Millions of California Twitter Votes Go Uncounted

[MineralMan]

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla stated today that there were no plans to count votes cast on Twitter by California voters. "We have a long-established method of holding elections in this state, and it does not include people's votes on social media sites like Twitter." Apparently, California's extensive educational efforts to help voters understand the complex process of registering voting in elections did not reach all state residents, causing some to think they could post a Tweet to register their vote.

Secretary Padilla admitted that many Californians who might have been eligible to register to vote neglected to do so in time to cast a ballot in person or by mail in the state. "There seems to be some confusion, particularly among our younger residents. Given the universal use of social media, many appear to have believed that they could cast a vote online and have it counted. Further, the discontinuation of Civics classes in our public schools, due to budget limitations, may have played a role in this confusion. Accordingly, we plan a stepped-up educational effort, conducted on Twitter, Reddit and Facebook, to inform those potential voters in time for them to register and vote properly in the General election. Our goal, as always, is 100% participation in the vital election process."

Disclaimer: I'm not 100% certain, but this could possibly be satirical...

[rock]

1. Anything's impossible

[MineralMan]

3. So I'm given to understand...

[Surya Gayatri]

2. Well done...so spot on. If only tweets were votes, the Bern would've carried the day! Yes, indeedy.

[virtualobserver]

4. millions of snarky comments yet unsaid by Mineral Man....I guess technically....an infinite number.

[pinebox]

5. MM why is it you have to always put down social media?

We've discussed this at great length.

Why do you think twitter is not a valid medium? I'd like to know. Real revolutions such as Arab Spring has been fought using it where it was instrumental. The US right now is in a war with ISIS who uses it for recruiting purposes and to plan attacks.

If anything, it's only a matter of time until internet voting is a thing.

[MineralMan]

8. I don't put down social media. I use it myself.

It does not, however, constitute a voting method. As a completely unregulated and mostly anonymous in nature, it is useless in measuring the will of the overall population.

I don't put it down. I simply recognize what it is and how it is used.

Will internet voting someday be the way we vote? I see no reason why it shouldn't be, but that system will not be anonymous, and will require voters to identify themselves clearly and in a way that can be verified. No other method could possibly provide an accurate count of votes.

So, if you want to vote on the internet, you will have to be willing to provide full identifying information, which will probably include social security number, an accurate address, your full legal name, and have that verified in some way before you will be allowed to vote. We vote by location, down to the precinct level, for many things.

Now, providing that information will require that it be stored somewhere, much like your driver's license, passport, tax and other information is stored. You will have to have a very strong password, too. It will be nothing like typical social media, where anonymity is prized. There will be no anonymity if you intend to vote online. You will have to fully identify yourself, not for public consumption, but to prove that you are a unique individual living in a recognizable place.

Now, you may want that to happen, or you may not. I can't say. I wouldn't mind at all, and it would be convenient to vote from my keyboard or smart phone, certainly. But the twitter model isn't going to cut it. No current social media model will work. It won't be social media. It will be a government system that collects your information and verifies it.

I'll be happy to oblige. How about you?

[sheshe2]

6. Lol~

[Ace Rothstein]

7. How many upvotes on reddit?

[Skwmom]

9. It is so funny. Let's ridicule people that don't have their votes counted. That should have them

running to the polls in Nov.

[MineralMan]

13. Thanks. I love it when my satirical writing generate stuff like this.

People showed up at the polls. Almost 4 million more of them chose Hillary Clinton as the candidate they prefer. Now, if 4 million people who preferred Bernie had shown up and voted, the results might be different today. They didn't show up, though. Or there actually weren't those additional 4 million.

The primaries are virtually over. DC has to vote, still, but that will certainly be in favor of Clinton. Some votes remain to be counted in California, but some votes remain to be counted in the other June 7 elections, too. In fact, in any state that has not yet certified its election, there are probably still ballots out there that have not been counted.

That happens in every election. But, for those people who didn't bother to go and vote, they just have twitter, and votes there don't count at all.

4 Million more votes. 373 more pledged delegates. 176 delegates over a majority of pledged delegates. The die has been cast, Skwmom. The primary election is over. Hillary will be the nominee.

I wrote a little satire. I'll probably write others, too.

[Lord Magus]

16. Tweets are not votes. -nt-

[brooklynite]

10. Do bird tweets count? I understand they favor Bernie...

[AgingAmerican]

11. Did the million dollars worth of Trolls votes get counted?

[MineralMan]

14. If they went to the polling place or mailed in their ballots, I suppose so.

If not, then no. I know no such paid trolls. Do you? If so, you can ask them personally.

[tallahasseedem]

12. ROFL!!!

Thank you for this...the "speculation" has been ridiculous.

[NurseJackie]

15. Well, if they don't have a verified Twitter account, then they shouldn't count at all.

How hard can it be to just go ahead and get one's account verified within the deadline that's been established by the party? And please spare us from having to listen to the arguments that Facebook Messenger users and Snapchat users are being disenfranchised. Nobody is forcing them to use those services exclusively!

[Retrograde]

17. K&R