Re: [tlug] Re: Somewhat OT- open source software for US voting machines

[Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com>]

Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> Edward Middleton writes:
>  > In Australia we have compulsory voting so it is arguable that some
>  > voters intentionally made invalid votes.  In the US voting is
>  > voluntary so the likelihood of this is very low,
>
> That's false.  A statistically significant percentage of "spoiled
> ballots" really are just that, an intentional signal that the voter
> feels disenfranchised by the process or the set of candidates on
> offer.  People really do vote for Mickey Mouse or the last (dead)
> President that they liked as a protest.
>   

"a statistically significant percentage" or "the statistically
significant percentage"?  I imagine mick mouse and dead presidents get
their fair share of votes but is that the majority of votes that failed
to reflect the voters preference?

>  > i.e. a significant number of voters preferences were not recorded
>  > by the current process and that may have effected the outcome of
>  > the election.
>
> As several people have pointed out, this is probably true of all
> voting systems in existence.
>   

That may be the case, it is impossible to know.  The issues is the
degree to which voters preferences are not reflected in the election
result.  Mugabe might have won the presidential election in Zimbabwe,
but a significant number of voters preferences were not reflected in the
outcome which calls into question the outcome of the election.

> The important thing about the U.S. process to note is that in the end
> there's usually very little difference between the platforms of the
> candidates.

I am not disagreeing with you here but it is still important that the
voting public has confidence in the process even if they don't like the
candidates.

> So the American people are generally getting what they want AFAICS;
> it's only a few fringes who really have any dissatisfaction to
> express.
>   

The fringe that got the HAVA[1] passed, or those complaining about the
changes it mandated?

Edward

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_America_Vote_Act