The system is designed with enough checks and balances to eliminate mere incompetence. Election ballots even have their own paper, the way that money has, that's how sacred the ballots are. Mis-printed ballots would never pass the verification process, whereby those responsible for that step in the process officially sign off—as in, under penalty of perjury—to the nature of the ballots. Mere incompetence would not eliminate their responsibility or exposure in this case.
If it were just one location with these problems, or if we were seeing the same problems throughout all precincts and during early voting as well, maybe incompetence. But when we see this specific problem only on election day (meaning there was a change from the early voting config), across numerous but not all voting sites, and when the affected voting sites just happen to be heavily skewed towards Republican voting patterns... nah.
The system is designed with enough checks and balances to eliminate mere incompetence. Election ballots even have their own paper, the way that money has, that's how sacred the ballots are. Mis-printed ballots would never pass the verification process, whereby those responsible for that step in the process officially sign off—as in, under penalty of perjury—to the nature of the ballots. Mere incompetence would not eliminate their responsibility or exposure in this case.
Yes, like getting dollar bills from the bank that are a half inch smaller. Just does not happen.
If it were just one location with these problems, or if we were seeing the same problems throughout all precincts and during early voting as well, maybe incompetence. But when we see this specific problem only on election day (meaning there was a change from the early voting config), across numerous but not all voting sites, and when the affected voting sites just happen to be heavily skewed towards Republican voting patterns... nah.