Is mainstream media beginning to get it on voting machines?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0330-22.htm

<snip>

Even Texas voters couldn’t ignore the fact that an initial ballot tally in Ft. Worth showed 150,000 votes “. . . even though there were only one-third that many voters,” according to USA Today.

The conservative Republican candidate for the Texas Supreme Court believes he was the legitimate winner in a race he "officially" seems to have lost. Various reports indicate there were vote counts in the election that were, like many in Ohio 2004, simply not credible.

On March 23 the Times editorialized in support of a unanimous resolution by the Maryland legislature to dump Diebold touchscreens and use opti-scan paper-based systems instead. The move "is just the latest indication that common sense is starting to prevail in the battle over electronic voting," said the Times.

The USA Today article featured a graph showing the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to install electronic voting machines in key states such as California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
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[RufusEarl]

1. I was one of those voters here in Fort Worth, Texas

what i found funny about this was this statement:

"The conservative Republican candidate for the Texas Supreme Court believes he was the legitimate winner in a race he "officially" seems to have lost".

Die-bold screws republican, that should be the headline in tomorrows local paper. All these repughs were happy with Die-bold until one of them lost, now listen to them holler!!

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

4. I'm in Arlington...

...we need a home grown, grassroots movement to get rid of the voting machines in Texas.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. So who did the conservative Republican lose to?

A Corporatist Republican?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

6. Here's a blurb from and a link to the USA Today...

...article Fitrakis and Wasserman referenced:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-03-27-voting-machines_x.htm

<snip>
In Fort Worth, an initial ballot count showed about 150,000 votes even though there were only one-third that many voters, says David Rogers, campaign manager for the candidate, Steve Smith. And in San Angelo, balky new equipment and a close local race led to a recount that was halted after it appeared some votes were missing.

A spokesman for the secretary of state's office, Scott Haywood, says human factors accounted for any glitches, and they have been fixed. "Anytime you are using a new system, officials have to get used to it," he says. "Our biggest focus now is to increase training."

---------------------------

Here's a another link with more details:


http://salcostello.statesmanblogs.com/entry.aspx?q=b162329f-783d-469a-b5da-978601370a53

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Nothing says who Willet is, but the implication is that he is the

annointed insurance & money interest candidate. Am I right?

Are the fascists now trying to fix the elections to favor the corporatists over the conservatives? Are the real republicans losing out to the fascists in the primaries now?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

8. Here's a snippet from...

...WFAA.com Dallas Ft-Worth news: (requires reqistration)

In the contested Supreme Court primary, Justice Don Willett appeared likely to defeat Steve Smith, a former justice who ran as a Republican maverick. Mr. Smith tried to compensate for a huge fundraising deficit, but it looked unlikely that he would repeat his upset of 2002, when he ousted a justice appointed by Gov. Rick Perry.

Justice Willett, who once spearheaded President Bush's faith-based initiatives, raised almost $900,000 for the campaign, according to state records. Mr. Smith reported only $250 in outside donations.

"Victory is victory," Justice Willett said. "Anything above 50.01 percent, we'll accept with gladness, gusto and gratitude."

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Doesn't tell all that much about Willet and I don't know anything about him. What you surmise wouldn't surprise me in the least. There clearly was something very wrong with this election.

[0007]

2. I think so, and things are starting to look up.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

3. I Think Very Few People Really Get It

Outside of DU, a handful of online sources and articles, and perhaps Keith Olbermann, there are very few people who understand what has occurred in the last few elections.

Our so called Democracy is a J-O-K-E.

[jansu]

9. Now they are sore losers. But good for America.

Like it is something new, instead of what we have been talking about since 2000. We were called whiners and sore losers then and in 2004. Interesting, they are also very upset with E-Voting Since Discovering Hugo Chavez May Own Sequoia Voting Systems!more here: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002632.htm#More/

Payback is such a bitch!

Hand counts are the only way to go. Yes, there will always be some criminal elements, those who are against true Democracy, those who only care which side wins, who will do a little damage, but not nearly as much as a good hacker can do, or a Republican company. After all, our neighbor to the north, Canada, hand counts their votes. Why should Canada have fairer elections than us? more at:
http://www.lastbastionofreason.com/2006/03/30/republicans-cry-foul/#more-85/

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

11. "Hand counts are the only way to go. " I agree...

...I can't conceive of ever being comfortable with the machines after '00 and '04.

[yurbud]

10. not just getting, allowed to print

They should have run the story in 2000.