Not Again!!!

POSTED BY: Cybersnark
UPDATED: Thursday, October 21, 2004 21:37
VIEWED: 4339
PAGE 1 of 2

1 2 NEXT PAGE

CYBERSNARK

Monday, October 18, 2004 6:43 PM

Problems Crop Up in Fla. Early Voting
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1963&e=1&u=/ap/200410
18/ap_on_el_pr/voting_early

Quote:
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - With memories of 2000 and the state's bitter fight over ballots still fresh, Floridians began casting votes Monday and within an hour problems cropped up.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

BIKISDAD

Monday, October 18, 2004 10:04 PM

I really don't mean to offend anyone from Florida, but why is it that people all over the rest of the country can figure out how to fill these things (ballots) out, and they can't? Or is it just the West Palm Beach people who have "problems"? People from that area must embody the three R's: Rich, retired, and retarded?

Sorry, if you're a Browncoat from West Palm Beach, I'm sure that you're plenty capable of filling out a ballot, but you really ought to do something to help out your less able neighbors.

Apathy on the Rise. No One Cares.

TALLGRRL

Monday, October 18, 2004 10:28 PM

it's not that anyone can't figure out the ballots.
it's that in florida there are a myriad of "problems" from voter intimidation to old antiquated machines to...well, just name it.
also, the governor of the state happens to be the brother of the president. yep.
in 2000, the person in charge of voting (registration, ballots, vote count, etc) in the state was also the head of the election committee for...the governor's brother.
there's been talk for quite some time that there would be some mess in florida again...and it looks like that's coming to pass.
some silly people blamed a lot of the problems in the florida count on "people that couldn't figure out the ballot", which was horseshit.
the ballots were printed badly, machines in particular parts of the state were old, people were knocked off of the registration lists because they had a name that was similar to a felon...IN TEXAS. a LOT of black people were kicked off of the registration lists for all kinds of bogus reasons.
All I can say is that I'm not surprised.

"Take me, sir. Take me hard."

BIKISDAD

Monday, October 18, 2004 10:43 PM

Sorry again, but all of the "problems" that you just described are not unique to Florida. In fact, it sounds like you could be describing any state in the union. (I voted for years in California with those "chad" leaving punch card ballots - we never had any problems from them there). Florida seems to be the only place where these "problems" cause PROBLEMS.

Apathy on the Rise. No One Cares.

UNCHARTEDOUTLAW

Thursday, October 21, 2004 2:30 PM

Although, the problems may have occurred when residents were looking for "Charlie", "Francis", and "Ivan" instead of Bush and Kerry. ;)

Love ya FLA! ;)

-Taylor

Uncharted Outlaw!

Haulin' goods from one end of creation to th' other. Keepin' my nose clean 'round the Alliance. See my Firefly Store: http://www.cafepress.com/NorCalRiviera

ARAWAEN

Thursday, October 21, 2004 3:32 PM

I think the problems do happen in every state. The problem with Florida was that the election in 2000 was so close that it made a difference. Now they are under intense scrutiny and every mistake and issue will be televised.

Um, I'm lost. Uh, I'm Angry. And I'm Armed.

BIKISDAD

Thursday, October 21, 2004 3:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Arawaen:
I think the problems do happen in every state. The problem with Florida was that the election in 2000 was so close that it made a difference. Now they are under intense scrutiny and every mistake and issue will be televised.

Um, I'm lost. Uh, I'm Angry. And I'm Armed.

You're exactly right. The "problems" that have been reported so far have been really minor and blown out of proportion by the media - which, after all, is just trying to sensationalize the story to sell more newspapers.

Apathy on the Rise. No One Cares.

SHINY

Thursday, October 21, 2004 4:00 PM

Maybe every state should just go to a proportional system where the electoral votes are split approximately according to the popular vote in that state...at least then we wouldn't have to spend so much time and effort trying to force precision down to some unrealistic 0.001% in such close races.

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

SIGNYM

Thursday, October 21, 2004 4:08 PM

Trying to kick 60,000 people off the voter rolls (90% of the entries were wrong) is hardly "minor".

BIKISDAD

Thursday, October 21, 2004 4:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Shiny:
Maybe every state should just go to a proportional system where the electoral votes are split approximately according to the popular vote in that state...at least then we wouldn't have to spend so much time and effort trying to force precision down to some unrealistic 0.001% in such close races.

Jayne, your mouth is talkin. Might want to look into that.

I like it. That's a very logical, reasonable, and practical idea. Therefore, it will, unfortunately, never happen. Why not? Politics. Each side would accuse the other of somehow trying to gain an unfair advantage and neither would vote for it. I'm sure that most of US, you know, We the People..., would go for it. But the pols (of both major parties) would be afraid of losing their power over us and would not let it pass. Besides, I think that's one of those things that requires a Constitutional amendment - requiring ratification by 2/3 of the states? When was the last time one of those went through?

Good suggestion, though. In a perfect world....

Apathy on the Rise. No One Cares.

1 2 NEXT PAGE