Democracy - Gizmodo

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Estonia Will Be the First Country to Elect Politicians Using Mobile Phones
Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
Gizmodo PSA Contest: Don't Forget to Vote
Open-Source Democracy Video Player Updated: Tastes Great, Less Filling

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Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
12/12/08

In reply to Estonia Will Be the First Country to Elect Politicians Using Mobile Phones
Estonia? I thought that was the place Dilbert visited, where the people walked around in knee-deep mud...
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Gessho
12/12/08

In reply to Estonia Will Be the First Country to Elect Politicians Using Mobile Phones
Sounds like a wonderful idea until the Russians decide they want to launch another IT attack on them like they did last year. Then, not so much....

Gotta love Ms. Estonia, though!
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Gann
12/12/08

@Gessho: Or launch an EMP device.
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Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
12/12/08

In reply to Estonia Will Be the First Country to Elect Politicians Using Mobile Phones
I'd vote for that! But I insist upon selecting my candidate by touching them. Using my cell phone seems so impersonal! I need to know my candidate. Get a feel for them inside and out on a deep and penetrating level. No more of this impersonal politics for me!
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Wilson Rothman
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
I used an electronic machine today that printed a receipt that I could review before it went into some kind of chamber at the rear. I know it's sacrilegious of me—a professional technojingoist—to say, but I felt better knowing that there was a paper copy of my votes somewhere in case some great EM burst wiped all machines in the greater Seattle area.
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yoshi
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
I voted on one today. It was very simple and easy to operate. It took me about 1 minute to cast my ALL REPUBLICAN VOTE!

GO MCCAIN AND PALIN!!
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Curves
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
Just back from casting my electronic ballot on a Diebold machine in Ohio and I am happy to report no glitches as far as I could see. The lines were not overly long, the provisional balloting seemed to be working ok (the lady in front of me cast one and the poll workers knew what to do, etc). My only concern is that there were city charter amendments listed in the newspapers that were not on the ballot, and when I asked the poll workers, they knew nothing about them, but said other people has asked as well, so I will be calling city hall or the board of elections later.
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
I hear Obama took 15 minutes to cast his vote. I wonder if he had a change of heart and voted McCain.
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

@Rabid Penguin: Why not give McCain a pity vote? It's not like Sen. Obama's voting district might go red.

And I heard that Sen. McCain executed a Double Maverick followed by a Sad Grandpa. He nailed the dismount.
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

@OMG! Ponies!: I think it has to do with Obama being the candidate of change. All candidates for president have traditionally voted for themselves, and it's time for a change.

I don't think it's fair if Obama gets more electoral votes than McCain though. We should redistribute the votes so all candidates get an equal amount.
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

@Rabid Penguin: So you're saying we should get rid of the Electoral College?

On the one hand, I agree wholeheartedly. On the other hand, it will never happen. If candidates had to actually campaign and run ads in all 50 States, there would be no noise. And politicians love noise. It distracts the public from actual political reality.
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

@OMG! Ponies!: Actually, I wasn't saying that... It was just a joke about Obama want to spread the wealth... I'm actually for the Electoral College MWHAHAHA. Maybe it needs to be fine tuned a little, but it works the way it is. Really, people should be focusing on who they are going to vote for, for Congress, and that IS a popular vote.
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theblackdog_FeelingRandom
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
Giz, picture taking of the voting machines is typically illegal, and most places ban using cell phones or other electronic devices within a certain percentage of the polling area
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Kaiser-Machead
11/04/08

@theblackdog: O noes they'll get banned from voting, banned from CES, banned from the earth. Take me with you!
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ksat
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
I voted. It was successful. I used the machine pictured above - no problems at all!

Easy to use: Check
Easy to Read: Check
Idiot Proof: for the most part
Requirement: Must be able to READ!

There was one guy next to me that asked for help 5 times during his voting!! 5 times! The biggest problem that people have using these machines is their inability to READ DIRECTIONS! The thing tells you exactly what to do when.. Just take your time and read.

Best quote of the day: "I'm done, what do I do now? Do I just pull the card out?"
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Giz Has Lost It
11/04/08

@ksat: Some people only come out of the house once every four years.
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

@Eric 'Vote 4 Me' Alder: Those are the freakish Cicada People from the Center of the Earth. I think I saw a documentary on them on SciFi.

