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'Recalibration issues' to blame for alleged e-voting fraud

An online video shows an e-voting machine in Pennsylvania apparently switching a vote for Barack Obama into one for Mitt Romney.

A VIDEO ALLEGEDLY showing e-voting machine fraud occurring in Pennsylvania has gone viral today – as it appears to show a vote for Barack Obama being changed to one for Mitt Romney.

The video, first published on YouTube by user “centralpavoter” and then picked up by Reddit, has outraged viewers as it appears to show e-voting machine fraud.

The person who uploaded the video says that he was unable to select Obama for president and was told by staff it was “nothing to worry about” when he complained, NBC News reports.

NBC also confirmed that the machine was taken out of service after being captured on video changing the vote.

So did the video reveal deliberate vote-tampering? Speaking to Mashable, Senior Staff Technologist at the Center for Democracy and Technology, Joseph Lorenzo Hall, said it was improbable – and that “calibration issues” were more likely to blame:

These are touchscreens, they get shaken around a lot, temperature variations can cause them to go out of whack. And a lot of these are 10- to 15-year-old computers, so it’s not too crazy to expect them to do some funny things.

Touchscreens can potentially lose calibration in individual areas of the screen, and users can also interfere with calibration by inadvertently touching a screen with another part of their body as they use it, Hall said.

A short time ago, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of State told  Mother Jones a machine that showed the problem – likely the same one – is back in operation after being “recalibrated.”

The problem seems to be hitting both ways: the Republican National Committee last week sent a letter to election officials in six other states raising concerns that machines had wrongly counted votes for Obama.

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    Mute Whatever
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    Feb 6th 2020, 7:39 AM

    This is a fantastic initiative, well done

    93
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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Feb 6th 2020, 7:56 AM

    @Whatever: how is this good? Protected sex is way better than a kit. Is there not std clinics in place all ready. GP’s in place. Would it not be better to put that money to hire more people.

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    Mute Donncha Ó Coileáin
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    Feb 6th 2020, 8:07 AM

    @Dave Barrett: You can protect yourself all you want, but you can still get STIs. Even with 100% protection, you need to get tested.

    Home-testing kits offer a lot more value for money than hiring more people at the clinics. Though, more staff wouldn’t hurt either. Home-testing kits also offer the chance to be tested to those who, for seriously outdated reasons, think going to the STI clinic is something shameful and to be avoided at all costs.

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Feb 6th 2020, 8:32 AM

    @Donncha Ó Coileáin: whats shameful is getting a std in the first place.

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    Mute john doe
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    Feb 6th 2020, 8:55 AM

    @Dave Barrett: getting an sti is unfortunate but there is nothing shameful about sexuality or even promiscuity so long as all involved are willing and eager.

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    Mute Michael Burke
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    Feb 6th 2020, 9:19 AM

    @Dave Barrett: go back to your own century

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    Mute Bandit 600
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    Feb 6th 2020, 9:58 AM

    @Dave Barrett: exactly comments like yours the reason why many people wouldn’t go to their doctor or a clinic to get checked

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    Mute Davis Payne
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    Feb 6th 2020, 1:02 PM

    @Dave Barrett: what if your unfortunate enough to be the monogamous ONE in a relationship? You don’t know where you stand and clearly can’t trust your former partner (or partner if you’re the forgiving type) to be fully forth coming with facts?
    How has a person in that situation shamed themselves?

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    Mute Terry Cahill
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    Feb 7th 2020, 2:50 AM

    @Dave Barrett: Sorry…did you mean “what’s shameful IN getting “ ? Otherwise you are mentally defective.

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    Mute Ro-your-nan
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    Feb 6th 2020, 7:53 AM

    This initiative might sound ‘rash’ but it deserves ‘the clap’. I’ve been ‘itching’ to get one of these – bet there were still be a few ‘crabby’ comments made about this.

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Feb 6th 2020, 6:19 AM

    A pox on all their houses!

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    Mute Justice Mickey
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    Feb 6th 2020, 7:30 AM

    @John Mulligan:
    No, it should be “a pox in all their houses”

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    Mute Mejo
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    Feb 6th 2020, 9:08 AM

    Welcome to our Weimar Republic!

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    Mute Davis Payne
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    Feb 6th 2020, 1:18 PM

    @Mejo: suspended twitter account eh? Says it all.
    I’m sure you’re Twitter wasn’t suspended for opened minded 21st century thinking.

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    Mute Mejo
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    Feb 6th 2020, 2:10 PM

    @Davis Payne: ‘it says it all’ would you like to elaborate Davis?

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    Mute Davis Payne
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    Feb 6th 2020, 12:58 PM

    A lot of people may be too embarrassed to go and get tested. If it helps a higher rate of detection that’s great.

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