New voting procedures in my district

"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove) 11/03/2020 at 17:39 • Filed to: voting in the new age

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I got my sticker, and this lovely souvenir too!

Two pretty big changes from last year. First, we can go to any location in the county. They have the registration info on the database in stead of just in a book at one assigned polling place. That flexibility surely must make it easier for people who go to the wrong place or whatever randomness crops up.

Second, it’s all on machines now instead of the past, where we had to color in the ovals with a Sharpie. You are stepped through a big touch screen kiosk, and they give you this stylus so you don’t have to touch the screen (and they don’t have to disinfect it each time). When you are done, the printer spits out your votes on the card, which you then bring over to the machine that accepts and counts. It seems like a pretty good way of using technology but also having a physical record of each vote that isn’t just stored in vulnerable bits and bytes.

phenotyp > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 17:48

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I was so much happier about Texas’s voting machines when they started spitting out a printed ballot when you finish. 

facw > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 17:49

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Hmm, when I was in Houston (last election 2016) they had touchscreen machines . Don’t remember if they printed a paper ballot, but I think there was at least some sort of confirmation number so that some sort of verification was possible. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 17:55

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“I voted...hopefully not in the last election”

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 17:57

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Same exact thing here in Georgia. I thought it was a pretty good system but it was also my first time voting so I don't have a good reference. 

Chariotoflove > phenotyp 11/03/2020 at 17:57

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Did they not before? As long as I’ve been in Dallas, my voting experience has been paper only.

Chariotoflove > facw 11/03/2020 at 17:58

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I’d be surprised (and a touch concerned, Russian hacking fears aside) if there wasn’t a hard copy record of some sort.

Chariotoflove > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 11/03/2020 at 17:59

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Welcome to democracy! Don’t worry about the disillusionment and apathy that will inevitable set in. For now, just enjoy the warm light of freedom!

Chariotoflove > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/03/2020 at 18:00

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If you didn’t vote in the last election, I think it’s too late to worry about it. I think those votes have been counted by now.

subexpression > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:02

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Considering the problems places have seen with electronic voting machines and the hostility manufacturers have shown toward efforts to validate their reliability , a paper copy is pretty much a necessity still.

facw > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:02

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I agree that’s a good thing, but it’s certainly not been a requirement. Even going back before electronic voting machines, I know we used mechanical voting machines in New York that left no paper trail, they just incremented a set of counters on the machine when you left the machine (hopefully, and hopefully only when a voter left the machine).

Here in Massachusetts, I voted by mail, but we are just using paper ballots that immediately get fed into scanner when you are done voting.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:03

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I meant, hopefully not the last one that's going to be held lol

phenotyp > phenotyp 11/03/2020 at 18:04

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I’ve been voting in Travis co since ‘06, I think ‘16 was when they switched. 

Thomas Donohue > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:04

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Sounds a bit redundant, unless they run the cards a second time to make sure the card reader is working? Does the card visibly show you who you voted for?

In NJ we (normally) just vote on the touch screen that highlights your choices, and then asks you ‘are you sure’ before you hit the Vote button.

This year was 100% mail in, unless you chose to go today and fill out a provisional ballot.

Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:05

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So you touch the same stylus? God forbid we touch a screen! Yet nobody cleaned the door handle/opener button, sink handles or box of gloves...

I have use machines for a while here in Central Texas.  

Kiltedpadre > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:07

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I like the ability to go to any polling place. At my last house there were two churches next to each other that were polling place. The first of them was about 100 yards from me. Neither of them were  my polling place. I had to drive 3 miles away.

Yes, I realize 3 miles is no big deal, but walking 100 yards would’ve been better.

Chariotoflove > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/03/2020 at 18:07

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I know, I was being a smart ass.

Seriously though, I’ve been apocalyptic sentiments from some people since 2016 predicting the end of our democracy. That pisses me off because it means those people don’t understand and have any faith in our system. We’ve survived far worse tumult in our history, but so many people have this egocentric view that they are living in “unprecedented times”.

Chariotoflove > subexpression 11/03/2020 at 18:08

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Yeah, I think you have to, and will for some time to come.

Chariotoflove > facw 11/03/2020 at 18:09

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I used those mechanical machines in Indiana and Michigan. I just think the  paper ballot ads an extra measure of rigor.

Chariotoflove > Thomas Donohue 11/03/2020 at 18:11

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Yes, it prints out the votes on a bl ank card that you then feed into the collection machine. I think it’s a good thing because it guards against any disk failures or whatever electronic storage they might use.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:11

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Was the light always this cold and distant? ;) I am glad to be here in the voter's club but I sure chose a year to do it. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:12

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I tend to share the same view as you. I took US history in University and, what you pick up on pretty quickly is that it’s always been pretty mental down there.