At least I think it was a documentary.
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rimshot515
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
2 Scenarios:

Obama wins: Verdict= Not too shabby.

McCain wins: Verdict= WTF Machines got haxxored.

Bonus scenario:

Bob Barr wins: Verdict= 'standing with jaw agape, while rimshot515 does a victory jig'
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mr_deadpool
11/04/08

@rimshot515:

Barr got at least one vote in Arkansas... I know that.
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

@mr_deadpool: And Nebraska got at least two votes for Chuck Baldwin. If we keep it up, maybe one or the other will win, and I'll be much happier lol.
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
Loved pulling the big-ass lever once again. Screw HAVA!

Save the Mechanical Voting Machine. It works and it's hack-proof.
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winshape
11/04/08

@OMG! Ponies!: Weren't the mechanical machines the cause of the whole "hanging chad" and "dimpled chad" debacle in Florida?

I'm a fan of the "fill in the circle" ballots. If you need a recount, zip 'em back through a reader. No mysterious computerized touchscreen, no aging ill-aligned mechanical punch-outs where the "chads" fall out on their own accord after beeing shuffled around and counted numerous times, and no possibility of partisan hacks (on either side) "miscounting".
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

@winshape: No. The Mechanical Voting Machine is the ginormous voting machine that has been around for over 100 years and presently is only still used in New York.

It is based on gears and levers and cannot be hacked. A ballot overlay is inserted by the workers (1 Dem and 1 GOP) at the polling place the day of the election, removed jointly at the end of polling, and then, after the ballot overlay is removed, the numbers on the counters are jointly recorded by hand.

There are multiple ballot layouts which may have the column order as ABCD or ACDB or ADBC, etc. The names are written in large sans-serif font and it is physically impossible to overvote.

The only flaw is that no one makes parts for the machines anymore.

You know when your vote has been recorded because you pull a massive lever from left to right. The gears emit a loud CRANK as the counters and levers reset.

There's a reason that New York has been fighting HAVA - our system is already sound.
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

@winshape: As to your specific question, the Florida problem was a hole-punch system and an illegal butterfly ballot.
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nocar
11/04/08

@OMG! Ponies!: If the whole country had machines like in New York there wouldn't be any counting issues. They are totally mechanical, non electric, non electronic, steampunk. The big lever actually closes the curtain behind you, trapping you inside till you make your choice with a small lever by each name. Pulling the big lever to open the curtain also tallies your vote.
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

@nocar: I don't know pulling a lever makes me feel like I'm gambling.

"Obama...Obama...C'mon, one more Obama...McCain...DAMN IT!! Another year where my vote won't count for crap."

Why don't we just do a presidential scratch game?
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

@nocar: I know. It would be great. I think that the monies being spent on the craptacular Diebold and other touchscreen disaster machines should instead be spent on subsidized companies to make the Mechanical Voting Machine.

It's a better use of money if what you actually care about is vote security.
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dicknervous
11/04/08

@OMG! Ponies!: New York screws up tons of stuff, has high taxes (here on Long Island), and can fuck up just about anything once the govt gets involved with one exception: the voting machines. I think it is time to start a company that services, builds, and maintains the lever voting machine. Who wants to get in on this with me?!
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Giz Has Lost It
11/04/08

@dicknervous: Are you the famoous Long Island Bluesman that Willie Brown was telling me about?
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

@Eric 'Vote 4 Me' Alder: Crossroads :c) I actually really like that movie.
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OMG! Ponies!
11/04/08

@Rabid Penguin: Are you talking about the Ralph Macchio movie or the Britney Spears movie?
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

@OMG! Ponies!: MACCHIOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
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Kaiser-Machead
11/04/08

In reply to Lightning Review: Voting Machines (Verdict Pending)
"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."

Vice President, Al Gore - 9/22/1997
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Rabid Penguin
11/04/08

@Kaiser-Machead's Cookie-Powered LEGO Machine:

"I've been alive for four and a half centuries, and I cannot die."

- John McCain
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Kaiser-Machead
11/04/08

@Rabid Penguin: "Naaaiice" - Borat
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