All voting equipment in Houston TX destroyed in a fire.

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**Fallen668**

http://www.khou.com/news/local/3-alarm-fire-destroys-Harris-County-Election-Services-warehouse-101636123.html

Officials: All voting equipment for Houston, Harris County destroyed in 3-alarm fire

Credit: 11 News

Officials: All voting equipment for Houston, Harris County destroyed in 3-alarm fire

by khou.com staff

khou.com

Posted on August 27, 2010 at 9:39 AM

Updated today at 10:03 AM

HOUSTON – A three-alarm fire swept through a northeast Houston warehouse early Friday wiping out more than 10,000 pieces of voting equipment. City officials said they are unsure what will be done when voting begins in the next few months.

The Harris County Election Technology Center, located on Canino at Downey, caught fire around 4:20 a.m., and the blaze quickly grew to three alarms.

The warehouse stored more than 10,000 pieces of equipment, including voting booths and eSlates, the computer-based machines used for collecting votes.

The fire comes just months before the general elections on November 2, which include the governor’s race. Early voting is scheduled to begin in October.

Firefighters had completely extinguished the blaze by 9 a.m.

Looks like this upcoming, important election is going to be interesting. Main questions I am wondering right now are:

1. Does the county have insurance?
2. Does the county have any kind of back up plan?
3. Could they even get enough new voting machines in time for the elections?

As a county employee, I know that they are very cash strapped right now.

**Frazzled**

Oh no! They will have to use paper ballots. Mmmm...old school!

**avantgarde**

Sounds like somebody was too technically inept to stuff the ballots correctly.

**Frazzled**

It doesn't matter. just count all the votes Republican. You'll be off by two or three but thats ok.

**whatwhat**

Just count them. Me I know an entire country which still counts paper votes in general elections.

**Fallen668**

Frazzled wrote:It doesn't matter. just count all the votes Republican. You'll be off by two or three but thats ok.

Hahahahaha.... NO!

**Gwar!**

whatwhat wrote:Just count them. Me I know an entire country which still counts paper votes in general elections.

You happen to know one that doesn't rig them? I'd like to live there.

**Fallen668**

whatwhat wrote:Just count them. Me I know an entire country which still counts paper votes in general elections.

And does this county of yours have an estimated population of 4 Million people? Granted they all don't come out to vote, but if one in 5 do, that is still 800,000 votes.

I will admit I am not too sure what voter turnout is during midterm elections here. I like to believe that more people vote than actually do.

**whatwhat**

Fallen668 wrote:
whatwhat wrote:Just count them. Me I know an entire country which still counts paper votes in general elections.

And does this county of yours have an estimated population of 4 Million people? Granted they all don't come out to vote, but if one in 5 do, that is still 800,000 votes.

I will admit I am not too sure what voter turnout is during midterm elections here. I like to believe that more people vote than actually do.

It has a population of about 60 million actually.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
It's called Great Britain ever heard of it?

These voting machines you seem to take for granted don't exist in the vast majority of countries on earth. To most people outside your country 'voting equipment' means a pencil, a voting slip and a ballot box. So if most of the world can, I'm sure a county of 4 million people will be able to manage.

**Fallen668**

Touche... My bad actually... I misread country as county.

**Frazzled**

whatwhat wrote:
Fallen668 wrote:
whatwhat wrote:Just count them. Me I know an entire country which still counts paper votes in general elections.

And does this county of yours have an estimated population of 4 Million people? Granted they all don't come out to vote, but if one in 5 do, that is still 800,000 votes.

I will admit I am not too sure what voter turnout is during midterm elections here. I like to believe that more people vote than actually do.

It has a population of about 60 million actually.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
It's called Great Britain ever heard of it?

These voting machines you seem to take for granted don't exist in the vast majority of countries on earth. To most people outside your country 'voting equipment' means a pencil, a voting slip and a ballot box. So if most of the world can, I'm sure a county of 4 million people will be able to manage.

What what have you ever tried the punch machines? Thats where you punch out the ballot with a little pin. It makes an extremely satisfying "kachunk" sound.

I never understood why we just didn't do scantron They could count up all the ballots in 8.72 minutes with a scantron.

