W 04 Presidential Win A Sta ical Impossibility

[Useruser666]

the original question was
as if you say theyre all backed up on paper
then why use electronic voting?

The paper can be used if the machine totals are called into question. It is a backup. That way, if fraud is suspected in the electronic totals, they can check them against the paper totals and see if there are any large descrepencies. The electronic totals can stand by themselves as official, and can be counted much faster than the paper ballots.

[mookie2001]

oh my goodness
this frustrating
the paper "backup" ballots comes from the ELECTRONIC results, thus rendering them USELESS

[Useruser666]

oh my goodness
this frustrating
the paper "backup" ballots comes from the ELECTRONIC results, thus rendering them USELESS

Uh, the paper backups are like receipts which are recorded as each voter enters their votes. The paper is not a summary or tally of what the machine recorded for the day. It is more like a collection of receipts from a checkout stand at the grocery store. It shows who each voter voted for after each individual voter finishes their selections. Your thinking that it's just a printout of what each machine recorded for the day. That's different and is both less useful and more easily manipulated.

[Clandestino]

it'd be like an atm receipt!

[mookie2001]

so the electronic results determine the printouts
it's still at the mercy of the machine and the programs
either way dont trust technology
and yes i use a computer and have a bank account but i dont trust it

anyone who does is just foolish

[Clandestino]

so the electronic results determine the printouts
it's still at the mercy of the machine and the programs
either way dont trust technology
and yes i use a computer and have a bank account but i dont trust it

anyone who does is just foolish

so, if you picked kerry, and a little receipt that said you picked kerry popped out you still wouldn't trust it?

are you amish? don't trust technology? you trust it every day actually. it plays a part in everything you do...

[Useruser666]

so the electronic results determine the printouts
it's still at the mercy of the machine and the programs
either way dont trust technology
and yes i use a computer and have a bank account but i dont trust it

anyone who does is just foolish

How many times do you check your receipts at the grocery store? It's a very resonable method of voting. The machine will remove many of the errors that can be attributed to interpretation of the paper ballot counters. The machines can be used to get totals quickly. No system is fool proof, but if the system is open and all sides involved can agree on the systems setup, then it can be of great benefit to voters.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

nbadans thread was pointing out something intresting that makes people wonder how that would happen, not ing about the results

Dan's post is not interesting at all. Since the election he has mantained that a random survey of exit poll voters that had a margin of error involved in it should trump actual votes counted.

That is the most assenine argument I've ever heard involving math (outside of 2+2 = 3).

If Dan even had anything resembling a legitimate take it'd be one thing, but voodoo math should never ever trump actual votes counted.