NPR: Voters May Face Slower Lines In 2012 Elections

[Wilms]

Voters May Face Slower Lines In 2012 Elections

by Pam Fessler

September 26, 2011

snip

One of the big concerns is the impact budget cuts will have on voting machines. Most places bought new electronic equipment after the 2000 elections. But Charles Stewart, an election expert at MIT, says this new equipment is much more costly to maintain than the old punch-card and lever machines. (The reference to low cost lever machines evokes a cough from Wilms.)

"I don't think many people, myself included, really recognized back a decade ago that this computerized equipment has a relatively short lifespan," he says.

In fact, many machines will only last about 10 to 12 years before they need to be replaced, and that time is just around the corner for many jurisdictions. Stewart says some election offices are even deferring or canceling maintenance contracts to save money.

"The worry, of course, is that either machines will fail, causing localities to have to kind of double up or to borrow machines, or not have enough on Election Day," he says.

snip


Story and Audio

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/26/140747825/voters-may-face-slower-lines-in-2012-elections

Transcript

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=140747825

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Not me. I'm pre-voting at the county seat or absentee ballot in the mail.

Wouldn't use the Diebold machine in my town in any case.

[Wilms]

2. How is the absentee ballot counted? n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

3. The vote is sealed in an envelope and locked up until election night.

Then the County Board of Elections open the envelope and tabulate the votes.

[Wilms]

4. Using a machine.

:shrug:

[elocs]

5. So, did Uncle Joe Stalin have to use a machine?

:shrug:

[Wilms]

6. He would have liked to do so...

unless the machine was a lever.

[Bill Bored]

7. All absentee ballots are counted by hand by little old blue-haired ladies from both parties.

NOT!