Feb.28.05
OCTOBER 2004 THE SECRET YOU’RE NOT HEARING ABOUT.....
[VOTING] - Terrry Neal -
terryneal@terryneal.com @
07:08:52
OCTOBER 2004 THE SECRET YOU’RE NOT HEARING ABOUT.....
After the Presidential Race of 2000, Florida became the butt of jokes our hanging chads became our trademark.
Politicians worked feverishly to avoid those mistakes by overhauling the voting system, buying incredibly expensive electronic voting equipment.
In Hillsborough County, where I live in Tampa, equipment was purchased from the Sequoia Corporation. They offered touch-screen voting but there was no audit trail other than the one their software produced.
Was it reliable? Who knew. Sequoia refused to allow analysis of the software for reasons of proprietary licenses.
We should have said “No, thank you.” and sent them on their way.
All was not merry with the computers in Hillsborough County on 8/31/2004.
In fact, our primary was a disaster, the 2004 version of Florida 2000, when Al Gore won by 537 votes but the Supreme Court wouldn’t allow a recount to verify the vote.
The Hillsborough County computers crashed about 9:00 p.m. on 8/31/04 and the vote count wasn’t completed until 5:00 AM!
At first, Buddy Johnson claimed nothing was wrong. Later on in the evening, he admitted to their being a problem with the computers being slow. Since then, the truth is seeping out in bits and pieces, with blame being placed on the computer indexing of the votes.
In other words, software problems. Mr. Johnson vows to have the kinks worked out by the November elections.
Sheesh, what about the primary!!!!
As we approach the 2004 elections, as the I-4 Corridor, Orlando to Tampa, and particularly Tampa gain importance as the place to win, I urge everyone, not just in Florida, but everywhere in the United States to Vote Absentee in November.
These computers are not reliable. The software is not reliable. We have no paper trail.
And the Republicans will do anything to win this election.
Your vote does count. Do it.
Stay tuned.
After the Presidential Race of 2000, Florida became the butt of jokes our hanging chads became our trademark.
Politicians worked feverishly to avoid those mistakes by overhauling the voting system, buying incredibly expensive electronic voting equipment.
In Hillsborough County, where I live in Tampa, equipment was purchased from the Sequoia Corporation. They offered touch-screen voting but there was no audit trail other than the one their software produced.
Was it reliable? Who knew. Sequoia refused to allow analysis of the software for reasons of proprietary licenses.
We should have said “No, thank you.” and sent them on their way.
All was not merry with the computers in Hillsborough County on 8/31/2004.
In fact, our primary was a disaster, the 2004 version of Florida 2000, when Al Gore won by 537 votes but the Supreme Court wouldn’t allow a recount to verify the vote.
The Hillsborough County computers crashed about 9:00 p.m. on 8/31/04 and the vote count wasn’t completed until 5:00 AM!
At first, Buddy Johnson claimed nothing was wrong. Later on in the evening, he admitted to their being a problem with the computers being slow. Since then, the truth is seeping out in bits and pieces, with blame being placed on the computer indexing of the votes.
In other words, software problems. Mr. Johnson vows to have the kinks worked out by the November elections.
Sheesh, what about the primary!!!!
As we approach the 2004 elections, as the I-4 Corridor, Orlando to Tampa, and particularly Tampa gain importance as the place to win, I urge everyone, not just in Florida, but everywhere in the United States to Vote Absentee in November.
These computers are not reliable. The software is not reliable. We have no paper trail.
And the Republicans will do anything to win this election.
Your vote does count. Do it.
Stay tuned.
Lesson from a Columbian Poll-Worker
We hear the stories so often we’re jaundiced towards them.
Like watching violence on television, our senses detect the wrongness, yet we remain detached...because we can turn it off or switch the channel. We live our daily lives in sensory overload and listening becomes one of those skills we like to describe as multi-tasking.
I found myself in such a situation October 15th, 2004. I was at the Supervisor of Elections office for Hillsborough County Florida; this was the day of the testing of the electronic voting machines and their validation by the Canvassing Board prior to the start of Early Voting (why don’t we just call it voting?)
I had expected quite a crowd, especially media, this Friday morning, considering the brouhaha trumped up by the press over the inadequacy of these machines.
As a technically trained individual, I also had my doubts about electronic voting...not that it wouldn’t work someday, just that we had rushed into the whole thing after the 2000 mess. So I had done my homework and came prepared with lots of questions and a tape recorder.
When I arrived, a camera crew from a local TV station was there taking shots of the technicians setting up the machines. Another stations' crew came in a few minutes later and taped the same scenario. They did a couple of short interviews and left. None of the newspapers were there. In fact, other than the staff and the canvassing board (3 people and their attorney) the entire event was witnessed by an attorney for the Kerry campaign, a representative of the ACLU and League of Women Voters, a precinct worker and me.
That was it.
