Voting Experience
Today was the day. The one we’ve been looking forward too for 4 years. I was excited and ready to get it done. So up out of bed @ 6:00am this morning, geared up for my bike ride over to the voting place (local elementary school). Jessi would follow shortly afterwards as she decided to run to there.
I get out the door @ 6:15 and a quick 15 minute ride over to the school. When I arrived I noticed two things:
- There were a lot of cars in the parking lot
- Several signs stating that I must press the “Vote” button or my ballot will not be cast.
I enter the building and see that a line has formed. A very, VERY long line. It runs the length of the elementary school. There were probably ~200 people in line at 6:30 am. I knew that I was going to be waiting for some time.
Fast forward an hour and a half later, I’m finally ready to get into the voting area. Luckily the line for people who have last names starting with P to Z has no one in it and Jessi and I quickly rush to that line. Once at the registration table, I try to make a couple jokes which fall on deaf ears. I notice that directly behind the lady checking my idea and voter card is a row of “watchers” from each party. They were stone cold faces that were measuring me up and down, for what I have no idea.
After getting okayed to vote, I head to the ballot table. As the lady tries to hand me a paper ballot, a young lady beside me inquires about electronic voting. This peaks my interest and angers me a bit.
Why was I not informed that I have that choice up front?
Why is paper balloting even an option anymore?
I understand that there was some bad press about e-voting but we live in a society where I would estimate a large portion of the populace uses electronic banking. If it’s good enough for our money why is everyone afraid of the electronic voting machine? Regardless, once in front of the e-voting device it took me all of 10 seconds to vote, get my sticker and bounce out of the room.
So I’m thinking, who wants to start an e-voting initiative and hardware company with me? This process can and should be streamlined. It’s 2008 and while I don’t have a flying car yet, I can’t believe we have paper ballots. If I get around to it, maybe I’ll post my ideas later on.
How was everyone else’s voting day?
my experience was pretty good…got there at 730 or so, line was long but moved quickly. outside of the girl with 3 obama buttons on her sweater saying “does anyone have questions about the candidates, i can answer them for you” relatively drama free. i opted for paper, b/c there were only two e-voting terminals…they asked us which we would prefer. all in all in and out quickly, although there are a TON of early risers in Ashburn, VA with last names that begin with the letters K-Z, those lines were long.
I have actually thought about starting a voting machine company before. The problem with most current machines is they code is closed source and there is no way to verify that the correct data is recorded.
In 2003 Walden O’Dell was the CEO of Diebold (now Premier Election Systems) wrote in a fund raising letter that he was “committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President.” (http://money.cnn.com/2004/08/30/technology/election_diebold/). That sounds like a poor choice of words at best and a guarantee of fraud at worst. Either way I’d like some kind of verification of my vote.
I think electronic voting machines need to have a printout that could look like the scantron ballot. After electronically voting the voter could verify everything on the printout (if they wanted to) and turn that paper ballot in. The paper ballot could be used if there were any questions about legitimacy or if a recount were desired. (However if an open, trusted electronic system is created, I imagine a need and demand for recounts would be diminished)
The difference between electronic banking and most current electronic voting systems is transparency. At any time I can log in and see my accounts, what is in them, transactions, interest earned, etc - not to mention the in-person services at the bank. When voting however, with the current systems, once you click vote, the entire process is secret and there is verification. The big companies refuse to allow anyone to see their code so there is no way to verify proper vote recording.
So yeah, I’d be on board if you wanted to start a vote machine company.
Oh… and my voting place was literally across the street. I just looked out the window every once in a while until the line was no longer out the door. I was in and out in about 5 minutes.
I voted electronically, but not touch screen…there was a sheet of paper overlaying some LED lights and buttons. I lit up who I was voting for, and then hit the big green vote button.
Jones pretty much said it all. Lack of accountability, transparency, etc..
That said, at my polling place half the people were not only using paper ballots, they were _asking_ for them.
My experience was on par with Tucker, up until i got my little card at the name check off place.
No one told me i needed to hang onto that card, so when i saw the lady in front of me lay it on the table where the guy was asking paper or electronic, i assumed it was like the sticker you get when you are done.
whoops. apparently that is what allows you to vote.
i told the man electronic and slyly laid that little piece of paper on his table as he was not looking. much like you would a flyier handed to you on the street, you appreciate that it was given to you but dont want it.
i then went to wait in the e line. one machine. 15 minutes. no one told me that paper was faster. as i was in line i was told they will no longer use the e machines to cast votes after this election.
finally got up to the machine and the lady asked for my card. i told her i put it on the table over there and she said i cant vote without it. long story short everyone in there thinks that i was trying to cast 2 votes. had to argue, but got my vote counted.
i dont like electronic voting, i felt like i had no validation in my voting.