I am an election judge in Minnesota. I have been for a number of years. When [we] fellow judges talk about the 2000 and 2004 elections, we scratch our heads. How does this happen? In Minnesota, we have a serious paper trail. It is called a ballot. You mark your choices, and put it in the ballot counter / scanner. Done. If the scanner part fails, the power goes out, there is a spot for the ballot to go in manually. It is the same ballot box as the ones that go through the scanner, but they go into a different chamber so they can be sent through the scanner after and be counted in the same manner. If you mis mark your ballot (called a spoiled ballot) you take your spoiled ballot to the judges handing out the ballots. They have a special envelope the spoiled ones go into. You get a new one. You can do this 20 times or until you get it right.

I understand that each state has its own election laws. Fine. But when it comes to a Federal Election, I am all about it being the same. When the way one state conducts its elections effects the entire outcome of the election, nationally speaking, something has got to change.

Statewide can be a different story. I worked the election that Paul Wellstone died. Talk about a potential nightmare. Nothing is better than a well thought out, carefully executed plan to deal with the unexpected. Does no one ask the questions “what if, then what?”

Great blog! You’ve hit the nail on the head with your comment about Florida actually having to count the votes correctly…let’s hope that happens.

All the best…will be a regular reader from now on!

GM – ‘George Q. Public’