jmac said:
One jokester, punning the last election in Florida, said, "The old
people can't read restaurant menus so how can you expect them to read a
ballot".
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Unfortunately, I think there's more than a thread of truth here. I
lived and voted in the now infamous Palm Beach County, Florida for 10
years from 1985-95 using the now infamous punch cards. I thought it was
a simple, inexpensive, easy to use system and never had a problem. Each
polling station had simple, illustrated directions on how to use the
machine and poll workers were always there to assist if needed. As to
"hanging chads", the same poll workers (most of them even older than
most of the elderly voters) always explained that you should check the
back side of your card for chads and pull them off if there were any.
Also, if there was any problem or you made a mistake, you were always
advised to turn in your ballot card for another.
Unfortunately, I left for the frozen north before the advent of the
"butterfly" ballot so I can't comment on the ergonomics of that one.
I'll probably be flamed for the comment as returning to the literacy
tests of old but, in my opinion, the ability to read or at least follow
simple illustrated directions should be a voting requirement. I have no
(voting related) sympathy for those who couldn't handle it.
Chuck Norcutt
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