Here is the voter's description of exactly what happened:
My wife and I went to the voting booths this morning before work. There were 4 older ladies running the show and 3 voting booths that are similar to a science fair project in how they fold up. They had an oval VOTE logo on top center and a cartridge slot on the left that the volunteers used to start your ballot.
I initially selected Obama but Romney was highlighted. I assumed it was being picky so I deselected Romney and tried Obama again, this time more carefully, and still got Romney. Being a software developer, I immediately went into troubleshoot mode. I first thought the calibration was off and tried selecting Jill Stein to actually highlight Obama. Nope. Jill Stein was selected just fine. Next I deselected her and started at the top of Romney's name and started tapping very closely together to find the 'active areas'. From the top of Romney's button down to the bottom of the black checkbox beside Obama's name was all active for Romney. From the bottom of that same checkbox to the bottom of the Obama button (basically a small white sliver) is what let me choose Obama. Stein's button was fine. All other buttons worked fine.
I asked the voters on either side of me if they had any problems and they reported they did not. I then called over a volunteer to have a look at it. She him hawed for a bit then calmly said "It's nothing to worry about, everything will be OK." and went back to what she was doing. I then recorded this video.
There is a lot of speculation that the footage is edited. I'm not a video guy, but if it's possible to prove whether a video has been altered or not, I will GLADLY provide the raw footage to anyone who is willing to do so. The jumping frames are a result of the shitty camera app on my Android phone, nothing more.
Apparently CNN has also been sent this video, and like many other news agencies are asking for notification of any voter fraud.
God it just makes me sick to my stomach to see this.
Please make sure when you are voting with machines to make SURE it records your voter properly.
The fact that this is happening in America should embarrass all of us, but allowing this kind of shit to steal your vote must not be allowed. We ALL have to be our own advocates to make sure our votes are recorded properly.
Update: Evidence of the same thing possibly happening in Ohio.
I saw Howard Dean on Morning Joe this morning saying straight up that if Ohio goes for Romney it will be due to voting machine fraud. As the ex-chairman of the DNC I take him at his word.
We've become a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY! The U.N. needs to oversee our voting procedures.
ReplyDeletedon't go overboard or anything lol over-dramatic much?
DeleteIn my county in PA we replaced our touch-screen machines with an optical scan system. This morning I went in to vote. I blackened the ovals for my candidates (guess which ones) and put it in the scanner. While it is still conceivable that the scanner software can be hacked/modified to mis-record every Xth vote for A and change it to B, the county election office is required to audit a proportion of the precincts for every election and because the marks are on a piece of paper and not just electronic patterns in silicon, the tally can be verified with 100% accuracy. There is no suitable alternative to Voter Verified Recountable Paper Ballots.
ReplyDeleteThe optical scanning machines are easily hacked, and while in theory the ballots can be hand counted, the Rethug governors have never permitted access to the machines or ballots, and there is no secure chain of custody of these machines.
DeleteHere are some articles on Mike Connell, Karl's guru who was offed mysteriously. Read em all and weep, then act.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kxtm5RF_6Ow
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/25/the-intriguing-death-of-t_n_153518.html
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/12-mysterious-death-of-mike-connell—karl-roves-election-thief/
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7652
one of many articles on unreliability of optical scanning machines:
Deletehttp://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/16/1100628/-It-s-the-Voting-Machines-Not-the-Voters
That is just sick.
ReplyDeleteI was just watching the clip of the SCARY BLACK PANTHER GUY at the voting center in Philly. Opening doors for people. How dare he? Wrote a comment that will not last of course, reminding them that True The Vote people were turfed from a voting center because they were intimidating voters. Complemented them on how Americun governor Scott is in Florida for making those Obama voters stand in line for several hours.
ReplyDeleteThe only way Romney can win is by lying, cheating, and stealing.
ReplyDeleteHoward Dean was on the far too long extended Morning Joe show (on until noon -- puke) and reported that his brother or brother-in-law called him to say there were machines not working in PA and other crap.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like elections are new for fuck sake. Yea -- the USofA is the 'Leader of the free world' - FUCKING BULLSHIT. We've no right to tell any other country what to do or how to do it. We look like total morons and you know -- we are. Elections are every 2 yrs - every 4 for presidential and we still can't do it right.
