AJC.com > Metro > Georgia Politics Blog > Archives > 2004 > March > 02 > Entry
Electronic elections, almost
Posted at: Tuesday, March 2, 2004, 08:33 AM
Nine people lined up at Midvale Elementary School in Tucker before polls opened at 7 a.m., much to the surprise of poll workers, who were still setting up.
But while voting is electronic, the process of getting a ballot is still done by hand. So when the polling place opened, the congestion was, well, not as bad as the outer Perimeter at rush hour, but almost (well, at least it seemed that way at 7 in the morning).
The initial bottleneck came at the first table, when voters had to fill out the form asking for their name, address and in which election they were voting. The second backup was in the line to verify that they were registered to vote so they can receive an electronic ballot card. In a fit of logic and optimism (and no doubt probability), there are two lines for such a purpose, one for voters whose last names start with A-K and another L-Z. Only thing was, nearly all the voters had last names starting with L-Z.
Still, the actual voting on the touchscreen computers was so fast it more than made up for the minor, upfront delays.
Permalink | Comments (106) | Categories: Super Tuesday
Comments
Clay Waterfill
March 2, 2004 09:28 AM
I voted in Duluth at about 9:00 this morning and there was almost nobody there. Went in, voted, and got out. It was great!
Linda Smalls
March 2, 2004 09:53 AM
I voted in Henry county this morning at 0700am. The line was about 10 deep. Once I checked in, it took all of two minutes to vote. The representatives did have a problem setting some of the voting cards, but only one person had the voting card setting equipment. In at 0700 out at 0715a
Bryan
March 2, 2004 09:59 AM
Easy. I feel secure my vote is counted. Those people who want receipts and want to go back to paper ballots are morons.
Ken
March 2, 2004 10:18 AM
Voted in Henry County (Ellenwood) at 0700. Everything went great.
Steve McCamy
March 2, 2004 10:18 AM
At 7:10 this morning there was a comfortable crowd at the Piedmont Park Polling place (sub for Grady High School)
Donna
March 2, 2004 10:24 AM
Voted this morning in Lawrenceville - plenty of people to assist - electronic voting was so easy and fast. Good job, Cathy Cox!
Jill
March 2, 2004 10:24 AM
Voting was SO easy this morning. I love the electronic voting machines. I was in and out of my polling place in five minutes. The electronic machines make voting simple, quick and convenient for everyone. No one should have an excuse for not voting!
Teresa Gay
March 2, 2004 10:27 AM
It was great, even though it was pouring down rain in Lumpkin County - I had no issues
Henry O'Connell
March 2, 2004 10:33 AM
Edwards & the red, white,& blue flag
were marked by me.
the first democratic vote in 30 years by me!!
Fletcher
March 2, 2004 10:38 AM
I am a republican, and specifically went to vote for John Edwards. I was under the impression this was an open primary. The people working did not explain to me that if I checked Republican as my affiliation that I would not be able to vote for the Democratic candidate. I obviously did not realize this until I put the electronic card in the machine. I know for a fact that at least 10 of my friends experienced the the issue, and all would have voted for Edwards. Very disappointing that this was not made clear to voters beforehand.
Larry Epps
March 2, 2004 10:41 AM
I was at my polling place in Henry County at 6:45am and there were already 20 people in line. A majority of the 20 people in front of me had problems with their voting cards including myself. I asked for a Republican ballot but the card was coded for a democrat ballot, took it back and asked for it to be correctly coded, but when I took the second card to the voting machine, it was now coded for the non-partisan ballot, so I took it back for a third time and they finally got the voting card card correctly coded and I was able to complete my vote.
The electronic voting machines are not the problem, but training of poll workers is a serious problem. I have been a poll manager in past years in Clayton County and feel that the counties will have to be more diligent in getting more qualified people to serve as poll workers and give them adequate training to be able to effectively work with this new technology.
The state may have to look at raising the pay of poll workers in order to get more qualified people to be willing to take the time to serve because people feeling that their vote counts is important to the trust level in our government.
Steve
March 2, 2004 10:42 AM
Voted In Dekalb - Toco Hills/Merry Hills at 9AM, only one other voter was there. Love the new touch screen voting.
Time to truly ELECT a president!!!
Kisha
March 2, 2004 10:47 AM
I voted at Miller Grove and it was a great experience. The workers really kept the line moving. I got there at 6:30am and I was walking out at 7:05am.
Rich
March 2, 2004 10:49 AM
I voted for the blue flag. I figure why should Gay people be the only one discriminated against. I'm against the Rebel flag but until the legislature gets it through their heads that discrimination is wrong, I will vote for EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING THAT DISCRIMINATES. How's that for equality.
Lois
March 2, 2004 10:50 AM
Voted in Dekalb, four of the five machines did not read the card.
Ed
March 2, 2004 10:51 AM
Votes 8 AM in NE Clayton County. Minimal line, no problems.
Tina
March 2, 2004 10:57 AM
Quick and Easy Electronic...in and out in less than five mins. Small crowd at 7:45am in Lithonia/Dekalb.
