Washblog

I was a pollworker at Emmanuel Bible Church, which held 12 precincts straddling the 36th-43th border in Fremont/Phinney Ridge.

We had about 20 people try out the AVU ... maybe 5-6% of those who came to the polls.  Of those, only one was an obligate AVU user, a blind man who (as it happens) votes in one of the precincts I was registering as a poll judge.  So I had the privilege of walking with him from the registration desk to the AVU.  His pleasure at voting all by himself was palpable.

He was the only one who used the headphones.  He was also the only one who couldn't verify that the AVU correctly displayed his choices on its paper tape.

You're only young once, but you can be immature forever -- Larry Andersen
Blogging at Peace Tree Farm

by N in Seattle on Wed Sep 20, 2006 at 11:53:41 AM PST

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I was the inspector at Nathan Hale High School. Turnout was low. It was my first time at that location, so I can't compare.

The voters were very grumpy that the poll site had been moved. So we added extra signs at the old poll site pointing to the new poll site.

All but one of the prior poll workers who traditionally worked this poll site didn't return this year. I was told there was a core group that worked together for 10 or 20 years. The reason they dropped out this year is because they couldn't (or wouldn't) make the trip to the Elections Annex in Tukwila. Previously, training was provided at North Seattle Community College.

I had heard this complaint a few times before.

It's almost as though the King County Dept of Elections Services is doing what it can to discourage people from working or using the poll sites.

We were short 4 poll workers. It kind of hurt.

As inspector, I think I got a 'C' grade. I'm sure I made mistakes with the seals, transmittal forms, etc. I found the instructions and poll worker guides to be inadequate. After a long day, being short handed, having one poll worker go practically catatonic from low-blood sugar, it being my first time, etc., I just want everything to be as simple as possible.

I can't believe how poorly the AccuVote TSx and OS machines are designed. All the dialogs and buttons and crap. If the OS is supposed to print two copies of the tally, it should print two copies. Not ask me for each copy. Ditto the TSx. If the TSx is supposed to take up the slack in the VVPAT, then it should just do it, not prompt me to start and stop it. I mean, please, for the kind of money we spent on this crap, I expect to be served dinner.

To answer your question...

Our AVU unit worked perfectly. Not a single person used it.

During my break, I drove to my precinct's poll site. I used the AVU. Mostly so I could verify some things for myself. I'm getting pretty tired of getting the run around.

For instance, I verified for myself that the VVPAT includes the precinct of the ballot cast in the print out.

When I asked about this before, I got shrugged shoulders.

So here's an extra credit brain teaser: How hard would it be to determine how someone voted using a poll site's AVU?

What would I need? Hmmm.

 - The poll site's poll books
 - The poll site's inspector's lists
 - The VVPAT

I asked about this too. Got more shrugged shoulders. This routine is getting old.

by zappini on Wed Sep 20, 2006 at 10:27:26 PM PST

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