I'm at the point where I would dare one of the Rethug's like the moron in Ohio to show up at an election site where I'd be. I'd be willing to go to jail to cut that dick's 'Snap-on-Tool' off and ram it. Couldn't happen to a nicer person but I know I wouldn't be the only one there to do it. He'll need the witness protection program.
OWS changed the conversation but got no traction as they couldn't pull their heads out of their ass to agree on what it was for, what it was after. Unless and until there is marches like that for civil rights, the USofA is the clown car of the world.
The GOP has no shame and no conscience.
ReplyDeleteI hope lawsuits are lodged and won if more evidence is uncovered. We cannot allow this kind of shit to go on in every election.
If this happened in PA, one has to wonder about the machines in OH that the Romney trust has investments in - I sure hope someone is watching them closely.
Paper trails are needed!
and the Ohio GOP PTB's have already been playing with the machines here...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/2012/11/05/ohio_republicans_sneak_risky_software_onto_voting_machines/
I live in Washington state and turned my mail-in ballot in the other week; I didn't think I had anything to worry about. With everything in the news today, now I'm wondering how I will be assured my vote will even be counted?? The only form of ID is on the envelope, which was a little torn because of the wet weather-- I taped it backup and put my signature next to it hoping that would work. But now I'm wondering if they'd just throw the whole ballot away.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be very easy to change my vote, too. The paper said if you make a mistake, to just draw a line through your mistake and vote again (voting = drawing a line).
Hi Marz,
DeleteI live in WA and there is a website where you can check to make sure your ballot has been received and signature verified.
https://wei.sos.wa.gov/agency/osos/en/voters/Pages/i-need-to_home.aspx
I hope this helps to alleviate your concerns.
*Alicat
Thanks Alicat good to know you can check on your ballot in Washington..mine was received...
Deletemsnbc is reporting this machine has been taken off-line. http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/11/06/machine-turns-vote-for-obama-into-one-for-romney/
ReplyDeleteBut that's only one machine. What if there are more and people aren;t paying attention. And here in MI, the GOP candidates for EVERY office and every partisan race are listed first. I noticed Romney was on top in PA...what is that about? Alohabetical I could get..but in MI, it was Romney, then Obama, then the Green, Libertarian and the rest..no rhyme or reason other than put the GOP first. This is sick. The GOP has no mroals, no shame, no nothing but grees. Vote folks, and call them out on any of this treason you see happening.
DeleteOh, I don't doubt that one bit. If there's one, chances are there's much more behind the "curtain". I hang my head in shame this day. How embarrassing.
DeleteHanging your head in shame will do nothing for you. Nor will praying to the sky fairies do anything for you either. In fact, you will very likely do nothing effective for yourselves and that's because you don't have the commitment to take appropriate action and see it through. And that's because you are a librul and all of you libruls will continue to be losers.
DeleteIncumbent party should be listed first; here in NY, it was Democrats listed on top of the ballot.
Delete@11:10 a.m.- Krusty encore une fois? Is winning a national election a sign of losing? Up is down in crazy Krusty world. #fairytaletroll
DeleteI believe that we have to return to paper ballots. I don't care if the news networks cannot announce the winner by 9:01 pm Eastern time. I want all of the votes counted, recounted if need be, but counted.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
Paper ballots work fine in France. When they are counted, both finalists have representatives there, and any citizen who wants to count votes can be present and be a witness that there's no tampering with votes.
DeleteI would NEVER trust a machine. Paper lasts and doesn't lie.
I'm with you: countable and recountable and verifiable paper ballots are they way to go.
DeleteM from MD
It's paper in Canada too.
DeleteAnd Australia.
DeleteThink Progress is reporting the machine has been pulled.
ReplyDeleteIn Baltimore, I had a 2 hour wait to vote today. Not as long a line as 2008, but longer than 2010.
Hopefully a good sign
http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/11/06/machine-turns-vote-for-obama-into-one-for-romney/
As one person already said, "the only way Romney can win is by lying, cheating, and stealing."
ReplyDeleteBut win he will, one way or another. So congratulations America, you have indeed fallen to third world status with this election. Perhaps even lower than that because Hugo Chavez was elected fair and square in Venezuela. You Americans can't even claim that distinction now.
