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If It Aint Broke Don't Fix It: New Yorkers Want To Keep Lever Voting Machines

NYC Voting machine

KEEP THE LEVERS!

At the city Board of Elections, a hearing was held on the two computer voting machines the city hopes to choose between in the coming months.

New York is well behind in selecting machines to replace the old lever ones. New York is the only state that has not complied with the federal government's Help America Vote Act. The federal government sued NY in 2006 for non compliance. Neither the federal government or Albany has certified any new equipment.

New Yorkers like the old fashioned lever machines and want to keep them. Many people at the hearing wish the state would just keep the old machines, saying new ones open up the door to voter fraud.

Go in the booth pull the handle to the right. Vote by pulling down the levers next to the candidate an x appears in the candidates slot you voted for. Pull the handle to the left your vote is registered, accountable and transparent.

electronic voting machine

Computer software, is undetectably mutable to count the votes. We will have no idea how our votes are counted. We have seen the voting anomalies with these machines in other states. We can see every vote on the old lever machines.

New York City hopes to select machines in time for the upcoming mayoral election and primary but that goal seems un-likely to be reached.

It is going to be difficult to implement the machines all over New York City, train the poll workers and convince the public to trust the democratic process with these machines.

At this point, it looks like voters will be pulling those levers for another election cycle unless Albany can make up its mind. The current incumbent Mayor, Mike Bloomberg hasn't made up his mind yet if he's running as a Republican or Independent.

Courtesy of:

Mitchell J Hall, Associate Broker, REALTOR® Coldwell Banker Previews International

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Local and global real estate questions and referrals are always welcomed.

Posted by Mitchell Hall - Manhattan Real Estate on 03/07/2009 09:44 AM

Comments (12)

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12 Comments on If It Aint Broke Don't Fix It: New Yorkers Want To Keep Lever Voting Machines

MAR

Hi Mitchell... I like the old voting machines myself and miss them. It just feels better to pull that level that to use the touchscreen! Technology does not always mean "better"!

Hi Steve, Thanks for stopping by. The only time I've voted with out using the old lever machines was when I lived in LA. I had to vote by paper ballot at some one's home. I thought that was really low tech.

Hi Mitchell -- the whole HAVA (Help America to Vote Act) initiative has spun many states into rushing to meet federal compliance issues to get their fair share of election assistance. Some states have struggled badly, and spent a fair amount of dollars (hundreds of thousands and millions) to get their statewide systems in place. How do I know any of this? My hubby was the governmental relations specialist for one of the largest vendors in the HAVA field. It was a fascinating ride....

Hi Terry, Sounds like your husband had a really interesting and complicated job. NY State requires any company seeking to sell its voting system to pay a $1 million fee to facilitate the system’s testing. So the major companies have unfair influence. There have been many twists and turns since trying to comply. One system had flaws in 50% of the machines.

HAVA says our lever machines are illegal because of handicap accessability. The State complied with HAVA by installing ballot-marking devices for people with disabilities in every polling place. That plan was implemented in 2008.

We love and trust those "dinosaur" mechanical levers.

Mitchell, I miss those old machines. I knew when I pulled the lever my vote was counted. Here in FL they don't count anymore. We have Diebold optical scanners. Why bother?

Terry, Diebold changed their name to Premier Election Solutions because of their terrible reputation but their machines are still horrible no matter what they call them.

MAR

Mitchell: The old lever machines were awesome. I never had any doubt that my vote was counted...and counted corrctly. That was Boston. My little town has the optical scanners, and I believe they wrok fine. As far a Diebold and ESS....they are owned by reich wingers. Their machines are easily tampered with. Finally, I get a receipt for a withdrawal from an ATM, a reciept for a pack of gum. The least the touch screen machines can do is give a receipt. No paper trail = abuse.

Hi Scott, I agree No paper trail = abuse and fraud.

I remember the Chairman of Diebold in 2004 saying "I will do everything in my power to make sure George W Bush wins Ohio" It certainly was with in his power to tamper with his voting machines.

NYC has narrowed it down to two optical scanners. The ImageCast, by Sequia and the DS-200 and AutoMark BMD by ESS. The ownership of these companies is freightening.

We have used the mechanical lever voting machines for over 100 years with fewer complaints than the computerized equipment has caused around the country in the last 8 years. They are inexpensive reliable mechanical machines which were made to last a minimum of 150 years with routine maintenance. The computers will break the 1st time they get dropped.

MAR

Mitchell, while the various state governments complain about their budgets, they have no problem buying and buying again new voting equipment. Personally I think it is a concerted effort to control the vote, as we saw in 2004. I believe the republicans seized upon the problems we had here in FL in 2000 when the supreme court would not allow our votes to be counted, and the lightbulb came on. If you can't manipulate the people, you can manipulate the vote.

MAR

if its broken and needs a carting company in nyc call www.dimolabros.com rubbish removal interior demolition we remove all your office furniture built in to with labor service 718 326 6969

MAR

Mitch, I am so convinced that there was massive fraud in 2004, and in a bunch of states. Gimme the old fashioned ones any day!

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