Computer problems reported at some early voting sites (South Florida Sun-Sentinel AP)
Problems were being reported at nine of 14 early voting sites in Broward County on Monday morning. Gisela Salas, of the Broward Elections Office, said workers were having problems with a live database connection that is used to verify that a voter is properly registered. The sites, Salas said, that were unaffected were at satellite offices in Deerfield Beach, Hollywood, Lauderhill, Pembroke Pines and Plantation. All the branch offices were reported having problems with the database connection. Many of the sites had voters lined up to cast their ballots. Voters at several sites said poll workers told them the problems started 20 minutes to 30 minutes after the early polling stations opened at 8:30 a.m. The stations close at 6 p.m.
Unbelievable. It’s amazing these folks can’t get their act together after four years, with a “practice” election in 2002–not to mention various primaries and such–to work the kinks out. Of course, one indication of the problem is rather apparent:
County elections supervisor Theresa LePore did not immediately return a call for comment.
What exactly does it take to get fired as elections supervisor, anyway?
Early voting also gets under way Monday in Texas, Colorado and Arkansas. Other key states this year have already begun in-person voting, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. Balloting by mail is under way in Oregon, the only state in the nation that has done away with polling booths altogether.
A novel solution. I’m no fan of early voting, but it shouldn’t be that difficult to pull off.
Hat tip: Stephen Green.
Update (1406): Problems Crop Up in Fla. Early Voting (YahooNews – AP)
A steady flow turned out Monday morning at more than a dozen sites in Palm Beach County. Patrick Flanagan, who went to the county’s election headquarters to cast his ballot, said he voted early because he wanted to avoid the long lines expected on Election Day. He said he’s voted on the touch-screen machines once before, and both times have gone “very smoothly.”
“I’m a computer-phobe, and it seemed easy enough to me,” said Flanagan, who added that he had no concerns about his vote being counted. Steve Perez, 44, said he went early to cast a “protest vote” for Ralph Nader. “What’s important is that you vote. I didn’t want to get in all the hoopla with all the turnout in Election Day,” said Perez, a substitute teacher.
So how hard could it be if a computer phobic, Nader votin’, career substitute teacher can do it?
