Re: ballot confusion?

["Tassinari" <tassin@moscow.com>]

Marc,

Thanks for the graphic.  The ballot looks simple enough.  I would be embarrassed
to admit that I couldn't understand this simple lay out.

I agree with your opinion whole-heartedly.  All the arguing reminds me of
spoiled children who are unhappy that they can't have everything their way.

Joe Tassinari

> I have placed a graphic of the ballot here:
> http://www.uidaho.edu/~cram3813/ballot.gif
> or if you want one that will load faster, but with less clarity:
> http://www.uidaho.edu/~cram3813/ballot.jpg
> (These were shamelessly stolen from USA Today web site.)
>
> Personally, I do not see the big confusion.  Box with name...big arrow
> pointing to hole.  If it was consistent confusion, then does that mean
> anyone wanting to vote for Nader (fourth one down on left) ended up voting
> for McReynolds?  And exactly how many votes did Nader lose to McReynolds?
> Probably none.  And since any votes counted for Nader was in the 7th hole,
> does that mean he got votes meant for nobody--there are not 7 listings on
> the left.
>
> I am sure a few people were confused.  This is bound to happen whenever you
> have this many people doing anything.  (I wonder how many bad votes there
> were in uncontested races?  Surely that should be a no-brainer.)  But what
> ticks me off is the whiners that think their person lost (as of this time I
> don't know who won or lost) and then have to go file a law suit.  "It's
> someone elses fault that I goofed!"  These people need to get a life or get
> on with what little one they have.
>
> Maybe I am just more cautious than most.  But I considered voting a *VERY*
> important thing to do.  When I finished with Idaho's amazingly simple
> ballot, I pulled it out of the machine, leafed through the book looking at
> the numbers listed next to the choices, and visually checked that the ones
> that I punched were not on the card any more.  And that all of the others
> still were.  Who's responsibility is it that I voted correctly?  Mine!  Not
> the people working the poll areas, not the local government, not my
> neighbor's dog.  I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN ACTIONS!  I blame nobody else
> for my vote.
>
> Marc
>
> (The opinions expressed herein are mine.  I hereby relieve any
> lesser-enlightened entities the burden of assuming any responsibilities for
> them in any way.)
>