After several reports of machines changing votes from Mitt Romney to Barack Obama, the Republican National Committee sent a letter on Thursday asking states to correct the problem by fixing and re-calibrating the machines before Election Day.
So far, problems have been reported with machines in Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Nevada, Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado.
As a result, John R. Phillippe, chief counsel for the RNC, sent a letter asking the states to:
- Re-calibrate all voting machines on the morning of Election Day before the polls open, or, if necessary, the day before the election.
- Make arrangements for additional technicians on Election Day in case of increased calibration problems.
- Issue guidance requiring polling place officials to prominently post a sign reminding voters to double-check that the voting machine properly recorded their vote before final submission. This sign should also note that poll workers should be notified and can assist in the case of a voting machine error. (See, e.g., North Carolina State Board of Elections Numbered Memo 2012-24.)
- Issue guidance requiring polling place officials to remind voters to double-check that the voting machine properly recorded their vote before final submission, and to note that poll workers should be notified and can assist in the case of a voting machine error. (See, e.g., North Carolina State Board of Elections Numbered Memo 2012-24.)
"Similar claims were raised in the 2010 U.S. Senate race between Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Sharron Angle but were not substantiated," CBS Las Vegas reported.
As we reported in October 2010, when Nevada voters tried to vote for Sharron Angle, they found the ballots had already been marked for Harry Reid.
The Washington Examiner's Mark Hemingway wrote at the time that those machines were serviced by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), an organization well-known for supporting Democratic and progressive candidates.
Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, a Democrat, dismissed the Republican's concerns on Thursday, calling them “irresponsible and unfortunate," despite reports of irregularities.
In response, Miller fired off a letter to the RNC saying that their "unsubstantiated" claims “undermine the public’s confidence in the electoral process.”
"The RNC did not provide documented proof of its allegation aside from media anecdotes," the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
The Gazette-Journal provided an anecdote of its own by reporting that a Washoe County man allegedly had problems voting for Obama. The problem was corrected after the machine was re-calibrated, the report said.
In Colorado, reaction was mixed, according to the Denver Post.
Nancy Doty, a Republican county clerk in Arapahoe County, said the request was "unreasonable," given that the county deploys 650 machines.
"They've already been tested," she said.
Mesa County Clerk Sheila Reiner, another Republican, said that one machine had been taken out of service when it was found to be malfunctioning.
Rich Coolidge, a spokesman for Republican Secretary of State Scott Gessler, said the office is still reviewing the matter, the Post reported.
As we reported earlier, Chris Riggall, a spokesman for Dominion Voting, said a number of voting machines "have been in the field many years and through many election cycles."
“It is certainly possible [for them to get] out of calibration,” he added.
Related:
Voting machines in Kansas, Ohio reportedly changing Romney votes to Obama
North Carolina voters say ballots cast for Romney being registered for Obama
Television stations declare Obama winner of November's election
United Nations to monitor conservative groups at polling places
Report: Military voters in four states not receiving absentee ballots
Video: Son of Democratic Congressman conspires to commit voter fraud
Liberals on Twitter threaten violence against conservative True the Vote
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