::::::::
The following excerpt from an article appearing in yesterday's (1/16/08) NY Times offers hope for some LONG OVERDUE steps in the right direction toward fixing our disgustingly unreliable and unaccountable voting system. This is good news, but it ticks me off because Congress has waited so long to try to fix it.
I mean really...can you believe they have dilly dallied until now to try and get something done? Is it too much to ask for my voting machine to utilize the same basic technology as the cash register at WalMart and produce a freakin piece of paper verifying my vote!!? I type all this with clenched teeth...yet there is a flicker of hope as somebody takes a step in the right direction.
The Times article says, "Representative Rush Holt, Democrat of New Jersey, plans to introduce a bill this week that would help address the weaknesses in electronic voting. Congress should pass it without delay.
The solution is for all votes to be recorded on paper records. Voters can then verify that their choice has been accurately reflected — and the paper record can be used as a backup for the electronic machines. Whenever votes are tallied on electronic machines, there should be an audit of paper records as a check on the electronic results. If the paper totals do not match the electronic tallies, something has clearly gone wrong — and the tally of the paper ballots can be treated as the official one.
...The ultimate solution to the problem of electronic voting is a national law requiring voter-verified paper records, something Congress has been inexcusably slow in adopting. As a temporary measure, however, Mr. Holt’s legislation is a good step forward."
All I can say is it's about time. Congress has had seven years since this nightmare began to implement legislation for the necessary changes to ensure a fair count of the vote. Is it just me, or did I smell something funny in New Hampshire?
