KNTV Las Vegas: RNC alleges voting machine irregularity in Nevada

[alexey]

http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/176887361.html

Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Nevada is one of six states the Republican National Committee claims has voting machines acting irregularly.

The RNC submitted a letter to election officials in those six states on Thursday -- Nevada, Ohio, Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri and Colorado. They claim when some voters try to cast a ballot for Mitt Romney, the machines populate a vote for Barack Obama instead.

RNC officials are requesting all voting machines be re-calibrated before election day, additional technicians are present, sign notifications remind voters to double check their ballots, and verbal guidance to remind voters to double check their ballots.

The Nevada Secretary of State's office responded to the RNC's letter, calling the claims "based on rumor, hearsay, or unconfirmed media reports 'irresponsible' and 'unfortunate.'"

You can read the RNC's letter to election officials here and the Nevada Secretary of State's full response here.

I did some research on this and did not find too much supporting evidence... No confirmed problems with machines, just a woman in North Carolina who says she tried to vote for Romney and the machine recorded a vote for Obama. Poll workers could not replicate the issue.

Now RNC is sending this letter to battleground states and I'm sure Fox and talk radio is all over this. Maybe the RNC is laying down the groundwork for contesting a close election? This will certainly have the effect of helping to de-legitimize Obama's presidency should he win and is a troubling development overall.

On the other hand I've always been skeptical about all this electronic voting stuff. If there are problems with machines, or even if there is not, it would be good to have closer scrutiny in there.

[TheGoodBits]

Oh boy there are going to be some fun conspiracy theories about this after Obama trounces Romney next week. The birth certificate thing is still going on now... imagine how long this is going to last.

I fully expect this letter was sent to manufacture a conspiracy as a way to make sure the GOP maintains anti-Obama unity post-2012 defeat, rather than potentially fracturing along moderate/tea party lines. Although this could serve to hasten that potential split.

[Unforgiven]

Well, gotta give 'em credit. They're not waiting till election day to make up their excuses and throw some red meat to the whack-jobs that believe in things like unskewedpolls.com.

[alexey]

...

Although this could serve to hasten that potential split.

I imagine that a split could happen between two or more powerful factions. There appears to be no powerful moderate Republican faction at the moment and no apparent prospects of one emerging. GOP continues to wield power and enjoy plenty of support. It will likely retain the House and gain some ground in the Senate.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Were they irregularities from the machines Romney bought?

This is standard electioneering as of late, no longer is it about the campaign now since Bush/Gore it's about casting doubt on the vote itself.

[skinsmarydu]

http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/176887361.html

I did some research on this and did not find too much supporting evidence... No confirmed problems with machines, just a woman in North Carolina who says she tried to vote for Romney and the machine recorded a vote for Obama. Poll workers could not replicate the issue.

Now RNC is sending this letter to battleground states and I'm sure Fox and talk radio is all over this. Maybe the RNC is laying down the groundwork for contesting a close election? This will certainly have the effect of helping to de-legitimize Obama's presidency should he win and is a troubling development overall.

On the other hand I've always been skeptical about all this electronic voting stuff. If there are problems with machines, or even if there is not, it would be good to have closer scrutiny in there.

Hubby was watching me from outside the "voting room" door, and when I came out he asked, "What'd you do, read everything a hundred times?"

I replied, "I went through it twice afterward to make sure it was right...always." Electronic voting worries me too, but I just make sure I'm double-checking my ballot. And good for the woman in NC who made sure her vote was right. Vigilance.

[alexey]

Hubby was watching me from outside the "voting room" door, and when I came out he asked, "What'd you do, read everything a hundred times?"

I replied, "I went through it twice afterward to make sure it was right...always." Electronic voting worries me too, but I just make sure I'm double-checking my ballot. And good for the woman in NC who made sure her vote was right. Vigilance.

Absolutely. If you're going to come out and do your duty as a citizen, make sure to get it right and double check everything. Voting machines in MD seemed really straightforward with nice big fonts, clear indications of who is selected, summary screens, etc.

If there are actual problems with machines, by all means raise the stink sky-high. That's checks and balances, that's what the parties are for.

If you're going to raise doubts about our democratic process as a political strategy, however, then shame on you.

[artmonkforHOF]

of course they are compalining. The "irregularity" is that Romney doesn't own the voting machines in those states, which is of grave conern to him.

What is wrong with paper ballots? you put an X or colour in a circle, stuff that puppy in a ballot box and off you go. I know Americans vote for more than jsut the President in the election, so even if a ballot becomes too big, just break that thing up. I see no reason to keep using voting machines that have historically proven to be faulty. Why keep using a broken system?

[AsburySkinsFan]

What is wrong with paper ballots? you put an X or colour in a circle, stuff that puppy in a ballot box and off you go.

People still manage to screw that up too, I think the error more often than not is human.

[Sticksboi05]

I have always wondered though why everyone doesn't get the same machine to cast a vote on for President?

[AsburySkinsFan]

I have always wondered though why everyone doesn't get the same machine to cast a vote on for President?

Elections are ultimately a local matter.

[Heisenberg]

I have always wondered though why everyone doesn't get the same machine to cast a vote on for President?

The simple answers is $$$$.

Voting machines/technology are big business so you have a large amount of companies trying to compete with each other to get x state to agree to purchase their machines.

[Sticksboi05]

The simple answers is $$$$.

Voting machines/technology are big business so you have a large amount of companies trying to compete with each other to get x state to agree to purchase their machines.

