Election Day
After picking up Michael from preschool, I went to vote. I usually try to take my boys along with me. I always remember going to the voting booth with my parents, and I think it's a great civics lesson. Let them never know us not voting.
Our polling place had the new electronic voting machines. So easy to use! Much easier than those old punchcards. (Are you sure the little pointer is lined up right? It never seemed to line up perfectly!) And the votes will be tabulated quickly!
Yet there was still someone there complaining. He didn't trust the electronic voting machines. Can someone hack in to them? Can I get a printed receipt to prove who I really voted for? Can they crash? On and on.
Certainly any time you are dealing with technology, there is a chance for error. But this is not exclusive to technology. Does anyone remember the ridiculous "hanging chads" in Florida a few years ago? Punch cards were not completely reliable either. Nothing is.
I don't believe we can ever have a 100% error-free election system. Humans are fallible. Technology is fallible. We do the best we can, and always look for ways to improve. But to expect perfection is unrealistic... no matter what the situation.
But people do expect perfection.
The man I overheard at the polling place was given the opportunity to use a paper ballot. It was available to anyone who did not want to use the electronic voting machines.
His response to this offer? "If I use the paper ballot, will my vote be counted immediately tonight?"
Oy vey. Imagine all the people it would take to sit around and count every vote... tonight. Talk about an opportunity for error! It seems he wanted the speed and convenience of the electronic voting, but wanted it to somehow be accomplished manually. Not gonna happen.
Anyway, Michael and Matthew were proud little voter's helpers, and each got their "I Voted" sticker.
Now we can wait to see if 100% of the votes are counted with 100% accuracy within 10 minutes of the polls closing tonight... using paper ballots! I hope that's not what that man was expecting!
Our polling place had the new electronic voting machines. So easy to use! Much easier than those old punchcards. (Are you sure the little pointer is lined up right? It never seemed to line up perfectly!) And the votes will be tabulated quickly!
Yet there was still someone there complaining. He didn't trust the electronic voting machines. Can someone hack in to them? Can I get a printed receipt to prove who I really voted for? Can they crash? On and on.
Certainly any time you are dealing with technology, there is a chance for error. But this is not exclusive to technology. Does anyone remember the ridiculous "hanging chads" in Florida a few years ago? Punch cards were not completely reliable either. Nothing is.
I don't believe we can ever have a 100% error-free election system. Humans are fallible. Technology is fallible. We do the best we can, and always look for ways to improve. But to expect perfection is unrealistic... no matter what the situation.
But people do expect perfection.
The man I overheard at the polling place was given the opportunity to use a paper ballot. It was available to anyone who did not want to use the electronic voting machines.
His response to this offer? "If I use the paper ballot, will my vote be counted immediately tonight?"
Oy vey. Imagine all the people it would take to sit around and count every vote... tonight. Talk about an opportunity for error! It seems he wanted the speed and convenience of the electronic voting, but wanted it to somehow be accomplished manually. Not gonna happen.
Anyway, Michael and Matthew were proud little voter's helpers, and each got their "I Voted" sticker.
Now we can wait to see if 100% of the votes are counted with 100% accuracy within 10 minutes of the polls closing tonight... using paper ballots! I hope that's not what that man was expecting!
posted by Susan | 3:34 PM
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