OT: Is technology slowing things down?

BOB-OO · Nov 10, 2022

I have to ask some opinions here. I adopt technology when I believe it will make our work faster and/or more accurate.

Most states have adopted the technology to do the same every two years at election time.

How is it possible that on November 8th, using machines that count votes, results are not available the same day? I've been voting for 30 years, almost every election (until 2016-Florida chits and the like)has had results the night of the vote (a few exceptions here and there). Now, add some technology and results...next week sometime-maybe. Don't know who is in charge of either the Senate or the House? Who is in charge of this disaster?

It seems to me like we took a huge step backwards.

Comatose · Nov 10, 2022

Well, in this case the "machine" at fault is the postal service. Many states allow votes to be postmarked by election day, and then arrive up to a week later or whatever. We know who is in charge of the house and the senate today, tomorrow and all the way through the end of the year. If we don't know who is in charge of next year's senate for a few more days, what meaningful impact does that have?

Plus, let's be honest. We DO know. The Republicans will have a three to eight seat majority in the house, and the Democrats will have a zero to one seat majority in the Senate. None of that will be officially official for a month anyway.

SeymourDumore · Nov 11, 2022

Comatose said:
Well, in this case the "machine" at fault is the postal service.

I disagree.
What's at fault is the early mail in voting garbage!
Absentee voting is one thing. You explain why you should be eligible for an absentee ballot ahead of time ( very strict rules should apply), you get one and you mail it in.
Else ...
Unable to attend due to physical ( in hospital or otherwise immobile an unable to attend ) condition, call with explanation, and the ballot box will be brought to you.
Otherwise, you show up at the [email protected] ballot box and show your [email protected] ID proving that you are in fact the very individual who is supposed to vote in your name, and cast your vote.

If you are not willing to take the steps necessary to show up in person or to obtain a photo ID ahead of time, you are willingly forfeiting your right to vote!
It's that simple!
It isn't a right wing or left wing thing, it is a right or wrong thing!

With
That
Said ...

I am willing to make a concession that instead of a dumbass rule as the "election day is the first tuesday after the first monday in november", voting should be done over 2 days, one on a weekend and one on a weekday.
Either Friday and Saturday, or Sunday and Monday, I don't care, but either show up to vote on one of those days, or shut the [email protected] up for all the rest!!!

sfriedberg · Nov 11, 2022

SeymourDumore said:
I disagree.
What's at fault is the early mail in voting garbage!

Seymore, you're welcome to your opinion, but my entire state (Oregon) went to EXCLUSIVELY mail-in balloting years ago, and we are not looking back. Doing anything else is a huge waste of everybody's time.

michiganbuck · Nov 11, 2022

Technology and computer-running machines have allowed tolerance, getting angles and fancy shapes much easier, for a price that can be justified on some products.
One problem sometimes is that engineers often tighten tolerance where tight is not needed

OH, is this about the voting results? I agree the USA is getting pretty slack about important things. How do you wait till voting day and think about printing the ballots?

I hate to say it but anything the government has a hand in is overstaffed, over-budgeted, and underthought.

Scottl · Nov 11, 2022

Major issue I have with electronic vote counting is that the machines use proprietary (secret) algorithms.

WTF?????????????????

We were taught in grade school that counting was simple addition as in 1 + 1 = 2.

Many people of all political stripes have at times wondered if sometimes 1 + 1 = 3 with some of this technology.

MwTech Inc · Nov 11, 2022

Technology has been put in place for control, whoever is behind it.

ttrager · Nov 11, 2022

This is a People Problem, not a technology problem. And I say that within the context of technology itself "mysteriously" or even "legitimately" failing. Still traceable to People / Organizations responsible for operation and maintenance of those systems. There is no excuse for voting systems crashing like this. None. I don't ever recall Elections finishing up, and then what's announced is a delay in counting by WEEKS or MONTHS. Especially as the entire conversation of voting integrity and systems working correctly have been a hot-topic in the limelight for the past 5-ish years.

That means it's a People problem, and those people should be held accountable.

And I'm not a fan of mail-in balloting as the default rule either.

Also:

"I hate to say it but anything the government has a hand in is overstaffed, over-budgeted, and underthought." - Michiganbuck

SeymourDumore · Nov 11, 2022

sfriedberg said:
Seymore, you're welcome to your opinion, but my entire state (Oregon) went to EXCLUSIVELY mail-in balloting years ago, and we are not looking back. Doing anything else is a huge waste of everybody's time.

Oregon he? Would that be the state where the mayor of the capitol city joined in with protesters at the courthouse, only to get pepper sprayed by his own police force for doing so?
Perfect example of how (un)well mail in balloting works!

But since I am allowed my opinion, here is another one:
If you think voting is a waste of time, then you don't deserve to have one!

