Concern Mounts Over Expected Voting Surge

The Early Show: Experts Weigh In Over Whether Unusually High Turnout Would Impact Accuracy Of Counting

(CBS)  Early voter turnout has already shattered records in some states, and a record number of Americans are expected to hit the polls Tuesday.

That's sparking concerns about making sure every vote is counted, and properly, CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian reported on The Early Show Thursday.

Will the right to vote become a fight to vote in many states?

"Election officials are being challenged this year by the unprecedented turnout," noted Gracia Hillman, who heads Election Assistance Commission.

"We're going to have to worry about the mechanics of getting the votes counted," pointed out Loyola Law School election law expert Rick Hasen.

Experts say any problems will likely center around both computer and human error.

A big reason for that, says Keteyian, is that, for the first time this year, nearly 90 percent of all votes will be cast or counted by either optical scanners or touch-screen machines, with more than 40 percent of registered voters using equipment different than they did in the last presidential election.

In addition, Keteyian says, officials are concerned that brush fires ignited during enormous early voting already evident in places such as Virginia and North Carolina could spread -- fueled by machine breakdowns and a huge voter showing in African-American communities with historically low turnout.

Tovah Wang of Common Cause says she's "concerned we don't have enough voting machines, and we don't have enough ballots, and we don't have enough poll workers."

But, with respect to the impact on the tabulation of votes for president, Keteyian says no one foresees a rerun of the problems in Florida eight years ago -- at least so far.

"Will there be problems on Election Day in different places in the county? Absolutely," says Hasen. "Will those problems affect the outcome of the presidential election? Almost certainly not."

As for charges from both parties of voter fraud or suppression, Keteyian says, "Frankly, we've reported they've proven far more rhetoric than reality."

[len134]

Come Tuesday there will be massive problem in the states without early voting. Based on the early voting experience of the states already involved, there will be problems, magnified by the massive turnout. Where a glitch in prior years created an inconvenience...this year it will be a nightmare. I foresee voting extending into the early AM in many states on Nov. 4th.

What I am fearful of though is that there will be a lot of problems, especially in areas where there are not enough machines, or machines break down, AND Obama loses. That could be very very bad.

[razor253]

There are direct relationships between a) the number of voting machines, b) voter turn-out rates in precincts and c)the length of the lines. Its planned chaos. With the number of machines assigned to a precinct, length of time it takes to vote, and the expected turn-out rate of voters assigned to a precinct, one can easily calculate the number of people who can physically vote during the period of time the polls are open on election day. What will happen is that instead of bringing 20 machines, they will bring 5. And the line at that precinct will be down the street and around the block. Bring everything you need for comfort (chairs, books, food, water, and maybe a sleeping bag). Millions of people gave up, and didn''t vote last time, others were in line until 4:00 am after the polls closed at 7:00 pm. Congrads to everyone who voted early or by absentee!

[Confidential416]

I truly wish PA had an early voting option or mailing like Oregon.... I will be voting for Obama and praying this time around the republicans can not steal the election by causing the chaos they did in Florida in previous elections.

[cemeterylou]

To the Board of Elections across the country: You can shut the barn door..the horses have left! For years, many County Board of Elections have complained about poor voter turn out. Americans got the message..more have registered and now it seems more are going to vote, but the counties are not ready for the heavy turn out. In the coming days after the election get ready for the blame to be placed on the voters for the long lines and the machine problems. They were not ready or can''t handle the heavy use. As far as the problems with A.C.O.R.N. and the registering of false names to vote, why not register when you get your state ID or D.L. When I moved this year and changed the address on my D.L. they asked if I would like to register to vote. They clicked yes on the computer when they changed my address and I was registered. Party affilation should have noting to do with it. Remember, vote for the skunk of your choice, vote early and vote often!

[carolwhite1]

Oregon has it right - totally vote by mail. We have no polling places. Yesterday I did the measures from the leisure of my living room, today I''ll attack the candidates - I can get up and check information on the internet, read materials I''ve saved already - and have a glass of wine if I want! It makes voting easy and a pleasure. If you procrastinate - they have drop off locations on election day.

