Washblog

Question # 18: the right to watch votes being counted
In some states, members of the public have the right to view the counting of votes and verify how that process is working. In other states, citizens are in effect barred from viewing vote counting even if they would like to view the process.

A: Citizens have the right to view and obtain information about how election officials count votes.
B:  Citizens do not have the right to view and obtain information about how elections officials count votes

Results
Of 1,018 likely voters asked, 934 (91.8%) answered A: Citizens have the right to view and obtain information about how elections officials count votes.  This answer did not differ significantly by political party, type of community (urban, suburban, or rural), region of the country or religion.

The answer did differ, however, by age and education, with older and more educated people being more likely to feel they had a right to this information.  It also differed slightly -- though within the margin of error -- by union and military membership.

Education

• Less than a high school education: 82.8%
• College degree: 93.7%

Age

• 18-24 year olds: 76.2%
• 25-34: 94%
• 35-54: 94.8%
• 55-69: 92.9%
• 70+ : 87.4%

Union membership

• Union members: 95.7%
• Non union-members: 90.7%

Armed Forces

• Military: 92.9%
• Non Military: 91.5%

Question # 19: the right to vote on software that can be publicly examined
With computerized electronic voting machines, votes are counted using proprietary or confidential software from corporate vendors that is not disclosed to citizens. Do you agree or disagree that it is acceptable for votes to be counted in secret without any outside observers from the public?

Results
Of 970 likely voters questioned, 779, or 80.3% answered that it was not acceptable for their votes to be counted in secret on proprietary  software.

Liberals, moderates, and conservatives answered this question similarly, with moderates slightly more protective of this right.  There is an interesting 17-point spread between Progressives and very conservative (at least I think that's what VCons means) people.  88.2% of progressives believe vote counting should not be secret.  Only 71.3% of very conservative people feel that way.

The other interesting "spread" on this question was between people who live in large cities, at 84.2% and people who live in rural areas, at 85.5%, are more likely to feel that votes should not be counted in secret than are people in small cities, at 75.4% and people in the suburbs at 71.0%