Florida Recount, 2006-Style

Large 'Undervote' In Hot House Race Raises Voting Machine Concerns

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian and producers Phil Hirschkorn and Michael Rey.

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On Monday Florida will begin its first recount for a federal election since the botched 2000 presidential contest, but this time there will be no hanging chads. It is the reliability of touch screen electronic voting machines that will be in the spotlight.

The disputed race in Florida's 13th Congressional District, south of Tampa, is one place where the kind of machines used by 40% of American voters this week may have malfunctioned significantly enough to alter the outcome of a seat in Congress.

The CBS News Investigative Unit has obtained an E-mail by a key election official indicating she may have known well before Election Day the machines weren't working properly.

Republican Vern Buchanan beat Democrat Christine Jennings by 373 votes with 237,842 counted, according to unofficial results from the Florida Division of Elections.

That tiny margin – less than one-half of one percent – triggered an automatic recount under Florida state law.

But the Jennings campaign believes thousands of votes in the district's most populous county went unrecorded. If they had been counted, the campaign says, Jennings would be on her way to Washington.

The red flag rose in Sarasota County, the heart of the district, where, if the results are to be believed, nearly one in every six (16%) Election Day voters either skipped or missed the hotly contested House race and were not counted in the final tally.

The Jennings/Buchanan race was hard to miss on the touch screen iVotronic machines supplied by ES&S. It was the second contest listed on the ballot, right between high profile races for Senator and Governor.

During two weeks of early voting prior to Nov. 7, election officials noticed that an unusually high number of voters using the machines – one in five – seemed to miss the House race.

"Please remind every voter to make sure they do not overlook the 13th congressional race at the top of the second page of voting," wrote Kathy Dent, Sarasota's Supervisor of Elections, to poll workers on Friday, Nov. 3.

"Some voters are overlooking the Buchanan/Jennings race until they get to the review screen," Dent continued in the E-mail obtained by CBS News. "This is critical."

One poll worker who requested anonymity told us how she received the message and reminded people about the House race on Election Day. Her theory: "I am thinking people touched the square and didn't notice the X didn't come out."

---

Read Kathy Dent's pre-election e-mail.

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The results in her precinct showed a huge "undervote" in the House race. "We thought, 'Oh man, we're in trouble," the poll worker says.

As our team investigated voting machine glitches around the country, including Sarasota County on Election Day, Supervisor Dent wrote us: "Voters are simply overlooking the race. There is not a calibration problem."

Dent has since not returned phone calls or replied to questions we posed by E-mail. (In a press conference Wednesday, Dent stood by her view it was the intent of nearly 1 in 6 voters to skip the House race).

Jennings is now crying foul. The Democrat won 53% of the vote in Sarasota County, and her campaign says, had even half the 17,811 "missing" machine votes been recorded, the she would have overcome her margin of defeat.

Compare the Election Day numbers to Sarasota's paper absentee ballots: only two-and-half percent of absentee ballots ignored the House race.

Would six times as many people from the same place do so on Election Day?

They didn't anywhere else in the district, and less than two percent of Sarasota's voters skipped the senatorial and gubernatorial contests.

"I'm suspicious. Something's funny. I wish knew what," says Doug Jones, a University of Iowa computer scientist and expert on voting machine technology.

"Let's assume they were reminding people. That makes it even harder to believe voters weren't expressing an opinion in the race," Jones says.

Voters in one other county in the district, Charlotte County, also used iVotronic touch screen machines made by ES&S, the nation's second largest voting equipment supplier. But of 29,000 voters there, just 226, or under one percent, skipped various House races.

In three other counties in the district – Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto – voters cast paper ballots counted by optical scanners, made by Diebold, the nation's top supplier of election equipment.

In Manatee County, the district's second most populous, where more than 94,000 people voted, there were only 2,300 blanks for the House race, around two percent.

"The vote was fair and accurate," says Buchanan communications director Sally Tibbets. "It does appear that many people chose for whatever reason not to vote in this race. That doesn't mean there is problem with these voting machines."

Dozens of Satasota County voters called "election protection" hotlines. Some did catch their "undervote" when they had the chance.

"I punched in all my candidates including the congressional candidates, and when it came to the review page, I looked up and I noticed that my vote for Christine Jennings hadn't registered," postal worker Joe Betits said.

He tried again, and the vote showed up on the summary page – which is what ES&S says anyone should expect with its machines.

"According to the Supervisor of Elections, undervotes were a result of an intentional choice not to make a selection in the congressional race or unintentional omission of a selection," says ES&S spokesman Ken Fields. "The touch screen system used in Sarasota County provides unlimited opportunity for a voter to make and change selections before a ballot is cast."

