I've received an email from Jim Follweiler, a candidate for Bethlehem City Council. I believe it was sent to be shared with you. A coding error, compounded by a failure to catch it during testing, affected all races on Tuesday. Here's what he says:
From Jim Follweiler, candidate for Bethlehem City Council.
I was a candidate affected by the Northampton County Voting Machine issue. I would like to provide some additional information that appears to have not made the county press conference or news outlets.
Sequence of events: I greeted voters at my polling location all day (Bethlehem Wards 14-2/14-2 at Wesley United Methodist Church on Center Street). Once the problem on the retention question was identified, the machines were "shut down" and they shifted to paper ballots. They quickly ran out of paper ballots at Ward 14-2 before the machines were turned back on; they then told voters they could not vote, were turned away with no record of names or how many were refused voting, and told to LEAVE AND COME BACK LATER. By this time, news outlets started reporting the issue. Once the machines were turned back on, voting officials informed people to vote opposite their answer on the electronic machine, then once the issue was better identified they changed their instructions saying the printed votes on the machine paper were flipped but not the electronic vote.
Opinion: These facts appear to have not made the county news conference and are more than a clerical error. Will anybody be held accountable or punished? These affected election retention questions cannot and should not be validated. There should be zero error in these machines in order to reinforce voter confidence in our elections. But election after election, electronic machines have issues. Is this another case of micro voter suppression, turning away voters from the polls with media reports that dissuaded how many more follow-on voters from then even coming out to vote, influencing future voter apathy toward having their votes counted, and trusting results of other current ballot races? We will never truly know the numbers. While these issues in the end would not have changed my election result, faith in accuracy in our election process deserves better.
24 comments:
Jim is an honest and straightforward guy. He is right the election problem in the county is unacceptable. The problem is McClure end Dertinger play it down like no big deal. They don't get it. A big part of th problem is they are arrogant and condescending to anyone who questions anything they do. The screwed-up way this election was handled is disgraceful, but they will claim it was the best election ever. Our local version of run.
I'm sure these same manchines will be used in the general election.
Also heard there were polls that got the wrong sign in tablets. Provisionals or come back later voters were told at 7 am.
An investigation and indictments should follow. This is an outrageous, and potentially criminal, betrayal of the public trust. And independent investigator should be named immediately to restore the integrity lost in Tuesday's unmitigated disaster. Transparency is needed more than ever. Unfortunately, that's not this administration's strong suit. Anything short of an independent investigation indicates the county administration's complicity. And blaming the voting machine company before completing an investigation? Isn't that a crime? The silence on this is deafening - and expected. Without an thorough, independent investigation, there's no coming back from this in dirty NorCo. Trust is so easily destroyed. Nice work, Lamont.
Dems are just better at elections. Emphasize early voting and create havoc on election day for the opposition. It works. Election day is a joke. Vote early and often. It's a rule as old as elections. If you're not cheating, you're not trying. Fact.
Of course all the facts weren't provided by McClueless, it would make him look even worse. He lies. He needs to go!
So, today’s entry describes problems with a local election process that most definitely will lead to skepticism of result total accuracy. This is not new and far more widespread across our nation. However, we’re not supposed to discuss it, and many news outlets refuse to cover such problems.
In the interest of fairness and convenience, our government, special interest groups, and complicit news sources have unleashed new, multi-faceted methods of verification, voting, and counting, that are STILL not ready for prime time, so to speak. Ever since the 2020 election, we have failed to bolster citizen confidence in how are leaders are selected. Opportunities for error and abuse remain. Yes, both local and national, final result totals DESERVE to be challenged. I fault no one for doing just that.
Winning totals are merely announced for our amusement.
I bet the employee who didn't catch the error gets let go, but I bet Bow-Tie gets a raise by McClure. I hope this error or better yet McClure's name gets left off his re-election time. Worse County Executive!
This is the second time we have had a problem with these machines. McClure and Dertinger are very quick to pass the buck. We need some leadership in this county, right now we have ZERO.
People leaving voting places without voting is unacceptable.
Voting machines malfunctioning on election day is unacceptable.
I will bring this up, but expect little to be done.
Sorry to the people who are losing faith in our system....unfortunately, I am too.
Let’s go all the way back to when the Elections Commission asked for a paper ballot machine and were told, along with the paper ballot proponents, that ESS couldn’t get THAT machine here for sampling but somehow managed to get the one we’re using now into Northampton County for preview. Then ask Lehigh County how their paper ballot machines performed without a glitch. Hats off to the Lehigh County folks for their insistence on viewing and choosing the low tech smart choice.
This country is a mess. There should be no room for error when it comes to elections. As a grown man I cannot and now will not vote ever again. I declared which party I wanted to be in, which in my area is heavy Democrat. Three times I tried to vote and three times I was told I have to fill out new paper work! NO THANKS! Maybe it has to do with which party I chose?!
ESS Voting machines..3 million paid by taxpayer..to help make voters and voting easier and more accountable…in 2019 they failed and on Tuesday 2023 they failed…with the same problems that were absolutely fixed…so today the decision was to stay with these machines and the statement is they absolutely will work for the 2024 presidential election…. Please name the names of those who will guarantee and take responsibility for any further misfires.
Those that missed the error will get a step raise.
You can put that broad brush away. There are many Dems out here who are furious that this happened. Anything that undermines the democracy is another nail in the coffin.
McClure’s claiming that “laziness” was the cause of the voting machine error and lack of paper ballots is the most believable excuse I’ve ever heard. All you need to do is to take one look at the Executive and you’d know laziness was the issue.
I went to vote before I had to go to work. I was turned away because they said they were having a problem with the voting machines. I had to go to work so I was not able to vote.I think Northampton County should have a special redo election ASAP.
This McClure is such an arrogant asshole. Look how he treats women. Milou MacKenzie, a state rep, called for his resignation. His response:
My response is ‘Milou who?’” he said. “I have absolutely no plan to resign. If she wants to debate it she can run for executive in 2025 and we can debate it.”
If Milou was a man he would not have spoken to her like that. Total lack of respect. As far as 2025 he won’t make it given his poor health and penchant for scotch lol.
I don't believe anything will be done with this administration
Hey Bernie I don't believe any of this happened when you were an election judge , I was responsible for the L&A, if you can't Dazzle them with brilliance battle them with...LOL
As a McClure apologist you won't agree but the arrogance of this gang is disconcerting. McClure, Dertinger and Barron strut around like they are the three wise men of the county. The disrespect they have for employees and the county council is legendary. McClure wants to be a political boss like his idol Morganelli, but he lacks the charm and smarts.
If there is any point to the Election Commissions existence, they must call in an independent investigation to audit the election and the county operation. Or maybe county council can do something. Having Casino guy run things after pushing out the competent and knowledgeable staff is repugnant. If you don't bow to the King, you are goner. Does the casino guy even have any experience other than as a casino employee? It is known that Chuck claims to run the election office, so maybe that is not a good thing.
"If Milou was a man he would not have spoken to her like that. "
HA! tell me you've never met Lamont without telling me you've never met Lamont
This was the general election
Northampton County arrogance can’t hold a candle to that of the Reynolds administration in Bethlehem!!
Congrats to Brian Callahan for getting back on City Council to ask the tough questions & help keep them grounded.
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