In a recent election in the District of Columbia, an extra 1,500 votes were added to the vote count that were never cast. Apparently, these votes were caused by static electricity. Or something.
New measures are being taken to make sure irregularities in September's D.C. Primary vote don't happen in November. Officials at the D.C. Board of Elections say they now know what caused 1,500 extra votes to appear in the count.326 people voted at the Reeves Center precinct on primary election day in September. Their votes were captured on a computer cartridge, but the Board of Elections says when it put the cartridge into the citywide computer to be counted, 1,500 write in votes appeared from nowhere. The board completed its investigation of what might have happened and blames static electricity.
"One of the many possible causes could be an electric charge or static discharge," said Errol Arthur, D.C. Board of Elections. Some city residents, like Beatrice Fink, laughed at the explanation. Resident Eddie Jewett said, "Could have used a more elaborate one than that."
I'll bring my cat with me....and pat her vigorously while voting.
I wonder how many people will actually believe that excuse?
I am constantly amazed at the robustness of modern PC components and wonder if they have "Static Discharge" problems doing American Idle Polls??
Im thinking I'll wear a red fleece jumpsuit.