When is a “glitch” not a glitch? How about when the system that produced it is proactive and self-correcting enough to catch the glitch and fix it in a timely manner… without any outside intervention? Such was the case with an incident at King County Elections that a Seattle Times headline calls a “glitch“, but which in my opinion demonstrates a voter registration system that seems to be working pretty damn well considering the obstacles.
After an hourlong presentation by elections director Dean Logan on the improvements that have been made since the last election, King County Councilman Raymond Shaw Reagan Dunn attempted to ambush Logan with the tale of Crystal McNey, who says she received three voter registration cards, all on the same day. That sounds like a pretty bad glitch. But….
When his staff members looked into it after the meeting, they found that the mix-up occurred when McNey married a member of Dunn’s campaign staff and changed her name last year. Elections-office spokeswoman Brooke Bascom said the office mistakenly mailed her two cards
What about the $70 million that Ron Sims alleges is necessary to update King County’s computer systems? Plus another $34.5 million extra to run these systems over the next 10 years?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....er23m.html
Ron Sims already blew $39 million on an aborted computer upgrade a few years ago that didn’t accomplish anything. Will he blow another $70 to $100 million?
Hey Goldy — does Dean Logan know he’s Roger Rabbit?
what happened to moving on….we all know King Co.’s entire existence is tied with the state Democratic Party Machine and the usual suspects. You run “elections” like that, you get baggage. Don’t like the baggage, quit packing it. What did you expect….oh yes, more back of the bus, keep quiet republicans of yore…..oh yeah they moved, died, or got fed up….just us neo-cons now.
3
Hey Thomas — the election lawsuit is over — your side lost.
SHAMELESS PENTAGON PROPAGANDISTS TURN TOMBSTONES INTO BILLBOARDS
The Bushies are at it again — and this time they’re using the gravestones of fallen soldiers to peddle their PR!
“ARLINGTON, Va. (Aug. 24) – Unlike earlier wars, nearly all Arlington National Cemetery gravestones for troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan are inscribed with the slogan-like operation names the Pentagon selected to promote public support for the conflicts.
…
The vast majority of military gravestones from other eras are inscribed with just the basic, required information: name, rank, military branch, date of death and, if applicable, the war and foreign country in which the person served.
Families are supposed to have final approval over what goes on the tombstones. That hasn’t always happened.
Nadia and Robert McCaffrey, whose son Patrick was killed in Iraq in June 2004, said ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’ ended up on his government-supplied headstone in Oceanside, Calif., without family approval.
“‘I was a little taken aback,’ Robert McCaffrey said, … ‘I feel it’s taking advantage ….’
“The owner of the company that has been making gravestones for Arlington and other national cemeteries for nearly two decades is uncomfortable, too.
“‘It just seems a little brazen that that’s put on stones,’ said Jeff Martell, owner of Granite Industries of Vermont. ‘It seems like it might be connected to politics.’
….
Gregory C. Sieminski, an Army officer writing in a 1995 Army War College publication, said the Pentagon decision to call the 1989 invasion of Panama ‘Operation Just Cause’ initiated a trend of naming operations ‘with an eye toward shaping domestic and international perceptions about the activities they describe.'”
I just abandoned KOMO-4 News because Molly Shen referred to the King County election as “botched.” This follows Brian Johnson’s regular claims during the case that Judge Bridges could “decide to throw Christine Gregoire out of the Governor’s Mansion.” I knew that he knew better, and this made me suspect that KOMO has a political agenda. It’s back to KIRO-7 for me – if they make a mistake, they have the sense nmot to make the same mistake over and over.
BTW, Reagan Dunn is an example of genetics gone wrong.
I really wonder why the computer upgrade was aborted. I suspect it was less about the quality of the system they purchased and more related to employee compliance in utilizing it. I seem to recall that other areas in the state are sucessfully utilizing the same software.
Having been on the design and installation side for many years, I’ve seen large corporate rollouts ‘fail’, due to cultural issues within organizations. If employees are allowed to ‘mule up’ when change comes, then the next rollout will be just as disasterous.
But Hell, if the King County IT boys couldn’t even manage to load the software on the hardware, I’m sure there are some fine East Indian gentlemen willing to do their jobs for them for 1/3rd of the price.
Ted…genetics…Huh?
It’s stories like this that spoil the fit of many a tin-foil hat in King Cty.
Richard @ 1: It’s not like you to try to change the subject of a thread, but since you brought it up: How much do you think it should cost to modernize an accounting, payroll, and human resources computer system for a county as large as King County? How much do you think it should cost to run such a system for 10 years?
I’ve been a software consultant for years, and I don’t know the answer to that question. What is the source of your expertise?
I got the necessary software at ‘Staples’ for 29.95. Are you saying Sims can’t do the same. I challenge you to prove me wrong!
Goldy,
A couple of months ago, my household received our voter registration cards. We got the right number of cards, alright, but I wasn’t satisfied. I checked all of the information carefully. They spelled all of our names correctly, and got all the other information right. I couldn’t believe it!
So I called the media to report that KC Elections did everything correctly for our household’s registration cards.
