October 27, 2004

Ballot types

Posted by Eszter

Several images and videos have come across my inbox regarding the types of ballots one may encounter at the elections. Sure, these are parodies for the most part, but certainly have a serious side in light of the 2000 elections. Here is one. Here is another. I thought this thread could serve as a collection for pointers to other images and videos people have seen.

Posted on October 27, 2004 10:16 PM UTC
Comments

An oldie but goodie

Posted by novalis · October 28, 2004 12:16 AM

I just early voted yesterday in Volusia County, Florida with an optical scan ballot. Volusia County had a controversy prior to Bush v. Gore in the Volusia County sheriff’s race where the local election supervisor Deanie Lowe allowed ballots to be ‘overmarked’ to make sure the ballots were read by the scanner. IIRC Overnight during the first night of the recount the ballots were guarded by Volusia deputies, whose boss was involved in the contested election. Somehow, all of this was OK and the election stood and the Beckwith v. Volusia case laid the foundation for the disaster in 2000. After marking an optical scan ballot you place it in a vote counting machine with a tiny digital vote counter on the front - after feeding your ballot in the front the meter goes up by one and your vote is counted. I don’t know what happens if your vote is somehow rejected (other then 4 years of a disastrous President).

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/120600/new_ruling.html
http://www.flcourts.org/sct/cyber/jan/opinion.html

Posted by joejoejoe · October 28, 2004 10:00 AM

Here’s one that works against the Bushies: Cuyahoga County, OH

From www.electoral-vote.com:
…Take a look at the absentee ballot for Cuyahoga County, where Cleveland is located. Suppose you wanted to vote for George Bush. Which square would you fill in? If you picked the one I colored in green, congratulations, you just threw your vote away. The one in red is the correct choice to vote for George Bush. Blue is for Kerry.
Posted by abb1 · October 28, 2004 11:11 AM

Jesse Taylor posts on similar issues with the Montgomery County, OH ballot, which may work against Kerry. I don’t know what those arrows are supposed to signify.

(Milwaukee County absentee ballots use the “fill in the arrow” ones that apparently are being used in Palm Beach this year—and I have to say, they seemed pretty clear.)

Posted by Matt Weiner · October 28, 2004 06:02 PM

…may work against Kerry…

Poor Badnarik is screwed either way.

Posted by abb1 · October 28, 2004 06:57 PM
Followups

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.