothing. We need to take the box out of the decision process….
NAtional: Sequoia Voting System Failure Means Votes Counted Twice in NJ County LINK
NAtional: ES&S Voting Machines Fail Again: More Votes than Voters in Arkansas, Thousands of Votes Missing in Florida and Zero Votes Recorded for One Mayoral Candidate LINK
NAtional: E-voting worries focus on failures, not fraud LINK
NAtional: Ballot Roulette
Computer scientists and mathematicians look for better ways to vote LINK
AR: Poinsett County – Candidate: Zero Vote Tally Off – by 1 LINK
AZ: Maricopa County – ‘Early’ ballots cast late slow counting process LINK
CA: Riverside County – Time to admit mistake LINK
CA: Ventura County – Absentee voting rate increasing in county
Rising trend slows down count for local offices LINK
CO: Opinion – What went wrong in Denver LINK
CO: Montrose County ““ Editorial – The damage is done; time for an investigation LINK
CO: Montrose County – City wants independent inquiry into election LINK
FL: Confidence up in election process
Voters mostly satisfied with experience, state survey finds LINK
FL: Palm Beach County ““ Columnist – Goodman: Sarasota shows we need a voter-verified paper trail LINK
FL: Sarasota County – The Sarasota Triangle: Why America Needs to Examine the Election in Florida’s 13th District LINK
FL: Sarasota County audit to begin Monday, state officials say LINK
FL: Sarasota County – Dent will back machines with trail LINK
FL: Sarasota County – Vote machines spark uproar in Sarasota
Without paper trail, recount may prove nothing about touch-screens LINK
FL: Sarasota County – The 2000 recount is fresh in the mind of Jennings lawyer LINK
FL: Sarasota County – How did we end up here again? LINK
FL: Sarasota County – Work begins for recount LINK
FL: Sarasota County – Unclear ballot? Glitch? Maybe both, experts say LINK
FL: Sarasota County – PFAW Foundation Urges Sarasota County Not to Certify Results of Disputed Race in Florida’s 13th Congressional District LINK
ID: Dems critical of Idaho election officials LINK
IN: Vanderburgh County ““ Editorial – Smooth Election LINK
KY: Complaints about state’s voting machines may lead to modification LINK
MD: Pols this year specialized in voter harassment LINK
PA: Lebanon County – Officials solve election problem
Programming error won’t return, they say LINK
TN: Buy more voting machines
The delays on Election Day should not be repeated again. LINK
TX: Newfangled machines, old-fashioned voters lead to election night delays LINK
VA: Vote counters will take accuracy over speed
Use of electronic tallying last week wasn’t as fast as some expected it would be LINK
VA: Montgomery County – Pursue more voting upgrades than just the ‘Ding!’
Dings are nice, but a paper trail would be nicer LINK
WI: Voting places seek new help
As aging poll workers retire, schools, charities asked to recruit replacements LINK
**”Daily Voting News” is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in “Daily Voting News” may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**
Is anybody running exit polling off of the voter lists to test for undervoting rates?
AMEN,… Mr. Gideon.
Perhaps there should be an attempt to get a judge to stay the use of those vote tallies in counties/precincts where there are more votes than citizens or registered voters. At least that might bring the issue to the t.v. sets of America, so all of America can see the enormity of this problem. Well, I can dream can’t I?
When did America get the mindset that no matter what happens in an election, we just have to accept the results for the good of the country? Are we the only idiots in the world that do this?
The only thing relevant about voting machines is whether they are faith based or whether they are science based.
That is, are they mathmatically verifiable like an ATM?
Whether there is fraud or not is irrelevant and a straw man argument.
It is more promising to point out whether they work and are secure or not, and point it out well. Otherwise one may become exposed to the plague of rancor.
There was a 7% discrepancy in the Democratic margin between the final pre-election Generic Poll trend (15%) and the Final 2006 National Exit Poll (8%)!
In 2004, there was ALSO a 7% discrepancy between the 12:22am 13047-respondent NEP (51 Kerry-47 Bush) and the 2pm Final (48 Kerry-51 Bush) of 13660 respondents).
The 2006 Generic pre-election projection is based on the final 116-poll trend line: 57.5D – 42.5R, a 15% Democratic margin.
http://www.pollingreport.com/2006.htm
The Democrats won ALL 116 Generic Polls from Sept. 2005 to Nov.6, 2006.
The Democratic trend line had a POSITIVE slope.
The Republican trend line was FLAT.
Calculate the 116-poll Generic trend line final projection:
Dem = 51.84% = .0419x + 46.98 = .0419*116 + 46.98 = 4.86 + 46.98
Rep = 38.60% = .0047x + 38.06 = .0047*116 + 38.06 = 0.54 + 38.06
The 2-party projection: 57.5%D – 42.5%R
Dem = 57.5% = 51.84/(51.84+38.60) = 51.84/90.18
Rep = 42.5%
http://www.geocities.com/electi...1_image001.png
In the Final 2006 National Exit Poll (13251 respondents), updated on CNN at 1pm Nov.8:
The 14-category average national vote share was 53.94D-45.88D
The 2-party average was 54.0D-46.0R, an 8% Democratic margin.