Patrick
March 2, 2004 10:57 AM
I'm a new resident of Georgia and received my voter registration card in October 2003. The polling location on the card was incorrect -- it apparently has not been a polling location for at least three election cycles. The correct polling location was located several streets away. There were no signs or literature to convey this information. I only found out by calling the voter information phone number on my registration card.
I live in a relatively new condo building, and I know that many of my neighbors received the same information (while others received the correct information). This is very confusing, to say the least. If this is democracy in the South and an overwhelmingly gay/black district's voters can't find the correct polling location, then we'll be in trouble come November.
Precinct: O2L (Zip Code 30309)
Jeff Breedlove
March 2, 2004 11:00 AM
Voted at Morningside Elementry in Fulton County at 8:00am. Short lines and no problems. Glad to be able to cast a vote to RE-ELECT our President, who won the election fair and honest. One of the proud Republicans voting in our area.
Thad
March 2, 2004 11:02 AM
I'm a Republican but I voted Democrat(for Edwards) only to screw things up for Kerry. Like Neil Bortz says, the democrats have been doing this for years it's about time the Republicans do it.
Hardee
March 2, 2004 11:05 AM
Fulton - Buckhead community - no wait. Time to Dethrone the only appointed King of the US of A.
Mrs. E
March 2, 2004 11:05 AM
I was the only voter at my polling place in Sandy Springs at 7:15 this morning. It is such a privilege to get to vote. The new e-Ballot was easy and the folks working at the poll seemed to know their stuff. Sorry to the republicans who thought they could vote democrat today. Oops. You probably should have researched that a little better!
Eddie
March 2, 2004 11:06 AM
They had a ton of voting machines at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, but only a few workers to check people in. This will easily create a bottleneck later in the evening when people are rushing to vote.
I have to agree with another poster on here, that it is not made clear to people that selecting the Republican option in the voter card will prevent you from voting for the democratic candidates. This is supposed to be an open election, by default people should be given the option to vote for the democratic candidate. Who would waste their time to go out and vote for Bush when he is the only one running?
Being a democrat I selected the democratic option and was in and out of there in less than 5 minutes. (I was the only one there)
Kara
March 2, 2004 11:09 AM
I voted in Chatham County today. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes. I voted my conscience and touched the box next to Howard Dean and the box next to the red, white and blue flag.
Camilla
March 2, 2004 11:20 AM
I voted this morning in Athens at the Clarke County School District office. There were about 10 people in front of me when I arrived about 5 minutes before 7 am. Once the polls opened, the process was very efficient and I was out in less than 10 minutes.
I really like the electronic voting. It is very easy to follow the instructions on the machine.
Clay Waterfill
March 2, 2004 11:21 AM
It is an open primary. You have to check the box that says "Democrat" to get a Democrat card. Why would you want to get a Republican card with only one choice? I voted for Edwards today and will have no problems voting for Republicans in the July 20 election and in November. Just check "Democrat" today.
Mike M.
March 2, 2004 11:24 AM
I voted on the 999 Briarcliff Road location at around 7:30am. The turnout seemed light- only 5 or 6 other people seemed to be voting at that time. I voted for John Edwards. He's our best chance to beat the most ineffective U.S. President since Herbert Hoover.
Christopher C.
March 2, 2004 11:34 AM
Just voted (11:28AM) in Lawrencville, at New Hope. Plenty of help there with only 3 voters at the machines. I voted for Edwards and the Historic Flag. Kerry needs to recognize there is no better Veep than Edwards to beat Bush/Cheney and the flag is history for all to participate in not some lost relic or politically divisive monument.
Shammy Dawg
March 2, 2004 11:34 AM
I can't believe the polls out here in CA aren't working - so much for our high tech industry. Leave it to the Government to improve something so well nobody can use it now.
Kudos for getting your system to work.
David Forman
March 2, 2004 11:36 AM
I voted for George Bush (Yes - there is a Republican primary) in Suwanee this morning. The new machines required only about 30 seconds to complete and were so easy even a Floridian can use it!
Raye
March 2, 2004 11:39 AM
Voted at 8 a.m. in Fulton County, Va. Highland. No problems. Go Edwards Go!
Mark
March 2, 2004 11:40 AM
My voting machine froze for about 30 seconds while recording my vote. I am very concerned that my vote was not properly recorded and there is no paper record of my vote either!
angela
March 2, 2004 11:42 AM
i voted for edwards this morning in bartow co. i hope he wins and gets to go against bush.
Avery Stafford
March 2, 2004 11:50 AM
As predicted, voter turnout is very slow in many precincts through out Charlton County. No problems reported as of 10 am.
Voter turnouts usually increase after many workers return home from work. The anticipation is growing for our local races and the 2004 Presidental Election. A ticket with Kerry/Edwards or Kerry/Clark brings excitement.
Ed
March 2, 2004 11:58 AM
Lilburn. There were some problems with getting the voting card set up. They had 2 people with the card setting equipment, but only one was working. I am very concerned that there is no paper trail due to the issues with getting the cards set up. How do I know my vote was properly counted? The card could have been set wrong due to the faulty equipment and there is no way to verify correct counts.
Kim
March 2, 2004 12:00 PM
I voted in Cobb this morning and there were only 4 people ahead of me when I arrived at 6:55 a.m. I was in and out in 10 minutes and the voting machines seemed to work perfectly.
