You bring up a major point about the electronic systems.

The optical scan ballots are fed into the machine, the ballet is checked
for errors on the fly (rejected if necessary), and the votes are
tabulated by the machine. The ballot drops into the bottom of the machine.

Absentee ballets are processed either late in the day (if things are
quiet) or after the polls close. Each ballot is opened, verified on the
standard register, then processed through the regular scanner. If you
vote absentee, then change your mind, you vote normally, the absentee
ballot is not used.

At the end of the day, the electronic totals are electronically (cell
phone technology) to the county headquarters for the election night
coverage. The totals are printed out for the canvasing board to certify
a few days later. The actual ballots (around 1500 or so depending on
precinct) are boxed up under seal and stored in a secured warehouse.

The state mandates a quality check where some single digit percent of
the ballets stored in the warehouse are fed through a different scanner.
If the votes tally, all is good. If not, they start the process of
checking for the source of the error. It is quite normal for the vote to
vary by 1 or 2 votes, you should see how messy some of the ballets are.

The recount is done fully manually. A stack of ballets is in the middle,
candidate 1 ballets on the left, candidate 2 on the right. An observer
from both sides can stand behind a red line 3 feet away from the table
to challenge any ballet. Challenged ballets are placed in a third pile,
those go to a panel of senior judges (one is a state supreme court
judge) to decide.

I have to say, I think the system gives a clean paper trail for the
voter to inspect and reflect on before inserting into the scanner. It
provides an instant quality check on voter errors. It provides instant
election info at the end of the day. It handles absentee ballets
gracefully. It has quality audit procedures. It has good recount
procedures. And it is mandated in state law so most of the lawsuits
filed by both sides have pretty much been tossed out to let the actual
process proceed.



cavelamb himself wrote:
Ok, we top post for a while...

Our ballots were completely electronic - touch screen type system.

The people running the show had hand held devices to enable the
ballot. I wondered if they kept data in the hand held or just enabled
the machines.

How on earth would they do a manual recount???



Richard


RoyJ wrote:
MN law mandates a manual recount for elections with less than .5%
difference. Two of my co workers are election judges, (one is a head
judge in a precinct)they tell me that the optical scan system is
pretty good, the manual recount is is pretty clear, and that some of
the voters are pretty clueless. eg One little old lady spoiled 4
ballets before she got one that didn't have her voting for both
candidates in one office.

Karl Townsend wrote:

You may have heard the senate race in MN is 200 votes from a
tie...I'll be part of the hand recount tomorrow.

After 2000, the Feds handed out a lot of money for voting equipment
upgrade. Nearly all (I think all but can't be certain) upgraded to a
ballot on heavy paper where you fill in the dot for your vote. At the
ballot box, a machine tallies your vote secretly and informs you if
there are over votes (too many candidate for one office) or under
votes (offices that weren't voted.

This system was supposed to be idiot proof but, of course, they just
built a better idiot.

First, the ballot machine beeps on an over or under vote. Almost
without exception, the voter tells the ballot judge to accept anyway.
This is where the idiots get their chance.

On hand inspection, I'm sure ballots will be found where the voter
has erased or crossed out one candidate and voted for the other,
ballots where the candidate was circled or checked etc.( the machine
didn't count these), a pencil was used (again the machine didn't
count these), other unique issues.

All absentee ballot rejections will be reviewed, also. The biggest
opportunity for debate here is the rule of matching signature on the
ballot envelope and the ballot application. We rejected a couple
ballots for this at our precinct. What is considered a match is open
to debate.

Anyway, long story short. The election is totally up in the air in
MN. The Senate stands at 58 dems right now, could easily go to 59. 60
is the magic number where we're all in trouble. (Political opinion,
there's nothing worse than one party having all the power - you need
a check and balance here)

I'm told there will be lawyers and other observers from both parties
watching our every move, should be fun.

Karl