NBC confirms PA voting machine "malfunction," changing Obama votes to Romney. (Captured on video)
45 replies, posted
[quote]A Pennsylvania electronic voting machine was taken out of service after being captured on video changing a vote for President Obama into one for Mitt Romney, NBC News has confirmed. Republicans have also said machines have turned Romney votes into Obama ones.The video was first [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdpGd74DrBM</a>"]posted on Youtube[/URL] by user “centralpavoter.” It shows a voter’s finger repeatedly pressing the button for Obama, but a check mark coming up next to Romney’s name:
NBC News confirmed that the machine has been taken off line.
Underneath the video, the user gave an account of what happened:
My wife and I went to the voting booths this morning before work. There were 4 older ladies running the show and 3 voting booths that are similar to a science fair project in how they fold up. They had an oval VOTE logo on top center and a cartridge [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdpGd74DrBM#"]slot[/URL] on the left that the volunteers used to start your ballot.
I initially selected Obama but Romney was highlighted. I assumed it was being picky so I deselected Romney and tried Obama again, this time more carefully, and still got Romney. Being a [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdpGd74DrBM#"]software developer[/URL], I immediately went into troubleshoot mode. I first thought the calibration was off and tried selecting Jill Stein to actually highlight Obama. Nope. Jill Stein was selected just fine. Next I deselected her and started at the top of Romney’s name and started tapping very closely together to find the ‘active areas’. From the top of Romney’s button down to the bottom of the black checkbox beside Obama’s name was all active for Romney. From the bottom of that same checkbox to the bottom of the Obama button (basically a small white sliver) is what let me choose Obama. Stein’s button was fine. All other buttons worked fine.
I asked the voters on either side of me if they had any problems and they reported they did not. I then called over a volunteer to have a look at it. She him hawed for a bit then calmly said “It’s nothing to worry about, everything will be OK.” and went back to what she was doing. I then recorded this video.
There is a lot of speculation that the footage is edited. I’m not a video guy, but if it’s possible to prove whether a video has been altered or not, I will GLADLY provide the raw footage to anyone who is willing to do so. The jumping frames are a result of the shitty camera app on my Android phone, nothing more.
Separately, the RNC last week [URL="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/sections/tvnews/msnbc tv/letter_re_voting_machine_errors.pdf"]sent a letter[/URL] (pdf) to elections officials in six other states, including Ohio, Nevada, and Colorado, raising concerns that machines had wrongly counted votes for Romney as ones for Obama, and asking them to address the problem.
[B]Late Update,2:35pm[/B]: A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State [URL="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/11/romney-loving-voting-machine-recalibrated-and-back-online"]told [I]Mother Jones[/I][/URL] a machine that showed that problem, likely the same one, is back online after being “recalibrated.”
[B]Late Late Update 4:33pm[/B]: Rich Gardella and Ellie Hall of NBC News have spoken to the voter who recorded the video. He told them he was eventually able to register his vote for Obama by finding the one area of the screen where the vote would be recorded. When he told the poll worker, she replied that there was therefore “no problem.”
The voter, who asked to remain anonymous, also told Gardella and Hall that as a software developer, he’s offended that a company could allow a machine with such a flaw to be used for a presidential election. If he allowed a defect like that on programs he worked on, he’d be fired, the voter said.[/quote]
[URL="http://[URL="[url]http://[URL="http://[/url][URL"""]http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/11/06/machine-turns-vote-for-obama-into-one-for-romney[/URL]
Peculiar.
Truly sinister; I don't trust the thought of it being a malfunction.
[quote] Republicans have also said machines have turned Romney votes into Obama ones.[/quote]
These machines just sound sketchy in general. It's the 21st century guys common we can make a simple voting machine that works can't we?
[QUOTE=OvB;38346182]These machines just sound sketchy in general. It's the 21st century guys common we can make a simple voting machine that works can't we?[/QUOTE]
Made in China.
[QUOTE=laserguided;38346195]Made in China.[/QUOTE]
China is obviously conspiring against the candidates
"Malfunction"
[quote]Republicans have also said machines have turned Romney votes into Obama ones.[/quote]
Ofcourse they fucking do.
If it was rigged, it'd probably show you what you're supposed to see so it's not suspected, probably just a shitty touchscreen.
[QUOTE=Rents;38346224]If it was rigged, it'd probably show you what you're supposed to see so it's not suspected, probably just a shitty touchscreen.[/QUOTE]
republicans have never been good with technology
why do we even need to use touch screens for a simple ballot
those machines at the movie theater work fine, use those
of course the reps are going to say the same thing is happening with obama
even though this is the first they've ever heard of it...
The code should be audited by several independent third parties.
[QUOTE=Conspiracy;38346231]republicans have never been good with technology[/QUOTE]
Says the guy using a Mac.
