Franklin County Ohio NO Polling Stations Were Able to Print at the End of the Day

[mod mom]

Some of you may be aware that in Franklin County, NO polling station
was able to print the end of day report, which is normally posted at
the end of day, and a second copy enclosed with the master PEB. One
of the pollworkers received this response from Franklin County this
morning.

November 11, 2011

Dear Polling Official:

On Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at about 7:45 p.m. the machine trouble
phone bank suddenly became overwhelmed with calls reporting that you,
our poll workers were unable to print results tapes from the last
voting machine for the voting locations once all voting machines had
been closed. Once we started taking the calls about being unable to
print results tapes it took several minutes (an eternity) to determine
the cause of the problem, discuss how to most efficiently address the
problem to get results reporting and get all operators informed on a
backup plan so they could better answer your calls and relay the
information. The next problem was that while we were trying to assess
the issue, the calls in the queue grew and unfortunately many of you
were still waiting for answers.

In the hour from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. over six hundred calls came to the
machine trouble call center and many of the locations probably tried
multiple times to get their call through. Our thirteen operators were
able to answer three hundred sixty calls and inform the polling
officials to pack up their supplies and deliver them to the warehouse
without results tapes. In that same period two hundred seventy two
calls were abandoned. A robo call was made to all of the Board’s PEO
cell phones about an hour into this situation.

Let us explain the reason for the problem. As each election is begun
there is an election preferences page where the programmers define how
voting machines will function for the current election. There are
choices on this page for each jurisdiction using the voting system to
define. Two of the items on that page that the programmer are to
address is whether “Zero Tapes” and “Results Tapes” are to be printed
for the election. To have a tape or tapes printed the programmer
insert the number of tapes needed in the space provided next to the
tape type. Some of you may remember that in past history, the board
required two “Zero Tapes” printed as the polls were opened in the
morning and two “Results Tapes” as the polls were closed. We
eliminated the opening zero tape several years ago and retain the
practice of printing results tapes (one to post and one to be
returned) with supplies. In error the programmers for this election
inadvertently specified two (2) “Zero Tapes” and zero (0) “Results
Tapes”. The values entered should have been reversed. During the
programming and testing of our database settings we open polls on a
few machines, put test votes on machines and print results tapes to
insure all aspects of the system work. However because we do this
testing up to five weeks prior to election day, we use an override
pass code rather than the actual process a poll worker would follow to
generate the results tape since the date and time on the voting
machine is set to a date and time other than 7:30 p.m. (polls closing
time) on the date of the election.

We apologize for the mistake that caused this frustration as the end
of a very long day. Let me assure you that additional procedures will
be implemented to insure that these setting are set properly for
future elections. Let me also commend you on the exemplary way you
dealt with this challenge and finished out your duties the best that
you could. All Franklin County election returns had been checked in,
were processed and unofficial results for 324,515 voters were posted
by 12:21 a.m.

We thank you for your service to the voters of the county and your
understanding in this matter.

Sincerely,

[mod mom]

1. Free Press article on this:

Election night computer software meltdown in Franklin County
November 11, 2011


On election night 2011 during the evening and into the next morning, Franklin County pollworkers contacted the Free Press telling the paper that they were unable to make the electronic voting machines print out precinct-level results as required by law. This prevented pollworkers from posting election totals at the polling sites at the end of the night.

One pollworker of 35 years reported that "programming errors" had prevented "many precincts" in Franklin County from being able to print their totals for display on the windows of the voting locations."

A concerned citizen also wrote that he was aware of "an unknown number of Franklin County precincts which could not print out their precinct totals last night, due to a 'glitch.' These precincts included mine, where the results were not posted inside the window of the shelter house, as has been customary every preceding election I've lived here."

The Free Press has obtained a Veteran's Day email to polling officials, including precinct judges in Franklin County. In the email, the Franklin County Board of Elections admits to programming software problems that made it impossible to print out precinct result tallies at the end of election night.

-snip

http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2011/1910

[divine_truine]

2. why is state rep/sen for Franklin County, Ohio SILENT?

The kochwhore media enable voter/election FRAUD by not being on top of these types of stories! The people (regardless of political affiliation) should be outraged!

It's one thing to win elections fair & square and another to STEAL IT!

[mod mom]

3. Because the state party is as sad as it was in '04. That letter is signed

(as you can see after the Free Press article is signed by Bill Anthony, the Democrat on the Franklin Co BOE, who in the role in 2004 denied there was misallocation of machines and said those who said there was were conspiracy theorists.

This is the same Dem party who worked against getting progressive & very competent Jennifer Brunner, the former OH SOS (who did an excellent job cleaning up after Ken Blackwell) & Judge, elected to the senate.

[saras]

4. They should open those procedures to public viewing and comment - we may find other problems