Greg
March 2, 2004 12:06 PM
I voted in Fulton county this morning am concerned that I did not get the correct ballot. I selected a nuetral party affiliation, and voted for the flag but was unable to vote for a presidential candidate. I figured that it was because I did not select a party affliation, but after reading about the voting machine malfunctions and I'm wondering if I got the proper ballot.
Abrian
March 2, 2004 12:11 PM
I voted at 7:20am this moring at Liberty Pointe Elem. The touch screen was easy and the feeling I got when my 9 yrs old son see that he was happy to see me voting.
Deletta
March 2, 2004 12:13 PM
I voted in Forsyth County. It only took about 10 minutes total. I like the electronic ballet. Very Easy.
Pete Carroll
March 2, 2004 12:24 PM
I voted in Columbus Georgia today, it only took 7 minutes to vote. The touch screen voting is very easy to use and everyone in Georgia votes on the same ballet.
Bart
March 2, 2004 12:31 PM
Voting for John Edwards went smoothly. It was a pleasure to vote for the ONLY DEMOCRAT WHO CAN BEAT BUSH.
Voted blue flag, but not with as much conviction. It still counts the same, though, I guess.
Mary
March 2, 2004 12:33 PM
Our polling place didn't open at 7 am because the poll manager didn't
show -he's supposed to be there at 6 am! My daughter, very excited at 18 to be a first time voter, waited from 7 am until 7:20 but had to leave without voting to go to school. She can not return to vote before the polls close.
The polling place must have opened around 7:35 am because when my husband went back to vote at 8:30 (he waited with my daughter from 7-7:20), they said they'd stay open until 7:35 pm to make up for their error. My daughter may be able to get there by 7:30 pm but it will be very tight (she has a school obligation)!
I went to vote at 10:30 and the poll manager said now he didn't know if they could stay open until 7:35 pm. It was "under review" by "downtown". Very
frustrating and disappointing!!
Nelson Jones
March 2, 2004 12:33 PM
Dekalb- I just voted about 15mins. ago at 12:15, I walked up and took a 5 second course on the new touch screen voting and was in and out in a total of about 5 mins. Up with Kerry Down with Hate, ops, I meant down with Heritiage.....
Holla @cha, A.B.B.
Catina
March 2, 2004 12:37 PM
It was an easy process. I voted at 7:45am in Buford.
YPG
March 2, 2004 12:38 PM
My experience today was ok. I was the first one at my precinct, that made me feel good. The poll manager was a bit short with people and fellow poll workers, but we got through that. I guess it was just too early for her. I just hope everyone registered get out and exercise today!!!
Emily Impey
March 2, 2004 12:43 PM
I voted early on Friday! I hope that every county starts allowing early voting. The touch screen voting was simple!
Mike
March 2, 2004 12:44 PM
I too was upset that even though I checked the Republican box that I could not vote for the Reverend Al Sharpton. Talk about an amusing few months if he won the Democratic nomination and head to go head to head with Bush:) The voting was relatively simple and straightforward nonetheless.
Sherri
March 2, 2004 12:48 PM
Voting went very smoothly even with my two-year old in tow. Had a tough time deciding over the past few weeks whether to vote for Kerry or Edwards. Finally decided to vote for fellow southerner Edwards in hopes that Kerry will pick him as his running mate. WHAT A TICKET THAT WOULD BE to beat the Bush machine!
Roy
March 2, 2004 12:55 PM
Lilburn (Gwinnett County) Voted about 8:30AM and it went smoothly at the Harvest Church even with my three year old tagging along. Like Sherri, I had a tough decision but voted for Edwards because I could really identify with his upbringing and like the fact that he made his own success. I'd love to see Kerry & Edwards run together.
John Watson
March 2, 2004 12:57 PM
What's important is that everyone participates in our American process now and exercises his or her right (and privilege) to vote.
dANA WALKER
March 2, 2004 12:57 PM
I WAS EXTEMELY UPSET AFTER CASTING MY VOTE THIS MORNING BECAUSE I DID NOT GET TO VOTE FOR MY CHOICE OF DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. ONCE I VOTED FOR THE FLAG AND THE SPLOST MY BALLOT WAS CAST. APPARENTLY, THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT BALLOTS, ONE WITHOUT THE CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT. THE POLL WORKERS WERE NOT AWARE THAT THIS THIRD BALLOT EXISTED. AT LEAST 15 PEOPLE DID NOT GET TO VOTE FOR THEIR CHOICE FOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT AND I THINK THIS IS HORRIBLE.
Eric
March 2, 2004 01:02 PM
I was in and out about 2 minutes, it was pretty easy. As a military member I had to vote for Bush, I believe the only thing that our Federal Gov. is responsible for is the safety of our nation and he is doing that. I don't want my kids to have to go back to the middle east in 10 years because we pulled out. Just give me two more years until I retire then you guys can vote in anyone you want.
Pat
March 2, 2004 01:03 PM
I voted right after 7AM this morning in Plainville, Georgia because I work in Atlanta and knew I would not make it back to the polls before they closed this evening. There was one person voting when I walked in and one went in as I was leaving. The touch screen was great and the voting went well. Was glad to let my President know he has people supporting him - everyone needs to vote regardless of their convictions - people gave up periods of their life and some gave the ultimate sacrifice - their life - so that we could exercise this right.