[vtg60]

God bless you, nowaymcgoo...from a white 48 year old woman living in the Texas panhandle - I am voting for Obama tomorrow.

[olivia4441]

Once the election is over, the glittering generalities of rhetoric and style will mean nothing. Everything will depend on performance in facing huge challenges, domestic and foreign.

Performance is where Barack Obama has nothing to show for his political career, either in Illinois or in Washington.

Policies that he proposes under the banner of "change" are almost all policies that have been tried repeatedly in other countries-- and failed repeatedly in other countries.

Politicians telling businesses how to operate? That''s been tried in countries around the world, especially during the second half of the 20th century. It has failed so often and so badly that even socialist and communist governments were freeing up their markets by the end of the century.


POLLS ARE TIED. DON''T LET THE UNINFORMED PEOPLE OR THE MEDIA FOOL YOU ...AGAIN.

[doctordonut-2009]

Shame this year''s vote for president wasn''t more like voting for players in the MLB All Star game. Heck I''d love to vote for Obama 25 times, wouldn''t you?

http://www.theweeklydonut.com/index.php/category/2008-presidential-election/

[carolwhite1]

Oregon has it right - totally vote by mail. We have no polling places. Yesterday I did the measures from the leisure of my living room, today I''ll attack the candidates - I can get up and check information on the internet, read materials I''ve saved already - and have a glass of wine if I want! It makes voting easy and a pleasure. If you procrastinate - they have drop off locations on election day.

[tararogers08]

http://www.citizenslim.com/



A must see Video!!!!

[bjcone8559]

I am a 60 year old white male (Vietnam vet) who grew up on farm in rural Oklahoma, now living in Florida. My wife, my mother-in-law, my three daughters and I are all registered republicans... we all just voted for Obama.

God Bless America

[seriously121]

PAPER VOTES...OH NO...NO MORE HANGING CHADS!!! I DON''T THINK AFTER THIS LONG ELECTION PERIOD I CAN TAKE ANOTHER MINUTE.

[drsuz]

Obama supporters, please encourage everyone you know to vote early. If they must wait until election day, urge them to be first to the polls!
Posted by nowaymcgoo

So in other words you are telling people who "only" will support Obama to go and vote. Very Patriotic of you...I myself urge people to go and vote. No matter who they favor. It may the last time they will have that right.

[drsuz]

Actually there should be two forms given. One on just who to vote for President and one for all those other idiots and referendums.

[drsuz]

I agree, forget those dang machines and go back to paper ballots. Too many voting machines are having too many problems. Just give them paper and a paper punch. Then there would be NO error on who voted for who.

And DON''T believe a word what was said about voter fraud being a rhetoric. Its out there on BOTH sides.

[dagrandma]

It sounds to me like Oregon is doing it right. I just voted by machine for the first time this year in the primary and didn''t care much for it. But listen and listen well: For those of you who may have to stand in line for a long, long time to cast your ballot, just PLEASE DO IT. Please, please, please don''t let long lines keep you from voting. The very first person I ever voted for for president was George McGovern (and I''m damned proud of it). I live in a rural area now so no long lines, but when I lived in the suburbs I didn''t hesitate to stand and wait as long as was necessary. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE NO MATTER WHAT!!!!

[mclovin995]

Someone should come up with a way to vote on the internet. You would have to worry about hackers, but past that it would be a way to get more people to vote.

[bjcone8559]

Obama supporters, please encourage everyone you know to vote early. If they must wait until election day, urge them to be first to the polls!

[carolwhite1]

Oregon has it right - totally vote by mail. We have no polling places. Yesterday I did the measures from the leisure of my living room, today I''ll attack the candidates - I can get up and check information on the internet, read materials I''ve saved already - and have a glass of wine if I want! It makes voting easy and a pleasure. If you procrastinate - they have drop off locations on election day.

[carolwhite1]

Oregon has it right - totally vote by mail. We have no polling places. Yesterday I did the measures from the leisure of my living room, today I''ll attack the candidates - I can get up and check information on the internet, read materials I''ve saved already - and have a glass of wine if I want! It makes voting easy and a pleasure. If you procrastinate - they have drop off locations on election day.