I don’t understand why the MSM didn’t take my story and run with it. I mean, don’t they read (u)SP or anything? This should have been newsworthy.
Pumpkin @ 10
“I got the necessary software at ‘Staples’ for 29.95.”
No you didn’t.
“Are you saying Sims can’t do the same.”
Yep.
“I challenge you to prove me wrong!”
Let’s start with the hardware costs to replace a 1970’s era mainframe with modern computers. . . . Yep, looking at Staples’ hardware prices that will cost more than $29.95.
QED
Goldy,
Stop making excuses for the King County Elections office and trying to validate this past election. Ultimately, the one thing that came out of the past years trial was that King County Elections has serious problems and no-one has approved of this fiasco.
This applies doubly for Rabbits remarks on #4.
We’ve run into the same situation that Reagan Dunn talked about, at our house. Adding to this mess, we’ve also just bought a new home and moved from our previous one. How many of our voter registration cards will be floating around now?
I’d be willing to bet that there are now no less than 6 cards in our 2 names.
Maybe Ron and Dean should give a call over to the state-run DMV. I’ve never had more than one driver’s license at a time.
In fact, that makes me wonder… Why isn’t voter registration run at the state level? I realize they’ve talked (and talked and talked) about a central database and validation, but why not let them run the whole thing? You could still farm out the customer interaction work to the counties just like they farm out the “front end” of vehicle registration to private firms.
….’a loss of faith that Republicans have carefully nurtured and shamlessly exploited….’ Bullshit Goldy, if the tables were turned against the liberals, you’d be doing the same godamn thing. Shame on your hypocricy! Either side, there is a wealth of incompetence and fuck-ups with good ole “we-think-we’re-the-center-of-the-fucking-universe” King County elections Department, and their fearless leader, King Logan; one can hardly argue against that. Thanks.
@14
Now that I’ve been Loganized — the highest honor a turd like stefan can bestow on a shitheel like me — I just want to ask: Whose fucking fault is it that you moved? Did I tell you to move? I have enough trouble keeping track of who’s dead and who’s living without having to worry about who moved. If you moved, that’s not my problem!
Hey prr are you on the top or the bottom in this joke about Republicans having sex?
He: Oh — did I hurt you, dear?
She: No, why do you ask?
He: You moved.
I see in the morning headlines that Lance Armstrong, shrub’s newest groupie and Texas governor-wannabe, has been accused of cheating by using performance enhancing drugs.
Hey man I sympathize. I never even got into the Tour de France. The officials took one look at my performance-enhancing hind legs and disqualified me.
Mark1 @17,
First… you’re absolutely wrong. I wouldn’t be shamelessly attacking King County Elections because I believe in government, and tearing down government for some short term political gain is counterproductive in my efforts to promote a progressive agenda.
Second… even if I did hypocritically attack KC Elections for political gain, what the fuck difference does that make to the issue at hand? When did two wrongs make a right? By arguing this tact, aren’t you just admitting that the GOP’s unrelenting chorus of attacks on KC Elections is merely political? Because that’s the point I’m making.
Mark1 @ 17,
“Either side, there is a wealth of incompetence and fuck-ups with good ole “we-think-we’re-the-center-of-the-fucking-universe” King County elections Department, and their fearless leader, King Logan; one can hardly argue against that.”
I’ll argue against your point. You statement about “wealth of incompetence and fuck-ups” is almost completely bullshit.
The error rate in counting votes was small, and typical for a county of its voter population. King County did not have the highest error rate in the State for most types of errors uncovered in this election–despite having the largest voter load (i.e. more votes to deal with in the same timeframe).
Obviously, it would be nice to have an error rate of 0 errors per voter. But that has never happened anywhere in a county the size of King (and probably has never happened in any county anywhere). Somehow, these alarmist assholes forget this when they point out errors that, in fact, make up a tiny percentage of the total votes. They have never shown the the error rate for KC is higher than any other county the size of KC.
Mark1’s claims are little more than right-wing propaganda spread by idiots who need extreme psychotherapy (or, better yet, lobotomies) to “get past” losing a very, very close election.
(I think Mark1’s statement says more about our need to reform our education system that the need to reform KC elections.)
Yes, indeed, after closely scrutenizing this last election, we find that KC made errors (at a rate slightly higher than the background rate for other counties in Washington, but of course in a county with a substantially higher voter load). Indeed, we can make use of the scruteny to fix some of the problems uncovered in KC. But, “wealth of incompetence and fuck-ups”? Not even close.
[Here’s how The Democrats expand their base!!! Enjoy, libs!!]
The San Francisco Department of Elections is reaching out to a class of city residents who may not be aware they can register to vote — jail inmates and former convicts who have completed their prison sentences and parole.
You know, what I would really love to have someone explain to me:
Why two Seattle precincts had 23 and 25 voterless absentee ballots when the average precinct had less than 1.
Why there is a clear trend line that says as a precincts vote more for Fraudiore, those precincts count more voterless absentee ballots and as precincts vote more for Rossi, those precincts count more ballotless absentee voters.
