Florida Dumps Touch-Screen Voting Machines

State Will Shift From Controversial Electronic Systems To Ballots With Verifiable Paper Trails

(AP)  With one large bill passed in the state Legislature, Florida tried to slam the door on a rocky electoral past and bared itself for more elections scrutiny.

Touch-screen voting machines used in 15 counties will soon be discarded for a verifiable paper-trail system, a move borne out of both the political climate and real concerns that the machines are unreliable.

And, ignoring national party threats and angering other states, Florida will likely be the fourth state to choose the presidential nominees next January.

Voters in 15 counties — comprising about 50 percent of the Florida electorate — will make that choice on touch-screen machines because there won't be enough time to make the changeover before the Jan. 29 vote. Supervisors of elections in those counties will be gearing up for the changeover to optical-scan systems while conducting the election using technology on the way out.

"For the general election it all should be in place," Gov. Charlie Crist said Saturday. He is expected to sign the bill (HB 537) in the next month or so. "Would I rather it be sooner than later? Sure I would. But I'm darn glad it's going to happen now."

Before Florida reaches what Secretary of State Kurt Browning called the "end of the line" of elections evolution — a verifiable paper trail — it has decided to brighten the national spotlight that was first cast on it in 2000, and switched back on in November in a still-disputed congressional race.

"Hopefully the presidential primary won't be a repeat of our election but if we get our investigation completed in time that will help us not only find out what happened in November but hopefully prevent it from happening in January," said David Kochman, a spokesman for Democrat Christine Jennings, who is still contesting her 369-vote defeat to Republican Vern Buchanan in District 13.

Touch-screen voting machines in Sarasota County recorded over 18,000 ballots without a selection in the congressional race. That high rate of "undervotes" — about 10 percent higher than in surrounding counties — and voter testimony of difficulty with the machines led Jennings to challenge the race. A congressional task force is now investigating if something went wrong with the machines. Browning has consistently said — while he doesn't think anything went wrong — the race inspired Crist, a Republican, to take up the rallying cry often heard from Democrats that each ballot needs a verifiable paper trail.

Buchanan's attorney, Hayden Dempsey, also believes the machines work but, like Browning, said the changeover was inspired by the political climate and a crisis of confidence.

"From a voting system standpoint it's not something that needed to be done," Dempsey said. "There's no evidence than any machine in Florida malfunctioned in the last election cycle."

The sales of touch-screen machines is "virtually dead across the U.S.," said Browning. The presidential primary in January will be their last gasp in Florida — except for the next few years when disabled voters will still have to use them.

Florida's voting challenges don't stop with the primary. Browning and elections officials said there is much to be done to comply with the requirements of the bill in time for the 2008 general election — likely to be the largest ever in the state.

"Honestly as soon as this bill passed it just kind of hit me very quickly," Browning said. "Oh my gosh, what does that mean for us? It's a huge task to get ready for the (2008) election."

During testimony leading up to the bill's passage, supervisors of elections told lawmakers to keep in mind all the changes that will have to be made when 2008 rolls around. They wanted to make sure that in the quest to reform elections in Florida, lawmakers wouldn't do too much too fast — and end up setting the state up for more controversy in 2008.

Supervisors are particularly concerned about implementing ballot-on-demand technology, which enables polling places to produce paper ballots when they are requested, said Ron Labasky, general counsel for the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections. The touch-screen machines have been useful for early voting because they can produce a number of different ballot styles. And ballot-on-demand has never been used other than for absentee ballots.

"There's a tremendous amount to be done," said Ron Labasky, general counsel for the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections. "It's going to be a learning experience for us as well as the public."

[randalds]

Ok, the supreme court got into it after how Many recounts?

These displaced Yankees (NY'ers...etc who retire and move to Florida)can't read and figure out a ballot? Please!

Al Gore have class, yeah, he got it right after he invented the internet.

Just like the Watergate fiasco, the american people got tired. SICK AND TIRED, of all the "chads", pregnant chads, hanging chads, leaning chads, dimpled chads...etc.
So someone tries to correct the problem that a bunch of people had with the ballots and brings in an electronic solution. Now that is no good. What next?
I know, put all the hopefuls in a room lock the door, have them fight it out, and the only one emerging will be president.
Posted by Klingon69 at 02:16 PM : May 07, 2007

None of the recounts had finished yet.

Reading the tiny ballots is confusing to many of the elderly (you'll find that out someday).

