Sunday, November 09, 2003
I Would Hate to Watch These Guys Eat
That's me in the black hat.
I Like Mine Well Done
This is why I don't get into politics. (Not that anyone has asked me to.)
Thursday, November 06, 2003
What? Count These Too?
I can't believe it. The Tippecanoe County Clerk forgot to count 434 votes!
It can't be that difficult to collect votes and count them. There is plenty of warning before election day arrives. Hell, there are ads all over television discussing it.
I know this isn't how it happened, but I imagine a stack of ballots wrapped in a rubber band buried under last week's Lafayette Leader and an L. L. Bean catalog. "Wait a minute. What are these doing here?" Apparently, the votes were in a machine but not included in the totals.
Seriously, to be in charge of an election, one must define the steps carefully, and document procedures to use in case of a problem. One of the steps would be to consistently store ballots - paper or electronic - so that all can be counted at the end of the day. This is a rookie mistake.
Also, there was a major problem with the voting software in Dayton. In a race where two seats were to be filled, the voters could only pick one name. Didn't they test their software? There were only 48 precincts. All of the machines should have been thoroughly tested.
In both cases, the Clerk was quoted in the press as saying that these were minor issues, and no one's vote was lost. THAT WE KNOW OF!!! Her credibility is lost. What about the Dayton voters who couldn't wait two hours for the paper ballots to arrive. Weren't their votes lost?
Linda Phillips must resign her job as County Clerk immediately. She obviously does not have what it takes to perform the duties. Did you know that she receives extra pay for running the election? If she takes the money, then I think she is stealing from the taxpayers. She doesn't do the job correctly, and she still gets paid! I hope that the voters remember these blunders when she attempts to win a second term.
I also hope that the Election Board members review the problems and make changes in both personnel and procedures.
(I found it interesting that Norb Fisher was complaining so loudly about the election staff, even though his wife is on that team. I'll bet the supper table was very quiet tonight.)
It can't be that difficult to collect votes and count them. There is plenty of warning before election day arrives. Hell, there are ads all over television discussing it.
I know this isn't how it happened, but I imagine a stack of ballots wrapped in a rubber band buried under last week's Lafayette Leader and an L. L. Bean catalog. "Wait a minute. What are these doing here?" Apparently, the votes were in a machine but not included in the totals.
Seriously, to be in charge of an election, one must define the steps carefully, and document procedures to use in case of a problem. One of the steps would be to consistently store ballots - paper or electronic - so that all can be counted at the end of the day. This is a rookie mistake.
Also, there was a major problem with the voting software in Dayton. In a race where two seats were to be filled, the voters could only pick one name. Didn't they test their software? There were only 48 precincts. All of the machines should have been thoroughly tested.
In both cases, the Clerk was quoted in the press as saying that these were minor issues, and no one's vote was lost. THAT WE KNOW OF!!! Her credibility is lost. What about the Dayton voters who couldn't wait two hours for the paper ballots to arrive. Weren't their votes lost?
Linda Phillips must resign her job as County Clerk immediately. She obviously does not have what it takes to perform the duties. Did you know that she receives extra pay for running the election? If she takes the money, then I think she is stealing from the taxpayers. She doesn't do the job correctly, and she still gets paid! I hope that the voters remember these blunders when she attempts to win a second term.
I also hope that the Election Board members review the problems and make changes in both personnel and procedures.
(I found it interesting that Norb Fisher was complaining so loudly about the election staff, even though his wife is on that team. I'll bet the supper table was very quiet tonight.)