ES&S has yet to examine the machines at issue but is sending technicians to assist the recount.

But what will happen in Sarasota and Charlotte counties, is less of a recount than a re-tally of the same results, because Florida is among the 15 states that do not allow touch screen machines to produce a paper trail – a plastic-covered scroll visible to voters summarizing their choices before they hit the "vote" button. (The paper is stored inside the machine; voters don't get an ATM-style receipt).

Virginia, where 78% of voters used touch-screen machines, according to Election Data Services, also does not require a paper trial – a possible factor in Republican Sen. George Allen's decision not to seek a recount in his failed race against Democrat Jim Webb.

"It won't uncover what happened," Jones says of the pending Florida recount. "It really does matter to all of us around the country who use touch screen machines why such a preposterously large percentage of the population didn't have their votes counted."

In a bit of irony, a majority of Sarasota county voters Tuesday passed a referendum requiring the county to use a paper-based ballot system in the future.

What's more, the House seat is being vacated by Katherine Harris, the former Florida Secretary of State who notoriously presided over the 2000 election recount. Harris was trounced in her run for Senate this week.

[toddmcmechen]

Hmmmm.

Democratic candidate loses because of statistically improbable undercount on ES&S machines in Kathrine Harris's district in Fla.

Where there is smoke there is fire!

If sure wouldn't let the ES&S technicians "assist" with the machines for the recount.

[one_american]

Yes, Democrats. Do like Washington State did in the 2004 election for Governor. Just keep counting over and over and over until the Democrat wins.

Democrats are ruthless power mongers.

[djjaws1988]

around the U.S Democrat has been winning the election so now the Republican are mad so they stop the count as soon as Republican Vern was winning with 373 votes with 237,842 counted, all of us know that their are many people then 237,842 it a scam i think the FBI should be involed.

Did they not test these machines for a couple of weeks before being put into service? Or is Florida the test site for the U.S?

[phil-in-fin]

Can put people into space and some men on the moon ...

But can't make a realiable voting machine?

[one_american]

phil-in-Fin:

There will never be a voting machine invented that the Democrats won't challenge with false charges of "voter fraud!" in order to steal an election.

[one_american]

ozilot:

So, you're admitting it. That's a good start. We will see how your party faires, and how many of the Dem leaders survive their own scandals by the next election.

But of course, we won't get the truth from CBS...

[wayfedup]

One-American;

NO, you will not get the truth from CBS, because you and all of the other "WHINERS" out there REFUSE to believe anyone but FOX NETWORK, BILL O'REILLY. SHAWN HANNITY, and of course, the EVER REDICULOUS RUSHLIMBAUGH.

[wayfedup]

and with regard to pushing someone out of a SPEEDING CAR... do us all a favor and JUMP OUT YOURSELF!

[radiob-2009]

All voting machines should nationally be required to give the voter a receipt and one for the voting station.That way the voter can check his results,verify them if a recount is necessary in the event the polling station should happen to lose or accidently shred some votes.It is the only way for accoutnability.Software fails in computer and you do have crashes,lock ups etc. A paper trail is much easier to verify results.At where I work we have a triple protection system,the documents are save to the hard drive,saved to cd and saved and catalogued in paper.It makes it easier to trace errors and correct them.The only time we have a problem is when the server crashes or freezes however we already have a paper trail in which everthing is generated from.Let us stick with solutions they are easier to improve on than noncivil verbal attacks which reslove nothing.

[wayfedup]

sorry, radiob...
Its just that this PUNK has been begging for it!

[wayfedup]

I think he's a ***, or something.

[radiob-2009]

I have read various statements by individuals that really should be taken out back behind the wood shed and given an old fashioned lesson of civility.The choice is ours to either stoop to their level or rise above it and there are times when civility alone cannot resolve an issue.However here in this platform we can and should refrain from stooping to an uncivil dialect.We can simply get up and walk away,cool our heads and articulate a position that is not negative.The Hatfields and McCoys are not next door with shotguns aimed at us.Relax and articulate your position as neutral as possible with solutions.It is understandable to allow the beast within to emerge.It is controlling the beast instead of it controlling us.

[wayfedup]

radiob..

Of course you are right, this would be better; however, Patience with IDIOTS has never been one of my VIRTUES.

