McKinney campaign claims Diebold vote-switching

Press release from Congresswoman Cynthia Mckinney's campaign, July 18:

DIEBOLD ELECTRONIC MACHINES MALFUNCTION, VOTE FOR OTHER CANDIDATE

(Decatur) After one hour of voting, the McKinney campaign has received numerous calls that the voting machines are malfunctioning. Voters casting votes for McKinney are reportedly having their votes switched by the machines for Hank Johnson. This is not a new problem with Diebold machines. Lawyers for the campaign have been alerted and said that If this situation is not corrected, Cynthia McKinney for Congress will be forced to take additional measures.

FOR IMMEDITATE RELEASE
July 18, 2006
Contact: Jocco Baccus
678-520-2088

See our report on 2004's flawed elections.

10 AM update

from the Mckinney campaign:

Just after the polls opened, numerous problems with Diebold electronic voting machines were noted. At one Rockdale precinct, reportedly a single Diebold machine malfunction affected the performance of the entire sequence of machines assigned to that precinct. Additionally, one machine didn't have a plug and sat idle. In addition, workers were not adequately trained on the use of the electronic pollbooks, resulting in unneccessary voter frustration.

When one McKinney voter realized too late that her intended vote had been switched by the voting machine to a McKinney opponent, the polling place official's response was "she needs to let us know next time before she casts her ballot." McKinney campaign officials want to know what about this time?

A snake in the bush is easy to fight. But one already in the house becomes a problem!

10:24 AM

One couple went to vote together, as they always do. When they arrived at the polling place, the Diebold electronic pollbook was in use by officials. The wife's name was in the electronic pollbook's database and she was allowed to vote. The polling officials told the husband that he had already voted. The husband, irate at hearing this news, and being told that he could not vote, contacted McKinney headquarters and Team McKinney lawyers have been dispatched to the precinct.