Texas Democrats cry foul over suspicious e-mail on voting

[rainbow4321]

Is this email going around elsewhere, also??


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/101508dnpoltxemail.235fdd9.html

An e-mail circulating throughout Texas and apparently targeting supporters of Democrat Barack Obama falsely warns voters that casting a straight-ticket Democratic ballot won't register a vote for Obama. Democratic leaders are crying foul. First, it's not true, they say.


Second, they worry it could cause Texans using eSlate electronic voting machines to inadvertently cancel out their presidential preference or make people so confused they decide not to cast a straight-party ballot at all, potentially eliminating votes for Democratic candidates in state and county races.

"For those who normally vote 'Straight Democratic', please pay close attention!!!!!" states the e-mail, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. "I was informed this weekend by a group of Obama volunteers that when voting for the presidential candidate this November, you have to make sure you punch Barack's name first, then proceed to punch 'Straight Democratic' or else the vote for the president won't count," the e-mail says.

h eSlate, punching the button for presidential candidate Obama in addition to punching the straight-ticket button will actually cancel the Obama vote, Nieto said. Other individual candidates chosen also would be "deselected" on such a straight-ticket ballot, he said.

[Eric J in MN]

1. eSlate

They could have put in logic that when someone marks straight-party, they don't even get presented with other options afterwards.

Maybe they wanted to make it convenient for someone voting straight-party with one exception.

I can't declare it a bad design with knowing if the machine prompts, "Are you sure that you want to cancel your vote?"

[rainbow4321]

2. Websites about eslate

http://www.co.mclennan.tx.us/elections/eslate/2whatiseslate.html

http://www.txdemocrats.org/media/press_release/21307_tdp_files_lawsuit_to_ensure_ballot_integrity