[radiob-2009]

I have worked in many capacities in my life dealing with the public,managers,politicians and enviromentalist.I have had to simply get up and take a long walk to cool down in some cases.It is wonderful to have a customer that you are saving from and audit and in addition saving them thousands of dollars to curse you up one side and down the other,then attack your family which they do not know.I have had this happen excuse myself and took a long walk sometimes in the snow and sub zero temperatures for an hour and then walk back in and calmy ask them if I can be of any further assistance.Try doing that 3 or 4 times a week.

[wayfedup]

radiob...
Here's my credo on that..."IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHEWING COMING, THEN DON'T STAND FOR IT"

[radiob-2009]

I used to suffer from the same ailment and then I realized it is better to remain calm and articaulate your position than to try to argue over who is right and who is wrong.That only leads to stomach ulcers and calmness,civility have a humbling effect on others.They do not realize it at first,afterwords they are doing a self examination and realizing there errors.Not all people respond this way and that is when you have to step back and take a good long breath or a long walk.

[radiob-2009]

There are many ways to not be walked over and be civil.I have had myself chewed out for no reason and I took a long walk like I mentioned.The customer is unaware of what I am doing and is left waiting. I return at my own leisure in a calm state of mind with a twinkle in my eyes and a aura of self assurance.They are at first upset then bewildered and finally subdued.It does not always work and when that is the case I turn them over to a less experienced collegue and then they are royally ripped.I do not think I could use the word I wanted but you get the point.

[tpeks40]

How typical of Florida to screw up an election. Personally, I call it Baked Brain Syndrome. Too many hours spent in the hot sun has cooked their brains. Didn't the person the vote counters wanted to win get enough votes? From electronic voting to punch card voting, when are these idiots going to get it right? Maybe the Republicans that run the state should make sure that their children are learning arithmetic, it might come in handy someday...

[wayfedup]

I admire your capacity to deal with people... Maybe, deep down, I enjoy the point/counterpoint more than is normal....:-)

[radiob-2009]

I have a client that every year for the last 10 years brings me their entire business receipts in a cigar box.They have never much to my chagrin went to a pc based method of accouting for their business.I have even offer to install the software,provide it free of charge and they hold steadfast to cash register receipts.They have no clue if they have made a profit or not,they have not done an inventory and every year I am going through their receipts and often doing the physical inventory myself.I have learned to except their unwise ways.I also charge them a hefty fee by the hour for something that I could charge a flat rate for if they would only step into the future.

[wayfedup]

I THINK I WORK FOR THAT GUY!!!!LOL! ;-)

[radiob-2009]

Exactly ozilot I just turn them over to a less knowlegable person and let them pay the price or refer them to another business whose profiency is subject at best.They always come back.

[radiob-2009]

You see we have all experienced such individuals but look at how the posting is turning here.Civil for the most part and the ones who were attacking and throwing stones that were worthless have abandon the post.

[radiob-2009]

I must note something it is Veterans day and I although I am a veteran I must pay respect to my father,uncles and father in law and all others who have served this country with honor.I am going to catch up on some required reading.Everyone have a good day,God bless and remember civility to all of mankind.

[wayfedup]

radiob... Later dude; and Thanks for your wisdom.

[radiob-2009]

I am humbled by your kind words.I am only a citizen of the world wanting peace and prosperity for all.Good day.

[alphaa10-2009]

Electronic Voting Machines-- 3
Aside from original computer code flaws, election officials also know code maintenance is still another layer of potential problems. Since evoting machines run by software, it is vital that software be updated properly and regularly. The latest computer code updates must be certified by election officials for correct function, and then installed consistently throughout the district and the machines sealed against tampering. If the code is not updated, some evoting machines will not function as they should, and work the same as other evoting machines.

Every electoral district knows its responsibility is critical-- a failure to maintain evoting machines properly can call into question any election results.

[alphaa10-2009]

Electronic Voting Machines-- 2
Despite such growing concerns, evoting machines number at least 40 percent of the machines in use around the country-- probably more. For 2008, evoting computers and their security issues will call into question more and more races unless voters themselves pressure local and state election commissions to install and test what are called "paper-based machine audit systems".

Here is why this is important-- independent computer experts (with no obvious affiliation with manufacturers of voting machines) have examined Diebold and other evoting machine maker code over the years since, and have found barn-door size security holes that (1) could permit one vote to be counted as another (2) or not to be counted at all (3) permit outsiders during an election to "peek" at a given district's machine tally as it occurs and then phone party faithful to rush to the polls to forestall defeat (4) permit a voting machine to operate without a stable backup of its vote tally. If the power fails or some other glitch occurs, these votes simply vanish, and none will know anything happened (without a paper audit trail).

