For Andy Stephenson

[s-cubed]

I live in Northern Virginia, and just got back from voting for Kaine. I made a bit of a stink there, both inside and outside the polling place.

As I was going in, I happened to see a friend of mine who is a * supporter. I kind of lost it, and made a crack about all *'s disasters. She said I just doin't listen to what he says. I shot back: "Name one good thing, just one, that he has done!" She had no answer.

In the polling place, in a loud voice, I said: "I understand that I can get a paper ballot. I know about those machines, and I don't trust them." The supervisor came over and told me the I couldn't get one, I'd have to use the machines. So I pointed to the ballot box and asked why not. The paper ballots were only for handicapped people, or ones who needed provisional ballots. All the while I kept repeating that I knew too much about these machines, that they weren't secure and couldn't be made secure. She said the machines weren't networked (I didn't notice if they were daisy-chained), that they called in the results. So, I asked, "But what about the central tabulator, that's networked, isn't it?" She mumbled something about the black box being in a secure location, etc., etc.. I said if it was networked at all it wasn't secure. Finally she gave me a comment form to fill out, and I stopped messing with her mind and went ahead and voted on the machine. By the way, I was never rude, or obnoxious, but I did speak louder than I usually do, so that all those people voting would hear it and wonder.

Now what do you think? Do you think this is a good strategy to use in future elections? I realize that action has to be taken before hand, to try to prevent the machines in the first place, but what if we all did this?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. I think it is an excellent idea

and I will do it. Perhaps we could even make up some sort of flyer. The more we demand paper the better off we will be. I am sure I can come up with a "handicap" if I need one.

Does cranky count?

[blm]

2. I think if YOU were comfortable doing it, then you did EXACTLY the right

thing.

Salute.

[helderheid]

3. well done

[malta blue]

4. Kudos

You have more guts than I do. I have been told that you can't promote one candidate over another once in your polling location, but I haven't heard anything about criticizing the machines.

Good for you!

[wakeme2008]

5. Funny thing is SHE had a couple of the touchscreen

companies talking points. LOL you just knew the other side too well.

:applause:

[whatever4]

6. Yes

I agree, I think you did the right thing, and if we have electronic voting by the time our election comes around, I think it's what I'll do too. But I'm not sure it will help.

I forgot to say, rest in peace Andy, you're still missed.

[dogday]

How about we all dress up as a ballot receipt

everytime we vote to get our word across. I would think that would make quite an impression on the voting public....

[applegrove]

7. I think there may be issues about provitional ballots & using those (even

if they actually let you) if so many people use them that the box ends up full.

For 2006 - there should be boxes of extra provisional ballot boxes and boxes & boxes of extra provitional ballots.

I can see this as an issue during 2006. It is not hard to imagine the traffic jam that may result. So we should get on that right away and make sure there are extra, extra supplies - or at least a shit load of rented truck (by the election authorities) who can send in more supplies when they run out (and they likely will).

[WilliamPitt]

8. All you missed was the dumpster-dive

;)

Well done. He's proud of you.

[ananda]

9. Yeah!

Speak out and make them think about it. Good on ya.

[EFerrari]

10. Well done!

It isn't about messing with volunteers but about 1) finding another way to get the word out and 2) keeping your sanity by objecting to the objectionable.

:hi:

/typo

[Richard Steele]

23. Nicely phrased: "objecting to the OBJECTIONABLE"...

Isn't that what 90% of the
"Declaration of Independence" was?

Personally, I think we are ALL gonna need to
do alot more things "Andy would have done"
before the creeping black fungus of BBV
is no longer a threat to the foundations of our nation.

[meganmonkey]

11. Love it!! Well done, friend!

:thumbsup:

[hunter]

12. I'll be doing this later on today.

I was going to bring a hammer, or an ice pick, or that special card I made, but I don't think I want to get arrested today.

Instead I will ask loudly for my paper ballot, and stay well clear of the touchscreen machines.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

13. We should never...

...hesitate to speak out and you're right to do it.

[Swamp Rat]

14. Excellent!!!

:applause: :patriot:

That's what I do at school, in banks, restaurants, grocery store check out lines - talk loudly. :)

During the 2006 elections we should ALL do what you did.

:yourock:

[Syncronaut Seven]

15. Hi Andy! Your watching this aren't you?

The months since your passing would have filled your heart with joy!

Your sorely missed, but never forgotten.

:toast:

[amitten]

16. Screw 'em, speak your mind.

Worst that can happen=They think you're looney tunes
Best that can happen=You make someone actually think about vote security :shrug:

[texpatriot2004]

17. kick and recommend. n/t

[Ladyhawk]

18. Andy would have been proud of you. :)

I know my paper ballot will probably be scanned on an ES&S scanner. I can't do much about it now, but I need to look into it.

[VelmaD]

19. Andy would be proud

I know he was looking down on you and laughing a maniacal laugh. :)

[Pacifist Patriot]

20. Anyone comfortable doing that has my blessing.

Even courteously I'm not sure I could do it. Then again, I didn't have anything to vote for today so who knows for certain. I'm more of the write scathing letters to the SOE and the local paper kind of gal.

