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Texas Terrible Tuesday Election - the dust settles over the fiasco

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Message Joyce McCloy

The dust has finally settled in the wake Texas' primary election last Tuesday, March 2. My favorite quote from Texas Terrible Tuesday: "I thought the electronic voting machines were supposed to be more efficient." ~ John Muns, candidate for county judge. The need for paper ballots is clear.

Texas' elections were a mess. There were issues with polling places being moved, some not opening, and some opening late. Voting was delayed at one location where poll workers couldn't get the voting machines started. There were voting machine software problems and some contests had to be counted manually - where votes could be counted manually. Wrong electronic ballots went out to one polling place but paper ballots were used instead (Paper saved the day in that case!). Some election workers were in over their heads dealing with the electronic voting machines. ClearlyTexas is moving in the wrong direction with more jurisidictions planning to adopt paperless electronic voting.

TX: In Texas, a Vote That Never Should Have Happened
http://ballotbox.governing.com/2010/03/in-texas-a-vote-that-never-should-have-happened.html

TX: Hidalgo election machine irregularities
http://stxc.blogspot.com/2010/03/hidalgo-election-machine-irregularities.html

TX: Once More, With Feeling (possible recounts for several races )
http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2010/mar/04/ready-recount/
According to the Texas Secretary of State's office, any race in which an electronic voting system was used may be subject to a recount.

Also triggering a recount: any race in which the margin of victory between the winner and loser is less than 10 percent of the votes the winner received.

TX: No runoffs in Tom Green Co. (central counting meant no 2nd chance for voters) Race still on for state justice.
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/mar/03/no-runoffs-in-tom-green-co/

McKerley said an electronic scanning machine that checks ballots for stray marks wasn't used at the early voting site. Had it been used, voters could have made changes to their ballots on site if any stray marks made their choices unclear.

Instead, the early ballots were run through e-scanners Tuesday night, and a number of stray marks had to be examined by the resolution committee.

TX: Officials examine glitches.
http://bit.ly/bhcQ2m Phillips said a polling site ran out of paper ballots and voters had to use electronic machines.

"Denton is growing so fast, we had to make some changes in a number of polling sites. We made an effort to let people know," she said.

Officials sent out automated calls to 19,000 households to remind people of the changes.

TX: "A win is a win,' but it still could change
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6896110.html
Miles' squeaker over Edwards won't be official before next week.
Birnberg, who has litigated local election disputes as an attorney, said that in an age of electronic voting, a traditional recount may not have much impact, but such a close margin of victory easily could find its way into court.

TX: Late election results from Angelina County caused by two voting systems.
http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=12079542
County leaders will now discuss moving to electronic-only voting.
(Election official says it would make her job easier but some voters oppose)

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election transparency advocate.
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Texas Terrible Tuesday Election - the dust settles over the fiasco

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