The myth that Gore claimed to have invented the Internet is just that, a myth. He never said it, though it has become a right wing urban legend. The plain and simple truth is that it's a lie that's been told and retold, but that still doesn't make it true.

[michellem99-2009]

I never felt it right that the press oaught eresed forever the truth,to sanitise the news. We have the right to a free press not a sanitised press.

[klingon69]

IT is sad our history books are full of lies and most eresed forever. To sanitise more like it.
Posted by MichelleM99 at 07:19 PM : May 06, 2007

Yes, unfortunately, the liberals got ahold of our history books. I still have many of my books from the 70s and a couple from the 50s, amazing how much is changed in the name of being politically correct.
And while I am on the subject, why do we have to be PC???

[klingon69]

Illegal suppression of the black vote was the main reason Gore "lost" in Florida. That plus the ballots that had many many Jewish people waking up to the surprise that they had actually voted for the racist Pat Buchanan, when they honestly intended to vote for Gore. Lot's and lots of dirty tricks help push Bush into the win column, but the biggest reason of all that he won was because of the US Supreme Court and the class of Al Gore not to fight the obvious fix after their ruling.
Posted by RandalDS at 12:23 AM : May 06, 2007

Ok, the supreme court got into it after how Many recounts?

These displaced Yankees (NY'ers...etc who retire and move to Florida)can't read and figure out a ballot? Please!

Al Gore have class, yeah, he got it right after he invented the internet.

Just like the Watergate fiasco, the american people got tired. SICK AND TIRED, of all the "chads", pregnant chads, hanging chads, leaning chads, dimpled chads...etc.
So someone tries to correct the problem that a bunch of people had with the ballots and brings in an electronic solution. Now that is no good. What next?
I know, put all the hopefuls in a room lock the door, have them fight it out, and the only one emerging will be president.

[gunownerdan]

If only the whole country can stop using those electronic fraud machines.

[mommajomma-2009]

my all time favorite bumper sticker... on a florida car...... in 2001.... "honk if you voted for al gore(press the round thing in the middle of your steering wheel)."

[michellem99-2009]

The WTO in Seattle in 99. I saw the TV coverage both local and national. I got my computer in 06. We stayed home when all that happened. It was a mess.Seattle most likely don't have the names of the riotors. They did damages.I saw some of the damage after it was over when we walked about. I don't understand the mindset of people who do stuff like that. It hurt them in the long run. IT is sad our history books are full of lies and most eresed forever. To sanitise more like it.

[trueprogress]

During the LA Riots of 1992 ( 15 years ago) 54 innocent people were dragged from their cars - smashed windows with baseball bats and crow bars, and then slaughtered with knives, guns or had their heads bashed in by the rioters. Some were protecting their homes from rapists, some their business. None have been remembered, and you can't even find their names on the LA Times Web site, as that part of the story line is not PC, and ERASED from history.

Try to find their names. You can't. That is why Americans do not trust the Press. Shame on you !!

[michellem99-2009]

I know for fact here every computer has its own ID/name what have you. May be a postee can shed some light on this.I will tell ya to have a firewall etc. No I don't trust every thing. I have often felt the voting machines been rigged to favour their man/woman runing. I don't care for the R party. I did not vote for Bush. Time to clean house. I feel very strongly to this war is over oil and maybe power. Sorry here ladies and gentlemen to me he is Mr. Bush as he did not win the office in the right manner. Most know that. I hope the next person can be address Mr/Madam Pres [their name]. The pres should get out of the middle east and bring our boys and girls home. I am in my 50s.I am not happy he won't lisnen to congress . Another Nam.

[hazelknows]

good post toldyouso21

but like the web sites address, we all wish were was one less W.

[booyaw_77]

Stick with Edison. Have this big giant machine 2 stories with a big giant old fashioned lightbulb on top, that the voters pulls the lever and it goes: "DING!" All these.. big wooden gears and.. cranks and.. maybe a kookoo bird too.

[booyaw_77]

This biggest problem with the whole computer industry is the anonymity. The whole spirit of the thing is wrong.. I mean, there's people out there that do nothing but hack systems and call themselves "fighting for the noble cause". It's ridiculous. And a kid that buys a 400 dollar computer can break royalty laws.. now what the hell is that? How easy is the law to break? Ya have to ask yourself that question.. This.. need for global consciousness.. that people have to rely so heavily on the good will of the consumer. Even a simple thing, like copying a music file gets ya in trouble? Its crazy.

No.. I'd stay away from computer. Especially with elections. Its miles and miles of red tape. The anti-thesis of democracy.

