Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (63775)	10/29/2004 1:01:19 AM
From: TigerPaw	Respond to of 89467

I saw Zogby on the Daily Show. He said Kerry will win.

To: stockman_scott who wrote (63775)	10/29/2004 6:49:39 AM
From: Mao II	Respond to of 89467

CRITICAL VOTER HOTLINE! READ THIS Everyone should know -- and publicize as much as possible -- the number for a nonpartisan voter complaint hotline that will be up and running nationally for the first time with this election: 866-MYVOTE1 -- 866-698-6831: Poll hotline lets voters log complaints instantly By Stephan Salisbury Knight Ridder Newspapers PHILADELPHIA — Ken Smukler vividly remembers watching the 2000 presidential election play out. Hanging chads, voter intentions, challenges and lawsuits dominated the weeks after the voting, and Smukler decided then to search for a better way. The result — a nationwide voter hotline that can direct voters to polling locations and connect callers directly to local election officials — is up and running. The toll-free Voter Alert Line — 866-MYVOTE1 (866-698-6831) — also automatically records callers and logs their complaints into a database. All of this can be accessed as it occurs — in real time, as techies like to say — making it possible to track developing voting irregularities and difficulties as they occur. "Nobody has ever tried to empirically analyze what's happening on Election Day," said Smukler, president of InfoVoter Technologies in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. "Now that's possible. We're going to have data that nobody else has ever had before." At a news conference this week announcing plans to deploy the technology, Richard Stengel, head of the National Constitution Center, agreed. "This could be huge," Stengel said of the potential for large numbers of calls. "If it is huge, then that could mean big problems for the country." The Constitution Center will play host to the voter-alert line on Election Day. The 866-MYVOTE1 number is being publicized across NBC's media platforms, including television, radio and the Internet. NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo will set up shop at the center that day and report on hotline results as they unfold. The system already is logging complaints of early and absentee voters across the country, Smukler said. There have been complaints from several states, with most, so far, from Florida. "Of the 2,000 (Florida) calls we've taken, the lion's share are coming out of Broward and Miami-Dade counties," Smukler said. "Most of the problems we're getting are from absentee voters. ... I think Broward has an absentee-ballot problem right now, just because of the volume of calls and the overwhelming number of people frustrated that they haven't gotten their absentee ballot. "That might change, although it's a little late for Broward to be handling its absentee ballots." InfoVoter Technologies is a bipartisan effort put together by Democratic consultant Smukler and VoterLink Data Systems and Republican consultant Scott Reed, a former executive director of the Republican National Committee. Reed now heads Chesapeake Enterprises, a consulting firm. "We can see call traffic is building daily," said Smukler, adding that the system can handle 40,000 calls an hour. "It's like being on a beach and waiting for the tsunami." Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company seattletimes.nwsource.com