Bill urges WV to give Hillary 80-90 percent win...

[elizm]

Why would anyone be foolish enough to set expectations so high?? Unless of course they're confident that the 'fix' is already in.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0508/Ninety_percent_in_WV.html

[MercutioATC]

1. Give her 110%...It. Doesn't. Matter.

McCain is the opponent now (finally).

Ignore Clinton.

[Alhena]

2. Yeee-haw! Cue the dueling banjos

[helderheid]

3. Voting Systems in West Virginia

http://www.wvsos.com/elections/ballots/votingsystems.htm

Voting Systems in West Virginia

Five different methods of voting are currently authorized, and over the past ten years counties have been gradually moving to new systems. Use the links or scroll down to learn more about the five systems and which counties now use those systems on election day. Several counties are currently considering or working on conversion to a new system, as those changes occur, this page will be updated.

Optical Scan Paper AutoMark Direct Recording With
Paper Trail
Optical Scan Ballots

Used in:

Berkeley
Hampshire
Mineral
Grant
Hardy
Tucker
Jefferson
Pendleton
Harrison
Lewis
Upshur
Gilmer
Webster
Clay
Nicholas
Fayette
Kanawha
Putnam
McDowell


An optical scan ballot is a specially designed paper ballot which is marked by the voter with a special pencil, then tallied by a computer "reader". The layout is very similar to the standardized tests given in school, the voter darkens an oval next to a candidate’s name in order to enter a vote.
With the help of HAVA all of the precincts in these counties will also have a HAVA Compliant Direct Recording unit with paper trail. These units are equipped with an audio ballot available along with braille buttons for use in maneuvering through the ballot and making selections. These units will enable voters who have visual impairments to vote unassisted for the first time.

In the 2000 General Election, the optical scan system was the most popular voting system, adopted by 28 counties and used by more that 270,000 voters in that election, about 41% of the total who voted. We now have 19 counties utilizing the Optical Scan ballot.

Paper Ballots

Used in:

Braxton
Wyoming
Paper Ballots are still marked with an "x" to select the preferred candidate and then counted at the polling place by a team of five election officials called a "Counting Board".
With the help of HAVA all of the precincts in these counties will also have a HAVA Complaint Direct Recording unit with a paper trail. These units are equipped with an audio ballot along with braille buttons for use in maneuvering through the ballot and making selects. These units will enable voters who have a visual impairment to vote unassisted for the first time.

Many counties with the assistance from HAVA have moved to electronic systems.




AutoMARK

Used in:

Lewis
Jefferson
Kanawha
Putnam (for early voting) The AutoMARK was an option given to the counties in order to meet their obligations under the Help America Vote Act. Three counties chose this option as their means of compliance. One county decided to utilize this voting system for early voting.

This voting system actually uses the Optical Scan ballot. The voter inserts the ballot into the machine and uses the AutoMARK touch screen to make his/her choices, when the voter is finished the unit then marks the ballot for the voter and the voter retrieves their ballot and places it in a ballot box.

Voters in these counties will also have the option of utilizing an optical scan ballot. An Optical Scan Ballot is a specially designed paper ballot which is marked by the voter with a special pencil, then tallied by a computer "reader". The layout is very similar to the standardized tests given in school, the voter darkens an oval next to a candidate’s name in order to enter a vote.



Direct Recording with Paper Trail

Used in:

Hancock
Brooke
Ohio
Marshall
Wetzel
Monongalia
Morgan
Marion
Preston
Taylor
Barbour
Randolph
Pocahontas
Greenbrier
Monroe
Summers
Raleigh
Mercer
Boone
Logan
Mingo
Lincoln
Wayne
Cabell
Mason
Jackson
Roane
Calhoun
Wirt
Wood
Ritchie
Doddridge
Pleasants
Tyler


The Help America Vote Act required that all voting precincts have one visually impaired accessible voting booth. This important act makes it possible for a visually impaired voter to vote in privacy for the first time by providing an audio ballot. The voter then makes his/her choices using by pressing a specific braille button.
Thirty-three counties in West Virginia decided to replace their existing voting method with the iVotronic Touch screen with Paper Trail. Therefore, not only will each precinct have a HAVA Compliant voting terminal but it will also have voting terminals that are similar to the HAVA Compliant terminals – these voting terminals are very similar to the HAVA Compliant system but with one difference – no audio ballot.

The iVotronic allows the voter to select a candidate or issue by "touching" the screen. The technology is similar to what is used in an ATM. The system then prints the selections on the attached printer for review by the voter. Each machine is equipped with specific instructions to guide the voter through the voting process.






I wouldn't put anything past the Republicans.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. He wants that footnote of an also-ran to stand out in an otherwise insipid campaign.

[thoughtcrime1984]

5. "Bill" and "urge" in the same sentence. Heh. nt

Just joking, guys....