WV recounts showing serious machine/paper discrepancies, Dems have no faith in the machines!

[Stevepol]

RECOUNT UNDERWAY IN TAYLOR COUNTY ELECTION
Karen Kiley

Dave Gobel, the Dem incumbent, lost his election by over 300 votes and asked for a recount. Could this be a case where the machines are seen to be seriously flawed, and perhaps seriously engaged in stealing elections? Gobel is determined to find out what the real vote was. But I think I can already say what the comclusion of the matter will be: just a glitch. Move along. Fuggidaboudit. Here's a bit from the article:

Gobel, along with Diane Parker, the head of the Taylor County Democratic Executive Committee, says the recount is not about finding the votes to make Gobel win.

"Our goal is to make sure every vote cast is counted. And its apparent already today to me, that's not happening with these machines," said Diane Parker.

Parker says she does not have faith that the electronic voting machines accurately count votes.

"Again, today we've looked at one precinct, 2 tapes and the numbers just aren't adding up," said Parker.

With over 6,000 votes to go, the counting is not going quickly.

"We've had a recount in the past, but we were always using the paper ballot in the past when we had a re-count. This is our first recount using the electronic," said Taylor County Clerk Nancy Fowler.

Parker says her intention is to count ballots until she feels there is enough evidence of mistakes in the electronic machines, to return to paper ballots.

"I think that already there appears to be, to me, evidence enough that should be persuasive to the county commissioners to replace these machines, and to present it to the Secretary of State," said Parker.

Link: http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=48125

[emlev]

1. Machines are iVotronic, in case anyone's wondering n/t

[Lugnut]

3. Hmmmmmm.....

My county uses the iVotronic machines.

[Stevepol]

2. I was wondering. Thanks.

[Stevepol]

4. We use the Ivotronic here in Sedwick County KS as well and

a local candidate Walt Chappell was able to get a partial recount of his election results, an election he lost by a small margin. I talked with him and he said he and his lawyer had to figure out a way to spread out the scrolled audit log that ES&S uses to supposedly record the choices of the voter. It was, according to him very difficult to figure out out to do it.

In other words, ES&S has made auditing and recounting as difficult as possible. The audit log doesn't list the vote in a simple and clear script; it registers I presume everything the voter does when he/she interfaces with the machine, including any changes of mind or backtracking to look at a previous vote or whatever.

The purpose of the audit log is to discourage elections officials from auditing or recounting by making it as difficult as possible.

Talked with Walk Chappell recently and he said the election commish here is in love with the machines.