2020 is strange, but is it stranger than say, armed conflict between states?  No.

Chariotoflove > Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped 11/03/2020 at 18:12

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They had big bags of these disposable styluses so that you didn’t have to share. And they were disinfecting everything that anyone touched. But not the door into the building, which is probably filthy, but there you are.

Chariotoflove > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 11/03/2020 at 18:13

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Well yeah, maybe a little, but it’s something!

Thomas Donohue > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:13

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Got it. Although having two machines (one printer, one reader) doubles your chance of a malfunction.

Dammit.....t here is no right way!

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:14

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This tech is fully developed...

Chariotoflove > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 11/03/2020 at 18:15

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Precisely.

And I should probably take offense at you calling my country mental, but it’s kinda true, so I’ll let it slide.

Chariotoflove > Thomas Donohue 11/03/2020 at 18:15

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But the printout means that recounts are easy even in the case of machine malfunction.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 11/03/2020 at 18:16

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Chariotoflove > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 11/03/2020 at 18:16

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That’s fantastic!

facw > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:18

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Yep, I mean I like using the computer process the ballot, as I think it can make the both displaying the ballot and registering the voter’s response better, but it seems obvious that having it print out ballot for the voter to confirm is a good safeguard against hacking.

To be frank, I do think we could (and should) s afely do Estonian-style online voting, but you would need to be very careful, and have some fallback plan ready in case we did find evidence of tampering.

ClassicDatsunDebate > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:20

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Commemorative coke straw

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:34

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Apocalyptic sentiment has also always been a part of the egocentric American psyche - that’s not new, either. :) 

Thomas Donohue > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:35

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Except when the printer is the malfunctioning machine. ;)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 11/03/2020 at 18:46

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Hahahaha I assume that didn't happen. I hope not. It's not Ohio after all.

Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 18:53

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Nice, we had finger condoms here. I have a toe in EHS (enviro, health and safety ) and I see snotty nose peeps dipping there hands in the gloves or EVERYONE adjusting their mask and contaminating everything.

Just moving the mask over your nose once its placed has defeated the purpose. Have you ever seen a surgical nurse assist a doctor and re -glove?  Yup, they are only sterile from one side.  

Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 19:00

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We are a Republic, not a Democracy!

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 19:05

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Similar to here in Illinois but they gave us paper straws which worked fine. 

Mid Engine > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 19:36

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H e’s not wrong

Chariotoflove > facw 11/03/2020 at 21:03

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I just don’t know if we are ready for that. 

Chariotoflove > ClassicDatsunDebate 11/03/2020 at 21:04

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I was thinking pixie stick. But either way I’m not putting my mouth on that. 

Chariotoflove > WilliamsSW 11/03/2020 at 21:05

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Still irritates me. I have a low tolerance for illogic. 

Chariotoflove > Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped 11/03/2020 at 21:06

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One thing at a time. First we just get everyone to leave the damn things on their noses. 

facw > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 21:07

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Oh we definitely aren’t ready. Among other things, you’d want personal security keys, as they have in Estonia, but given the mess getting Real IDs out to people, and the bizarrely hostile reaction to the idea of national IDs, I don’t even think we could meet that prerequisite, even before we get to the technical challenges. I just think it would be better if we did manage it.

Chariotoflove > Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped 11/03/2020 at 21:07

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Potato tomato and all that...

Chariotoflove > MiniGTI - now with XJ6 11/03/2020 at 21:08

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This was paper with a rubber tip. 

Chariotoflove > facw 11/03/2020 at 21:12

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I feel like the net is still a haphazard, Jerry-rigged construction that is too easily overwhelmed and compromised when bad actors really put their minds to it. But I guess nothing is invulnerable to malfeasance when you think about it.

facw > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 21:16

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I trust the internet a lot more than I trust the creaky systems we have now. The problem is that if someone manages the hard task of breaking in the system, they can compromise the whole thing, whereas while the current system has massive weaknesses, it would take a lot more effort to exploit them all simultaneously.

Jewish Stig > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 21:25

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For a second there i thought you were showing a fat joint

Chariotoflove > facw 11/03/2020 at 21:26

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I dunno. Our archaic methods are pretty decentralized, whereas if you can reach out over the net, you can compromise a more centralized system. Of course, it depends on how it’s designed. 

Chariotoflove > Jewish Stig 11/03/2020 at 21:27

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A nice chubby one rolled with “I voted” papers would seem so appropriate right now. 

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 11/03/2020 at 23:19

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I'm the same way.   Particularly when it comes to highly egotistical illogical people.  

Chariotoflove > WilliamsSW 11/03/2020 at 23:42

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Fortunately neither of us knows anyone who fits that description.