Joyce S Taylor
March 2, 2004 01:06 PM
It went very smoothly. Was in and out of the voting place in less than 10 minutes top. The voting machines were great. They even offer me a machine for the deaf if I wanted it. Cool beans! More cool beans if Kerry wins.
Leanne
March 2, 2004 01:23 PM
I voted in Brookhaven (University Baptist Church) and love the new voting machines! Very clear, very easy to use. It felt great to get out and vote with my neighbors.
Linda
March 2, 2004 01:27 PM
I voted at 7am at Davis Elementary School in East Cobb. Was in and out with five minutes. It took longer to wait for her to find my card because they kept sticking together than the rest of it. When are they going to computerize the check-in.
lissa
March 2, 2004 01:29 PM
my experience was simple and quick in clarke county (athens). **i am confused by Eric's comments above about voting for Bush, since it's a primary to choose the the Democratic candidate, along with a state flag. in any event, it feels good to participate in the process.
(A Kerry/Edwards ticket would rock.)
Jeff Slater
March 2, 2004 01:33 PM
I was fourth in line to vote this morning at Virginia-Highland Baptist Church on Virginia Avenue. Within minutes it was obvious to the first 5 or 6 voters that the touch screen voting machines only offered the flag referendum to vote on and then said we were done. There was no ballot to vote for the Democratic candidates! Voting was halted and poll workers were at a loss as to what to do. One was on the phone to report the problem, another got out the instruction book. I do not know if or when the problem was resolved, but it was obvious that the machines had not been tested before the polls opened to make sure they were operating correctly!
Stacey
March 2, 2004 01:37 PM
Voting was short and sweet. The only complaint is that some candidates should not have been on the ballot if they already dropped out of the race. As far as the flag issue, I only voted for the current flag because it did not bare the old 56 flag otherwise I support Roy Barnes move to change it before. Thanks Roy!
Lee Floyd
March 2, 2004 01:39 PM
Smyrna District 01 - The whole process was easy as could be. No waiting lines - in and out in 10 minutes. The touchscreen voting machines are great!
Julie Kientz
March 2, 2004 01:41 PM
I just went to go vote, and for the second election in a row, I only saw one thing to vote for before my card got spit back at me and I was done. When I went in Novemeber, I only got to vote on the board of education. I thought "huh, that's funny...I could have sworn there were more things to vote for", but I didn't know for sure, so I didn't say anything. It was my first time voting in Georgia... maybe they didn't vote on as many things as Ohioans?
This time, I came there specifically to vote in the presidential primary. When I first jammed my card into that machine, I got the screen on which to vote for the flag. I picked a flag, hit "Next". It showed my choice as being selected, and I had two options: a smaller, blue "Review Ballot" button or a big, green "Cast Ballot" button. It said "when you hit cast ballot, your vote will be final". I thought "Okay, I've finalized my voting for the flag" and hit "Cast Ballot". The machine spits out my card to me and the touch screen goes back to the "insert card to begin" screen.
I stare at the screen and think "What? why didn't the presidential primary ballot come up?" I stick my card back into the machine, and it spits it back out: "Invalid card". I go get the polling officer to ask what happened. She said "awww...did you click 'Cast Ballot'? That ends your vote and you're done. a lot of people make that mistake. You need to select 'Review Ballot'" to which I said, "Yes, I made a mistake. can you invalidate this vote and let me do it again the right way?" "No, it's final." At this point, I got really angry.
I didn't get to vote in the presidental primary because of a usability error. What the is wrong with this? I wanted to vote. I knew who I wanted to vote for. I realized the error and wanted to fix it. The current system did not allow me to vote. I'm a computer science Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech, specializing in usability design no less. I made an error, and there was nothing they could do about it. What happens to people who are worse with computers than me, or that don't realize there's something wrong with the system? "This happens all the time."
After speaking with the polling officer for 20 minutes or so, I'm convinced that there might have been an error on my card. That they gave me the wrong one (such as a non-partisan card). Supposedly the first thing to come up on the screen should have been the presidential primary ballot and NOT the Georgia Flag vote. But we had no way to verify this. She told me "well, when you come vote in November, you come to me and I'll help you through it and make sure you get it right. THAT'S the important election." I stared at her incredulously. To me, this election was pretty important too. I've been closely following the candidates for months. And now the only way to make sure I don't make this error again is to have someone looking over my shoulder when I vote? Does she need to do this with everyone to ensure that everyone's voice is heard?
I'm angry. I'm already working on writing a letter voicing my complaint and plan on writing a letter to the AJC. The fiasco in Florida in 2000 came down to a usability error. People didn't get to vote for who they wanted to vote for. The presidential election was possibly thrown by this, which affects the entire world. Why are we letting things happen this carelessly? What can be done about it?
Geoff
March 2, 2004 01:42 PM
I'm basicly an Independent and when I said this to the pollworker he seemed confused. He said "You just want to vote for the flag?" I said no, I wanted to vote in the Democratic primary. Anyway, it worked out and I voted for Edwards.
