I am Tevye. Tevye is me. Someone sent me an article on pushing HR 550 and I posted it. Yet I really favor paper ballots hand counted. Is HR 550 better than what we have now or is it actually worse because it allows an expanded role for the EAC? I don’t know. It is crucial that we determine that.
What we have here is an issue which directly and indirectly affects each and every one of us both in the polling booth and beyond. We must familiarize ourselves with the issues and figure out how our democracy is best served. This will not be easy. A lively debate is called for. Instead, we have gone about this exactly backwards. We have rushed to comply first, and ask questions later. HAVA is, at the very least, a problematic piece of legislation which makes voting more complicated and less accessible rather the opposite. That is surely not why HAVA was enacted. Hanging chads seem absolutely benign compared to the electronic messes that pop up at each and every use of the electronic voting machines.
I say, let the debate begin. Let us examine election reform in all of its forms. Let us turn each proposal inside out. I invite activists, legislators, computer scientists and concerned citizens to use OpEdNews as a forum. I will print articles from all sides. The important part is to give this discussion the time and attention it deserves. Unfortunately, it will not be in time to save us from this election, perhaps not even the next one. We will pay a heavy price for that. But, ultimately, if done properly, we can take back our elections and create an informed, mobilized public that is actively involved in determining the course of our country and our future. That will be a bonus, for healthy democracy depends on the vigor of its debates and the degree of involvement of its citizens.
It’s late and I must get my beauty sleep. I look forward to hearing from you.
Primer on vote fraud and Voting Integrity
"The Best Democracy Money Can Buy", Greg Palast, Plume Book (Penguin), 2004. Expanded Election Edition (make sure it has Chapter 9: Oil-Slick Jim, the Third Ring and One Million Missing Ballots)
"What Went Wrong in Ohio: The Conyers Report on the 2004 Presidential Election", Academy Chicago Publishers, 2005
"Did George W. Bush Steal America's 2004 Election? Essential Documents." Edited by Bob Fitrakis, Steve Rosenfeld and Harvey Wasserman, CICJ Books, 2005
"How the GOP Stole America's 2004 Election & Is Rigging 2008", Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman, CICJ, 2005
"Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They'll Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them)", Mark Crispin Miller, Basic Books, 2005
Government-issued GAO Report, issued end September, 2005, on electronic voting machines and 2004 election (available online)
"Invisible Ballots" documentary dvd, produced by William Gazecki, America Media, 2004. www.InvisibleBallots.com
Joan Brunwasser is a co-founder of Citizens for Election Reform (CER) which exists for the sole purpose of raising the public awareness of the critical need for election reform. We aim to restore fair, accurate, transparent, secure elections where votes are cast in private and counted in public. Electronic (computerized) voting systems are simply antithetical to democratic principles.
CER set up a lending library to achieve the widespread distribution of the DVD Invisible Ballots: A temptation for electronic vote fraud. Within eighteen months, the project had distributed over 3200 copies across the country and beyond. CER now concentrates on group showings, OpEd pieces, articles, reviews, interviews, discussion sessions, networking, conferences, anything that promotes awareness of this critical problem. Joan has been Election Integrity Editor for OpEdNews since December, 2005.
No less a figure than our leading elder statesman, James Earl Carter, whose Carter Commission certifies elections around the world, has stated that he cannot certify many of America's elections due to the lack of a paper trail!
The folks at Black Box Voting have been wrestling with this alligator since these cursed boxes first appeared. Kudos to Bev and the folks there.
What seems so egregiously obvious to us is met with a shrug and a "what can we do?" by most of the electorate. This ability to steal outright our free elections is symptomatic of how our system as a whole has degenerated and been manipulated, how we have been disenfranchised and
swindled into thinking that this nation actually is the "land of the free". Many of our citizens are simply alienated and feel helpless in the face of the enormous resources we face off against.
I am of the opinion that election reform is only one tip of a large and submerged iceberg, and that fixing this problem requires an overhaul of a rancid political system.
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2377 comments)
on Friday, March 31, 2006 at 7:37:18 AM
I just saw this now, many months later, but wanted to respond. You are quite right, in my mind, that this is just the tip of the iceberg. But, we have to deal with electronic voting and also: campaign finance reform, the Voting Rights Act, voter registration purges, gerrymandering, etc etc etc
Thanks for not giving up. Have you seen the DVD? Would you like to? I just finished a follow-up piece covering what's happened since its release. Contact me if you're interested. Joan
by
Joan Brunwasser (138 articles, 3398 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 596 comments)
on Friday, July 14, 2006 at 12:01:26 PM
The powers that be just wanna stay the powers that be
The only reason I can think of for the doors that slam shut whenever we try to talk this thing out. Those in power just wanna stay in power. I've said all I can say about this for now:
Must Read (
Well Said (
News (
Touching (
Funny (
Supported (
Interesting (
Inspiring (
Valuable (
