ohio result

[_imran_]

• Some of Ohio used Diebold machines.
  
• Diebold machines don't produce a paper audit trail.
  
• Ohio electoral law requires a paper audit trail for electronic voting systems.
  

Yet Kerry still chose to concede although a legal challenge on this basis would almost certainly have been valid. Would Bush have done the same in his position ?

Comments

[baljemmett]

Although it might be tempting to speculate on such matters, it's all academic; I'm hugely suspicious of systems such as the Diebold machines (based on what I've read), but what's done is done.

One thing I've been wondering; is the British X-in-a-box system really not scalable to a given electorate size? Seems to me that you just need to increase the number of wards such that each ward contains a manageable number of voters, then possibly add a level or two of indirection. Once you have the individual votes counted, the higher levels consist of "when all subsidiary wards report, add votes and report". You only need to add additional leaves...

[baljemmett]

Ah, brainfart (or brain-constipation?). I forgot that we run a first-past-the-post system as opposed to proportional representation. Still, I'm not sure that increases complexity by a huge amount.

Free warning to anybody considering visiting my part of the world -- there's a really nasty cold doing the rounds, my head seems to be encased in gunk right now. Can't think for toffee...

[squiggydaspcdog]

some of the machines had problems before and during the election. some of the machines had at least 500 plus votes for Bush before the election. And where I live people started to find out that some votes weren't even counted around the Galveston area. Then some of the voting machines didn't work either.

[_imran_]

I think it was stupid that they were using machines that have known problems, it doesn't really make much sense.

[squiggydaspcdog]

Agreed. Plenty of people are bent out of shape about the election.

[pyxiwulf]

I have to say that the American electoral process is completely broken and something has to be done, but get the dang politicians out of the process!

[squiggydaspcdog]

hahaha good one.

[seth_death]

two things

[davidkevin]

I think it's pretty obvious that he wouldn't.

An additional interesting commentary is at http://www.tompaine.com/articles/kerry_won.php.

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