You Call This Progress? Denied The God-Given Right To Vote Just Because You Hate Computers

(Houston Press) What do you do if you want to vote today but have a fervent opposition to using a computer? You get screwed, that's what.

Rad Rich, who pretty much founded the punk scene in town in many ways, went to vote today. He then concisely described his experience for Hands Up Houston's message board: "I was told I cant vote because I refuse to use the computers so I was denied the right to vote. F U Houston and I have filed a complaint."

Houston is trembling, we're sure.

We haven't heard back from Rad Rich, but we did talk to Hector DeLeon of the Harris County Clerk's office, and he confirmed that if you refuse to use the eSlate machines, you have no other options today.

"There may be some other jurisdictions that offer another method of voting, but only if it would be easy for them because there were not many voters," he says.

If Harris County decided to offer a paper-voting method, he says, it would involve printing untold numbers of ballots for each precinct, not to mention special security measures to protect them.

"It's a complicated thing," he says.

Technically, you could vote by a mailed absentee ballot, but that would involve swearing you will be out of town on election day. Anyone who has a Code of Honor that prevents using computers would surely balk at lying.

Although we guess that person could make plans to stay at the Bellaire Starbucks for most of the day.

Update: Rad Rich responds! He's not a Luddite, he's wary of vote-stealing.