The lone precinct worker followed me around as I looked at the machines. She knew them inside and out. When she talked there was an accent. I couldn’t place it but she was not from the United States...that much I could tell.
“I’m surprised that so few people showed up.” I said.
“I don’t understand Americans,” she replied, “I’m from Columbia. Many people have died in my country trying to have this right to vote.”
I thought this was going to be another one of those conversations. Someone telling me of the hell of living in another country; the criticism of Americans for taking everything for granted. The “you don’t know how good you have it here” sob story.
It was.
I started to do what so many of us do; listen with one ear while walking and observing, not really giving this person my full attention. As she spoke however, I heard something in her voice that convinced me to stop and really listen to what she was telling me about how special the United States is, how unique our rights.
This woman was here because my country offered an opportunity to make a difference. She understood the importance of her one vote; she understood the privilege. Her passion was inspiring.
She deserved to be an American more than most Americans. She wanted to participate and make this world a better place. She had not only volunteered to work at the polls but she had taken it upon herself to learn about the system and how it works. She understood that democracy only works when people monitor those whom we elect. She couldn’t do that in Columbia; she would die.
Now is the time to set aside campaign platforms. Now is the time to stop watching the commercials. Now is the time to be an American citizen and preserve through November 2nd, what brought this woman to the United States.
Opportunity.
What sets our nation apart from just about every other nation on earth is the opportunity of every American the right to fulfill dreams. From any station in life, any one of us has the right to be whatever we want to attempt.
True, we are not guaranteed success; but we are guaranteed the right to try.
And, like me, someone who has stumbled several times, the United States allows me the opportunity to start over....to try again and again and again.
I didn’t get the name of the poll-worker; I wish I had. But I know that the she is working at the luckiest precinct in this county.
Remember that you are voting for opportunity.
“There is a special place in hell for those who remain neutral.” - Dante
We hear the stories so often we’re jaundiced towards them.
Like watching violence on television, our senses detect the wrongness, yet we remain detached...because we can turn it off or switch the channel. We live our daily lives in sensory overload and listening becomes one of those skills we like to describe as multi-tasking.
I found myself in such a situation October 15th, 2004. I was at the Supervisor of Elections office for Hillsborough County Florida; this was the day of the testing of the electronic voting machines and their validation by the Canvassing Board prior to the start of Early Voting (why don’t we just call it voting?)
I had expected quite a crowd, especially media, this Friday morning, considering the brouhaha trumped up by the press over the inadequacy of these machines.
As a technically trained individual, I also had my doubts about electronic voting...not that it wouldn’t work someday, just that we had rushed into the whole thing after the 2000 mess. So I had done my homework and came prepared with lots of questions and a tape recorder.
When I arrived, a camera crew from a local TV station was there taking shots of the technicians setting up the machines. Another stations' crew came in a few minutes later and taped the same scenario. They did a couple of short interviews and left. None of the newspapers were there. In fact, other than the staff and the canvassing board (3 people and their attorney) the entire event was witnessed by an attorney for the Kerry campaign, a representative of the ACLU and League of Women Voters, a precinct worker and me.
That was it.
The lone precinct worker followed me around as I looked at the machines. She knew them inside and out. When she talked there was an accent. I couldn’t place it but she was not from the United States...that much I could tell.
“I’m surprised that so few people showed up.” I said.
“I don’t understand Americans,” she replied, “I’m from Columbia. Many people have died in my country trying to have this right to vote.”
I thought this was going to be another one of those conversations. Someone telling me of the hell of living in another country; the criticism of Americans for taking everything for granted. The “you don’t know how good you have it here” sob story.
It was.
I started to do what so many of us do; listen with one ear while walking and observing, not really giving this person my full attention. As she spoke however, I heard something in her voice that convinced me to stop and really listen to what she was telling me about how special the United States is, how unique our rights.
This woman was here because my country offered an opportunity to make a difference. She understood the importance of her one vote; she understood the privilege. Her passion was inspiring.
She deserved to be an American more than most Americans. She wanted to participate and make this world a better place. She had not only volunteered to work at the polls but she had taken it upon herself to learn about the system and how it works. She understood that democracy only works when people monitor those whom we elect. She couldn’t do that in Columbia; she would die.
Now is the time to set aside campaign platforms. Now is the time to stop watching the commercials. Now is the time to be an American citizen and preserve through November 2nd, what brought this woman to the United States.
Opportunity.
What sets our nation apart from just about every other nation on earth is the opportunity of every American the right to fulfill dreams. From any station in life, any one of us has the right to be whatever we want to attempt.
True, we are not guaranteed success; but we are guaranteed the right to try.
And, like me, someone who has stumbled several times, the United States allows me the opportunity to start over....to try again and again and again.
I didn’t get the name of the poll-worker; I wish I had. But I know that the she is working at the luckiest precinct in this county.
Remember that you are voting for opportunity.
“There is a special place in hell for those who remain neutral.” - Dante