There was a 7% discrepancy between the Generic poll and Final NEP.
Given the overwhelming anecdotal evidence of vote miscounts, we are justified in assuming that the FINAL 116 pre-election GENERIC POLL trend is a more accurate indicator of how people voted than the FINAL NATIONAL EXIT POLL, which was CONTAMINATED AS SOON AS IT WAS MATCHED TO THE MISCOUNTED VOTE.
Next we shall determine a FEASIBLE SET of Exit Poll WEIGHTS and VOTE SHARES for three demographic categories in order TO MATCH WITHIN 0.5% of the FINAL Generic poll trend line.
________________________________________________
FINAL National Exit Poll
CNN Update: 1pm, Nov. 8
13,251 respondents
VOTED 2004 (adjusted)
Match weights to TRUE 2004 vote
……Mix Dem Rep
Kerry 50% 94% 6% (91D-8R in 2004: 12:22am NEP)
Bush 45% 15% 85% (10D-90R)
Other 1% 75% 25% (71D-21R)
None 4% 65% 35%
Total 100% 57.1% 42.9%
PARTY ID (adjusted)
2004 NEP (12:22am): 38D/35R/27I
……Mix Dem Rep
Dem 40% 94% 6% (90D-9R in 2004: 12:22am NEP)
Rep 33% 10% 90% (7D-92R)
Ind 27% 60% 40% (52D-44R)
Total 100% 57.1% 42.9%
GENDER (adjusted)
2004 weights: 53.5F-46.5M
…….Mix Dem Rep
Male 47% 55% 45% (52R-47D in 2004 12:22am NEP)
Female 53% 59% 41% (54D-45R)
Total 100% 57.1% 42.9%
____________________________________________________
FINAL EXIT POLL (actual)
CNN Update: 1pm, Nov. 8
13,251 respondents
DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS
Category……..Dem GOP Margin
AVERAGE………53.94% 45.88% 8.05%
Gender……….52.55% 44.96% 7.59%
Race/Gender…..53.62% 46.38% 7.25%
Race…………54.35% 45.65% 8.69%
Age………….53.86% 46.14% 7.72%
Income……….54.26% 45.74% 8.51%
Education…….53.80% 46.20% 7.60%
PartyID………53.79% 46.21% 7.59%
Ideology……..53.60% 46.40% 7.19%
Religion……..53.75% 46.25% 7.49%
Voted 2004….. 53.22% 46.78% 6.43%
When Decided….55.08% 44.92% 10.16%
Size…………53.80% 46.20% 7.59%
Region……….53.78% 46.22% 7.57%
Voted-Senate….55.67% 44.33% 11.34%
____________________________________________________
GENDER
…….. Mix Dem GOP
Male 49% 50% 47%
Female 51% 55% 43%
Total 52.6% 45.0%
2-pty 53.9% 46.1%
RACE/GENDER
……….. Mix Dem GOP
WM 39% 44% 53%
WF 40% 49% 50%
NWM 9% 75% 23%
NWF 11% 78% 21%
Total 52.1% 45.1%
2-pty 53.6% 46.4%
RACE
………. Mix Dem GOP
White 79% 47% 51%
Black 10% 89% 10%
Latino 8% 69% 30%
Asian 2% 62% 37%
Other 2% 55% 42%
Total 53.9% 45.3%
2-pty 54.4% 45.6%
AGE
………. Mix Dem GOP
18-29 12% 60% 38%
30-44 24% 53% 45%
45-59 34% 53% 46%
60+ 29% 50% 48%
Total 52.4% 44.9%
2-pty 53.9% 46.1%
INCOME
……. Mix Dem GOP
in re Sarasota (FL-13) There is not another race in the United States where that degree of undervote for congress against ballots where every other race was voted. Not even in races where the congress race was UNCONTESTED!!!
There isn’t a non-Republican judge in America who would allow the results in the FL-13 to stand when it is clear that corruption or total system failure could disenfranchise as many as 18,000 voters. Every single voter who can show that they voted on that day should be allowed to RE-VOTE — that is the only equitable solution. The records exist for this — it’s not hard. The only question is whether anybody in Florida gives a damn about Democracy enough to make sure it happens.
P.S. What happened to Ohio? There is a major recount there, no?
We won. Get over it.
🙂
One thing is crystal clear: The EVM’s MUST GO! If we don’t rid ourselves of these intentionally vulnerable, hackable voting machines now, we will have another solen presidential race in 08. This democracy can not afford to lose one more of our constitutional rights….after all, voting appears to be the only one we have left at this point.
These machines were intentionally created to be vulnerable and hackable, don’t kid yourselves. At the same time, everyone needs to pressure this new congress to make the resurrection of a verifiable, paper, (albiet maybe old-fashioned) voting system de rigeur by 08. If they fail to do so, then they will have not listened to the mandate of the people who just elected them.
We all need to do our part and write to our congressmen to “fix” this horrendously faulty, broken system which has been called the “hallmark of a democracy”….that is ‘free and fair elections”…..even in Iraq. In Iraq we had armed guards ensuring that the elections were not corrupt; here we fail to protect the votes of our own people by continuing to be in denial about the corruptibility of these horrific, tamperable machines.