Why the professionals at REALS processed obviously incompete Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots and FWABs for persons who had either not registered or had not requested an absentee ballot.
Yo Richard Pope: Read the article. The $70 million is a consultant’s preliminary estimate. You cannot blame Ron Sims alone for the $39 million debacle. The consultancy that issued the recommendation to can that project blamed the City Council and internal politics.
Of course, Richard, you have an alternative solution, right? Richard?
Didn’t think so.
JC Bob @ 22
the “trend line” was successfully disputed in court on the basis of too limited a scope. If I recall right, they looked at the top 5 for Gregoire, and the top 6 for Rossi.
Turns out if you expand it to the top 20 on either side (out of over 2000, remember, so this is just the most egregious .1% of precincts), there’s no effect whatsoever.
JC Bob,
“Why two Seattle precincts had 23 and 25 voterless absentee ballots when the average precinct had less than 1.”
There is no evidence that there are ANY voterless absentee ballots. The concept of a voterless ballot is a fiction from uSP. There are, however, voters who cast ballots but do not appear in the poll books, and for legit reasons.
“Why there is a clear trend line that says as a precincts vote more for Fraudiore, those precincts count more voterless absentee ballots and as precincts vote more for Rossi, those precincts count more ballotless absentee voters.”
Ummmm, what are you getting at? Did you think there were evil geniuses who were somehow going around adding absentee ballots only to precincts that were Democratic strongholds? Somehow these geniuses were smart enough to fool the observers, but dumb enought to hunt down D strongholds so that they could add ballots only there? How would they even DO that?
What a bunch of fucked-up and senseless morons you guys are!
“Why the professionals at REALS processed obviously incompete Federal Write-in Absentee Ballots and FWABs for persons who had either not registered or had not requested an absentee ballot.”
“Obviously incomplete,” huh? More like “incomplete mentality.” I think you are being lead down, yet, another one of Steffie’s blind alleys. Did you actually read his post? He so much as admits he doesn’t understand what is going on!
Isn’t it sad how many people have been led astray by the minnow? As I used to argue at his site, there are real arguments to be had over the election and the way it was run, but none of them will overturn the election, and most of the problem are inherient in a very human, very large system. Doesn’t mean you cannot and should not make it better. Fortunately, smarter people than the minnow and his lakeys are in charge, and the sensible reforms put in place by the legislature and Sam Reed will take care of over 95% of the problems.
Total contribution to the solution by ss minnow: 0.000001%
Total contribution to confusion over the election by the ss minnow: 65% and rising.
I guess I don’t hafta worry ’bout dat KCEC stuff. I moved to sous Snohomish County. I want me vote to count da first time everytime.
Hello GBS. I’s here too bwana!
Isn’t it sad how many people have been led astray by the minnow?
People just don’t follow the lies of the MSM as they used to.
As I used to argue at his site, there are real arguments to be had over the election and the way it was run,
This has been proven over decades of research:
Donk run election boards = Voter fraud. The only arguments you get are from donks who pretend it doesn’t exist.
Fortunately, smarter people than the minnow and his lakeys are in charge, and the sensible reforms put in place by the legislature
Donks controlling voter reform is mutually exclusive. Voter reform to a donk means cover your ass better.
Well RUFUS, you are so incredibly smart, please give me one instance of organized election fraud in the 2004 Washington Govenor’s election? The BIAW and GOP spending millions couldn’t show one instance, but surely you can.
And glad to know Sam Reed is a donk, whatever that means. Apparently it means a highly capable Republican. Rare creature, I admit, but I don’t think they need a special name.
Well for starters:
King County is 1800 voters short of the number of actual ballots counted. The election was nine months ago, and neither King County nor the Democrats can account for these 1800 ballots, in spite of all of the source material existing which could be double and triple checking to make sure that no voter whose ballot was counted was omitted from the listing.
You know OJ was found innocent by a court of law too.
Strange, I ask for some showing of organized vote fraud, and you go back to the same ol same ol that has been shot down a million times.
First of all, the 1800 number is highly questionable number, based upon the minnows inability to add, if I remember right. I will note that there are brighter minds than either of ours on this subject.
Second, again, I freely admit that the election had errors. So far, from everything we know, they favored Rossi. I’m waiting for some theory that their was organized fraud, that the election was stolen. You apparently have none, just like everyone else.
OJ had to be proved guilty by a reasonable doubt, at a civil trial, he was found liable. Here, all the GOP and BIAW needed to show for their millions was clear and convincing evidence, and they were unable to come up with none.
Heck, give the OJ prosecution what little credit they deserve, they may have been incompetent, but they had some evidence. You have nothing.
…..and you can’t prove GWB didn’t show up for duty. But you can’t prove he did, either. But you CAN prove that the others were there. Seems to me that what’s important is the way you go about asking your question.
Ollie North claims he’s not a convicted felon because he received a presidential pardon. But the law says that he IS a CONVICTED FELON who happened to receive a presidential pardon. His conviction has never been overturned, so North to this day remains a convicted felon. Bush is a deserter who’s records have been tampered with so you can’t prove he wasn’t there—but nobody can prove that he was—so he wasn’t!