How will absentee votes be counted? Can we trust them?

[Deja Q]

I might be doing the absentee thing because I sure as hell refuse to use an electronic gizmo that has no fucking paper trail (that only a total shithead would take at face value, pardon my language but I've had it with these traitors who devised this electronic cow cack, complete with no paper receipt! x( )

I will have to trust them, but if Minnesota goes the way of the silicon, much how California has gone the way of silicone, I will definitely vote absentee - but show up at the polls just to see what system they're using. (I wouldn't make a fuss at the polling place, but I sure as heck would write to everybody in office and get others to do the same.)

[Kahuna]

1. I think absentee votes are very risky. You have to rely on the

integrity of the state officials to count them and not throw them away. No thanks.

[DaveSZ]

2. What's more risky?

Letting Diebold count your vote or the people who count absentee ballots?

I voted absentee in 2002 when I turned 18.

I guess optical scan machines with a paper trail would be ok.

[Deja Q]

3. Good point... so now what?

So if they go electronic and I vote Kerry using their stylus pen or whatever, how can I protest or challenge the vote?

I've seen far more Kerry people than * people, by a 4:1 margin in terms of bumper sticker support alone.

That cretin* can not take Minnesota in a fair election, I can tell you that right now.

[bahrbearian]

4. With Absentee Ballots you get a Numbered Stub

to verify your vote in a recount. Its the only way to go, Plus they have your signature to show you voted.

[IronLionZion]

5. I'm voting absentee

and they better count it. I have no doubt that PA will go for Kerry.

[benburch]

6. Usually they are NEVER counted!

What happens is this; If the regular election is close, close enough that they might make a difference, then they are opened up. Otherwise they are never looked at and are shredded as soon as the election is certified.

How close is "close enough"? Well, that is a judgment call, and is likely to be influenced by the political affiliations of those who make the call!

[genius]

8. Where I live the absentees were counted but the computers lost 7000

votes and that's just in my county.

[genius]

7. Absentee voting is the only way to make sure your vote is counted

in places like California.

[LatteLib]

9. Hi Hypno

I have worked on the election board several times. Granted, I live in a small community so it may be different in your area but, the absentee ballots from within our precinct are hand carried to us from the county court house. We then count the ballots and record the names of the people that absenteed in the poll book. The ballots are then placed in the same lock box as the rest of our ballots and are hand carried to the county court house by a representative of each party. Currently, those representatives would be the Inspector (Democrat) and the Republican Judge.
It may be different in larger communities and big cities but that is how it is done here.