Why 19,120 People Voted Twice

[Sonora]

http://slate.msn.com/code/BallotBox/BallotBox.asp?Show=11/9/2000&idMessage=6462

It basically says that people may have thought that they were supposed to vote for BOTH Pres. and VP.

"One possibility suggested by a lawyer friend of mine: A large proportion of those people thought they were voting separately for the offices of president and vice president. Look at the ballot again. Each pair of candidates appears inside a box. The presidential candidate's name appears on one line, his running mate's name on the next line. Many Democratic voters might have punched the two seemingly adjacent holes, thinking they were voting separately for Al Gore and Joe Lieberman.

This mistake is made even more likely by the confusing ballot instructions on the left side of the ballot. The instructions should say, "Vote for one." Instead, they read, "Electors for President and Vice President (A vote for the candidates will actually be a vote for their electors.) (Vote for Group)." "Electors" and "candidates" are plural terms." Group" is a singular term that sounds like a plural one."

 

[Cheri]

They still get no sympathy from me. If they thought something that moronic, perhaps they should have counted up the number of names and the number of holes to punch, get a clue it wouldn't add up for anything!

 

[kathy stl]

Stupo Bartender

Come on, please? "butterfly ballots", senior voters confused (if confused why do they vote in the highest percentage?), all the "stuff" the Political Parties puke up at us. Who cares. We deal with 800 or 1,200 or whatever votes out of 250 million plus citizens. Sure every vote should count, we should be perfect.

Was it H. L. Mencken (I am probably wrong) said "democracy is a lousey form a government, but it unfortunately the best we have".

Do we think we are gonna sue election boards into perfection?

Yet the two men who ask us to hand them the future of our nation will squabble over the trivial, and inevitable frailties of a human process. If they were the bold and confident leaders we need? Perhaps one would say the following -

I concede this election, with the understanding that the Congress, the Courts and the next Administration will abolish the electoral college, will figure out a reasonable way to pay for political campaigns, and will stop the nonsense at the county level which has this day hanged and humiliated a great nation in stupidity and confusion.

If any great man were running for our nation's greatest office, they would do something like this. And no doubt if they were great, they could top the idea of a stupo ex-con, bartender with a much, way better idea. Shit, as an ex con I can't even vote, so why am I bitching?

And in four years, call me a dufus, but that great man just might be elected to an office worth holding.

 

[jcwyatt]

It's a bad day when your hopes are dashed. I know. I'm a conservative in Maryland. Yeah..I'm the one! I know all too well what defeat feels like.

But we Americans are a feisty bunch when it comes to fairness. We just have a fit when something's not fair. I think that's a darn good thing generally speaking.

If I may add some info for your consideration..

There are 2 issues here that have been combined somewhat. The first is a 19,000 (approx) ballots which had votes punched for 2 different political parties. We can't count any because.. well, which party is entitled to the vote?

Second, there is a question about 3,000 (approx) ballots where votes were punched for a single political party but the voters felt they were confused by the layout of the ballot itself.

The ballot's layout was awful, no doubt. However, the ballot was designed by a Democrat, approved for use by both major parties, and then submitted for public comment long before the election. Not one complaint was brought forth.

Unfortunately, since there was ample time to object or learn the layout of the ballot, there isn't much weight in these complaints about confusion.

You can well understand that a new election is pretty much out of the question. So let's take time to get this right. I'd take no satisfaction in an unfair election.

In my view, the way the congress is divided it's going to be hard to get anything done let alone get radical change.

 

[kathy stl]

ass

Well, I get into these things and then realize I got no idea what is really going on. But I feel like "fair" is a pretty high standard in life. And maybe since I can't vote anyway, I am impartial (a little). But, jcwyatt, if your life is fair then I gotta marry you, or if you are a fem, then would you believe I am your long lost sister?

I juss think men this smart oughta be able to work it out. Unless maybe they ain't so smart. And then I guess I don't really care that I can't vote.

I juss know that about five years ago both a these guys woulda not only, and did, gladly put my little ass in a cage, but also got votes for doing it. If I can accept either one as my president, what's the deal with all you guys?

 

[dayumufine]

I'll bet that the same seniors that said that they were confused by the ballot, are the same seniors that could sit in a bingo parlor and stamp out the called number on 5 or 10 bingo cards before the next number is called......

confused my behind!

 

[kathy stl]

I never heard a "senior" say they where confused. Only heard people my age assuming they were. And I know a lot of dumb fuck people my age.

 

[Unclebill]

The 'Vast Right Wing Conspiracy' thrives ...

A woman called into a local radio talk show last week and provided the information that has clarified all this so well for me, I thought it should be disseminated so all of you less fortunately endowed in the intellect department could appreciate her wisdom and insight. Her intellect is truly a marvel and I thought you should all benefit from her gift! Perish the thought that I be the only beneficiary of her truly gifted analysis. My fellow Literoticans, I bequeath to you the gift of knowledge (albeit vicariously) that she was kind enough to bestow upon me.

The Republican Party, in particular, those who were/are members of the vast Right Wing Conspiracy are behind the voter fraud/confusion problem in Florida.

These exceedingly clever, creative and resourceful people induced a Democrat election official in Florida to design a new ballot. This new ballot was designed (under the ruse of providing larger print for old folks with perhaps less than perfect eyesight) specifically with the intent and purpose of causing confusion and frustration to the voter of Democratic (and ONLY Democratic) persuasion to mismark their ballots so that their votes intended to be cast for Algore were in fact cast for another candidate.

Now comes the truly diabolical genius of these conspirators. The ballots mismarked were designed so that the incorrectly recorded vote were cast NOT for George W. Bush but for Mr. Buchanan. Had they rigged it so the votes went to Bush, their hand would have been played so openly they would have been immediately detected and appropriately castigated and a new vote could have been demanded.

But these wily bastards, by misdirecting the votes to Buchanan, managed to elude virtually everyone. Fortunately, we in Southern California were blessed with the acumen and intellect rare to the human species and this woman actually determined that the whole thing was a plot by the Republican vast Right Wing Conspiracy to defraud Algore of his turn at the Presidency. After all, who would be a more fitting candidate to carry on the Bill Clinton tradition and style of government?

[Edited by Unclebill on 11-12-2000 at 09:33 AM]

 

[kathy stl]

I mean really?

Am sorry UncleBill, no way any a those people doing those things are that smart or god knows, that organized.

They can be stupid, confused and even evil. But all a them organizing that way? Who believes that shit.

Jeez, on my worst coke hit I wouldn't swallow that?