Re: A Clearer Picture on Voter ID - New York Times

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Schmidt <schmidt () provider com>
Date: February 4, 2008 7:13:15 AM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] Re:   A Clearer Picture on Voter ID - New York Times

Hi Dave, for IP.

I, too, voted in Florida. I had a slightly different experience than  
Ken.
Where I live, in Seminole County (famous in 2000 election for  
allegations of voting irregularities involving absentee ballots), the  
procedure differed somewhat from Ken Howard's  Broward County  
experience, perhaps because the voting technology may have differed  
between the two counties.

Here are the Florida voting ID requirements and procedures for those  
who are interested.
http://election.dos.state.fl.us/online/faq.shtml#Voting

State law requires two forms of ID (signature and photo) but one ID  
card can suffice if it contains both and many forms of identification  
are acceptable. Voters without ID are supposed to be able to vote a  
provisional ballot. Florida passed a law in 2007 that eliminated  
employee id and buyer's clud id as acceptable forms of id. However,  
there is this notice on the state's web site:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: On January 23, 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice  
precleared the remaining provisions except for one of chapter 2007-30,  
Laws of Florida. However, the Presidential Preference Primary Election  
(PPP) is now too close to implement two major changes. For purposes of  
the PPP, a voter may still bring in an employee's badge or  
identification or a buyer's card as acceptable forms of identification  
at the polls. Second, a provisional ballot voter has until 5 p.m. of  
the third day (in lieu of the second) day to bring in evidence of  
eligibility. A person who voted provisionally solely because he or she  
did not have identification at the polls need not bring further  
evidence of eligibility. If the provisional ballot voter was in the  
proper precinct and the signature on the ballot certificate matches  
the signature on the voter registration record, the provisional ballot  
will be counted.

A person who voted provisionally solely because he or she did not have  
identification at the polls need not bring further evidence of  
eligibility. If the provisional ballot voter was in the proper  
precinct and the signature on the ballot certificate matches the  
signature on the voter registration record, the provisional ballot  
will be counted.

Seminole County elections office video here (2 min.) give a good  
overview that matched my precinct.
http://www.semcoelections.org/en-us/how_do_i_vote/videos.php

When I voted, a kindly old fellow behind the table asked me my name  
and address, and I too offered my voter registration card (as I have  
done for decades). This time,  he wasn't interested in that and I  
asked me instead for a driver's license or other photo id. (Unlike  
Ken, I didn't ask any questions.)

Upon presenting that, he looked it over, asked me if the address was  
still my current address, and handed it back. In past years, as far as  
I can recall, at this point in the process, I was simply asked to sign  
the roster and took my ballot.

This year he looked at the paper ballot which consisted of the printed  
ballot itself ("oversized" at about 11 x 17  heavy alum card stock or  
similar). A stack of these were mounted on a holder. When the ballot  
was removed, it was done by separating the ballot from a smaller piece  
(e.g. a tag) via a perforation. The tag then remained on the stack.

If I recall correctly, both the ballot and the tag contained a number.  
Perhaps it was only the tag. In any case, I do specifically recall  
noticing that the tag in fact did contain a number and that he then  
did write down that number on one side of my name on the voter roster  
and asked me to sign under my name, which I did. The signing was  
customary. I don't ever recall the numbers being written down, though  
who knows, perhaps they were. He then as usual, placed the ballot in a  
ballot holder  - the same thing they've always used here as far as I  
can recall.

This was the extent of any ID checking in Seminole. After some advice  
about carefully marking the ballot with the pen, from here we simply  
walked over to the portable "booths", marked the ballot with a pen,  
and walked over to another fellow at the ballot box who did not ask to  
see any ID (though I should note, the entire process took place in a  
single open room large enough for voters and election personnel alike  
to view everyone present throughout the process in plain sight.

I then placed my ballot in the machine which grabbed it via an auto  
loader similar to a copy machine and that was that. (The video calls  
it an AccuVote optical scanning machine).

I still have some nagging doubts about the correlation of name and  
number and whatever conclusions various political operatives and  
campaign workers may be able to come to about the particular vote of a  
particular voter, and whether any "secrecy" has been sacrificed by the  
current process. On the other hand, I might well be inclined to trade  
some secrecy for a verifiable audit trail that allows accurate  
auditing of election results.

Bob Schmidt
schmidt () provider com






> ________________________________________
> From: krhoffmanii () gmail com [krhoffmanii () gmail com] On Behalf Of  
> Kenneth Hoffman [krhoffman () bellsouth net]
> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 2:19 AM
> To: David Farber
> Subject: Re: [IP] A Clearer Picture on Voter ID - New York Times
>
> Professor Farber,
>
> I live in Broward County FL, which now requires a drivers license or  
> other photo ID to vote.  I've been voting for 30 years and never  
> before has a photo ID been required.  It has either been a valid  
> voters registration card OR a drivers/state issued/military ID....



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