Voting machines and the 2012 presidential election
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Posted: Thursday, November 1, 2012 12:00 am
|
Updated: 6:06 am, Thu Nov 1, 2012.
Voting machines and the 2012 presidential election
I am reminded of the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 where voters were either discouraged or denied access to voting stations in the South, especially Florida. Votes had to be recounted in many counties, and it turned into a fiasco. The election of 2000 had to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. I am concerned that the GOP wants to win this presidential election badly enough to tamper with voters and vote results, enough to swing the election their way as was done in 2000 and 2004.
Mitt Romney owns a controlling interest in a vote ballot machine manufacturing company, Hart Intercivic, which will be used in at least one battleground state — Ohio. This smells very fishy — downright rotten. Worse yet, votes cast on these machines cannot be monitored or recounted.
What is wrong with this picture? Why are these ballot machines allowed to be used in any election if they cannot be monitored? How is it that there is no law against this?
A candidate should not be allowed to run for any office, who is a major share holder of the company producing the machines that his or her votes will be cast on. This is not democratic. This is despotic, dictatorial, incorrect, inappropriate and just plain wrong.
The name of the book is "Billionaires and Ballot Bandits" by Greg Pallast. Why is this report not in the mainstream media? There should be an investigation and a full report done on the allegations.
John Minnehan
Lodi
Posted in
Letters,
Elections
on
Thursday, November 1, 2012 12:00 am.
Updated: 6:06 am.
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Darrell Baumbach posted at 6:53 pm on Sat, Nov 3, 2012.
ACORN = liberal voter fraud ...Obama gave $800,000 to finance ACORN
November 6th may be known in history as "The Night of The Living Dead" as ACORN manages to register all those dead voters...
Jeff Tillett posted at 1:08 pm on Sat, Nov 3, 2012.
"Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor [Mitt] Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done."
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/turzais-voter-id-remark-draws-criticism-641982/
John Lucas posted at 9:10 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Joe, getting a little stressed?
John Lucas posted at 9:08 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Yes Joe we both dislike the MSM. I hate it when it lies. You hate when it tells the truth.
Joe Baxter posted at 5:21 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
HaHaHa, CNN, now there is a "no biased" broadcaster. No wonder why Mr. Tillett's views are jaded. CNN packs his brains with outright liberal propaganda.
Joe Baxter posted at 5:19 pm on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Naw, Eric, that's not HOGWASH, as BrainDead Biden would say, "Thats MALARKEY".
Nobody is trying to keep anybody from voting. Perhaps voting twice, but not from voting at all. Pure liberal BS.
Jeff Tillett posted at 11:25 am on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
"Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor [Mitt] Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done."
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/turzais-voter-id-remark-draws-criticism-641982/
Jeff Tillett posted at 11:21 am on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/08/30/technology/election_diebold/
Eric Barrow posted at 10:35 am on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Joe said ..."it doesn't matter what days are set up to vote, you will fiind a way to vote. This is just liberal whining trying to stir up racial hatred." Sure Joe The right takes steps to disenfranchise minority voters and when the Washington Post points out whats going on they are the ones accused of stirring up racial hatred. I'd give that two HOGWASHES
John Lucas posted at 8:58 am on Fri, Nov 2, 2012.
Jerome when Mr Minnehan I am concerned that the GOP wants to win this presidential election badly enough to tamper with voters" he is just commenting on the obvious. There is nothing our Conservative Republican friends will not do to try to win the election. There is no lie they will not tell, there is no level they will not stoop to. He is just commenting on their character. Just look at the whoppers Mr. Romney is spouting out in desperation.
Joanne Bobin posted at 8:31 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
When dyed in the wool conservatives ONLY read right-wing accounts of events, of course they are going to find 'blacks wielding night-sticks," while innocent white ladies are only "watching over the shoulders" of black voters as they mark their ballots.
Perfectly logical thinking for the typical conservative white Lodian.
Jerome Kinderman posted at 7:21 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Two guys with night sticks? Oh, sure that's fine. I guess they needed to prepare to defend themselves.
Jerome Kinderman posted at 7:18 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Mr. Baxter, I wonder how many of those poll watchers arrived with police batons like the members of the New Black Panther Party wielded in Philadelphia. Now THAT's intimidation.
