Will absentee ballots be destroyed?
921913
It seems quite possible that this will be the case (though it really depends on who the election seems to favor).  It certainly would not be the first instance in recent memory where questions concerning absentee ballots and voter machines turned the election into a sleazy media debacle.  \n\nNo doubt, whoever comes out on top will immediately take steps  to "fix" the system (which has apparently become too complicated for the folks charged with counting the ballots), and prevent any future confusion.
695320
The state of Florida does not require a paper trail. I am happy to report that in Lake County Florida, we do indeed have a paper trail. I spoke to the people in charge at my polling place at length before casting my vote. When the polls here close the machines are tallied with an instrument that is kept under lock and key while the machines are actively being used, and a paper tally is printed.The votes are then transmitted to the county seat electronically. The person in charge of the machines and two other poll supervisors then take the paper tally to the county seat to be compared against the electronic tally. In case of a machine malfunction the machine cannot be opened by a single person by them-self. Whoever opens the machine must be watched by at least one other supervisor. I was very concerned about using e-voting machines before voting but pleasantly satisfied after speaking to the people in charge. The machine I used also shows you your whole ballot after you fill in your choices so you can check to make sure it is correct before hitting the vote button.
698006
No. The very latest you can vote is on election day.\n\nYou'll have to wait for the next election to vote.
924577
Yes!  The voting machines can be fixed.  There was a show on HBO I think last Tues. or Wed. called Hacking Democracy.  It showed how a hacker could alter the vote totals in the memory cards that counted all the votes.  It also showed another arrogant company (Dieboldt), proclaiming it couldn't be done after it was shown to be possible.  There was also a voting machine showing 16,000 negative votes for Al Gore in the last election... and yes it was in Florida.  Dieboldt actually left the program on an open ftp site.  Go to HBO.com, there must be a link.  Old news to some extent, but pretty scary nonetheless.\n\n\n\nOkay- to the 2 thumbs down with blinders on.  Do the research and tell me I didn't see the show.  It's attitudes like that which divide us.
1078167
of course everyones vote matters. Unfortunately, about 50% or more of the registered voters won't bother to get off their lazy bums to cast their ballot.
472896
it is on the ballots i've filled in\n\nif none of the above wins the ballot the election is re-opened to new candidates
776202
I don't think so.  If people don't want to vote, why make them?  Will it mean anything if they just pick random people because they don't want to be there?
797493
No HIPAA has nothing to do with voting by absentee. Anyone really can vote absentee. And no absentee ballots are kept in your Hospital charts.
932686
My concern remains - what keeps someone from going poll-to-poll and "registering" several times?  I know my polling places don't have a computer link-up to a central database.  Heck - they barely got the touch-screens working.\n\nThis might not be happening right now, but can we guarantee it won't happen?\n\nBut my family is from Louisiana - if you want election fraud, we can give you a Doctoral Dissertation on the subject.
880524
Just over 70% in my county. Not like it used to be.\n\nAbout 30 years ago I came home from work, had supper and went to the polls. They greeted me very warmly because I was the only voter unaccounted for. After I cast my ballot, they closed up with 100% turnout.\n\nWhen I hear of low turnouts, it saddens me almost as much as knowing how uninformed those few are.\n\nPerhaps we need an IQ test for voter registration, and if you miss two consecutive elections, you are disenfranchised. Sounds fair to me.
980973
Every ballot is supposed to be counted including absentee and provisional (if they are validated)
976103
Not in my state, we had a few elections like that. Ones where there were a few hot issues, a lot of people came in and voted on those issues leaving the others blank. The problem was there were other issues that needed 60% or more of total votes to pass, with all the blanks they didn't pass. They had enough if you only counted the yes/no votes on that issue, but the law stated you needed 60% or more of total votes. The ended up bring the issues back the next elections. Anyway here in ND we count them.\n\nRemember if you don't vote, you can't complain. And if you don't vote you just voted against EVERYTHING you stand for.
771039
Yes, totally. Anyone with access to those machines can easily change the program and basically get whatever results they what. And the memory cards they use to save the votes can easily be changed after the fact, too. And the recounts are not legit, either. I don't trust anything like that anymore.
570864
dont worry...they wont pressure the people into submission...and as for those vote pandering politicians who go against their voters...they might have a rude awakening come election day
603404
Possible? Yes. Probable? No.\n\nThe politicians in power have redrawn the voting districts to such a degree that many politicians run unopposed, because there's no way anyone else can get enough votes in their districts to unseat them. To get them out, it will take the people who put them in in the first place to stand up and demand a change.\n\nFrankly, I don't see it happening.
627066
you must vote othervise you will lose democracy.pepole go back of the one of their religion or state.dont do that.if you follow this you will enjoy voting
736705
CNN is constantly televising the fact that the DIEBOLD machines are too easily manipulated. Democrats (not Republicans), tried to get a Bill in place so that paper ballots could also be used at polling places. To be funded by the Govt. The Republicans squashed it in Congress, overriding it with their majority vote.  The problem of the hanging chads was favored to be Democratic-favored-territory, not Republican, and yet Republicans won in many of those counties. Coincidence?? How about all the missing ballots or overseas absentee ballots that never got counted. Voter manipulation is one of the 14 signs of fascism. We now have about 12 out of 14 in the US. Next time, vote absentee ballot, for the paper trail. I suspect we will have major problems come election day. Then hopefully, something will be done before the 2008 General Election.