Will Florida stop being known as the state with the voting problems? Chances of that becoming a reality are now relatively slim. With the presidential election only several days away, early voting has officially begun.
Unfortunately, disaster has struck once again.
On Oct. 22, four early voting sites opened in Leon County to encourage voters to cast their ballots for presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. Alas, two of those sites have had problems with vote reading machines, a pivotal device that collects and reads all ballots.
Here we go again.
According to WCTV, the northeast branch of the Leon County Library and the Woodville Community Center were the sites that experienced the malfunctions, which has undoubtedly caused some Tallahasseans to breathe collective sighs of frustration.
Despite the fact that voters were permitted to come back later that afternoon to recast their ballots, one cannot help but wonder when will the madness stop?
To add insult to injury, it turns out the problem is not just local – it is statewide.
In an article in the Tallahassee Democrat, Supervisor of Elections, Ion Sancho, said ballots are being rejected across the state of Florida.
“This is not a Leon County problem,” he told the Democrat. “This is a state problem.”
Election season generates a ton of inconveniences and tricks.
However, having a machine that reject ballots takes the cake.
So was it a coincidence or a well-conceived plot?
Coincidence? You be the judge.
Jay Christie for the editorial board.