Not that he's some political expert or anything -- (" In 6th grade I was the campaign manager for a friend running for President of Student Council," he recalls. "I think he won but I don't remember.") -- but he is a voter. And just like all of the 185 million or so who are registered in the U.S., he wants his vote to be accurately recorded, dammit.
After all, the right to vote "is the right from which all other rights are derived," Smith offers; "the cornerstone of our democracy.
"Most people engage in faith-based voting, meaning that they have "faith' our system works. I'm simply asking upon what specifically are we basing this faith?
"I think when you open the hood on the engine of our democracy, the answers are very disturbing."
This won't be some conspiracy flick, though. "This really isn't an exposà © or the hunt for a smoking gun."
Smith stresses that he holds the project at a bilateral level, too. "With the goal of facilitating a non-partisan dialogue, the documentary's focus narrows on the administration of recording and counting ballots, a challenging issue that affects us all, rather than the more politically-driven aspects of elections, such as voter identification and redistricting."
"I Voted?" definitely adds a lot of fun to the facts it reports, too, which Smith says is a necessary part of the picture.
"I'm trying to make a film that's "info-taining,'" Smith promises, and which can certainly be seen in its preliminary trailer. "If I bore people, it doesn't matter how important my material is because I will have lost my audience.
"Consequently, humor is a major part of my mission."
"I Voted?" doesn't want to just report on the problems these so-called voting machines impose, however. Smith hopes his documentary could offer insight on how to correct them, too.
"We could change elections dramatically with a federal mandate for evidence-based elections," he offers as one example of lessons he learned in the film's progress to date, "meaning elections that can be completely reconstructed utilizing a voter-marked, durable record of intent and risk-limiting audits.
"I also want to offer cost-effective remedies that will put us on the path toward more election integrity," he says.
Offering cost-effectiveness in its own production is where "I Voted?" could still use some help, though. "So far, the project has been self-financed," Smith says, "and I am in the initial fundraising stages."
He's expecting over $200,000 in expenses, and requests donations to help him make sure the film is released in time for the 2014 election season. (On the right side of the site's header, see "click here to make a tax deductible donation for the film's completion.")
And, yes -- your online-submitted donations will be tax-deductible, as they'll be accepted and processed by From the Heart Productions, a charitable 501(c)3 organization dedicated to aiding films that are "unique and make a contribution to society."
And just like our electronic voting systems could use some heavenly aid, "I Voted?" could also use an angel or three. "Anyone interested in investing in the film is welcome to contact me directly," Smith says (and you can reach him on this subject by email: Email address removed ).
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