3 ms·

If it's user error, there should be reports of votes being switched both ways. Why do I get the feeling that's not actually the case? I can smell a pile of BS t

If it's user error, there should be reports of votes being switched both ways. Why do I get the feeling that's not actually the case? I can smell a pile of BS that big all the way from Massachusetts.

ip26 8y ago
I wonder if one or the other party is more likely to vote expressly straight-ticket, i.e. check a box that says "just vote for all Democratic/Republican candidates"
- greglindahl 8y ago
  In most places "straight ticket" voting is more popular with some segments of the population than others. That leads to all kinds of shenanigans.
bargl 8y ago
I can think of a few reasonable explanations. The first being that it probably defaults to whoever is at the top of the ballot. I.E. The incumbent and in this case a Republican. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
- notacoward 8y ago
  It's not clear from the story that defaults are relevant. Votes are made and then changed, not left blank
  - jshevek 8y ago
    I agree that this is not 'user error'. I would say its a 'poorly made interface', but bargl is right. Your initial claim was: >If it's user error, there should be reports of votes being switched both ways. Bargl gave a counter-example, showing that a lack of bi-directional changes doesn't place such constraints on the possible nature of the problem. > I can think of a few reasonable explanations. The first being that it probably defaults to whoever is at the top of the ballot. I.E. The incumbent and in this case a Republican. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." He wasn't claiming that the defaults must be relevant, only that they could be relevant.
makomk 8y ago
Given that it's supposedly some scroll-wheel related input issue, I suspect the vote is being changed to the next entry on the list in a particular direction. That potentially fits with Democrat votes being changed to Republican ones and Republican ones to no vote at all, which is what people have been complaining about.

If it's user error, there should be reports of votes being switched both ways. Why do I get the feeling that's not actually the case? I can smell a pile of BS that big all the way from Massachusetts.

ip26 8y ago

I wonder if one or the other party is more likely to vote expressly straight-ticket, i.e. check a box that says "just vote for all Democratic/Republican candidates"

greglindahl 8y ago
In most places "straight ticket" voting is more popular with some segments of the population than others. That leads to all kinds of shenanigans.

bargl 8y ago

I can think of a few reasonable explanations. The first being that it probably defaults to whoever is at the top of the ballot. I.E. The incumbent and in this case a Republican. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

notacoward 8y ago
It's not clear from the story that defaults are relevant. Votes are made and then changed, not left blank
- jshevek 8y ago
  I agree that this is not 'user error'. I would say its a 'poorly made interface', but bargl is right. Your initial claim was: >If it's user error, there should be reports of votes being switched both ways. Bargl gave a counter-example, showing that a lack of bi-directional changes doesn't place such constraints on the possible nature of the problem. > I can think of a few reasonable explanations. The first being that it probably defaults to whoever is at the top of the ballot. I.E. The incumbent and in this case a Republican. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." He wasn't claiming that the defaults must be relevant, only that they could be relevant.

makomk 8y ago

Given that it's supposedly some scroll-wheel related input issue, I suspect the vote is being changed to the next entry on the list in a particular direction. That potentially fits with Democrat votes being changed to Republican ones and Republican ones to no vote at all, which is what people have been complaining about.