Mike
March 2, 2004 01:53 PM
Voting was easy. I was happy to see Howard Dean was still on the ballot and cast my vote for him. He is the best choice in my opinion. I also voted for the current flag because it completely eliminated the confederate flag. We all need to thank Roy Barnes for starting the process of changing the flag. It took a lot of courage. I'm also happy to see the hateful constitutional amendment won't be coming up for a vote any time soon. So far it's been a great day! Thanks Rep. Smyre! There are much more important items to deal with. Deficits, health care, education...
M.B. Miller
March 2, 2004 01:59 PM
I'm relatively new to the area, and I voted at Henderson Mill Elementary School. The people were friendly and the location was literally up the street from my apt complex. I love the touch screens!
Good Luck Edwards!
anon
March 2, 2004 02:01 PM
No one checked my ID at a precinct in Fulton county. Other than that, the voting machines were great. Very easy...
GChristie
March 2, 2004 02:28 PM
The voting process went smoothly at my precinct in Snellville. The staff was polite and helpful, and the machine was very user friendly.
Clay Waterfill
March 2, 2004 02:35 PM
Tell everyone to BE CAREFUL! If you ask for a non-partisan card, you will NOT get to vote for a presidential candidate. If you ask for a Republican ballot, you will NOT be able to vote for Al Sharpton. The machines work great. The problem is in the senior citizen poll workers they use. They are not programming your voter card correctly. DO NOT USE A CARD THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE BALLOT YOU REQUESTED. Get a poll worker to you immediatley so you can get the situation corrected. Any of you who did not get to vote for the candidate you wanted was the victim of making poor personal decisions. I can not wait to read the letters to the AJC from all the people who voted incorrectly and will try to blame it on the system.
Tony Harris
March 2, 2004 02:42 PM
I voted this morning and the process was smooth. In an out in less than 5 minutes in South Cobb Govt Center. I am Democratic and would have voted for Kerry but he hasn't convinced me yet that he would do more to stop jobs from going overseas than lips service or setup a committee. For what, people are losing jobs now and making sure people getting 3 months notice is not the answer. I wanted to vote for Kerry but just couldn't yet. I voted for Edwards because he will stop jobs from going overseas period..no if or buts about it. Take a Stand Kerry and you may get my vote in November...or I may not even vote because I just can't vote for Bush. Rememeber...it's the economy stupid and people are losing jobs now! Trickle down economics doesn't work for American workers but overseas workers...
ebeck
March 2, 2004 02:51 PM
Why is it that I have to prove at least 3 times that I am who I say I am at the polls (fill out information verification form, show driver's license & then get checked off on a master roll of some kind) but there is no way for ME to verify that my vote was properly recorded? Even the Diebold machines at my bank can issue an anonymous, secure reciept in a fraction of a second.
Julie Kientz
March 2, 2004 02:52 PM
Clay Waterfill:
It IS the fault of the system. I requested a Democratic ballot, but was given the wrong one. The system provided me no way of noticing the error until it was too late. If you requested a Democratic ticket and received the proper one, it would have said Democratic at the top. If you received a non-partisan ticket, it tells you nothing.
There is no way of telling that you didn't get to vote for the primary system until it spits the card back at you and you realize you didn't get a chance to vote. And once you realize there's an error, there's no way to go back and fix it.
Yes, it's true that poll workers are able to make mistakes. But a system that does expect people to make mistakes and does not allow for recovery is a poorly designed system.
Julie Kientz
March 2, 2004 02:53 PM
Clay Waterfill:
It IS the fault of the system. I requested a Democratic ballot, but was given the wrong one. The system provided me no way of noticing the error until it was too late. If you requested a Democratic ticket and received the proper one, it would have said Democratic at the top. If you received a non-partisan ticket, it tells you nothing.
There is no way of telling that you didn't get to vote for the primary system until it spits the card back at you and you realize you didn't get a chance to vote. And once you realize there's an error, there's no way to go back and fix it.
Yes, it's true that poll workers are able to make mistakes. But a system that does expect people to make mistakes and does not allow for recovery is a poorly designed system.
Jason C
March 2, 2004 02:55 PM
My goodness, how many ways can people find to mess up their ballots. It's really very simple. You pick up the card of the party whose primary you want to vote in (we had white for Democrat, green for Republican at my precinct), fill it out, show your ID, get your card. It doesn't matter what you consider yourself, you can vote in any primary. Don't press "Cast Ballot" unless you've voted for everything you want to vote for! It's not that hard.
I voted at Shamrock Middle in DeKalb. My old precinct was folded into Shamrock's, and the location is quite inconvenient. They need something closer to the main throughfare. Signs telling you which entrance is the voting one would help too. Otherwise, it took about 3 minutes to vote. I was the 19th vote on my machine at 9:15am. I voted Howard Dean (but my heart belongs to ABB, Anybody But Bush) and the new flag.
Hope Lombardo
March 2, 2004 02:56 PM
two letters I received today from fellow georgians:
"A voter in front of me in line told me "These blue forms are Republican, these are for Democrats (white forms)" but didn't mention the other white forms which were for people who only wanted to vote on the Georgia flag referendum. So when I got to school a co-teacher said she had filled out the wrong white form, and when the Democratic primary candidates did not appear on her screen, she reported it to the managers who told her she had filled out the wrong form and there was nothing they could do about it! She was outraged, as am I, but I don't know what to tell her to do about it! ? Any more such craziness?
