Incidents of Voter Fraud and Machine Failure

Election Day Dispatch
Published by Greg Palast November 7th, 2006 in Articles

By Matt PascarellaVoting Machine
Reporting from Washington D.C

Reports of problems at polling places from around the country have been coming in all day. Here are a few:

Broward County, FL
In the hotly contested Klein-Clay race machines in one precinct were down for over 3 hours this morning. A lawsuit is currently being filed to extend the voting hours to make up for this lost time.
South Carolina
The Governor of South Carolina (Republican) turned away from voting after failing ID requirements. Read more.

Solana Beach, CA
Out of 7 machines in a Solana Beach, CA precinct only 2 could start up. The elderly poll workers were unable to figure out the 10 page instructions to get the machines up and running. Poll workers said the machines had been delivered the night before.

Hamilton County, OH
Problems with voter registration lists.

Cuyahoga County, OH
This morning machines were reported not working and voters told to vote on provisionals.

Atlanta, GA
Switch voting occurred in at least one precinct this morning. Voter was trying to cast vote for Democrat candidate and the machine kept selecting the Republican candidate. Poll workers couldn’t resolve the problem and would not let the voter try another machine.

Avondale, AZ
Reports coming in that a supervisor in one precinct is not accepting certain types of ID and turning people away.

Westmoreland, PA
Small number of machines at voters’ polling place and none were working this morning. At that time the poll workers could not get through on the support phone number provided. The voter returned around lunch time and the machines seemed to be working — she estimates that when she was there earlier at least 2-3 dozen elderly voters could not vote and were likely to not come back.

Cumberland County, PA
DRE machine malfunctions resulting in switched votes. Voter reported trying to vote for Green Party candidate but the Republican candidate lit up instead. He tried to vote twice, poll workers were not helpful and told him there were no Green Candidates. He gave up and left after they refused to give him the machine’s serial numbers.


Fairfax, VA
Voters report that while voting, the machines posted messages stating “switch to battery power immediately or you will lose all your work.” When one voter asked a pollworker for help the pollworker said he had never seen this before. The pollworker then did something with the machine and that voter was able to complete the voting process but is concerned his vote was not counted.

Melbourne, FL
Machine problems. Problems with scanning ballots. Ballots were collected and placed in a bin to be scanned later on.

Deltona, FL
Only one machine working.

Philadelphia, PA
Machines defective; no officials to resolve. People told to return later in the day.

Gainesville, VA
Polling place closed. Misleading signs. When voters called election phone number for information they weren’t given any information.

Portersville, PA
Voters told voting machines that were there weren’t available to use because the machines were meant for another county.

Aurora, IL
Voters required to present certain IDs they were unaware of needing - many turned away.

Oak Park, IL
Two machines not working.

Long Lines & machine shortages reported in:
Norristown, PA - Hancock Elementary School
Upper Marlboro, MD - Evangel Cathedral
Montgomery County, PA
Baltimore, MD
Chicago, IL

*These reports are based on voter testimony and eye-witness accounts. They are coming in in real time and are still being researched more thoroughly and checked.

Matt Pascarella is a freelance journalist & producer for Greg Palast.