[booyaw_77]

I don't blame yaz fer not trusting computer people. I don't trust computer people either.

[r9119111]

Personally, I believe someone tampered with the District 13 Congressional election. Dirty politicians found a way to have 18,000 votes disappear. It is like the voters of District 13 wuz robbed, so to speak. Some politicians don't like open and honest elections, therefore, they are against a paper trail. Even with a paper trail, they'll find a way to have the voter recieve the real copy while a fraudulent copy is recorded for the record. Needless to say, politicians have lost all credibility with me. I used to be a Republican, now I'm an Independent.
I don't trust Republicans as far as I can see them, let alone when they are out of my sight.

Someone found a way to make those votes disappear and should be procecuted. Fraud seems to be the halmark of what is going on in politics. It all seems so arrogantly blatant. Republicans will have to show me tremendous progress before I'll ever vote foor one again. They have destroyed my trust.

[anywhereman]

Paper trail is key to public trust in the system. Other states should take notice of the public sentiment here...

http://www.buzzdash.com/?page=buzzbite&BB_id=3796

[michellem99-2009]

I vote by mail. As a legally blind person ,I have to ask a person working at the polls to fill out my ballot as it was read to me so I tell he/her who I wish to vote for. FYI, some states and areas have gone to all vote by mail systems,I don't know where.Go to vote by having the ballot mailed, vote ,mail filled ballot by mail. I have to pay postage to mail my vote back. I don't mind that. I can't see to use them fancy voting machines. I have always used paper ballots. They work. Forgive me,but Bush whined and whined.It made me sick the way Bush got the oval office both times. Some state races are done that way as well. SORE LOSERS WHO HAVE NEVER LEARNT HOW TO WIN AND OR LOSE GRACEFULLY. Winnig and losing is part of what kids learn when playing with others ,in sports,games,etc as they grow up, rich and poor. Some never learn that lesson or it was /is not taugtht it. Mum and Dad can't handle it if their child don't win.Same with adults.

[toldyouso21]

For anyone with a brain, the fact that Republicans wanted voting machines but did NOT want any type of paper trail or way to validate/confirm the votes was a HUGE red flag. It is okay to want a new and supposedly better system--but to NOT want a way to verify its veracity? Republicans FOUGHT to not allow paper trails, at first they did not give an answer--then said it would be too expensive and lead to controversy---Hmmmmm paper trails to expensive--but forcing every state to have Republican owned voting machines? This was beyond suspicious.

Add to that, the President of Dieboldt "personally guaranteeing Bush --the votes of Ohio in 2004" Any one with any amount of decency could smell the stink on that.

Republicans took "Whatever it takes to win" to a new low how frustrating it must be for Bush, to have so many questions hanging over his party and not to be able to find comparable voting debacles from the Democratic side. Probably just as frustrating as it has been for Republicans to pool together enough deviant and abhorrent sexual behavior of Dems to equal what can be found on the website: wwww.armchairsubversive.com and they have been trying to find stuff for the past 7 years. LOL

[grumpas]

Democrats lack of turnout is why Bush won in 2000.
Posted by buhk at 12:10 AM : May 06, 2007

That's you Republican's take on the election! Most of you don't want to believe the idiot lost! He stole his way into the White House! Most of us Democrat's could have accepted Bush as President. If he had actually won fair and square. But, his camp would not allow the votes to be recounted. They drug in Daddy's appointee's to appoint him President! That should have been a red flag to most American's then that Bush and his cronies had no respect for our style of government! That we were in for a rough ride. The 2004 election wasn't much better. There was funny business in Ohio and Florida both. All I can say is, I hope the next election is fraud free! Regardless of who wins and who loses. These last two elections have been rife with fraud most of it perpetrated by Republican's.

[victoriarum]

I'm all for returning to the paper ballots; there are too many "hidden" aspects within the guts of computers those can hide what they don't want the public eye to see or understand.

Pray for Peace, and God Bless You.

[randalds]

I heard Susan Harris was working for the D.C. Madam, Miss Palfrey.
Posted by stevex47

Working for the madam as what? Her lack of number skills rules her out as an accountant. As an escort, the cost of drinks for the client would be prohibitive. I guess she could work in her stable, but I didn't know that Ms. Palfrey kept horses.
Posted by firststate at 12:46 AM : May 06, 2007

Maybe you hit upon it after all. Maybe she's just there for clients who want to try a little bestiality. Sick and kinky yes, but these ARE republicans we're talking about here too.