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The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Disasters at America’s Polling Places

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

President, Barack, News, Politics, Wnyc, Obama, Lizza, Washington, Wickenden

4.33.9K Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2020

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On Monday, at the Iowa caucuses, a new smartphone app was used to report the results from each precinct. The app proved faulty, leading to a catastrophic failure to collect and report vote totals. In theory, advances in voting technology make voting easier and more accessible. In practice, they have introduced new vulnerabilities that can be exploited to suppress or undermine the will of the voters. Sue Halpern joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss the recent history of voter suppression and malfunctions at polling places and whether the 2020 election can be saved.

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Transcript

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This is the political scene, a weekly conversation with New Yorker writers and guests about politics.

1:17.6

It's Thursday, February 6th. I'm Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker.

1:23.6

This week's Iowa caucuses revealed once again that the United States electoral process is broken.

1:31.2

During the voting, a smartphone app created by the unfortunately named company Shadow malfunctioned.

1:38.4

The backup hotline system also failed, causing the final vote count to be delayed for several days and sowing confusion

1:45.6

among voters, Democratic Party leaders, and the presidential candidates. But on Monday night,

1:52.0

long before the final results were in, Pete Buttigieg essentially declared himself the winner.

1:57.8

So we don't know all the results.

2:01.6

But we know by the time it's all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation.

2:13.6

Because by all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.

...

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