**Gwar!**

They could do it in even less if they stopped bothering to pretend it made a difference and just scrapped the whole lot.

**George Spiggott**

Isn't Texas where they just shoot the incumbent if they don't like him?

**Scrabb**

George Spiggott wrote:Isn't Texas where they just shoot the incumbent if they don't like him?

Naw, that's standard criminal fare. Politicians who have been found sufficiently wanted have earned themselves a hanging!

**avantgarde**

George Spiggott wrote:Isn't Texas where they just shoot the incumbent if they don't like him?

Texas isn't some lawless guns ablazin', grab 'em by the nose and kick 'em in the balls, backwater anymore; we have lethal injections now.

**Frazzled**

George Spiggott wrote:Isn't Texas where they just shoot the incumbent if they don't like him?

Well yea. thats why our governors are excellent shots. They can shoot a coyote at 20 yards, no problem.

Here was the last Democratic Governor. Awesome Anne is Awesome

**inquisitor_bob**

Frazzled wrote:
Well yea. thats why our governors are excellent shots. They can shoot a coyote at 20 yards, no problem.

To enter into the Texas Capital building in Austin a visitor usually have to go through a metal detector. However, if the visitor has a valid Concealed Handgun License then that visitor do not have to go through the metal detector and also avoid the line.

Texas is AWESOME

**youbedead**

inquisitor_bob wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Well yea. thats why our governors are excellent shots. They can shoot a coyote at 20 yards, no problem.

To enter into the Texas Capital building in Austin a visitor usually have to go through a metal detector. However, if the visitor has a valid Concealed Handgun License then that visitor do not have to go through the metal detector and also avoid the line.

Texas is AWESOME

IN Arizona we can carry any weapon concealed without a permit, and if its made in AZ it doesn't have to be registered.

estamos muy loco

**Gwar!**

Yes, but you got all them Dern Extra Terrestrials and whatnot.

**Arctik_Firangi**

youbedead wrote:
inquisitor_bob wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Well yea. thats why our governors are excellent shots. They can shoot a coyote at 20 yards, no problem.

To enter into the Texas Capital building in Austin a visitor usually have to go through a metal detector. However, if the visitor has a valid Concealed Handgun License then that visitor do not have to go through the metal detector and also avoid the line.

Texas is AWESOME

IN Arizona we can carry any weapon concealed without a permit, and if its made in AZ it doesn't have to be registered.

nos muy loco

There are, however, strict laws regarding the movement of cacti.

**Frazzled**

Dude cactus are spiky. there better be strict laws about their movement-they'll poke ya!

**Arctik_Firangi**

There are no restrictions on the owner of the cactus moving it to another property that he also owns. It must be a conspiracy.

**Gwar!**

Guns don't kill people, Cacti Do!

**Arctik_Firangi**

You go around squeezing triggers, things might get hurt. You go around squeezing cacti, you will get hurt. But who started the fire?

**Frazzled**

Arctik_Firangi wrote:You go around squeezing triggers, things might get hurt. You go around squeezing cacti, you will get hurt. But who started the fire?

Clearly it was the work of the CLF (Cactus Liberation Front).

**Arctik_Firangi**

I have gathered CLUES from their known allies, the Animal Liberation Front.

Some lackwit wrote:*****les for the Pussy

Once plants feel safe, however, they may drop their need for defense. In one study, a scientist wanted to determine if cacti grow needles primarily for the purpose of keeping themselves from harm. Safely housed in a greenhouse, the scientist talked to numerous cacti assuring them that they were protected and that he cared about them. He encouraged the plants to feel even more secure by playing soothing music in the greenhouse. Within several months the cacti dropped all their spikes. The offspring of these bare cacti were born without needles. Defenseless within this nurturing environment, the mature and new-born cacti prospered. After a period of a year of being without their protective quills, the cacti suddenly began re-growing their bristles and new baby sprouts were born with needles again.

After some investigation, it was discovered that a house cat had found its way into the greenhouse. Suspecting that the cat may be the source of the perceived threat to the cacti causing the reemergence of their means of protection, the scientist blocked the cat's way of entry. Once the cacti sensed they were once again safe, all of the cacti dropped their *****ly means of defense.