I don't really see the problem. The person choose to cast a blank ballot. She could have done the same thing with a punch card or any other form of ballot. I'm not sure which machine they are using in IL, but the ones we have here in TX have a big button that says "CAST BALLOT". If you push that button, it's too late. I'm an election judge and it's not my problem if a voter can't understand the implications of a simple imperative sentence with a single verb and a single noun or be bothered to read the instructions or even ask myself or one of my workers for assistance.

kbiel , Thanks.

I just have to think that this news belongs right up there with that one decent terrorist that I am sure exists somewhere.

I guess Jesse Jackson already has reservations in
in Florida for the election returns...especially after this story. Lord knows all those billions of voters here in Florida whose votes will be conveniently *lost*...in the Diebold database no doubt. Their names will be reviewed by Al Gonzalez and Lynn Cheney, just to see if they really do deserve to vote.

I'm telling ya, this is going to be too much for the stupid people to handle. I teach computer skills to the general public -- the only computer some will be able to successfully operate is the voice one on the Enterprise.

Voting is a self-selecting process. First, you have to motivated enough to actually go to the poll (or request an absentee ballot), then you have to be able to work with something a little more complicated than crayons and construction paper. This is a good thing.

But it has been my experience that many stupid people are also loud and cause trouble. It's an unfortunate combination that makes life just that much harder for all the rest of us.

"I teach computer skills to the general public --"..

one of my trainees called me late one night a couple of years ago, and said 'People should have to be licensed according to educational level, before being allowed to purchase/use digital media products'... I laughed until my sides hurt.

"But it has been my experience that many stupid people are also loud and cause trouble."..

picture Gilligan flopping around in the back of the moronboat, as it circles the lagoon, only Gilligan is screaming "Somebody built this boat wrong!"

Actually, I really like the license idea. I have met people who couldn't type or spell, but they have a brand new 'puter.

I feel your pain Donnah. Fortunately, if they get loud and cause trouble in my polling place then they get a consolation prize: a free night in the county jail. Much like a judge in a court room, the polling place within the 100 foot marker is my domain. If I find you causing trouble within the boundaries of the polling place, you do not pass go, you do not collect 200 dollars, you go straight to jail.

We have the fancy new electronic voting system in my district, however I don't think it's Diebold brand.

They were first used in the primary vote in August. I tried it out since, as a non-partisan voter, there was only one issue I was eligible to vote for and it was guaranteed to go against me. So I didn't care if my vote was intercepted and changed. They are set up to a height that works for both the standing and the wheelchair bound (or midgets, I suppose). As such, a reasonably tall person (6'4" and taller) could rather easily see my screen if they were at the machine behind me.

Not to Pauline Kael, but I don't know many people who work in networking, databases and programming of any political bent who has the least bit of faith in the security of these machines. My polling place gave the option for the punch card method in the primary. I think if it's an option for the main election, I'll take it.

I don't know what kinda we have here, but you have "cast ballot" then you have "confirm ballot" and then "cast ballot" again.

you don't just have to be stupid, you have to be borderline retarded to screw up 3 times, in such a simple and obvious way.

Diebold?? I read that the Florida machines were owned, programmed, and operated by Smartmatic, owner of Sequoia Voting Systems. They have been linked to Chavez of Venezuela.

Could be. Ever watched people having trouble using the self-check-out at the grocery store? Ever watched people groping behind themselves going "Where is it? Where is it?"