From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Sat Nov 11 2000 - 02:50:43 MST
CurtAdams@aol.com wrote,
> This is *doctors* dealing with *yes/no* boxes. What amazes me about the
> Palm Beach business is not that 2% did their ballots wrong but that 98%
> did them right.
I agree. I do human interface as a hobby. I am hearing more and more ways
that people screwed up the Palm Beach ballot. I never dreamed there could
be that many ways to do it wrong! Here are some ways I have heard. I
couldn't think these up by myself if I tried!
- punch second hole to choose second candidate listed (Buchanan vote)
- count down to the fifth hole to punch it instead of punching the hole
numbered 5
- punch first button to choose "incumbent" vice-president (when Florida law
declares neither candidate incumbent as President, so first button goes to
our incumbent Governor's party!)
- punch next to Gore's name instead of near the arrow (Buchanan vote)
- punch next to BOTH Gore and Leiberman's names (two punches)
- punch both boxes that appear to be within the democratic square (two
punches)
- punch the box near the word DEMOCRATIC to choose the democratic nominee
(Buchanan vote)
- punch the box near the word DEMOCRATIC to choose a straight democratic
ticket (Buchanan vote)
- punch two candidates accidentally and write in which one you really meant
- don't punch either and write in the one you want
- don't put card all the way into holepunch, so it punches wrong holes
- lay card flat on desk, look at it from an angle, see raised holepunch
device as being one hole higher than it really is
- punch wrong candidate, figure it out, and punch right one (two punches)
- punch a second time thinking it undoes your selection, and then choosing
right on (two punches)
- rest your hand on the puncher when not punching, and making depressions
that the computer reads as double punches when really only one hole is
punched
- punch hole half-way so cut-out hole is hanging by a thread and is read by
the computer as still being unpunched
- fold or twist ballot to try to read arrows and make it unscannable by the
computer due to wrinkles
- put cut-out hole back in to cover the hole you didn't want
- put all cards in hole punch at the same time, so votes are punched through
all pages
- have arthritis so you can't push the punch all the way through
- hit punch so hard that it bounces to a new hole and punches wrong place
- hit punch so hard that the paper slips and misaligns subsequent punches
- put holepunch over card from bottom instead of top, so holes don't line up
where expected
- ask for new ballot, and then place old one on top to punch same holes to
new ballot
-- Harvey Newstrom, Security Testing Manager, Fiderus Phone:321-676-4894 Tollfree:866-FIDERUS Mobile:321-258-4809 FAX:321-676-5707 Pager:866-786-1001 or mailto:pager@HarveyNewstrom.com Web: http://HarveyNewstrom.com or http://Fiderus.com Emergency 24 hour response: 1-877-595-8491
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