[alphaa10-2009]

(This is the story CBS and other networks should have been covering since the 2000 election. CBS has done more in this regard than most, but they still underreport this story).

Back in 2000, when the subject came up of "irregularities" in electronic voting (evoting) machines, people had no grasp of how mistakes could occur. After all, they reasoned, this was a computer, and computers make no mistakes. As it turns out, computers do make "mistakes", and often enough to cause serious concern when they are not auditable-- that is, capable of being checked for accuracy with what the voter actually intends.

Naturally, this creates an alarming hot button issue for future elections-- notably 2008. An entire election could be compromised instantly and critically by the malfunction of a relatively small number of "rogue" evoting machines which do not function as voters wish-- to report votes accurately and reliably.

[nativewoman]

Did they not test these machines for a couple of weeks before being put into service? Or is Florida the test site for the U.S?
Posted by ncolsens at 12:56 PM : Nov 11, 2006

Yes, these machines were tested, and failed. Maybe not the specific Florida machines but the system design. These machines were easily and successfully hacked many times. The hacking was demonstrated on video.

Many of these issues were known issues and ignored issues.

The reporting of the huge problems with these machines has been going on for months if not years but has never been given the importance it deserved.

Like any project not well thought out, there was a deadline to get these machines into use come hades or high water. Oh it doesn't work? Oh it doesn't meet our needs? Oh it is much worse than the system it was designed to replace? Too bad. We've spent all this money already so you are stuck with it.

Rarely will you find a project killed due to its failings when large amounts of money are involved.

[processor2]

So, George Allen of Virginia and Conrad Burns of Montana both conceded their Senate race. But that's what Republicans do.....they lose, they concede.

If Allen & Burns had been Democrats, here's what would have happened.

They would have demanded recounts, gotten lawyers, claimed the electronic voting machines were rigged, and CBS posters would be claiming the elections were stolen.

I guess that's the difference between Republicans and Democrats

AS EVIDENCED BY THIS ARTICLE

[webdepot]

OMG... processor2 is back from his nap...
It's really getting boring reading this same post everywhere I go... is copy and paste really the best you can do??

[processor2]

AS EVIDENCED BY THIS ARTICLE
AS EVIDENCED BY THIS ARTICLE


So, George Allen of Virginia and Conrad Burns of Montana both conceded their Senate race. But that's what Republicans do.....they lose, they concede.

If Allen & Burns had been Democrats, here's what would have happened.

They would have demanded recounts, gotten lawyers, claimed the electronic voting machines were rigged, and CBS posters would be claiming the elections were stolen.

I guess that's the difference between Republicans and Democrats

AS EVIDENCED BY THIS ARTICLE
AS EVIDENCED BY THIS ARTICLE

[webdepot]

Unfortunately, with these machines there is no recourse, no recount, no options to challenge..
It is highly suspicious that the absentee ballots showed a 2% undervote as did the optical scan mahines in other neighborhoods.. but unless a comprhensive test of these machines can reproduce the fact that votes are dropped, a suspicion it will always be..

[webdepot]

Thank you processor2 for once again demonstrating your level of intellect and maturity.

[rochest]

another article in the long series of problems with the electronic voting machines. Paper ballots would go a long way to legitimizing these machines. Let's hope the Democratic Congress will make this a top priority since its seems to me that it is only in their hotly contested races that any problem exists.

[feelfree1]

For a look back at the 2000 Florida pResidential vote fraud effort, check out:

www.ericblumrich/gta.html

for a nice Flash presentation summary. (Speakers on)

[pakaal]

janem4, that's the second time you've said that it was the Democrats who wanted the voting machines in the first place. Can you post a link or anything to support that? Or anyone on this comments board who can give me some proof? I remember Democrats saying the system was flawed, but not that the Dems specifically wanted these voting machines. Just wondering....

[feelfree1]

pakaal,

Check out the "Help America Vote Act" voted for by Republicans and Democrats alike. This act is responsibe for the implementation of electronic voting machines. Kerry supported the Act, and the electronic voting machines that were installed as a result, were used to "defeat" Kerry in Ohio, in 2004.

The Democrats were warned about this, but they ignored it, choosing instead to focus their efforts towards defaming the only qualified candidate in the race, Ralph Nader.

[pakaal]

There are two Republican-requested recounts that I know of, Rob Simmons in Connecticut and Max Burns in Georgia, so the theory that it's only the Democrats asking for recounts is rubbish. Frankly, Democrat or Republican, if the win was down to 166 votes (like Connecticut), I'd ask for a recount too, just like the Republicans did.

