More on the Board of Elections voting machine display
Here is my take on the voting machines -
There was a lively discussion in my announcement post. Good questions about concerns about the s/w. Snarky questions about the color of the voting machines. There was coverage in the D&C as well.
Well - here is my take with pictures.
I can’t address the s/w contained in the machine. I would hope that the bipartisan election commission would agree to a level of certification, independent testing by some independent lab.
Here are some pics
for those who don’t know -
you mark the ballot in any color marking device (except red) and insert it into the machine.
The machine reads both sides of the ballot and tells you who you voted for on the little display pad. The display pad is intentionally small so someone can’t see it from across the room. After you review the ballot election on the display pad and if you agree with what the machine detected, then you press the green button. If not, press the red button, the ballot comes out so you can you can remark your ballot and try again.
I asked the guy giving the demonstration- who makes the machines. He said they were made in New York. At my next opportunity I want to press that . The large display screen was made my LG electronics. I wonder if the machine is made in New York or simply assembled in NY.
I was part of a small group discussion with Tom Ferrarese that I’ll sum up in another other post.
It looks like a giant paper shredder.
My impression as well - but it isn’t..
So, what is your impression regarding this “user interface”? Will the user interface be a problem? Will it run more smoothly than the lever machines?
The success of the change over will hinge on the amount of training the election inspectors receive as well as the amount of awareness the exposure the voting public has with these machines. I hope they set up lots of displays - demos - at public places prior to the September primary and November general.
The NY voters are accustomed to moving a red handle, pulling levers and moving the red handle again.
Now they will need to learn to mark a ballot and put it in a machine, review it and and press a green button if OK.
It will be a process. that will take a few cycles.
Which begs the question: what are the BOE plans for training the election inspectors and training the general public?
Are they expecting voters to show up, potentially large turnouts, long lines, and have things exacerbated by the fact that people have never used these machines before?
You say it will take a few cycles but … if this were a commercial product, the developer would have tested the interface out and would be able to feel comfortable in the fact that people can perform the task without difficulty … but since this is a “governmental product”, has this user interface been tested at all?
The part that turns me off is the paper part. The conspiracy theorist portion of my mind tells me that they pre-mark the ballots in invisible ink, and the user interface only displays my mark, while permanently recording theirs.
I really need to see a doctor about this problem.
But if the ballots are pre-marked in invisible ink and therefore counted improperly, wouldn’t a simple audit of the papers uncover the fact that the ballot markings don’t match the vote counts in the machine?
Snarky? I like that word. Excellent choice. I only meant to point out as much attention is given to such small things as the color of the machine, shape of the buttons, gentle curves of thetop, etc. Consideration is given for a reason.
That being said, I received my Hillary mailer today, just in time for Tuesday. Anyone notice they flipped her photo as it is more aesthetically and philosophically pleasing to have her looking in the direction of the stripes.
Attention IS paid to the smallest seemingly obscure details for a reason.
Attention to detail - on the smallest thing does indeed make a difference. (read why we buy - by Paco Underwood. About the science of shopping - you won’t look at Wegmans the same again. -
I thought your comment in the context of the conversation was timely and valid.
Can’t wait to get my Hillary Flyer today.
Thanks for the tip. Just ordered it.
You mean Wegmans isn’t as high and mighty as we think? Selling counterfeit high end products at a really nice profit is bad and deceitful?
Way off topic here but it is a great book.
I might want to borrow it and reread it sometime
. Every time I go to Wegmans (or other good retailers) I see something I picked up in that book.
See the mailer yet?
I saw the Clinton mailer - what do I need to compare it too? What old image?
ANY image. The part in her hair is on the wrong side.
WOW-
What did you do eat like a ton of carrots or something?
How did they do that? Flip a negative or something?
This is my world.
Given the proper orientation of the flag in the background the portion of just Hillary has been flipped or the flag was added to the background in a composite of two different images.
Given all the hardcore Hillary around fans I would hope this would have stood out like a sore thumb. It did to me.
All is not as it appears.
“All photographs are accurate none of them is the truth”
-Richard Avedon
Is the receptacle where the paper ballots go after scanning sealed somehow so that it can only be opened in the presence of the proper officials, or so that tampering with the seal is obvious?
I don’t know (I didnt’ see it) but I assume so - Sort of a basic requirement.
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