[geeks] I just saw...

[wa2egp at att.net]

> We (USA) spent $4 Billion on electronic voting machines because a bunch of folks 
> in Florida couldn't figure out a "butterfly" paper ballot and wound up voting 
> for the wrong person back in 2000... [0]

Actually that was the challange, not the reality.  A majority of the votes
that were thrown out were for the winning candidate.  There were abuses
from both sides.
The reason for that ballot was there were ten candidates and the old single
sheet ballots didn't have enough room for ten names.

> I heard James Carville (ole serpent head) say that there is no way he would ever 
> trust an electronic voting machine - what, those mechanical polls were more 
> secure? The process we elect our government has always had flaws, but no one 
> really questioned it like they did in 2000.

There have been many reports (claims) that the electronic machines would choose
the other candidate when the button for one candidate was pushed.  True or not, 
I don't know.  At least with paper, you had a physical record such that it was.
The only reason I think they questioned it is that the party that was expected 
to win by a landslide didn't.
 
> [0] Humourously enough, it was a democratic election official that designed the 
> infamous "butterfly" ballot in Floridia in 2000.

IF I was into conspiracy theories, well, use your imagination. :)

With what ran in this past election, I think in the next one a majority of the
people should write in "None of the above".

Bob