VoteKansas.org

My name is Bob Dacy. I am the host of “The Simple Truth”, a political TV talk show cablecast in Austin, Texas. This morning, I attempted to vote before going to work. I say “attempted” because the Hart Intercivic E-Slate machines we use in Travis county prevented me from doing so.

I was the third voter in line, but, since one of the three machines at precinct 228 was not operational, I waited in line behind the first voter. She “voted” and left the booth. I entered the booth and put in my code number.

The ballot that appeared before me was complete nonsense. It was asking for my vote on such propositions as whether wheels should be mandated on office chairs, whether poll workers should be exempt from having to pay taxes, whether we should mandate 4 week vacations instead of 2 week vacations, and whether we should have a 3 day workweek. I looked at the poll worker nearby, a neighbor of mine, and asked him if this was a joke.

He looked at my “ballot”, opined that the machine must be in “training mode”, and then everyone involved tried to figure out what went wrong. They stopped processing voters. I asked how long it would take to fix the problem, and they said they had no idea.

I could not wait around because I have a job I must get to, so I left. So much for the convenience and simplicity of electronic voting. I was disenfranchised today, at least temporarily, and the lady in front of me who thought she voted…well I guess she will look in the paper tomorrow to see if her office chair will get wheels mandated by the State of Texas. Her vote on the real issues will not be counted.