2. "That same story was reported to me today from a friend working at a polling place in Atlanta. They had made both white forms look exactly the same and then mixed them together. She found out because a bunch of people complained and were told there was no way they could now vote. She took it upon herself to sort out the forms, make big signs over each form telling people what each was and then talked to folks.
Clearly whoever printed the forms did it with the clear purpose of muddying up the democratic vote. Otherwise the forms would have been printed three different colors to identify them clearly."
Artis Hill
March 2, 2004 03:14 PM
I had a terrible experience. My experience was very similar to Julie Kientz (above). The poll workers did not know how to give me a ballot that had both the flag and the presidential candidates. I advised them of the problem and they could not fix it. Me and several other people were instructed to come back and vote later. When I called the Secretary of States Office I was told that I could not vote again. There should be a way to preview your ballot before you even begin, to make sure you have the correct ballot. The system needs improvement. I encourage everyone who had problems voting to contact Cathy Cox at 404 656 2881 and to call the headquaters of their candidate to let them know what happened. Don't let them rob us of our vote and our voice. Speak out.
Scott
March 2, 2004 03:30 PM
I voted at the poll next to Piedmont park. Actually, last time I voted, the location was at Grady High School across the street, and it was only by luck and that I passed the Park Tavern location it is today (there were small signs) and voted. On further inspection of my voter card, today's poll location is called "The Piedmont Room", but I did not know it by that name.
Anyhow, there were only 2 other voters in there at 2:30PM. As I recall, the ladies at the desk said only, "Democrat or Republican", so I can see how someone would get confused if they thought they were being asked about their party affiliation and what primary they wanted to vote in. Voting went smoothly though. I like the card system, though I wonder if it could as easily be corrupted as a "chad" system...
mv91
March 2, 2004 03:44 PM
Just voted at the Buckhead Library. Very easy and simple. All the pollsters were friendly and helpful. Republican/Democrat/Independent area was explained and the whole process especially the computer voting was simple. 1/2 dozen or so people there at 3:30pm, mostly elderly. Get out and vote!
lydell
March 2, 2004 03:49 PM
voting was very easy. although this time i wash there was lines like at the walmart 2 weeks before christmas. i wish more people had come out.
Paul
March 2, 2004 03:57 PM
Voting was SUPER easy. It is just sad that so many would allow so few to make decisions for them, when it comes to picking our leaders.
Kvan
March 2, 2004 04:07 PM
I'm a Republican who wanted to vote for Edwards but I was given a Republican ballot. Naturally, I assumed the worker knew what he was talking about & thought all the candidates would be on the ballot. I was surprised that my only presidential option was Geo. Bush. I wasted my time at the poll & arrived at work late, all for nothing because of the lack of information to the voters--not to mention the workers.
Is Georgia REALLY an open-primary state? What a joke! I was denied the opportunity to vote for the candidate of MY choice.
Cathy Cox, is this the best you can do?
Angela
March 2, 2004 04:13 PM
Voting went quickly, honestly I would not have minded standing in line if it meant more people would get out and vote! It also went smoothly, any problems others have had should probably be classified a "user error".
Jim Chambers
March 2, 2004 04:15 PM
I wouldn't vote for any of the Democrats for President if my life depended on it, but I voted for Edwards in the Democratic primary today. If we can keep him alive a little longer, maybe Kerry will have to start attacking Edwards instead of his crappy attacks on President Bush. God help us all if any Democrat wins the election in November. Osama Bin Laden will be dancing in the streets.
Sean
March 2, 2004 04:15 PM
It was as simple as scanning my own groceries at Kroger! I've never had a problem using the machines although I do see how confusing it may have been if you were a Republican wanting to vote in the Democratic primary.
downscaler
March 2, 2004 04:18 PM
I voted at 1 p.m. at M.D. Roberts Middle School in Jonesboro. There was only one person ahead of me and only one additional person arrived while I was there.
Adam
March 2, 2004 04:21 PM
I voted nearly a month ago by absentee ballot, since I am going to school in Pennsylvania. That process was smooth; it was an optical scan ballot with a separate sheet containing color images of the two flag choices.
I have yet to use the new touch-screen voting machines since I have been away from home for every election over the last couple of years, but based on comments from other voters above, when I do get the opportunity to vote electronically, I will definitely triple-check to make sure I have the correct access card before I cast my ballot.
Shane
March 2, 2004 04:30 PM
If Edwards loses today in Georgia he can blame the poll workers who didn't tell us to pick the Democratic ballot to vote for the Presidential Primary. I got the non-partisan ballot and only got to vote for the flag. Red, White, & Blue flag and Edwards were my choices. Too bad I only got to choose one of the two.
Amanda L.
March 2, 2004 04:37 PM
No problems with the touch-screen machines at all. I voted for Edwards because I figure if I can encourage Osama to dance in the streets, Bush might actually be able to find him.
