Cool Voting Machines!

[Railroad (Premo)]

I enjoyed the voting computer at Hollywood Firehouse. These computers use access cards and a fingertip touch screen. Voting was fast and easy! It was mid-morning when I voted, so there weren't many voters there. I hope there'll be a heavy turnout later on!

[vraiblonde]

We have the same thing and I'm somewhat disturbed about being disenfranchised.

The card records your vote, then you hand it to an election worker. The worker I handed mine to stuck the card in her pocket. Since I didn't personally feed the card into a hopper (like you do with paper ballots), how can I be sure my vote was counted?

Not sure how it works - maybe the vote is recorded on the computer as well for tallying purposes and the card is just in case you come back later and think you voted wrong or something.

[Nucklesack]

Originally Posted by vraiblonde

We have the same thing and I'm somewhat disturbed about being disenfranchised.

The card records your vote, then you hand it to an election worker. The worker I handed mine to stuck the card in her pocket. Since I didn't personally feed the card into a hopper (like you do with paper ballots), how can I be sure my vote was counted?

Not sure how it works - maybe the vote is recorded on the computer as well for tallying purposes and the card is just in case you come back later and think you voted wrong or something.

I think you hit it on the head, the Card (i believe) is for backup purposes

[MMDad (Premo)]

Originally Posted by vraiblonde

We have the same thing and I'm somewhat disturbed about being disenfranchised.

The card records your vote, then you hand it to an election worker. The worker I handed mine to stuck the card in her pocket. Since I didn't personally feed the card into a hopper (like you do with paper ballots), how can I be sure my vote was counted?

Not sure how it works - maybe the vote is recorded on the computer as well for tallying purposes and the card is just in case you come back later and think you voted wrong or something.

The card identifies you to the machine. It does not record your vote. The machine records your vote. When you are finished, the card is wiped, and goes back into the pile to be encoded for someone else.

[Sharon (Premo)]

I think the cards (reuseable) are used to access the voters info on one machine, and then used by the voter so that they can access the ballot on the voting machine screen. Then the cards are erased and used again. BIG problems where we voted this morning. I think 2A got disenfranchised, so I left him there while the judge tried to offer him a paper ballot as backup if his screen didn't record the vote. He told them it never let him access the ballot and wanted to start over. Good thing there wasn't a line.

[vraiblonde]

Originally Posted by MMDad

The card identifies you to the machine. It does not record your vote. The machine records your vote. When you are finished, the card is wiped, and goes back into the pile to be encoded for someone else.

Okay, I feel better now! When I got the card, the election worker said that my vote would be recorded on the card - that's why I was disturbed about having that card treated so cavalierly.

But they did swipe it and encode it before they gave it to me, and I did see stacks of cards going through a machine that (I assume) erases them.

[vraiblonde]

Originally Posted by Sharon

He told them it never let him access the ballot and wanted to start over.

You mean after he submitted the ballot or it wouldn't let him access in the first place?

[2ndAmendment (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Sharon

I think the cards (reuseable) are used to access the voters info on one machine, and then used by the voter so that they can access the ballot on the voting machine screen. Then the cards are erased and used again. BIG problems where we voted this morning. I think 2A got disenfranchised, so I left him there while the judge tried to offer him a paper ballot as backup if his screen didn't record the vote. He told them it never let him access the ballot and wanted to start over. Good thing there wasn't a line.

There was later. I was there for 1 1/2 hours trying to vote. If this election isn't protested, I will be very surprised. More people were not able to vote than were able to vote while I was there. People gave up and walked out. Check out my thread "Voting nightmare". Voting nightmare

[vanbells]

From my understanding, the plastic card only tells the machine which ballot style you will be voting from.