-snap-
[QUOTE=Conspiracy;38346231]republicans have never been good with technology[/QUOTE]
Isn't it mostly volunteers that set these things up? Someone just didn't bother calibrating the touch sensor by the look of it,
[QUOTE=Conspiracy;38346231]republicans have never been good with technology[/QUOTE]
Third party companies paid by the states make them. Each state has to order them, so if the was on purpose it was either tampered in it's creation or at the voting office
This is why you shouldn't allow machines made by a company owned by Romney used in the election.
[QUOTE=NeoSeeker;38346260]of course the reps are going to say the same thing is happening with obama
even though this is the first they've ever heard of it...[/QUOTE]
This is the only actual news site I could find that said anything about it. Other than right wing sites.
[url]http://www.cbs42.com/content/localnews/story/Voting-machines-switch-Romney-votes-to-Obama/m9dR8WDjbUKX8OFu4meIFQ.cspx[/url]
[QUOTE=draugur;38346266]Says the guy using a Mac.[/QUOTE]
Let's not even go here.
[QUOTE=draugur;38346266]Says the guy using a Mac.[/QUOTE]
well for the record it was a comment in jest, but you really hurt my feelings there bro
[editline]7th November 2012[/editline]
jk hate your family
I believe a huge Pro-Romney group bought a voting machine manufacturing company a few months back and nobody thought anything would happen
[QUOTE=IdiotStorm;38346501]I believe a huge Pro-Romney group bought a voting machine manufacturing company a few months back and nobody thought anything would happen[/QUOTE]
I believe there was a facepunch article on it [url="http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1222752"]too[/url].
Why is it even a touch screen? Buttons are cheaper, more reliable and far easier to use.
[QUOTE=Scot;38346993]Why is it even a touch screen? Buttons are cheaper, more reliable and far easier to use.[/QUOTE]
Probably for reusability. You don't have to assemble/label new machines every 4 years if its touch screen based.
Oh cute, they already spun this up.
Y'know.. off of a ten second video. Where the guy doesn't do anything other than push a button, have it not work, and then some shaky-exit. Let's not forget the cuts during it. Nor the fact no testing is shown in the video. Him being a software engineer is great and all, but it doesn't change the fact that his only proof of any testing is word of mouth. And he never mentions trying the same area on another page - which would indicate a touch-screen issue in that specific area. No worries though, he's happy to write his story off to any news station willing to eat this.
But that's obviously damming evidence that evil Romongo is up to dastardly deeds!!1!
[sp]Not that I support either candidate. I just hate how people can take something so vague as this and spin themselves into these frantic little tizzies.[/sp]
The thing with touch screens is, if it was a simple miscalibration, then it wouldn't select Obama when they select Romney. Ex:
OTHER SHIT
---------------------------------
ROMNEY (Machine thinks it is here)
OBAMA (Press here)
Ok so that would mean this would happen
OTHER SHIT (Machine thinks it is here)
---------------------------------
ROMNEY (Press here)
OBAMA
This is because the miscalibration means the touch screen will point to a location that is off center from where you touch, it doesn't flip flop like that. So it is really just Romney/Romney voters saying it does it so that he can call a recount if wanted. This shit is really bad too, because no matter what happens in this state, someone will demand a recount for this. But hey at least Florida didn't fuck up yet! Woo!
[QUOTE=Doom14;38347160]Oh cute, they already spun this up.
Y'know.. off of a ten second video. Where the guy doesn't do anything other than push a button, have it not work, and then some shaky-exit. Let's not forget the cuts during it. Nor the fact no testing is shown in the video. Him being a software engineer is great and all, but it doesn't change the fact that his only proof of any testing is word of mouth. And he never mentions trying the same area on another page - which would indicate a touch-screen issue in that specific area. No worries though, he's happy to write his story off to any news station willing to eat this.
But that's obviously damming evidence that evil Romongo is up to dastardly deeds!!1!
[sp]Not that I support either candidate. I just hate how people can take something so vague as this and spin themselves into these frantic little tizzies.[/sp][/QUOTE]
how about NBC going to the poll and confirming the technical fault?
[QUOTE=Conspiracy;38347206]how about NBC going to the poll and confirming the technical fault?[/QUOTE]
[b]Technical. Fault.[/b]
Oh, and where does it explain such technical fault in detail? Or that it was only on that one page? Or that the whole screen wasn't broken in areas? Or that the entire thing is just a cheap piece of plastic and low-quality tech and maybe that's why one of thousands wasn't functionally correctly? I don't want to get antagonistic here, but NBC confirming it was a technical fault literally says nothing other than: "The machine wasn't working correctly." It does not state that it was absolutely, specifically trying to change the vote to Romney. It doesn't say the machine was tampered with. It doesn't say it looks rigged.
People are grasping straws at this. I know we can't expect a full, technical report given to us within minutes; but still.
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