GT Alum
March 2, 2004 04:41 PM
I cast my vote at the Luella Middle School Precinct in Henry County. The new touch screen voting is highly efficient and went smoothly. I did wonder why the poll workers asked if I was republican or democrat, but figured our rather quickly the reasoning for the question. I voted for John Edwards. Even if he doesn't get the Democratic Nomination, Kerry would still be my choice to remove the clown we have in office right now.
Clay Waterfill
March 2, 2004 04:42 PM
It is still amazing to me to read posts from people who made personal errors and they think there are problems with the system. Once again, let everyone you know know that if you select "Republican" on the ballot, you will not get to vote for a Democratic candidate. That is why it is a primary. Being able to select from multiple parties is called a General Election. Also, if you are presented with a summary screen that does not have a candidate for president selected, then for God's sake do not hit the button that says "Cast Vote" or you will have made a mistake. Ask for help. If you submit a vote that is not what you intended, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Branch
March 2, 2004 04:42 PM
I voted at the Epworth Church precinct in Candler Park this morning and encountered no problems with the voting equipment. The human factor, however, continues to cause glitches in the form of unnecessary lines and poor allocation of poll worker resources. Common sense logisitical arrangements would be a nice compliment to Georgia's leading edge voting technology.
Chuck
March 2, 2004 04:46 PM
It is always a good idea to read what you are about to sign. The three signin slips were first, color coded, and second had a very complete discription of what that slip was for. For those who only got to vote on the flag who intended to vote on one of the othet two, you have to accept most of the blame on yourself for not reading the heading. Duh!
Katy
March 2, 2004 04:48 PM
I recently signed up to become a poll worker and took the training..rather interesting that the rules the workers have to follow...I read someone's comment about the poll workers incompetence...well guess what...they are not allowed to show you which certificate to fill out..so if you picked up the certificate for the special election (flag only) that is your fault..if you notice a descrepency you should have called it to the attention and asked for a different certificate and went through the process again...BEFORE you hit the "cast ballot" button. Also there are signs posted showing which certificate is for which item....this was a presidential primary so there were no non-partisan certificates...the options were Republican, Democrat, and Special (for the referendum).....it seems that far too many people want to blame others instead of taking responsibilities for their own actions....come on people GROW UP.
Katy
Dallas, GA
Julie Kientz
March 2, 2004 05:01 PM
Clay:
If you design a system that allows people to make errors and you don't allow a way to fix them, there is a problem with your system. Just because you don't have a problem with it, it doesn't mean that others won't. Stop blaming it on "stupid voters". Everyone makes mistakes or slips, especially people uncomfortable with new technology or are unfamiliar with it.
When there's only one thing you're voting for, the screen at the end does not look like a "summary" screen. When you hit that "Cast Ballot" button, it easily looks like you're submitting your vote for just that item, and when you're expecting something else to vote for, you don't think that's going to end your vote when you haven't even seen the option to choose a candidate. It's poor usability design. Trust me, I'm getting a Ph.D. in this stuff.
People are aware that they could only vote for one political party. People know how a primary election works. People asked to vote for that party and are given the wrong cards. How are you supposed to know there's a mistake? I realized my mistake and asked for help as soon as I realized it, but by then, it was too late.
It's people who blame things on "stupid users" who are responsible for such poorly designed systems. You can do usability testing and perform many evaluation techniques to prevent this kind of thing from happening. It's obvious they didn't do enough of this.
Joseph
March 2, 2004 05:04 PM
Reading all of the complaints by people allegedly disenfranchised by their own ballot choice has me even more worried about the average voter than I was before. It's not exactly a state secret that (1) the candidates for partisan offices on a Republican ballot or Democratic ballot are going to be limited to those affiliations and (2) Georgia does not register voters by party. There are no doubt ways in which the election and voting processes can be improved, but neither the legislature, Cathy Cox or a poll worker can make a voter take the time to learn their ABCs of voting before they enter a precinct.
Shane
March 2, 2004 05:08 PM
Katy, I'm afraid there were non-partisan ballots because that is what was exactly offered to me. Also, like Julie Kientz pointed out, once I pressed the "cast ballot" button, I thought that would take me to the presidential primary selection to vote for that. If you're such a knowledgeable poll worker, why aren't you out there right now? I appreciate the new electronic voting machines and have found them to be very easy to use in the past, but obviously there was a problem today. I didn't see any of those magical "signs" to tell me the difference between the ballots either. It's not a matter of "Growing Up", but a matter of being well informed.
Julie Kientz
March 2, 2004 05:15 PM
What "different colored" voting forms are you talking about? When I went to the polling place, they said "Democrat or Republican?". When I responded, they handed me a form. I didn't have a choice between different forms, I filled out the one they handed me.
I don't blame this on the poll workers. They are just as easily able to make mistakes as voters. And they understood that there were problems with the system and were sympathetic, and wished there was something that could be done to help me.
But they need a system that allows them to correct mistakes. The systems needs to display that you are currently voting on: item 1 of 1, item 1 of 2, etc. It should have a confirmation that when you press that cast ballot button, that your vote will be final and you will not be able to vote for anything else. Get off your high horses. Not everyone had the exact same experiences and choices in forms as you. Next time you make a mistake, you'll expect people to be forgiving to you.
For those who still blame the user, I recommend reading "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman.