Garwood · Nov 11, 2022

SeymourDumore said:
Oregon he? Would that be the state where the mayor of the capitol city joined in with protesters at the courthouse, only to get pepper sprayed by his own police force for doing so?
Perfect example of how (un)well mail in balloting works!

But since I am allowed my opinion, here is another one:
If you think voting is a waste of time, then you don't deserve to have one!

You can drop your ballot off as well in Oregon. There's no issue with that, but you are expected to return it by mail because it is much more convenient and simple. It has worked well here for decades.

Ries · Nov 11, 2022

Washington State has had mail in only voting for over ten years. There was a lawsuit, and very careful investigative work found that the mail in voting had around ten questionable votes out of over 2 million cast, in a disputed election a few years ago. It works fine, its not corrupt or manipulated, and all the states that are 100% mail in- currently Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii, and California are sure not changing back.
A bunch of other States allow all mail in for small towns that are remote on state elections.

Interesting that Brazil, which has polling places where you vote in person, but is 100% electronic voting machine, had national results for 119 million votes by midnight the day of the election.
This year, I actually voted "online".
I registered in advance for internet voting with my County, then, ten days before the election, they emailed me ballots.
I printed them, for me and my wife, we marked em with a pen, and then took cell phone pics of them and emailed them back.
This was because I am in South America, but it works for a lot of people.

SeymourDumore · Nov 11, 2022

And yet, I remain firmly believing in my position: Voting is a privilege which a whole lot of people fought and died for.
The very least you can do is honor their sacrifice to the best of your ability by showing up and vote when and where it's due.

I've said what I've said, and there is no changing it!

Ries · Nov 11, 2022

SeymourDumore said:
And yet, I remain firmly believing in my position: Voting is a privilege which a whole lot of people fought and died for.
The very least you can do is honor their sacrifice to the best of your ability by showing up and vote when and where it's due.

I've said what I've said, and there is no changing it!

I used to show up, mainly for the free cookies. The retirees who manned my local polling station always baked cookies. (I have voted in virtually every election, including local ones, since I turned 18 in 1973) But its been 12 years now since I could not show up if I wanted to, because we dont vote in person in my entire state of 7.8 million people. And, curiously, thats double the population of Ct.
Legally, as per the Constitution, voting is a right, not a privilege.

SeymourDumore · Nov 11, 2022

Ries said:
Legally, as per the Constitution, voting is a right, not a privilege.

Legally, yes, it is a right, but I believe each individual should consider it a privilege and treat it as such.

Bill D · Nov 11, 2022

SeymourDumore said:
I disagree.
What's at fault is the early mail in voting garbage!
Absentee voting is one thing. You explain why you should be eligible for an absentee ballot ahead of time ( very strict rules should apply), you get one and you mail it in.
Else ...
Unable to attend due to physical ( in hospital or otherwise immobile an unable to attend ) condition, call with explanation, and the ballot box will be brought to you.
Otherwise, you show up at the [email protected] ballot box and show your [email protected] ID proving that you are in fact the very individual who is supposed to vote in your name, and cast your vote.

If you are not willing to take the steps necessary to show up in person or to obtain a photo ID ahead of time, you are willingly forfeiting your right to vote!
It's that simple!

Either Friday and Saturday, or Sunday and Monday, I don't care, but either show up to vote on one of those days, or shut the [email protected] up for all the rest!!!

Sounds like you want to follow the trump plan and not allow folks overseas in the military to vote.
Bill D

SeymourDumore · Nov 11, 2022

Bill D said:
Sounds like you want to follow the trump plan and not allow folks overseas in the military to vote.
Bill D

Re-read the very post you've quoted, pay special attention to the absentee ballot portion.
Report back afterwards please.

Mike1974 · Nov 12, 2022

SeymourDumore said:
Oregon he? Would that be the state where the mayor of the capitol city joined in with protesters at the courthouse, only to get pepper sprayed by his own police force for doing so?
Perfect example of how (un)well mail in balloting works!

But since I am allowed my opinion, here is another one:
If you think voting is a waste of time, then you don't deserve to have one!

WTF?! He never said it was a waste if time, and if you read it that way you have some comprehension issues. He said "other than voting by mail" :rolleyes5:

Philabuster · Nov 12, 2022

Elections are not decided by who casts the votes, but rather who counts the votes.

john.k · Nov 12, 2022

Lenin said that? or was it Stalin?............certainly not Humpty Trumpty.

SND · Nov 12, 2022

Takes Dem time they figure out how many more votes they need...

Technology so good that you guys are using machines made in Canada that we don't even use for our elections in Canada.
But then again we also ask people to show ID in order to vote, as do most other 1st and 3rd world countries except the USA. The nice part is when we still elect retards like Trudeau, at least we're extra sure that it's because at least half the population is even more stupid than he is.

FJB and FJT!

OT: Is technology slowing things down?

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