Two and a half minutes to vote?

[proud2BlibKansan]

Just found out that the Diebold machines in my county give you only two and a half minutes to vote. If you aren't finished voting in two and a half minutes, the card kicks out and you have to vote a provisional ballot.

Our election commissioner said to correct this he needs to replace the existing software with the 2004 software and he really doesn't trust that software.
:scared:

So is this okay, putting a time limit on your vote?? Sure doesn't seem right.

We do have Advance Voting in Kansas so I will just encourage everyone I know to vote an Advanced Ballot, which is paper and mailed in.

But I have this picture in my mind of an elderly voter and a long ballot. My mom hated Advanced Voting because she loved to go to the polls on Election Day. And in 2004 we had a very long ballot.

Even if this two and a half minute time limit is legal, it sucks.

[gateley]

1. We can put a man on the moon, but somehow designing a workable

voting machine is beyond our technology.

[Patchuli]

2. As long as the workable voting machine

prevents the rightwing from cheating, that's how it's going to be. Heaven forbid they actually come up with a candidate worth voting for!

[Wilms]

3. Wait a sec. You're on to something.

Of course we all know paper ballots have their own set of problems. But we all know touch screens are generally the greater of evils.

All elese being equal, perhaps a leisurely experience filling out a provisional paper ballot that might have to be hand counted isn't the worst idea?

:shrug:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. Provisional ballots have to be "approved" - are for voters whose qualitications are in question

and in some states as high as 50% aren't "approved" and do not count.

In Nov 2006 in my state, NC 35% were rejected.

Real ballots should be issued to voters when machines fail.

Not provisional ballots.

[Wilms]

14. Got it.

But it sounded like there wasn't a question of eligibility, just one of time. And it doesn't sound like the machine "failed" per se.

It was just doing what it was programmed to do.

[SheilaT]

4. A friend of mine who works the polls in Johnson County,

KS, sent me an email a couple of days ago saying that they are running short on polling places and workers. They are anticipating a large increase in first time voters and are really pushing advance voting.

That is likely to be a big issue everywhere -- lots of first time voters. And remember Super Tuesday in Kansas? Standing outside for hours in the sleet and freezing rain to participate in the caucus, and even though hundreds of people gave up and went home, in the end the turnout was literally ten times what it was for the caucuses four years earlier. Running out of voter registration forms.

Despite the way so many people deplore this country's relatively low participation in elections. the polling places are not designed to handle large crowds. And if there is the kind of record turnout this year as seems likely, it could be a complete clusterfuck in lots of places.

[tbyg52]

5. That is just plain nuts. nt

[elehhhhna]

6. It is a violation of HAVA to time out your vote. Prov. ballots are often not counted, btw.

[tbyg52]

7. Well, I found at least one state law that says a time limit is OK.

http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/2004/nr102504_PL.asp
Search for "minute"

(This is all I could find with a brief search, dunno about other states.)

[elehhhhna]

8. But the whole point of HAVA was to help the disbaled vote.

LOL as if.

[tbyg52]

9. Oh, absolutely!

:sarcasm:

:hi:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

11. is this in writing anywhere at your county elections site or in media?

if so, a team of lawyers needs to get in there.

Your county and state political party should get involved.

2 1/2 minutes is not enough. 5 will barely be enough.

Please advise more detail. I did a google and couldn't find other accounts,
so this information isn't getting out to the public and must.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. All I have so far is the word of our county election commissioner

I can't find anything online to support this but I believe the guy is telling the truth.

I am trying to get more info. I agree this is bad. I was hoping the DUers in this forum could point out if it violates HAVA. If so, we need to make them fix these machines and if they can't do that by November then I guess we will all have to vote on paper. And what a shame that would be. LOL

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

16. Kansas SOS one of the drafters of HAVA, he should know answer

Your Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh is one of the drafters of HAVA, so he would be the expert on whether there is a time limit on voting.

I feel sure there is no time limit, but it would help to bring this issue to his attention.

SOS Thornburgh's email address is here: [e-mail]

As president of the National Association of Secretaries of State in 2001, Secretary Thornburgh helped draft and pass the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This package of reforms will ensure meaningful access to the democratic process for all Kansans and all U.S. citizens.


Elections and Legislative Matters Brad Bryant [phone]
mailto: [e-mail]

http://www.kssos.org/contact.html

Perhaps your SOS will investigate and see what can be done to correct or mitigate the problem.

Please do follow up on this because most voters being able to cast a ballot in 2 1/2 minutes.

In lieu of voting on the machines, the SOS should see to it that paper ballots are provided.
I mean regular ballots, NOT provisional ballots.

Provisional ballots DO NOT get counted on election night. They won't be included in the totals released to the media and that everyone will take as THE results.

Provisional ballots are only for voters who have problems with their registration or show up at the wrong polling place (and won't go to the right one).

Voters shouldn't be penalized because of the voting machines failures.

[mod mom]

13. because of ballot issues in Cols OH a study indicated between 4-20 min per voter.

they expect long lines and are advocating early voting/absentee. Our machines won't kick out though. (ps average time was between 8-9 minutes per voter)

[starroute]

15. You might try the Obama Voter Protection Program

There was a thread about it here last week (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6591129) and it sounds like it might be what you need.

I couldn't find any place to appeal to it for help -- just to volunteer -- but probably contacting http://www.barackobama.com/index.php directly would get you to somebody who could look into the problem you're describing.