I just noticed your username is awesome if you watch Breaking Bad.

Anyway, yeah I know it's money but it's a shame we have to go through this tomfoolery every four years when their could be a uniform machine of some sort.

[Popeman38]

of course they are compalining. The "irregularity" is that Romney doesn't own the voting machines in those states, which is of grave conern to him.

ANNND there we have it. Another falsehood "reported" and now repeated.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/votingmachines.asp

However, a google search requires going to the second page of results to find this Snopes link, as the first page is all repeating the line that "Romney bought voting machines".

[mjah]

This isn't just about making pre-excuses for Romney's loss. If there's one bet you can always win with regarding the GOP, it's that they will be doing exactly the same thing tomorrow that they're whining about others supposedly doing today. Granted, sometimes they run into a principled foil like John Roberts who ruins their plans. But it's their way.

This is a finger-pointing smokescreen to get out ahead of the more legitimate complaints that will be coming out of Ohio, when the pro-Romney vote in certain areas of that state prove to be statistically impossible. They get style points for actually including OH in their list of suspected states. Ballsy.

Romney has been calling his voting-machine-owning son daily to remind him: "Tagg -- you're it!"

Edited to add a note: If you're going to post a serious reply to that last line, stop for a second and visit Snopes, which I see is helpfully posted above.

[HailToTheRedskins14]

They weren't complaining as they screwed Ron Paul out of the nomination.

But yeah, sign me up for NOT wanting a paper trail on voting. Makes perfect sense. And have private companies owning the voting machines. The same ones that have the ability to lobby and pay off politicians. Makes perfect sense. Of course, its just a weird conspiracy. There's no reason to doubt electronic voting machines with no paper trail. If given the choice between a paper trail and no paper trail, why would you want to bother with a paper trail?

[Larry]

I imagine that a split could happen between two or more powerful factions. There appears to be no powerful moderate Republican faction at the moment and no apparent prospects of one emerging. GOP continues to wield power and enjoy plenty of support. It will likely retain the House and gain some ground in the Senate.

Agree.

Seems to me, the two most powerful factions in the GOP are the Tea Party types and the Santorum types.

I don't see a moderate wing. Just two wings who disagree as to which issue to me more extreme over.

[Larry]

This isn't just about making pre-excuses for Romney's loss. If there's one bet you can always win with regarding the GOP, it's that they will be doing exactly the same thing tomorrow that they're whining about others supposedly doing today. Granted, sometimes they run into a principled foil like John Roberts who ruins their plans. But it's their way.

Oh, I agree.

The annual claims from the GOp that the Democrats are committing massive voter fraud are pre-planned to try to divert attention away from the fact that the GOP has been working for a year on their plan to actually disenfranchise thousands of actual voters, with their "purge lists".

Seems to be a successful formula. When you fully intend to do something despicable, accuse the other guy of doing it, first.

---------- Post added November-2nd-2012 at 11:06 AM ----------

They weren't complaining as they screwed Ron Paul out of the nomination.

Wow. And I thought this thread couldn't possibly get any more delusional.

[alexey]

Agree.

Seems to me, the two most powerful factions in the GOP are the Tea Party types and the Santorum types.

I don't see a moderate wing. Just two wings who disagree as to which issue to me more extreme over.

As far as I understand there is a significant overlap between the Tea Party and the religious right.

I think adherence to dogmas is the glue that holds the GOP together and will continue to do so.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Oh boy there are going to be some fun conspiracy theories about this after Obama trounces Romney next week. The birth certificate thing is still going on now... imagine how long this is going to last.

I fully expect this letter was sent to manufacture a conspiracy as a way to make sure the GOP maintains anti-Obama unity post-2012 defeat, rather than potentially fracturing along moderate/tea party lines. Although this could serve to hasten that potential split.

IF that does happen, the GOP is going to point to the polls saying that Romney was winning and some foul play. Actually, I shouldn't say "the GOP," but some nut jobs will do that. Of course, all the statisticians are saying that Obama is winning, but oh well.

[Predicto]

I have always wondered though why everyone doesn't get the same machine to cast a vote on for President?

The simple answers is $$$$.

Voting machines/technology are big business so you have a large amount of companies trying to compete with each other to get x state to agree to purchase their machines.

And even more so, because the Constitution explicitly places the responsibility for conducting elections in the hands of the several states.

---------- Post added November-2nd-2012 at 12:03 PM ----------

ANNND there we have it. Another falsehood "reported" and now repeated.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/votingmachines.asp

However, a google search requires going to the second page of results to find this Snopes link, as the first page is all repeating the line that "Romney bought voting machines".

You are correct. This is a falsehood that many Democrats believe.

---------- Post added November-2nd-2012 at 12:06 PM ----------

Oh, I agree.

The annual claims from the GOp that the Democrats are committing massive voter fraud are pre-planned to try to divert attention away from the fact that the GOP has been working for a year on their plan to actually disenfranchise thousands of actual voters, with their "purge lists".

Seems to be a successful formula. When you fully intend to do something despicable, accuse the other guy of doing it, first..

I don't agree. I think the main purpose of the voter fraud claims is to de-legitimize any Democratic President, weakening his or her ability to enact his or her agenda.

[PCS]

Just watched an interview with Ross Miller on the local news not that long ago. Said pretty much the same stuff he did in the official letter,but he did seem to have a trace of a "you've gotta be ****ting me" look about him. (Can't blame him for that). It's been a pretty nasty political ad battle between Heller and Berkely out here and I guess this is a part of that battle.