-a Canadian observer.
O/T McCain has officially lost it...
ReplyDeleteJohn McCain To Hecklers: 'Shut Up' Jerks!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/john-mccain-hecklers_n_2082514.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
That is not new for him. He treated POW families horribly at a hearing. He is an ugly vile man.
DeleteThis type of thing makes me feel physically ill.
ReplyDeleteI read a second hand report at Salon that their reporter Alex Seitz-Wald said that some electronic voting machines were flipping the votes from Romney to Obama, too.
ReplyDeleteThis claim hasn't been first-person reported by Seitz-Wald himself, nor verified yet by anybody.
I suspect it's another case of faux "well, the other side does it too!".
Nah! Anon at 10:29. There will be no Romney presidency. Obama all the way!
ReplyDeleteAn election worker in Portland (actually Clackamas County) has been discovered to have added Republican votes to Republican races there. Check out the Oregonian's story on this.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't an election between two candidates, it's between good (fair and square) and evil (lies, deception)!
ReplyDeleteVoted in CO this morning; polling place had long line, one machine, and then a bunch of booths for paper balloting. They were encouraging everyone to go with paper since it's 'faster', but I suspect they were also subtly trying to avoid using the sketchy-ass machine as much as possible (I live in a pretty gung-ho Dem stronghold). I just feel a little spooked dropping my paper ballot into the Big Mystery Lockbox - who the hell knows if it actually gets counted in the end?
ReplyDelete(a side note: how on EARTH is voting this archaic? Web security has come a long way - you're telling me Google or IBM or someone can't develop a robust and secure voting system that is fast, efficient, and safe? Or are they just not in the right people's pockets?...)
For weeks I've been certain that the COUNTRY favors Obama. I've also been terrified that despite the obvious statistical butt-kicking that Mitt should be getting, they'll find a way to steal this election. I can't remember a president EVER being hated this much by the opposing party (*gosh I wonder why*), and really do worry that some Rethug bigwig somewhere will simply refuse to allow Obama to win under any circumstances...
Romney will have to pack up his magic underwear and vacate the plane tonight!!!
ReplyDeleteI live in Utah. My friend and I voted early. She says her voting machine was calibrated to vote for Romney when she voted for Obama. Instead of the little box, we can touch anywhere inside of the larger box. She deleted her first vote, and tried again lower on Obama's box and then it did show Obama. If they would do that in UTah (where they expect him to win by 80% or so - can you imagine them not doing it in other states?) Everyone needs to recheck their boxes to ensure the candidate that they want is selected.
ReplyDeleteDid she report the problem?!
DeleteMy husband and I voted very carefully in Storey County, NV. We could verify a printout under glass before casting the ballot. We felt all was well.
ReplyDeleteWell is this any surprise?? GOP admits they don't want their voters to fact check anything. GOP can only win by cheating and I think they are actually proud of it. It's no secret and that makes their voters 10 times stupider! Christians my ass.
ReplyDeleteJust as they cannot stop multi-culturalism, they also cannot stop technology. Progress, however slowly it may seem to come about, is inevitable. They cannot take America "back" any more than they can turn back the hands of time. They may win some regressions but they won't last.
In my state all voting is by mail. I love it and it has saved our counties hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. The younger generation especially is electronically advanced. Can you believe some of them are put out that they actually have to go to the post office & buy a stamp that they actually have to lick and manually put it on an envelope?
What I'm getting at is that these old clunker hackable voting machines will assuredly, inevitably go the way of the rotary dial phone - most of the younger children have never even seen one. One day they will be in museums of old-timey inventions and people of the future will say, "So THAT's how they voted back then." There already are radio museums and computer museums. GOP hates science & technology but they can't stop it anymore than they can stop Latino's giving birth at 5 times the rate of white christians.
To the Romneys & their little boy mutts - your investments in these machines is laughable.
With technological progress new problems will emerge. But. Time IS on our side. Generation by generation.
-Colleen
LIKE x 1000000
DeleteLove your comment!