[suffragette]

21. Great strategy

I'm sure at least some of the other people there are now wondering about issues with the machines, while they weren't before. Waking up even one more person to the problems with the voting machines is a good deed,

You educator, you!

Oh and :hi: and :hug:

[laylah]

22. All I can say is...

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: and a BIG WAY TO GO!

Jenn

[Senator]

24. Andy's shocked! Just shocked at your boldness! : )

Great work. Keep talking loud and proud.

Scares the stuffing out of the wingnut election thieves.

---

[pat_k]

31. What a great photo! n/t

[tinfoilinfor2005]

25. I'm sitting here looking at a picture of bettyellen and Andy

on the beach on my PM from her, right before Andy left us, and she writes how encouraged he was that the people at DU understood the importance of his message. And you just have to know that if there is any way he can keep fighting the good fight with us, he will. And he is. Feeling your love, Andy. :)

[Joanne98]

26. I voted on a DIEBOLD! In Ohio........

[KaryninMiami]

27. Great work (Andy is beaming in pride somewhere) but---

The big question with paper ballots is- who is doing the counting? Remember in Ohio, Blackwell stopped the hand counts before they could really get started. Provisional ballots are a problem as well unless there are ample poll watchers in place to make sure that every vote gets counted. Here in Florida, thousands voted on absentee ballots and we still don't know if those were counted. Certainly not before the election had been called.

With that said, I think we all need to know what our local rules are regarding whether we can choose not to vote electronically if we prefer paper. You might want to check to see if it was legal for them to refuse your request- just so you know in the future and if what she did was not legal, I'd certainly make a stink about it. A letter to the editor would be good as well.

[OhNoTheyDidNot]

28. I think it is an excellent idea to do this in all future elections if you

are forced to vote on a diebold machine. GOOD JOB!

[Scout1071]

29. How about an Andy/Voting bumper sticker that says:

Demand Verified Voting. For Andy. For US.

[Pastiche423]

36. That also sounds like a great sig line

Mind if I borrow it?

[Scout1071]

44. Be my guest. n/t

[In Truth We Trust]

30. Paper ballots NOW!!! Hand counts NOW!!! n/t

[SeattleGirl]

32. Good on you!!!!

I do love how you countered her just repeating the Diebold talking points!! I vote absentee nowadays, but I drive by my polling place every hour or so on voting day, just to make sure that it doesn't look like anything funny is going on, i.e. people trying to prevent people from getting inside, etc. I do this because of all the crap that went on in 2004, I do this because I live in an area of Seattle with a high African-American population, and I do it for Andy.

[lonestarnot]

33. A loud ass second on this!

[bettyellen]

34. Thank you Scubed. I think it's a great idea. and i don't think

we can get complacent about the machines, just because today was good. thanks for speaking up for us again. :)
I'm so glad I got to see you again in DC, it was great. and give hugs to you're lovely husband and ridgeback, okay? i posted pics of ballot on a KO thread. i'll send you a link!
:hug:
B

[hunter]

35. That was fun!

My wife and I walked into our polling place and asked for our paper ballots.

"We're not using paper ballots anymore," the woman who was greeting voters beamed proudly, "We're voting on touchscreens now!"

One of the poll workers, who must have been paying better attention during his training, got this horrified look on his face and almost ran over to us.

"Here, here," he says, "The paper ballots are over here."

The woman who had greeted us looked confused, so he explained to her that anyone could use a paper ballot if they wanted to.

When I was done voting I clumsily folded up my ballot and stuffed it into the big red envelope they'd provided, and then I stuffed that into the ballot box.

The ballot box itself was nearly overfilled with red envelopes and absentee ballots which had been turned in at the polling place.

I'm certain other voters wondered what was going on. Maybe they'll remember this incident when they realize there might be some problems with these electronic voting machines.

[sandnsea]

37. Educational flyers at polling stations

That's what we should have done today. The real hard core voter turned out today, the people who care out of civic duty. Flyers explaining about the machine problems would have been a great thing to do.

[Senator]

38. Something to say on the way out

To the puzzled people:

"My vote's in there. Your vote is where??"

--
www.january6th.org

[RadiDem]

39. You did good!

[fooj]

40. November 2005...We did it, Andy!

:grouphug:

[Land Shark]

41. If they don't get complaints, they assume consent, good idea to speak

[goodboy]

42. let me kick this one time for Andy! (nt)

[nicknameless]

43. Not nice to be uppity about a machine stealing your vote?

Glad you spoke up! :thumbsup:

I thought about Andy yesterday (well, Monday) when I was listening to Thom Hartmann's show. Apparently a new repug strategy, in King County Washington (Seattle area), was to send notices to many Dems the week before the election, informing them that their right to vote was being challenged, saying that they didn't live where they were registered to vote. Some of the people had been living at, and registered to vote from, the same address for decades.

How many people will that tactic end up intimidating out of voting? What relentless scumbags!

:mad: