Tensions are high on both sides of the political spectrum and stories like these will simply fan the flames of unrest.
In North Carolina voters are complaining of rigged machines forcing them to vote Democrat:
A Craven County voter says he had a near miss at the polls on Thursday when an electronic voting machine completed his straight-party ticket for the opposite of what he intended.
Sam Laughinghouse of New Bern said he pushed the button to vote Republican in all races, but the voting machine screen displayed a ballot with all Democrats checked. He cleared the screen and tried again with the same result, he said. Then he asked for and received help from election staff.
“They pushed it twice and the same thing happened,†Laughinghouse said. “That was four times in a row. The fifth time they pushed it and the Republicans came up and I voted.â€
M. Ray Wood, Craven County Board of elections chairman, issued a written statement saying that the elections board is aware of isolated issues and that in each case the voter was able to cast his or her ballot as desired.
Chuck Tyson, chairman of Craven County GOP, remains skeptical. He has been communicating with Wood about the issue and was invited to a meeting Wednesday with state elections officials. There were no further details about that meeting.
“Something is not right here,†Tyson told the Sun Journal. He said he “got two or three calls†from people describing the same problem while they were voting.
“I’ll be matter of fact, I didn’t find that press release satisfactory,†Tyson said, referring to Wood’s written statement.
In Boulder City, Nevada voters have found that their votes had already been cast for Harry Reid:
LAS VEGAS — Some voters in Boulder City complained on Monday that their ballot had been cast before they went to the polls, raising questions about Clark County’s electronic voting machines.
Voter Joyce Ferrara said when they went to vote for Republican Sharron Angle, her Democratic opponent, Sen. Harry Reid’s name was already checked.
Ferrara said she wasn’t alone in her voting experience. She said her husband and several others voting at the same time all had the same thing happen.
“Something’s not right,” Ferrara said. “One person that’s a fluke. Two, that’s strange. But several within a five minute period of time — that’s wrong.”
In that case the election workers are blaming elderly voters and their “shaky hands” making matters worse.
When I say I’m barricading myself in my house after voting I’m not kidding. No matter the outcome there is going to be some angry people out there who are primed for violence.