WTF??? "Florida officials: Some voting records wiped out"

[Worst Username Ever]

Probably a dupe, but:

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- A computer crash erased detailed records from Miami-Dade County's first widespread use of touchscreen voting machines, raising again the specter of election troubles in Florida, where the new technology was supposed to put an end to such problems.



http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/28/florida.voting.ap/index.html

[G_j]

1. KICK

[G_j]

2. "Florida is headed toward being the next Florida"

NYT:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/28/politics/campaign/28vote.final.html?pagewanted=print&position=

July 28, 2004
Lost Record '02 Florida Vote Raises '04 Concern
By ABBY GOODNOUGH

IAMI, July 27 - Almost all the electronic records from the first widespread use of touch-screen voting in Miami-Dade County have been lost, stoking concerns that the machines are unreliable as the presidential election draws near.

The records disappeared after two computer system crashes last year, county elections officials said, leaving no audit trail for the 2002 gubernatorial primary. A citizens group uncovered the loss this month after requesting all audit data from that election.

A county official said a new backup system would prevent electronic voting data from being lost in the future. But members of the citizens group, the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, said the malfunction underscored the vulnerability of electronic voting records and wiped out data that might have shed light on what problems, if any, still existed with touch-screen machines here. The group supplied the results of its request to The New York Times.

"This shows that unless we do something now - or it may very well be too late - Florida is headed toward being the next Florida," said Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, a lawyer who is the chairwoman of the coalition.
..more..

[redqueen]

3. Great posts - thanks for the links

FL Dems have their work cut out for them!

[WLKjr]

5. Maybe this is the "Fool me once" scenario

If it happens in Florida and not here my dear Ohio, maybe it will raise more eyebrows this time so that people might see that there is something really really screwy with jeb being governor too and bush magically winning/errr claiming florida....again

[nyhuskyfan]

6. Florida is headed toward being the next Florida

That would be a funny line, if it wasn't so true.

[GiovanniC]

4. But We Don't Need Paper Trails

Nope. Trust the computers. Trust the Republicans. Trusssssst Usssss.

[G_j]

7. want more ?? Bush dumps request form for clemency for felons

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/07/23/State/Bush_dumps_request_fo.shtml

Bush dumps request form for clemency
After a court says the state must help felons fill out the form to have their rights restored, the governor decides it's not needed.

By TAMARA LUSH, Times Staff Writer
Published July 23, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A week after a court ordered the state to help felons fill out a form they need to restore their voting rights, Gov. Jeb Bush has responded.

He eliminated the form.

Now felons will have to wait for letters from state clemency officials telling them whether they need to apply. Some felons might get their rights automatically restored, but thousands will have to apply and wait for a hearing.

Bush wants the Department of Corrections to rely on an electronic notice from the Department of Corrections that an appeals court said last week was insufficient.

The decision drew criticism from some civil rights advocates.

"What the governor has decided to do is thumb his nose at the decision of the 1st District Court of Appeal," said Randall Berg, executive director of the Florida Justice Institute in Miami. "He's thrown up this complete bureaucratic hurdle to continually disenfranchise prisoners in the state of Florida."

..more..

[proud patriot]

8. Al Frankin just went over this

Oye

[Pale_Rider]

9. "This is a disaster waiting to happen"

We may have to take to the streets if this is again a manufactured disaster.

:kick: