I participated in early voting today. The polling place was close to work and I did not have to set foot in an elementary school. Not that setting foot in an elementary school would keep my from exercising my voting rights.

The county is using a new electronic voting machine. The interface looks like a huge PDA. It almost looks like a toy.

The only weird thing is a dial is used to navigate on the screen. A dial kind of like a rotary dial phone. Fortunately there was a poll worker there to explain that to me because I instinctually tried to use the screen as a touch pad (the poll worker moved my hand away) to put in my access code. The next thing I looked for was arrow buttons or keys. Then I looked for a number key pad. The next thing I would have done is treat the flat dial like the pad on a game controller. I would have discovered the dial thing when I tried to use it like a pad on a game controller.

This dial design is almost like a Dilbert gag. I can visualize the meeting in which this design was discussed.

Engineer: These arrow-shaped buttons allow the voter to navigate the on-screen ballot.
PHB: Arrow-shaped buttons have points and a voter could get hurt.
Engineer: The points are blunt. Nobody will get hurt.
PHB: Points are negative. How about a nice circle?
Engineer: Circles do not indicate direction.
PHB: Why don't you put in a steering wheel? Varoom varoom.
Engineer: There is no room on the machine for a steering wheel.
PHB: Why don't you put in a dial? It is circular and spins. That would be fun. Voting should be fun.
Engineer: Even in the state of Texas I'm not allowed to just shoot you. I quit.

BOOBIES!