Category Archives: Election 2004 News

Something Fishy’s Going On In Ohio

First of all, there are 1,000s of people who, as of an hour or two ago, were still lined up waiting to vote. (People who had already vote were starting to bring refreshments to those still waiting in line.)
Then a friend just sent me an email reminding me about Walden “Wally” O’Dell. The chairman of the board and chief executive of Diebold – the company who manufacturers the electronic voting machines used in Ohio. He promised to deliver Ohio to Bush.
They better count every last vote this time around! In Ohio, and everywhere else. (Including all
Provisional Ballots.)
We can’t let the Repubs use the existing buraucracy under their control to throw out millions of Democrat votes in the states where it suits them. (They’ve already done it again in Florida.)
Karl Rove will stop at nothing.
We have to stand up to them this time around. No quick forfeits.

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2004/03/03_200.html

For years, O’Dell has given generously to Republican candidates. Last September, he held a packed $1,000-per-head GOP fundraiser at his 10,800-square-foot mansion. He has been feted as a guest at President Bush’s Texas ranch, joining a cadre of “Pioneers and Rangers” who have pledged to raise more than $100,000 for the Bush reelection campaign. Most memorably, O’Dell last fall penned a letter pledging his commitment “to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President.

A Nice, Uneventful Report From A Reader

This just in from Benjamin:

Here in West Des Moines, Iowa it went like clockwork, just like every
other time. I walked in, filled out a little piece of carbon paper
stating who I was and signed it, walked to the next person who checked
the paper against her big book o’ people, and then to the next for a
ballot. After receiving my nice paper ballot I completed the arrow
pointing at the candidates I was voting for, checked it over a couple
times, and stuck it in the machine. According to the LEDs on the
machine, I was number 812 for my precinct.

Report From Michael Moore’s “Protect The Vote” Video Crew

This in from Dave Pentecost of Michael Moore’s “Protect the Vote” video team in Cleveland. (I offered to host clips for them.):

I am with the Michael Moore protect the vote video team in Cleveland. I expect we will have clips of voters being challenged or sound bites after they leave the polls.
We are starting to hear about more incidents of challengers and dirty tricks and are sending crews to those locations. I’ll let you know when I’ve uploaded anything.
This is typical right now: we got a report that there were 5
challengers where they are only allowed 2, old couples being allowed
only one vote between them, cops around and telling our crews to turn
off the cameras (even though they were the proper distance). Rebecca
Perl who is organizing things called for a lawyer, he went over and
got the challengers to leave. I’ll see what gets on tape, but that’s
what we are here for – rapid response.
I shot the Michael Moore press conference this afternoon. He’s good
but you can see him on TV. I’m still looking for the clips you can’t
see elsewhere. And after the presser, the “real” media went off
trailing behind our teams, who’ve been out in the rain all day.
Just got a call that they are sending some tapes back. We’ll see what’s up.

And then later:

Looks like no video clip today. some good
anecdotal interviews. Good determined folks at the polls. Surprisingly
little conflict considering all the waiting lines. But we know how
great all Americans are!

First Reports Of Early Voting And Massive Turnout


Lines of Voters Try to Cast Ballots Early
By Roger Petterson for the Associated Press.

Voters trying to beat the rush turned out early to cast ballots in many precincts as Election Day opened, forming long lines that snaked out the doors, waiting in rain and even taking along chairs for expected long waits.
Umbrellas and raincoats were needed Tuesday from Texas to the lower Great Lakes, and snow-covered roads were a problem in the Texas Panhandle. In some places, voters were standing in line before the polling place doors opened.
Besides the presidency, voters were filling 34 Senate seats, 11 governorships and all 435 House seats.
Both parties had pushed to increase turnout among their supporters, and even with early voting in many states, tens of millions were to head to the polls before the long Election Day wound to a close.

Continue reading →

Cell Phone Picture Of An E-voting Machine’s Fatal Error

This isn’t the first email I’ve received since I asked you to send me your accounts of voting experiences. This is the email I received last night that gave me the idea in the first place.
From Brian Nicks:

Want to know what this image is? It’s a picture I took with my cellphone-camera of an electronic voting machine screen. I took it today when I went down to vote for the next President of the Unites States in Santa Clara California. The screen says “Vote Save Error #9. Use the Backup Voting Procedure.” A news crew was on hand to film Californians using the voting machines. I pointed to this particular screen and said “There’s your story – right there. I just took a picture of the screen and plan to share it with 6.4 billion of my closest friends on the Internet tonight. I suggest you do the same.” To my astonishment, the cameraman did shoot some footage of the screen, though I don’t know what was shown later on television.
Now that I’ve told you the story behind the picture, I need not mention the maelstrom of thoughts that go through my head whenever I look at it – the picture is testament enough. The next revolution will not be televised. The next revolution will be blogged.

Send Me Your Voting Experiences

I’ll try to keep up with these as best I can. I’d like to keep a record of as many personal experiences as possible. It will help others reading about this day in the future understand the emotionally-charged nature of the whole thing.
Or, hell, what do I know. Maybe tomorrow (today) will just be like any other day…