"Improper Calibration" blamed for votes changing in Chicago

[Gumboy]

So I heard about this the other day, and they updated it a bit:

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/10/...-vote-to-dems/

Basically, at that voting place, if you voted for a republican, it registered it as a vote for the democrat opposing them. Why are we using voting machines that have "Errors" like this? Do they just not take the time to "Calibrate" them?

"“This was a calibration error of the touch-screen on the machine,” Scalzitti told Illinois Watchdog. “When Mr. Moynihan used the touch-screen, it improperly assigned his votes due to improper calibration.”"


Make sure you check your votes before you submit, no matter which side you vote for; who knows how many of these machines are not set up correctly?

I'd take hanging chads over trusting some random machine that may or may not actually work.

[Kujako]

To be clear, this is not a situation where votes were changed, but that the touch screen was miss-calibrated so it registered the touch as being in the wrong location.

Anyone know if they were diebold machines? Would be funny given their anti-democrat stance.

[Tradewind]

Someone needs to get Garrus on the job.

[drwelfare]

It lets you read your results before you confirm them. Does not sound much different from how my phone acts when Im sweating

[Crissi]

Someone needs to get Garrus on the job.

Gawd Damn it, I was gonna say that.

Garrus really does need a new job now.

[Vizardlorde]

It's probably old touchscreen tech, anyone ever use a smartboard? We had to recalibrate those things every day back in high school, cause otherwise they would mark everything except the thing you were trying to highlight.

[Masark]

FFS people.

Here's a sensible method of voting. Unfold it, draw an X in the circle next to the name, fold it back up, and drop it in a sealed box. Then at the end of polling hours, the box is opened and the votes counted, with witnesses from all candidates who bother to send one.



No miscalibration, no hanging chads, no absurd connect-the-dots nonsense to figure out which box votes for which.

[Gumboy]

It's probably old touchscreen tech, anyone ever use a smartboard? We had to recalibrate those things every day back in high school, cause otherwise they would mark everything except the thing you were trying to highlight.

Yeah, that seems like something we should be voting on ;P

- - - Updated - - -

Minnesota still has paper ballots like that.

[Tradewind]

FFS people.

Here's a sensible method of voting. Unfold it, draw an X in the circle next to the name, fold it back up, and drop it in a sealed box. Then at the end of polling hours, the box is opened and the votes counted, with witnesses from all candidates who bother to send one.



No miscalibration, no hanging chads, no absurd connect-the-dots nonsense to figure out which box votes for which.

There is an error on that ballot though.

They put a Green Party candidate on it.

Gawd Damn it, I was gonna say that.

Garrus really does need a new job now.

ha ha, my ban is over so now all of the good jokes are mine again!

[Twotonsteak]

Let's be fair. We're talking about Chicago. And while it might be annoying that this happened, the fact is Republicans haven't had any serious presence in that city for how long?

[drwelfare]

Yeah, that seems like something we should be voting on ;P

After 2000 everyone wanted touch screens because people had trouble with paper ballots. Considering they probably cost several thousand dollars Id like to get some years out of them before they junk from.

[Gumboy]

After 2000 everyone wanted touch screens because people had trouble with paper ballots. Considering they probably cost several thousand dollars Id like to get some years out of them before they junk from.

The only people that had trouble with paper ballots should probably not have been voting to begin with, unless they were in some random crazy place with weird ballots. paper ballots=simple, they don't have to be all complex.

- - - Updated - - -

Let's be fair. We're talking about Chicago. And while it might be annoying that this happened, the fact is Republicans haven't had any serious presence in that city for how long?

That is true, but the simple fact remains that these voting machines have this problem, and this was mainly a PSA that had nothing to do with what party it was effecting, but just reminding people to double check that the machine counted it as right, and if it doesen't, talk to the polling people.

Which is sad, because voting is supposed to be a private thing, but in that case you would have to tell the poll running people who you were trying to vote for when it happened.

[Korgoth]

Another reason I favor vote by mail. You draw it in with a pen in your own time. Only yourself to blame.

[Masark]

unless they were in some random crazy place with weird ballots.

The "butterfly ballots" count as weird from where I'm sitting.

I was rather stunned when I discovered that the voting machines in the Election Day heist in Payday 2 are accurate representations of the real thing.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

It lets you read your results before you confirm them. Does not sound much different from how my phone acts when Im sweating

Are you sure you want to vote for X?
"No I want to vote for Y!" *mashes cancel*
Vote confirmed. Thank you for doing your part and voting!

[Independent voter]

Chicago has always been shady. Even today they find ballot boxes of uncounted paper votes in basements and cellars.

[Captain N]

Chicago has always been shady. Even today they find ballot boxes of uncounted paper votes in basements and cellars.

Can you show me a source for this? My Google-Fu is weak and only shows the mess up in Florida during the 2004 Presidential Election reported by the Chicago Tribune when I type in Uncounted Paper Ballots in Chicago.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Someone needs to get Garrus on the job.

Pff he'd just shoot the corrupt politicians(I am not advocating this but it's in Garrus' character).

[Vyxn]

So I heard about this the other day, and they updated it a bit:

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/10/...-vote-to-dems/

Basically, at that voting place, if you voted for a republican, it registered it as a vote for the democrat opposing them. Why are we using voting machines that have "Errors" like this? Do they just not take the time to "Calibrate" them?

"“This was a calibration error of the touch-screen on the machine,” Scalzitti told Illinois Watchdog. “When Mr. Moynihan used the touch-screen, it improperly assigned his votes due to improper calibration.”"


Make sure you check your votes before you submit, no matter which side you vote for; who knows how many of these machines are not set up correctly?

I'd take hanging chads over trusting some random machine that may or may not actually work.

what I find dubious these calibration errors more often then not seam to benefit democrats
no conspiracy just an observation

[Darsithis]

Can you show me a source for this? My Google-Fu is weak and only shows the mess up in Florida during the 2004 Presidential Election reported by the Chicago Tribune when I type in Uncounted Paper Ballots in Chicago.

http://www.heritage.org/research/rep...tes-in-chicago

As a software tech - it's insanely easy to mess up calibration when it comes to touch screens.