General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The reality about "vote flipping" machines in NC and elsewhere [View all]Kelvin Mace
(17,469 posts)A county can have hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of machines spread across hundreds or thousands of precincts. The machines have to be pulled out of storage, delivered to polling sites the night before elections (times may vary) and then set up. Sometime the set up is done the morning of the election before the polls open (think 4 AM). The people are hastily trained volunteers who may or may not be paid enough to cover their gas and food.
There are federal laws governing elections, state laws, county laws and even city laws. All must be adhered to and there are people looking over your shoulder to be sure they are. Boards of elections are generally underfunded and understaffed. It is all really a lot more complicated than people think.
Ballots are complicated. There is not just one ballot, there are dozens within a county to cover various local/district elections and you need to make sure that they right ballot gets to the right precinct. Then you have the voters who are very much a mixed lot. I have spoken to people who are so confused by even the simplest processes that I wonder how they brush their teeth without doing themselves an injury.
Now add to this the press, poll watchers from campaigns, people electioneering outside the precinct, overly opinionated voters who feel they have to push their views in line (not allowed, then someone has to tell them to please refrain, which may or may not be well received), etc. and you can begin to see why this is a challenge.