Bear in mind too, that an automatic recount kicks in whenever the count is too close, Democrat or Republican.

Finally, as this article shows, there's an appearance of a problem in the machine tally. If you went to an ATM and asked for $60 but only got $40 out, Republican or Democrat, wouldn't you run to the bank to clear up the problem? I think people on both sides of the political spectrum would be worried about these possible miscounts, and would wait until the confusion was cleared up before blaming one or the other party for the problem.

[feelfree1]

In summary, the Republicans "won" in Florida, 2000, by illegitimately "scrubbing" tens of thousands of likely Democrat voters from the roles.

Republicans "won" in 2002, using a combination o vote fraud techniques and by terrorizing the US public with the false "threat from Iraq, just a month before the elections.

In 2004 they "won" using Diebold electronic voting machine manipulation, as well as by denying the votes of soldiers serving overseas.

The Democrats failed to confront the Republicans each time.

Check out www.gregpalast.com and www.blackboxvoting.org for more information.

Good to see CBS covering this important issue. They were only a few years too late with this story.

[processor2]

Rather than comparing republicans vs. democrats (an argument which never goes anywhere),
let%u2019s instead compare democrat vs. democrat..%u2026let%u2019s say Clinton vs. J.F. Kennedy.

The Clinton and current Democrat philosophy on governing/government is:

%u201CBig Government will provide for you%u201D, &
%u201CFrom cradle to grave, Big Government will take care of you%u201D, &
%u201CIt takes a Village%u201D (Big Government)


Whereas J.F. Kennedy said :

%u201CAsk NOT what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country%u201D

These two philosophies (both democrat) are completely opposite of each other.

I would much rather be a J.F. Kennedy democrat than a Clinton socialist.

J.F. Kennedy also instituted tax cuts on the top rates to spur a sluggish economy. (hmmmm%u2026%u2026.sounding familiar)

Sounds like the NeoCommies have hijacked a democrat party that I once knew and respected.



PS

And thank you webdepot for constantly proving my point. way too easy.

....................

[pakaal]

HAVA passed in 2002, so I can guess who the majority in power were in Congress then. I'd like to see the breakdown of votes. Not nitpicking, but Bob Ney was the sponsor of the HAVA bill, so I know it was a Republican-backed bill. That being said, the Senate overwhelmingly backed it, the House not as strongly but enough.

Shoot, nobody asked ME if I wanted those machines, I like the Oregon system of vote by mail.

[nigeld3]

It seems incredible that Brazil, an underdeveloped country, can successfully operate an electronic voting system nation-wide but the great USA cannot.

[processor2]

Rather than comparing republicans vs. democrats (an argument which never goes anywhere),
let%u2019s instead compare democrat vs. democrat..%u2026let%u2019s say Clinton vs. J.F. Kennedy.

The Clinton and current Democrat philosophy on governing/government is:

%u201CBig Government will provide for you%u201D, &
%u201CFrom cradle to grave, Big Government will take care of you%u201D, &
%u201CIt takes a Village%u201D (Big Government)


Whereas J.F. Kennedy said :

%u201CAsk NOT what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country%u201D

These two philosophies (both democrat) are completely opposite of each other.

I would much rather be a J.F. Kennedy democrat than a Clinton socialist.

J.F. Kennedy also instituted tax cuts on the top rates to spur a sluggish economy. (hmmmm%u2026%u2026.sounding familiar)

Sounds like the NeoCommies have hijacked a democrat party that I once knew and respected.



PS

And thank you webdepot for constantly proving my point. way too easy.

....................

[feelfree1]

processor2,

"Big government" is something that true conservatives have been opposed to for a long time. Since the Bush regime has spent tax dollars like drunken sailors, borrowing more than one TRILLION dollars to implement their failed policies, giving away billions to their rich buddies, sacrificing massive amounts of blood and treasure on illegal war, and pushing through intrusive freedom-hating big government legislation such as the PATRIOT Act, Homeland Security, and the Uber-fascistic Military Commissions Act, TRUE conservatives are abandoning the financially and morally bankrupted Republican Party in droves.

[processor2]

FeelFree1

You need to re-read my post

NOWHERE in my post did I mention Republicans

[feelfree1]

processor2,

Why is that important? Do I need your permission before I can mention something that you have not addressed?

[processor2]

FeelFree1

I compared Bill Clinton to JF Kennedy. Neither was a Republican.

Since you specifically addressed both me & what I wrote; and since you completely missed the point, then yes, I will correct you and tell you to re-read my post.

Geez, even my brother's eight-year old has more sense than that.


Oh well, breaks over,back to work.