Earlene
March 2, 2004 05:19 PM
Joseph
You are right on the money! Poll workers are group of folks brought together to open and run a business for a day. Voters expect everthing to be perfect - however, they need to examine their own lives and businesses to see that everyone makes mistakes at one time or another.
Everyone should pay attention to what they are doing in the voting booth and to read the instructions. Most are in such an all fired hurry to get somewhere they just do what they "think" (and I use that term loosely) is right and when it turns out wrong they whine that someone cost them their vote. The real culprit is the ill informed voter who didn't read the instructions or pay attention to what they were doing.
Read people - read!
Franklin
March 2, 2004 05:24 PM
I "touched the future" of voting, even in rural Georgia and am VERY confident that my vote is secured AND counted...unlike the 50+ year old lever machines (that my home county would still have if not for the leadership and determination and voting R--Revolution led by "C" Cathy Cox). What a breeze... no ovals to fill, no chads to choke on... just touch and go.
Thanks Cathy!
Kevin Hawkins
March 2, 2004 05:29 PM
I voted at East Lake Elementary around 2:30 PM. As usual, there was no wait. The machine refused to read my card, so I had to go back and have it fixed. Being able to see the pictures of the flags was great. It would be a good idea to include photographs of the Candidates next to their names to help people who can't read.
Most of the IT professionals that I know think it would be easy for someone to rig an election with these Diebold machines. Paper confirmations are critical to minimize election fraud.
sharon
March 2, 2004 05:30 PM
Great no problems - the poll was at my children's school and took no time to vote - I was the only one at work with a sticker. Send your friends to the polling office.
Jenny
March 2, 2004 05:32 PM
You don't have to assert a party affiliation here in Georgia. You can vote on either party's ballet. You just have to tell the poll worker which ballet you want. Sorry to Mrs. E in Sandy Springs. Voters who usually vote Republican can vote on the Democrat ballot. YOU probably should have researched that a little better! I vote Republican 99% of the time and hope Bush wins in November. Today I voted on the Democrat ballot to pick the Democrat candidate that I would rather have if Bush should lose in November. John Edwards got my vote. I would much rather have him elected than Kerry!
Voting was easy and quick. Love the electronic voting machines!
Julie Kientz
March 2, 2004 05:38 PM
Perhaps this will convince you that this system needs some more work? This is quoted from a friend:
"Assume a completely secure voting system. My experience today would have allowed me to vote 4 times, had I so chosen. And the sad thing is,
there's nothing anyone could do about it. I'll ignore the other stuff about the polling place that made it depressing to vote today.
I got an active smartcard, but for whatever reason, it jammed and didn't get in the machine properly. But no one knew that... I could have gotten
it in, voted, and then claimed that there was an error.
Then, on a functional machine, I found that I had received a card for a Democrat Ballot. I'm not a democrat. The person in the first line gave
me the wrong registration ticket. Again, could have voted, and then told them that the card was for the wrong party.
I told another person that I wasn't a Democrat. She apologized and gave me a different card. That card gave me a Republican ballot. I'm not a Republican either. Third chance to vote...
I finally got my "non-partisan" card and actually voted. Fourth chance to do so.
I declined my "I voted" sticker... maybe I should have asked for four?"
Greg
March 2, 2004 05:39 PM
I'm a Republican but cast my vote for the Rev. Al Sharpton. One less vote for John Kerry. May the Roy Barnes "Rag" disappear forever from the Georgia landscape!
Doug
March 2, 2004 05:50 PM
All these people who are complaining they voted on a ballot that did have a presidential primary are just not smart. There is no such thing as the Non-Partisan Party. There was a Democratic and a Republican presidential primary today.
These are the kinds of voters Winston Churchill had in mind when he said, "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
Ben
March 2, 2004 06:02 PM
Kudos to all voters in prior posts who reported exemplary service on their computer ballots for the presidential primary. Unfortunately, my experience was much more akin to what happened to Artis, Julie and Jeff. I voted at the Virginia Avenue Baptist precinct at 7 a.m.. I did fill out the proper registration form and the ballot/card given to me offered only the choice of voting on the flag issue before it ejected. After many phone conversations and emails this morning, I was basically told by the Secretary of State's office and the Fulton Country Department of Elections that my ballot was cast and there was nothing to do about it. Nevertheless, I decided to drop by the precinct this afternoon and discuss the situation with the supervisor. To my surprise I received another ballot. In the explaination it was my understanding that only "nonpartisan ballots" were distributed to this precinct and these were passed along to the voters, regardless of registration. While I was delighted to get the chance to vote again this procedure only heightened a feeling that voting by computer iss unreliable and not "tamper-proof". Being provided with a "second-chance" also confirmed my knowledge that I did the right thing and the experience a precinct/ballot problem and NOT a voter issue. I suggest that if you have the time, drop back by the VA/HI precinct and see if you can correct the problem.
Clay Waterfill
March 2, 2004 06:13 PM
"Nevertheless, I decided to drop by the precinct this afternoon and discuss the situation with the supervisor. To my surprise I received another ballot."
This is very disturbing! One person one vote is how it works.
Beth
March 2, 2004 06:17 PM
Machines worked absolutely perfect, not one problem. Slightly disturbed that the people working the precinct appeared to be about 14 years old though.