Poll watchers are a necessary component of any election. Here in California they're permitted to be in the polling places prior to 7:00 a.m. to observe and after the election ends at 8:00 p.m. until all of the steps are completed prior to taking them to the processing center. There are limitations as to what they can do and say while on site. But where I supervise the election here in Lodi I would welcome them all just as long as they work within the confines of the law.
Jerome Kinderman posted at 7:11 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Mr. Minnehan states: "I am concerned that the GOP wants to win this presidential election badly enough to tamper with voters and vote results, enough to swing the election their way as was done in 2000 and 2004."
While I can fully understand Mr. Minnehan's and so many other Democrats' consternation regarding the election of 2000 (although it was proved each time the Florida votes were counted that George W. Bush did win the Electoral vote), I'm confused as to why he's concerned regarding the election of 2004. Bush won both, and I don’t recall too much whining about it from the Democrats.
Is he now suggesting that Democrats would never (ever) consider tampering with voters and vote results if they thought they could pull the wool over everyone's eyes? Oh come now, Mr. Minnehan - all we have to do is look to the campaign regarding the ObamaCare debacle of 2010. The arm-twisting, bribing and other shenanigans that went on will be talked about for generations to come!
Now as far as I can tell, President Obama and Mitt Romney are in a virtual tie. Why not wait until after the election to begin complaining about cheating, okay? And this time PLEASE provide some proof . . . for a change.
Joe Baxter posted at 5:20 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
If you promise people FREE stuff without working for it, and promise ILLEGAL aliens they can break the laws of America with no consequences, they would vote for PeeWee Herman if he was running for president. It is no accident racial division is the highest it has been in decades thanks to the current administration. Divide and conquer, simple radical strategy.
Joe Baxter posted at 4:56 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
"Kill the Crackers", "Kill their babies", "Spill some White BLOOD" ! If nothing else, they should have been prosecuted for terrorist threats. If whites would have done this, Holder and Owe-Blame-O would have crucified them regardless of how many did it.
Joe Baxter posted at 4:47 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
I love it when liberals whine, makes me smile. White people in a black neighborhood is voter intimidation? Get real. No chants, no signs, no screaming at black voters, no one was carrying clubs or weapons. As for the Black Panthers, it was MORE than two, apparently Bobbin can't count so well?
Joe Baxter posted at 4:44 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
More HOGWASH. IF you WANT to vote, it doesn't matter what days are set up to vote, you will fiind a way to vote. This is just liberal whining trying to stir up racial hatred.
Darrell Baumbach posted at 3:39 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Mr Minnehan stated...I am concerned that the GOP wants to win this presidential election badly enough to tamper with voters and vote results
How comical... Democrats and Obama used ACORN to pull off the largest scale voting fraud activity in history and also insists that anyone can vote without having to show picture ID's and Mr Minnehan pretends to be concerned about voter fraud.
Beam me up Scotty!! quick!!!! Thats like Seagrams or Coors being concerned about someone getting slightly drunk.
Joanne Bobin posted at 3:28 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
"Please cite cases of Republican voter intimidation, if you can."
The TEA Party's (King Street Patriots) "True the Vote" organization at polling places in a black district in Houston, TX:
“The first day of early voting, at many of the 37 locations, primarily in minority neighborhoods, dozens of poll watchers showed up sent by King Street Patriots,” Mr. Ray said.
The influx of white election observers in black neighborhoods caused friction with voters and poll workers, bringing back memories of a time when racial intimidation at the polls was commonplace in the South, said Gerald M. Birnberg, a lawyer and former chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party. True the Vote has strongly denied that it has engaged in voter suppression.
“Whether that was the intention or just born of some innate paranoia is largely irrelevant,” Mr. Birnberg said. “That’s how it was perceived by people at the polls.”
Eric Barrow posted at 3:22 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
HOGWASH on your HOGWASH The Latino population is growing so fast in Arizona that is expected to go Democratic in the 2016 election and Florida did shut down early voting the Sunday before election.
In addition to cutting the number of mandatory early voting days, the new Florida law eliminates early voting on the Sunday before Election Day, a day when high percentages of minority voters headed to the polls in 2008. (That surge might be in part due to black church activism, known as “Souls to the Polls.”) The new law mandates two Saturdays and one Sunday for early voting, but not the Sunday before Election Day.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/09/24/florida-early-voting-cuts-survive/
Joanne Bobin posted at 3:14 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
"I'm not surprised that the New Black Panthers got away with their intimidating tactics that were summarily dismissed by our Attorney General. Nothing like a little political integrity, huh?"
It was two guys - the incident was blown up beyond what it deserved because they identified themselves as New Black Panthers. Silly, really - nothing compared to Republican voter intimation that has reached outrageous proportions.
And Republicans think the Voting Rights Act is outdated and needs to be repealed!!
HAHAHAHA!!
Joe Baxter posted at 2:04 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
HOGWASH. More liberal drivel. Get a grip.
Eric Barrow posted at 1:41 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
John this has already happened in Florida were the state government shut down early voting on the Sunday before the election. In the past this day was when poor black churches would bus congregations to polling places. I can see only one reason why Florida State Government would shut down voting on this particular day
As the country continues to become more diverse ethnically and alternative lifestyles become more mainstream the Grand Old Party is attempting to control the vote of those who traditionally vote democrat. This ploy will only work for so long in the next few election cycles the GOP will either have to change many of their stances on issues or they will simply become irrelevant.
John Lucas posted at 1:37 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Listening to our Conservative Republican friends talk among themselves it reminds me that the universe they live in is strange and scary.
Joe Baxter posted at 1:20 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Jerome, just what other method do the "other 7" states use ? Wait, Obama didn't make all 57 so I guess he doesn't care how they vote.
Joe Baxter posted at 1:17 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
As BrainDead Biden would say, "MALARKEY".
Walter Chang posted at 1:14 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
“Al Sharpton's goons”
Colonel, seriously??
[lol]
Jerome Kinderman posted at 1:10 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Philadelphia is the bastion of intimidation. Except for few exceptions (Independence Mall and the Main Line) Philly is a hideous place to live; and it's always been that way for as long as I can remember. I visit as often as I can because that's where I was raised, but with the exception of a little cleaning up here and there, it's still as violent and intimidating a place as one might find in the entire country.
I'm not surprised that the New Black Panthers got away with their intimidating tactics that were summarily dismissed by our Attorney General. Nothing like a little political integrity, huh?
Jerome Kinderman posted at 1:05 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Interestingly, here in Lodi where before each election those of us who supervise at polling sites are thoroughly trained in the set-up, use and take-down of these very expensive electronic voting machines, I have yet to witness one vote cast using one.
My concern here is the unbelievable waste that goes into the purchasing, configuring/programming, housing, insuring and training that surrounds these machines, yet they're hardly ever used. In fact, I'd like a report on how many times they’ve actually used over the past five years.
We're told that federal law requires that they be made available; so that means every state (that would be 50, not 57) must go through the same steps to have them ready on each election day. The cost must certainly range in the high millions if not billions.
Let's either use them or dispose of them.
John Lucas posted at 12:20 pm on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Republican self admitted voter suppression efforts shows their true colors when it come to honorable behavior.
Robert Chapman posted at 11:19 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
Speaking of voter "intimidation", the Black Panthers, and now Al Sharpton's goons, are going to stand outside of polliing stations to "make sure things go smoothly"? Please cite cases of Republican voter intimidation, if you can.
Robert Chapman posted at 11:16 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
I would be real interested in an explanation of just how valid photo ID requirements to vote could sway the results of the election. Pure liberal propaganda.
Joanne Bobin posted at 11:02 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
How does the "liberal propaganda machine" distort all of the other Republican attempts at voter intimidation (the TEA Party's "True the Vote"), Voter ID laws, changing early voting days/times that are directed at disenfranchising voters who traditionally vote Democratic?
Even one poor soul, Rep. State Representative, Turzai, was caught on video stating, "voter ID, which will allow Governor Romeny to win PA, DONE!"
Robert Chapman posted at 8:34 am on Thu, Nov 1, 2012.
John Minnehan, you are a victim of the liberal propaganda machine. You need to find out the facts about this internet rumor. Even SNOPES says it is FALSE.