DeleteOh no, that isn't good news. It would so simple to just use piece of paper with a place to check mark the votes with a marker. The old-fashioned way would prevent any fraud. Our advanced technology in voting machinery, while practical, can be easily used as a tool for fraud.
ReplyDeletevoted in wasilla today for President Obama :) NO lines at all.
ReplyDeleteVote tampering uncovered in Oregon
ReplyDeleteAn elections worker in Oregon was fired after she was accused of tampering with ballots, in a case that has since been referred to the state's Department of Justice for investigation.
Fox 12 in Oregon reports that Deanna Swenson, who was working part-time in Clackamas County, allegedly voted for Republican candidates on two ballots where voters had left sections blank.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/oregon-elections-worker-fired-after-allegations-ballot-tampering/#ixzz2BTe3edUg
Voting machine in Pennsylvania will NOT allow voter to select President Obama.
ReplyDeleteActually, it would, and did. The text quoted in the article says in part: From the bottom of that same checkbox to the bottom of the Obama button (basically a small white sliver) is what let me choose Obama.
It's generally a good thing to read carefully the text one is quoting, before summarizing it.
Pima County AZ uses the optical scanners. I don't believe there has ever been an issue with them. The fact that I can fill in a bubble and then watch my ballot go into the machine is comforting. I went to vote early this morning and there was a small line so decided to come back at noon...no line. My vote for Obama has been cast :)
ReplyDeleteSheesh
Back in 1974 my weird religious sister told me that one day people would have bar codes implanted under their skin as soon as they were born and that it's revelation sign of the devil 666. Maybe it's not a bad idea and now I could actually see that happening in the future. You could program your own bar code chip for who you want to vote for and then just go to the poll place & have it scanned. But on second thought, what if people were hacking away at your chip? I just don't think there's any fool proof way of ever protecting voter integrity. It will always happen to some degree no matter what, it seems. OK. I admit I've watched to many sci-fi movies.
ReplyDeleteIf you've already voted, take a couple of hours and sign up to Barackobama.com and make some phone calls in swing states. The script is very simple today. "Are you planning to or have you already voted?" And "Can I ask who you support?" Easy as pie. The call lists are democrats and most people are letting their machines pick up so a lot of us callers are leaving a quick message asking for their vote and giving polling hours in their precinct.
ReplyDeleteI just got off the phone with someone in Ohio; the call had gone to voicemail & I was in the middle of leaving my message & a woman picked up the phone & told me everyone in their house had already voted for Obama then she thanked warmly my for my "work." It gives you a good feeling! Do it! It's better than sitting around wringing your hands the rest of the afternoon!
Thanks for the info and your help in GOTV!
DeleteI will be getting on the phone now to help.
I love our President!
*Alicat
It's interesting that the complaints are coming from people who are being blocked from voting Obama. One alleged statement somewhere that some machines were switching to Obama. Yeah. It's called "plausible deniability." Have lots of machines tampered with, and in repug strongholds, a couple of machines that switch the other way.
ReplyDeleteIvyfree
The only way Romney can win is if the election is stolen for him.
ReplyDeleteM from MD
All software can be hacked, including the software running these electronic voting machines, which, I might add, are owned by private companies. Why such a vulnerable method of recording votes was implemented by a country as tech savvy as the US I will never know.
ReplyDeleteAll software can be hacked, including that running the voting hardware. Implement a vulnerable voting method, don't be surprised if it sits up and bites you.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I can't see any of the Romney's having any kind of ownership in voter machines. Liars and thiefs. We all saw the catoon about moronism this sunday and laughed all day. I can't belileve that anyone running for President would believe this crap they think they are going to be gods and have lots of wives. Christians don't you know the bible says have no other god's before me. So racist that you would put someone in there that has these crazy beliefs. They think Josesph Smith has done more for mankind than Jesus. And by the way they call him the mormon Jesus
ReplyDeleteAn Oregon election worker has already been arrested for ballot tampering. She was filling in Republican candidates on ballots where they had been left blank. She claims she only did two.
ReplyDeleteRight.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/deanna-swenson-oregon-election-worker_n_2082882.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
Why does the Republican Party scream voter fraud so long an loud? Because they are the ones committing it.
BTW that machine thing? The same thing happened in 2008 and 2010. Why are we still allowing this to continue in this country?