County Clerks are going berserk in Colorado

[Demeter]

OpEdNews

Original Content at http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_mark_cri_080222_county_clerks_are_go.htm




By Mark Crispin Miller


They want to keep the DRE machines, which the SoS, Mike Coffman, has decertified, insisting that the state use op-scans instead. The clerks say that it's not the DRE's that are defective, but the tests used to appraise the DRE's; and some of them are even threatening to use the DRE's, decertified or not. They say they don't have time to buy the op-scans, don't know how to use them, blah blah blah.


The simplest course, if I may be so bold, would be to dump all those computerized machines, op-scans and DRE's alike, and just hand-count the paper ballots. And if the clerks refuse to do that, they should quit. I'm sure there are a lot of capable and civic-minded Coloradans who would thrilled to have those jobs.


MCM


http://www.cbs4denver.com/video/?id=[e-mail]





Authors Bio: Mark Crispin Miller is the author of Fooled Again: The Real Case for Electoral Reform, which is now out in paperback from Basic Books, with over 100 pages of new material. He may be reached through his blog at markcrispinmiller.com. A movie based on his off-Broadway show, A Patriot Act, is available on DCD at www.patriotnation.com.

[aquart]

1. I uncritically adore Mark Crispin Miller.

And I don't care who knows it.

[Joanne98]

2. This is what they get for buying them in the first place!

They should all be fired!

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Again with the hand-counting, by someone who...

has undoubtedly never had the thrill of counting ballots.

Hand-counting is the most error and fraud prone method of counting, but, hey, let's not let people who have had actual experience in polling places make decisions about counting.

Near as I can tell, nothing on earth is hand counted any more, except cash drawers. And they're checked against some counting-- which is presumed to be the accurate total.

OK, present DRE's suck, we all pretty much agree. But, rather than go back to pre-abacus technology, why not make 'em work as well as a 50 dolar cash register? Or an ATM?

[Demeter]

4. I've Actually Done Handcounting This Year and Last

because of write-in votes and our perfectly useless Diebold Optiscan machine, which couldn't accurately sort out the write-in ballots.

It's neither impossible nor daunting, given enough manpower (although it's usually womanpower) and adequate supervision.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Write-in and absentee ballots get handcounted here, but...

I've never seen more than a dozen or so per ED. Other places may have more, but I can't imagine how many more.

(And, we are desperate for poll inspectors here-- 12 bucks an hour for a 16-17 hour day hasn't caused a great rush.)

My point isn't about the exceptions, though, it's about 500-1,000 ballots with maybe ten parties having candidates for a dozen or so offices. And another dozen yes/no issues stuck on the ballot.

Pollworkers here get in at 5:30 AM to set up and can't start counting until 9PM. If everything's hand counted, that pretty much guarantees a loooong night.

Again, everything in the whole world, from counter sales to UPS deliveries to warehouse inventory is dealt with with scanners ansd computer, with few errors. There's no reason we can't count voes electronically if we want to-- the main problem might simply be that county election officials aren't in the cash register or inventory business and don't know what to look for.

[Demeter]

7. We Had To Sort Out the Ballots, Count Them, and Then Try To Explain

why the number of applications and the number of ballots didn't match (somebody walked off with their ballot is our best guess. People do the strangest things, and not just on election day).

[mariema]

6. Getting the people to do the counting is the problem

After you set up the polling place at 6 a.m. to open up at 7, then spend the next 13 hours working, the last thing you want to do is hand count each ballot 4 or 5 times, depending on how many races there are. By the time you stumble home at 1 in the morning you have made up your mind you will never again be a poll worker.

If there weren't so much pressure to get the results so quickly, maybe hand counting would be feasible. If we had a day or two to report the numbers it might not be so hard.

If you have never done it you have no idea how grueling it is.

(Our optical scanner machine has worked perfectly for the last 4 years.)

[Beregond2]

8. Counting

"If there weren't so much pressure to get the results quickly..."

You've hit the nail on the head right there. Where is it written that results have to be reported instantly? We only expect that because we have been conditioned to. And why do the poll workers have to do the counting? Why not have separate teams who just do that?

I see no reason for hand counting except in cases where the results are close, or there is reason to doubt the validity of the totals. Then, it should be mandatory, and paid for by the government. The current system where the person asking for the recount has to pay for it is insane.