[OFF TOPIC] Politics Thread

[Olympian1010 7,971]

44 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

That seems smart. So far machines are simply more unsafe than paper and one can wonder if that will really ever change. 

We only use machine generated ballots at our polling places in California, or at in least in LA County. 
 

When you get to the polling place, your identity is verified, and your given a blank ballot. You then put that ballot into the voting machine, and select the candidates (or yes/no answer) you want for each election. Then machine then prints out the ballot so you can view it over and make sure it’s correct. You then re-insert the ballot into the machine, and push a button to cast it.

 

Nothing about that process seemed worrying, questionable, or concerning when I cast my ballot. I felt pretty confident that my vote would be counted as I had cast it, and the process was relatively quick and easy. I filled out a paper ballot in 2018, and I much preferred using the machines in 2020. Our mail ballots are paper ballots though, so if people still prefer paper ballots they can use their mail ballot. 

[Federer91 2,793]

That is a stupid way to use the machine  What's the point, when you are basically doing the same thing like with a paper ballot. Only difference is that instead of a pen, you have to go and print the ballot through the machine!?

 

Here it was like an ATM basically. You get a card, you slot it in the machine, it generates the ballot, you mark your choices, you click on Vote, it asks for confirmation, so you can check again your selection, Vote again and that's it.

[Monzanator 4,499]

It truly doesn't matter if US voters use machines, paper or mail pigeons. For 160 years only two parties have held power in that country The most one-sided democracy ever seen IMO.

[hckošice 14,822]

 

[Olympian1010 7,971]

16 minutes ago, Federer91 said:

That is a stupid way to use the machine  What's the point, when you are basically doing the same thing like with a paper ballot. Only difference is that instead of a pen, you have to go and print the ballot through the machine!?

 

Here it was like an ATM basically. You get a card, you slot it in the machine, it generates the ballot, you mark your choices, you click on Vote, it asks for confirmation, so you can check again your selection, Vote again and that's it.

It’s just a different way of doing things. I think it gives people more confidence in our system. 
 

There’s also an app that you can have on your phone, where you can make all your choices in advance, and then just load them onto the ballot the minute you get to the machine, and then cast your ballot. 
 

I found our paper ballots to be tedious and annoying. I found the machines to be a much more user friendly. All of the steps can be a little confusing, so that could definitely be streamlined or made more understandable in the future.

[Agger 1,662]

15 minutes ago, Olympian1010 said:

It’s just a different way of doing things. I think it gives people more confidence in our system. 
 

There’s also an app that you can have on your phone, where you can make all your choices in advance, and then just load them onto the ballot the minute you get to the machine, and then cast your ballot. 
 

I found our paper ballots to be tedious and annoying. I found the machines to be a much more user friendly. All of the steps can be a little confusing, so that could definitely be streamlined or made more understandable in the future.

Maybe the tedious and annoying thing is the massive ammount of votes at once?

[Olympian1010 7,971]

7 minutes ago, Agger said:

Maybe the tedious and annoying thing is the massive ammount of votes at once?

I don’t quite get what you mean, but if your talking about turnout it was higher in 2020 than 2016 (or anytime since 1952). I’m sure mail ballots helped with that, but there was still plenty of people using the machines when I voted.

[Agger 1,662]

7 minutes ago, Olympian1010 said:

I don’t quite get what you mean, but if your talking about turnout it was higher in 2020 than 2016 (or anytime since 1952). I’m sure mail ballots helped with that, but there was still plenty of people using the machines when I voted.

I mean it's not just one or 2 elections at once. You have a ton of elected officials and then you have the propositions as well. When even political active people need to read guides to get who to vote for in down-ballot races there's a problem. Not to mention that several of those seats should never be appointed by an election.

[Olympian1010 7,971]

7 minutes ago, Agger said:

I mean it's not just one or 2 elections at once. You have a ton of elected officials and then you have the propositions as well. When even political active people need to read guides to get who to vote for in down-ballot races there's a problem. Not to mention that several of those seats should never be appointed by an election.

See, as a Californian, that’s something I disagree with. Our system is one of the most democratic in world. It’s not without flaws, but I do take pride in it. I describe our system as for the people, of the people, beholden to the people. 

 

I will admit that I took 4-5 hours to research and read about the propositions during the last election. I do understand that there are people who don’t have time to do that though. 

[heywoodu 15,135]

2 hours ago, Olympian1010 said:

You then re-insert the ballot into the machine, and push a button to cast it.

And I am assuming the vote is then stored digitally?