Wed
Oct 29 2008
09:57 am
Update on Knox Co. voting machine summary page problem
By: R. Neal

Reports of confusion regarding the summary page on Knox County voting machines are widespread.

Voters are only seeing the first three letters of the first name of the candidate, leading some to wonder if they had voted for Barr instead of Barack Obama.

The problem is discussed here at KnoxViews. Knox County Administrator of Elections Greg Mackay explains what happened in comments, and also provided photos of the summary page so you can see the problem.

Essentially, the font size on the summary page is set too large to display the entire message. Votes are being correctly recorded, but the summary page is causing confusion. There's no word yet on whether this can be fixed before election day.

UPDATE: Greg Mackay says in comments below that this can't be fixed before election day because all the data cards are already programmed.

Topics:
Altru's picture

Ballot Snafu

Submitted by Altru (not verified) on Wed, 2008/10/29 - 11:07am.

Does the fault actually lie with Knox County's Information Systems office? To me, McKay should be commended for being forthcoming and honest about the mistake, but I wonder if he isn't diplomatically taking the heat for someone else's mistake. Is Knox County's IT/Data Processing Dept. responsible for the error, or does the private contractor determine the font size?

sugarfatpie's picture

Here here. Thanks to Mackay

Submitted by sugarfatpie on Wed, 2008/10/29 - 1:46pm.

Here here. Thanks to Mackay for not sweeping this under the rug.

-Sugarfatpie (AKA Alex Pulsipher)

"X-Rays are a hoax."-Lord Kelvin

Greg Mackay's picture

taking the heat

Submitted by Greg Mackay on Wed, 2008/10/29 - 5:57pm.

The IT Department is not to blame. A staff person who reports directly to me made the mistake.
Looking back, I should have checked it.
We were way behind due to spending a month counting those charter petitions.

When you got in a hurry, mistakes get made.

I'll take the heat, that's what I do.

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