Until I moved to Pennsylvania from New York in 2005, the only voting machine I'd ever known was the Automatic Voting Machine Printomatic.You can see some excellent detailed photos of these machines here.
My first experiences with voting are memories of my dad taking me into the booth with him to vote when I was a kid. I loved everything about those voting booths: seeing them all lined up in the church hall or school basement that served as the polling place, the posters posted at the polling place on election day showing the candidates and levers as they appeared on the machines, the sheer size of them, the privacy they offered, the sounds they made as you moved the little levers to make your selections and the big red lever to close and open the curtain and register your vote, the mechanics of them, even the weird aqua color of them.
If you've never voted on such a machine, this is how it worked: You walked into the booth and pulled the big lever with the red handle to close the curtain. You pushed the small levers down next to each candidate or amendment you want to vote for and then pulled the big red handle again, and it registed your vote and opened the curtain.
I've voted in 7 presidential elections, beginning in 1980, all on an AVM Printomatic. Lucky voters in New York are still using them. Some of them date back to the 1930's. The newest ones in my former county in New York were purchased in 1962.
In response to the voting problems that occurred in Florida in 2000, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, which required every county in the country to upgrade its voting machines by its state's 2006 Primary Election. New York State is under a federal court order to begin using new optical-scanner voting machines next year.
Because of this act, I now vote on an ES&S (Election Systems and Software) iVotronic™ machine. Here is a quick simulation you can do to show how this machine works. I don't like voting on this machine. There is no privacy. Poll workers are always hanging around asking if I need help. At my polling place, the machines for my district are all lined up in front of a huge picture window. My vote can be seen through the picture window, and is also reflected in the picture window. Most of all, I miss pulling the big lever when I'm done.
This will be my first presidential election using the new machines. On the eve of what may be the most important election of my lifetime, I am missing the AVM Printomatic. I miss the hulking aqua machines and the curtains and the little levers and the big red lever. Most of all, I miss my dad, and thinking about him and how he used to take me with him to vote, each time I pulled the lever to close the curtain.
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More:
The Smithsonian has a page with some great pictures and history about the gear and lever voting machine (as well as other voting methods) here. Note that the Automatic Voting Machine was first demonstrated in an 1892 Lockport, New York, town election.
An article about recent "vote flipping" problems on the iVotronic™ machine.
Homer tries to vote for Obama on an electronic voting machine.
Mr. Rogers Votes on a similar machine, but with push buttons instead of the lever to close and open the curtain and register the vote.
A US map that shows types of machines by states and which machines are more prone to user error and which are have the most potential for hacking.
A Brief Illustrated History of Voting (including how a lever machine works).
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Comments: 33
This was the first year that Illinois had early voting. I took advantage of it and the week before last. The weather forecast indicates we'll have nice weather tomorrow.
We also had a program in the school disctrict that allowed us to vote on those machines for student government elections in the schools. So although I never voted on one for a national election (I was living in NJ by the time of my first vote), I did use them to vote for the 13 years of my public education.
Here in Indiana, many of the voting places are in churches, which also feels a little odd to me. Growing up they were always in the city council building, fire houses, police stations, or schools. All public buildings.
When I moved to Kansas four and a half years ago, I was also confronted by the slick, shiny, Big Pimpin', Nintendo-style voting. I'm pretty sure in my first election here, I accidentally kill't Pitfall Harry. The good news is, Q-Bert never jumped off of the side.
On the plus side, I do yell at the Hovering Poll Workers -- unabashedly and with great volume -- to stop trying to copy from me.
Ah, voting. It truly is both duty and privilege.
According to this Post-Gazette article, all but one of the Allegheny county machines (and the ones saved for historical purposes) went to scrap.
I know exactly what you mean about missing your Dad through this. My Dad would absolutely love this election.
We have punch cards here. They are completely unsatisfying and undramatic.
I went to a pre-election gathering last night and personally spoke to Senator Dodd and John Larson, whom I count a friend since I know many of his family members well. I laughed when John introduced Dodd as "the only senior Democratic senator from the state of Connecticut" - screw YOU, Lieberman! It was a fun time, full of anticipation and excitement. No matter what I use to cast my vote, I consider this year's vote to be the most exciting and important of my lifetime.
\sigh
It's just not the same.
I know. You guys put it better than I did, I think:
"I was also confronted by the slick, shiny, Big Pimpin', Nintendo-style voting." (Joy)
"We have punch cards here. They are completely unsatisfying and undramatic." (Vicky)
"There was something very tactile and satisfying about them....like you were making not only a mental but also a physical effort casting your vote." (Sheryl)
I'll vote tonight. Unfortunately, I won't have the curtains for privacy, in the likely case I almost want to cry like Sheryl did.
I remember seeing those machines when I was a kid and the school I was currently attending was a polling place. Today I voted using the optical scan machine. I filled in the little ovals and the machine scanned them.
Just one of the benefits of living in the middle of nowhere! (Upstate NY)
Happy Election Day!
I'm so jealous.
I'll be making my selections on a touch screen this evening. Hopefully the election results are more satisfying than the voting process.
New York City still uses these machines, although the city has pledged to "upgrade" them for years.
I used one to cast my vote on Election Day.
Janna is right, there is great satisfaction in swinging the lever to record your ballot.
There are cool noises, too.
And the curtain opens behind you as you make the dramatic finish.
Spicecomments.com - Thanksgiving Comments
You don't have pings accepted, so I am posting it here.
It also brought me back to look at that stupid turkey.
SMOOCH
While I was proud of myself for FINALLY doing what I should have done for years, I must admit that filling in all those little circles was somewhat disappointing.