Friday, March 21, 2003
Fisher-Price Wins Florida Ballot Design Contract
From Chortler.com
The Florida Elections Commission has awarded Fisher-Price a contract to develop a less confusing balloting system for the state in the run-up to November's midterm elections.
Fearing a repeat of 2000’s "dimpled chad" recount fiasco and the recent confusion during the state’s primary elections, Florida officials asked both Fisher-Price and Playskool to submit proposals on how they would eliminate the guesswork from the voting process.
Playskool’s plan was based upon its popular Poundin’ Bedbugs toy. This system, however, in which a vote would be cast by pounding the plastic head of the candidate of choice with a small hammer, was rejected on the grounds that it would be far too complex for most Florida voters.
Fisher-Price, meanwhile, countered with a proposal based upon it classic See ‘n Say series.
"It's really quite simple," spokeswoman Liz Holden explained. "All you have to do is turn the pointer towards the candidate of your choice and cast your vote by pulling the string. Then the voice of the candidate comes on and says, for example, "Al Gore says, 'You have voted for me.'"
"Preliminary tests using kindergarten children have been quite promising," Holden went on to say, adding that Fisher-Price will next test the system on the Early Bird Special crowd at a Palm Beach Denny's.
From Chortler.com
The Florida Elections Commission has awarded Fisher-Price a contract to develop a less confusing balloting system for the state in the run-up to November's midterm elections.
Fearing a repeat of 2000’s "dimpled chad" recount fiasco and the recent confusion during the state’s primary elections, Florida officials asked both Fisher-Price and Playskool to submit proposals on how they would eliminate the guesswork from the voting process.
Playskool’s plan was based upon its popular Poundin’ Bedbugs toy. This system, however, in which a vote would be cast by pounding the plastic head of the candidate of choice with a small hammer, was rejected on the grounds that it would be far too complex for most Florida voters.
Fisher-Price, meanwhile, countered with a proposal based upon it classic See ‘n Say series.
"It's really quite simple," spokeswoman Liz Holden explained. "All you have to do is turn the pointer towards the candidate of your choice and cast your vote by pulling the string. Then the voice of the candidate comes on and says, for example, "Al Gore says, 'You have voted for me.'"
"Preliminary tests using kindergarten children have been quite promising," Holden went on to say, adding that Fisher-Price will next test the system on the Early Bird Special crowd at a Palm Beach Denny's.
