It was a few minutes after the Polls Closed here on Election Day when panic began to spread through the County Election Offices.
Vote Totals in a Northampton County Judge’s Race showed One Candidate, Abe Kassis (D), had just 164 Votes out of 55,000 Ballots Across more than 100 Precincts.
Some Machines reported Zero Votes for him. In a County with the Ability to Vote for a Straight-Party Ticket, One Candidate’s Zero Votes was a near Statistical Impossibility. Something had gone quite Wrong.
Lee Snover, the Chairwoman of the County Republicans, said her Anxiety began to pick up at 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 5th.
She had Trouble getting someone from the Election Office on the phone. When she eventually got through, she said: “I’m coming down there and you better let me in.”
With clearly Faulty Results in at least the Judge’s Election, Officials began Hand Counting the Paper Backup Ballots generated by the same Machines.
The Paper Ballots showed Mr. Kassis Winning narrowly, 26,142 to 25,137, over his Opponent, Victor Scomillio (R).
The Machines that Broke in Northampton County are called the ExpressVoteXL and are made by Election Systems & Software (ES&S), a Major Manufacturer of Election Machines used across the Country. The ExpressVoteXL is among their Newest and most High-End Machines, a Luxury “one-stop” Voting System that combines a 32-inch Touch Screen and a Paper Ballot Printer.
To initiate a Vote, a Voter Places a Blank Ballot-shaped Piece of Paper in the Machine, makes their Selections on the Screen, and then Presses the word “Vote.” The Machine Prints a Ballot that is Protected under a Plate of Glass for the Voter to Review. The Voter then clicks “Cast” on the Screen, the Digital Votes are Recorded on a USB and the Backup Ballot is Transmitted to a Sealed Canister in the Back of the Machine.
The Snafu in Northampton County did not just Expose Flaws in both the Election Machine Testing and Procurement Process. It also Highlighted the Fears, Frustrations, and Mistrust over Election Security that many Voters are feeling ahead of the 2020 Presidential Contest, given how Faith in American Elections has never been more Fragile. The Problematic Machines were also used in Philadelphia and its Surrounding Suburbs, areas of Pennsylvania that could prove Decisive in the 2020 Presidential Race.
Though there has been No conclusive Study as to what caused the Machines to Malfunction, as the Machines are Locked away for 20 days after an Election according to State Law, the prevailing Theory is that the Touch Screens were Plagued by a Bug in the Software. A Senior Intelligence Official who focuses on Election Security said there were No Visible Signs of Outside Meddling by any Foreign Actors.
The Paper Ballot Backup Process worked. The Touch Screens Failed, but the Backups had the Correct Vote. It Proved the Necessity of a Paper Backup.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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