So ..... Sparkly and I went down to the polling place around noon ....

[Stinky The Clown]

.... and we cast our 'votes of faith' to the gods of Maryland's 100% Diebold/100% paperless/100% no-reciept Diebold machines.

Yes, Maryland My Maryland has the fuckers. Endorsed by the Democrats in our state. Purchased by the Democrats in our state. The recent 'paper reciept bill' which passed our state House, never came out of our state Senate committee. Our neoNazi Republican governor opposes these machines.

Stinky being Stinky, after making snide remarks and asking the poll workers if they had faith in the sanctity of the vote, after snarkily asking for my receipt, after asking how they would be doing a recount, I went up to the League of Women Voters poll observers and asked if I could 'register a comment of concern'.

Seems they've been getting similar comments all day. The woman also became pretty defensive, asking if I knew *their* position on the machines (paper receipts). I asked her how they'd do recounts with just voter receipts. She said she'd note my comment.

(Some of you may note that this carping seems counter to some other statements I've made about vote count cheating. It isn't. It **all** needs to be challenged.)

By the way, for the first time in a long time, Sparkly and I cancelled out more than a few of our choices by voting quite differently.

[stellanoir]

1. May peace preside upon the Sparkly household

today and tonight and forevermore :)

I contacted the League of Women Voters repeatedly in '03-'04 and they were all on about disabled voters which is a good and noble thing but not necessarily at the expense of the majority's vote. It was truly frustrating.

It seems as though they've got more of a clue now.

I fear this'll take a while to fix. Hope that I'm wrong about this.

[endarkenment]

2. I voted on paper, thanks, no plastic for me.

My dirtcheap new hampshire town continues to use optical scan paper ballots (yes I know that the scanner can be jiggered but at least we have a paper trail.) Our 'voting stations' cost about $20 each. No lines. No problems. Obviously we have to get rid of this antiquated crapola and get some of those new fangled liebold machines.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Here in MoCo Dist. 39, Precinct 9-4

We had early-morning chaos.

There were no voter access cards when our polls opened at Mill Creek Towne Elementary.

The election judges sent everyone off to vote at another precinct and milled around not seeming to know what to do. A number of people gave up and left without voting.

I went in and asked how people could vote over at Shady Grove Middle School without the voter registration books being sent there. The judges told me everything was on computer now so the books weren't needed. But they seemed stumped when I asked whether the other polling place could access the records for voters from our precinct.

The judges put up signs telling people to go vote over at Shady Grove MS. We found out the radio was announcing problems at several polling places. We were wondering whether to pick up our literature & leave.

Then some girl came running into the school with a package and dashed out. We stopped and asked her, and she said yes, she was delivering the voter access cards.

So our polls opened and voting began. One woman who was working for Malloy came back from voting and reported that her machine was making her vote for one candidate even though she hadn't pressed the button to vote for her. She complained to the judges (who frankly, seemed completely in outer space) but nothing was done.

I hate these dratted e-voting machines! They have GOT to go.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Our trip was mercifully uneventful ... but ......

.... you're very right about the poll workers. Beyond clueless.

[LiberalEsto]

5. They are the folks

who drive 40 mph in the fast lane for 15 miles with their right turn signal blinking.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Hahahahaha ...... you're right!

That describes 'em to a 'tee.'

I'd FAR prefer to see a cadre of young people there ... take a day off from college and work the polls.

[hedda_foil]

7. Believe it or not, your Repub governor wants to ditch Diebold

In Maryland, it's the Dem leadership that's blocking paper ballots and protecting Linda Lamone, the Dem state election director who bought the Diebold machines in the first place.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Yup .... I noted all that in the OP.