Could Voting Meltdown Happen Again?

In 2000, the presidential election was marred by hanging chads in Florida. Four years later, it was malfunctioning machines in Ohio. With record numbers of voters expected yet again, the fundamental question remains whether the country's embattled election machinery will stand up to the pressure.

This year's unprecedented primary turnout has already exposed cracks in the infrastructure. In Texas, lines stretched for hours and ballots ran out. Voters in Virginia were told to submit slips of paper -- which were later disqualified -- when ballot deliveries didn't arrive, and overwhelmed poll workers in Washington, D.C., hid electronic machines because they were afraid of the contraptions.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Swerinjer2]

WHEN THE ELECTION IS STOLEN TOMORROW WILL YOUR BODY STAY IN FRONT OF YOUR MONITOR?

WILL YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO TAKE BACK YOUR DEMOCRACY?

WILL YOU RISK YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY?

OR WILL YOU LOOK FOR AN EXCUSE TO STAY IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

COMIT RIGHT NOW. LET ME HEAR YOU. WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[vernbvb]

We need to take back our voting rights!

[ThinkForYourself2]

In the 2004 presidential election, 57,000 voting irregularities, such as problems with voting machines and voter suppression, where filed with the Government Accountability Office mostly favoring Bush and hurting Kerry. Yes 57,000! If you're a journalist who has courage to speak up, look at the information presented and let it be known to the public.

http://www.electionfraud2004.org/presentation/index.html

[NetWeasel]

This may be too little, too late, but...

There is a way to document those who were not able to wait the hours to vote. Get a camera and a petition -- everyone who's going to be voting should have at least their voter registration cards for ID.

Film each person (who wants to) signing the "I didn't get to vote" petition with the polling place and its line in the background. That would give much more proof than usual, possibly enough to do SOMETHING about it -- it might not be until next election, but at least there would be some hard data....

[Sundialsvc4]

Let me be ... utterly frank.

In 2000, the election was stolen.

In 2004, the election was stolen again.

In the years between 2004 and 2008, we were rudely told that "impeachment is off the table." That is to say... "enforcement of the so-called Supreme (yeah, right...) Law of the Land is not-gonna-happen."

What ... do ... you ... THINK ... is gonna happen next?

Duh.

"Ike was right." And since he WAS... do you seriously think that it's gonna be this easy?

Can you spell I-N-S-A-N-E-L-Y R-I-C-H S-O-C-I-O-P-A-T-H? You can?! Great! THAT'S your enemy. And he's wearing an Armani suit.

[Swerinjer2]

The real enemy are the people. they COULD have risen en masse and FORCED them to impeach but they didn't. Americans are lazy selfish cowards.

[Swerinjer2]

DEMOCRATS ARE WIMPS. THE ELECTION WILL BE STOLEN...*AGAIN*....AND YOU WILL SIMPLY GIVE IN.

I MEAN *YOU* READING THIS RIGHT NOW.

[Sundialsvc4]

Swerinjer2, "good grief!" Is the straw-man that you are addressing ("all DEMOCRATS") ... really ... The Bogeyman?

"Let us be honest with one another, Perfect Stranger." The answer is: "No."

The truth is: "the election WILL be stolen, again." Just as it was in 2000, and just as it was in 2004, and for the very same reasons.

But... is "the Bogeyman" actually YOUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN who wore Red shirts? No.

... those who wore Blue shirts? Again, no.

Embrace your countrymen, for you are ALL "plaintiffs." At the end of the day Tuesday, you will ALL find yourselves EQUALLY aggrieved, for NEITHER of your hard-won votes actually counted for anything at all. SOME excuse was offered (last year it was "chads...") but the bottom line is simply that the whole election was rigged.

(Let the record show that you were never offered more than two 'choices' to begin with, so if the election was 'rigged' it was rigged IN 2006...)

Yes, these thousand-or-so well placed people REALLY CAN(!) turn the 300-million-or-so "the rest of us" simultaneously into PLAINTIFFS.

Hmmm... I think we're suddenly "all in this together," now aren't we?

[Carolab]

Personally, my ancestral blood is earliest colonial, Revolutionary and Civil war hero stock, descended from Lincoln.

Think I plan on sitting it out?

NOT ON YOUR LIFE.

[Budokan]

Of course it can (and will) happen again. You think the Republicans are just going to roll over?

[larry278]

As a startling new figure on the politics scene might say [off the record], "You bet your sweet @$$ that it can & will happen.". Right, Governor, Karl, Dick, W?

[Swerinjer2]

because you KNOW the democrats will. 2000 and 2004: taking candy from a baby.

[Carolab]

I agree that the response was weak in the past, but of course our "leaders" gave up the fight (Gore was pretty good, though, I think--the SCOTUS was to blame).

THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT. THERE IS AWARENESS THAT THE REPUBLICANS STOLE THE ELECTIONS. THERE IS A NATION IN TATTERS AND PEOPLE KNOW WHO TO BLAME.

THERE IS AN INSPIRATIONAL LEADER WHO SPEAKS TO "BOTH SIDES".

AND THERE IS ANGER. LOTS AND LOTS OF ANGER.

[Marlyn]

"We're gonna need a bigger boat" ???

This whole approach of voting in a public place is impractical. The best plan would be to have every state do it the same way, and that is as Oregon does it, VOTE by MAIL. It would be that easy.

Instead we have this push for more machines? No thank you!

[changeishere08]

Washington state votes by mail as well as we never had problems. I am so pissed off that the powers that be aren't pushing this option instead for the corrupt diebold machines. The republicans are disgusting.

[Swerinjer2]

Democrats are worse than disgusting for tolerating it.

[Marlyn]

Some Democrats too. My Senator Dianne Feinstein voted with the Republicans for these machines and supports them still.

[Swerinjer2]

BTW here's how REAL citizens deal with election fraud:

Discrepancy of about 7% from exit polling in Ukraine election shows fraud-200,000 Ukrainians take to the streets:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/11/23/ukraine.1110/index.html

They successfully force a repeat vote:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1203-04.htm

The election is overturned, the true victor is put into office:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/12/26/ukraine.vote/index.html

DEMOCRATS DONT DESERVE TO WIN. THERE'S NO FIGHT IN THE DOG. PASSIVE COWARDLY GULLIBLE AND LAZY.

[anthead]

post your home address, we'll show you how cowardly and lazy we are.

[Swerinjer2]

4867 Oak St. St Louis MO

[anthead]

America is a joke, they send election monitors all over the planet to ensure fair elections in other countries yet they cannot have a fair election in our own. Round up all the election officials involved in voter suppression, voter disenfranchisement etc.... and throw the filthy fracking sw1nes in prison for a long long time.
Better yet E X E C U T I O N.

[Marlyn]

Off with their heads!

[hypnotoad72]

Well, some responsible(?) driver in Florida turned a bunch of voter ballots into makeshift kites, forgetting he needed a lot of string to tether them with...

[hypnotoad72]

Well, some fool turned a bunch of voter ballots into makeshift kites, forgetting he needed a lot of string to tether them with...

[NotGuilty]

It was a republican origami class.

[weatherwaxx]

Well, duh? This is not one of Huffpo's better headlines. OF COURSE IT COULD. There are already over 80K reports of voting problems, and the damned Diebold machines are still in place. Plus that jerk in Georgia has practically instructed right-wing bullies to threaten voters. "Challenge."

Some days I wish Lincoln had let the south secede.

[peacegurl48]

We are the model of Democracy for the world? This is a disgrace, the right to vote was won with American blood...it should be sacred.
No matter what happens with the election we must stand up and demand that the voting system is made right. Let's start with getting rid of the electoral system. Making Election Day a National Holiday, making the process 100% non-partisan...whatever it takes.
This cannot happen again. OBAMA for Change and Hope!

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

I believe all those patriots that say voting is sacred are the ones suppressing the vote,caging,robo-calling to let us know Dems will vote on the fifth,etc.Then along comes Obama and they know his numbers are staggering,they couldn't cheat that much without being found out.Therein lies the dilemma,who is willing to make a conspiratorial action to provide McCain/Palin with a win?The answer is nobody,nobody wants to be responsible for what could happen if Obama is cheated out of his rightful and legal win.Republicans know they won't get away with this again,so the real place to watch is Senate elections,that's their last possible chance to hold onto some power.I hope everyone is on their toes for any shenanigans in some of these tight races.

[elcojonu]

NATIONAL STRIKE IF THIS ELECTION IS STOLEN !

[tomhuggan]

Strike? More like a 700B dollar riot. It's not unprecedented. When Silverado savings went bankrupt, under the guidence of W's brother, it cost 3.2 billion. That same year, the "Rodney King" riots in Los Angeles caused 3.2 billion dollars in damage. Tit for tat, the devils got their due. Those who are still working, here and in China, work harder, work faster, the taxmen cometh.

[Voltage]

Seriously, there are third-world countries with better, more efficient, and more trustworthy voting systems. What an embarrassment.

[Swerinjer2]

Here's how REAL citizens deal with election fraud:

Discrepancy of about 7% from exit polling in Ukraine election shows fraud-200,000 Ukrainians take to the streets:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/11/23/ukraine.1110/index.html

They successfully force a repeat vote:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1203-04.htm

The election is overturned, the true victor is put into office:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/12/26/ukraine.vote/index.html