Virginia Voting: Broken Machines, No Paper Ballots

At the Math and Science Center in Richmond, Virginia, an early breakdown of electronic voting machines led to a three-and-a-half hour wait to vote on Tuesday morning, according to one poll watcher.

"Some people have been here since 6 a.m., and the first voters are just finishing now," said Judith Browne-Dianis, adding that the Richmond location she was watching did not even have backup paper ballots in case of machine malfunction.

"They didn't even have the paper ballots required by state law," she said. "That's not even something we were supposed to have to ask for. I went inside and asked the polling judge, and he said 'we don't have 'em. They [the Board of Elections] were supposed to give 'em to us, and they didn't.'"

Browne-Dianis is also a lawyer with the Advancement Project. That group, along with the NAACP, unsuccessfully brought legal action against Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as part of an effort to expand polling place hours this evening.

The groups had also hoped to get Virginia to provide more paper ballots for voters in case late evening lines proved prohibitive -- a request that was also rejected by a judge on Monday.

On Tuesday morning, though, Browne-Dianis said her group had succeeded in getting Virginia to announce that curbside voting will be in effect tonight for elderly and disabled voters. She also underlined the fact that anyone who lines up by 7pm will be able to vote, no matter how long the line takes to process.

As for her group's thwarted legal challenge, Browne-Dianis said the judge was sympathetic to the case during Monday's hearing. "He himself described waiting two and half hours, at age 85, to vote absentee. ... He said we need to go to the state legislature and get early voting, and that there is no remedy for voters for this election. And so we are monitoring the polls."

Comments

[greatblue]

Here's our recap and to-do list for the Virginia State Board of Elections.

http://vagreatblueheron.wordpress.com/2008/11/08/sbe-please-investigate-yourself/

[ThinkForYourself2]

The following video below is of a computer programmer, speaking under oath, about how he helped to rig the Florida election in 2000. He confesses that he was asked to write this program by Florida Republican, Speaker of the House, Tom Feeney.

If you have the choice, DO NOT use the electronic voting machines. They may be rigged.

Add this to the list of important stories that our criminal mainstream media has completely ignored and/or helped to cover-up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq9WVuKGwOM&feature=related

[cedderragal]

I stood in line in the Chesapeake VA area for nearly 4 hours. I battled the elements to cast my vote for Barrack Obama. It was a pivotal moment in my life. I greatly appreciate the experience. We were encouraged by the poll officials not to get out of line to know that every vote counts. Today was a good day.

Obama/Biden 08

[MGarr]

This Virginia State Board of Elections, which today failed to provide back-up paper ballots, is the SAME Board of Elections that yesterday characterized a fraudulent flyer sent out to Virginia Democratic voters, telling them they needed to vote on November 5, not November 4, as merely a joke and refused to prosecute.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/28/phony-va-flier-gives-dems_n_138510.html

Contact Ms Nancy Rodrigues, Virginia State Board of Elections Secretary, asking her to clarify why voter fraud is a joke and not to be prosecuted.

Suite 101, 200 North 9th Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219-3485
Telephone: [phone]Toll Free: 800 552-9745 FAX: [phone]
info@sbe.v­irginia.go­v

[MJJM]

A vote for McCain is a VOTE for Palin!!!

Please don't let Palin become President in waiting!!!

[vakay]

I'm with you on that too. We can't afford a dumb president when we are up against some of the most powerful leaders in the world. Beside, the polar bears and wolves are crying for help too.

[lemonyashes]

Well I'm glad Tim Caine wasn't Obama's VP pick he doesn't appear to be helping make voting work in his state.

[caysea]

The strategy to keep people from voting appears to be something that's been thought about for years: keeping people away from the polls is to the advantage of the Republicans. See this 1980 video of Paul Weyrich of the conservative "think" tank the Heritage Foundation about these types of shenanigans.
As my 11-year old says, "if they cheat and win, they should be disqualified!" Pretty straight ahead!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GBAsFwPglw

[ThinkingAllowed]

Europeans laugh at the constant failures of the US voting system(s). When voting can be done properly there, why not here? Why all the incomprehensible f-ups and unfairness to voters? Hardly befitting the "greatest democracy on earth" - more like a third rate Third World country.

[mcha]

Could everyone please stop blaming republicans for what's happening in Virginia.

Virginia's governor, Tim Kaine, is a Democrat, and the head of the Board of Elections, Nancy Rodrigues, is a Kaine appointee. The problems that are happening are their responsibility, if you want to get p*ssed off at someone, get p*ssed off at them.

[PT6]

We call ourselves the "GREATEST DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD" then why:

1. Corruption in Military Contracts
2. Corruption on Wall Street
3. Corruption in Mortgage Lending
4. Corruption in Healthcare Costs
5. Corruption in "Staging a Fake" War

and Corruption in OUR DEMOCRATIC VOTING SYSTEM!

[WilliamProc]

What is wrong with our voting system?

The US is the only nation that doesn't register its citizens at the age of 18 and continuously update their voting status for LIFE.

The US government insists on the private companies to manufacture and distribute voting machines and paper ballots.

It doesn't want to standardize the voting process for all states.

Its little wonder that an election, two years in the planning, is being turned into what my father would call a "clusterf*$#".

[iamasocialist]

Third world is better at elections. Even Zambia held quick and smooth elections

[JenMI]

Beyond embarrassing..we're with you Virginia!

[700rpm]

Everyone should petition their state legislature, their secretary of state, and their state elections board to establish the option of vote by mail. There is no downside, it saves money, and it works. I am an Oregonian, and it has worked here without a hitch for ten years. Voters have the option of dropping their ballots off at election headquarters if they are concerned about trusting the mails.

[BearsLeft]

Mail in works just fine here in Colorado. Permanent mail-in status for all elections is an option anyone can take. We always have early voting as well for at least 2 weeks before major elections.

[indepavoter9]

TIM KANE...where the hell are you ? Get to it !!!!!!!