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Tag(s): 2006 Election Investigations; 2006 Elections; Cuyahoga; Election Recounts Protests; Election Theft; Election-Voting Issues; Franklin; Ohio; Voting Integrity; Voting Machines; (more...) Voting Reform; Voting Technology (less...)
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December 20, 2006 at 11:49:52

Death Bed Unity for HCPBs (Hand Counter Paper Ballots)

by Rady Ananda Page 2 of 2 page(s)

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"No. I've run three elections now and written out a cost analysis. If we pay them $10 an hour and pay administrators more, it costs half as much to hand count paper ballots than to use machines."

"Ahh," he smiled. "I see where you're coming from."

I laughed and nodded, showing my enthusiasm. "It's cheaper and we can trust the results!"

In this Republican household, where the patriarch is on his deathbed, the heir apparent pronounced my strategy laudable.

His wife stepped forward and loudly intoned, "I'm glad you're on this, Rady." What Carolyn meant was that she trusted I would design and run an honest election.

My sister challenged me for not working in the environmental movement. I had decided to return to college (and live in poverty) in my 40s, another sore point with my family.

I explained, "I tried, Shelley. I really tried to get a job saving the environment. I begged for a job paying $8.50 an hour in steep hilly terrain. They won't hire me in Ohio."

I took a breath. "So, I'll save democracy instead," I smiled. Everyone laughed.

Boisterous conversation precluded me from raising the idea that without honest elections, no other issues can be addressed. But I stated the main points. They already have no confidence in reported results – it wasn't a far leap to consider a paper ballot system.

I'm working in a field of interest (honest elections), doing work I have prior experience in (research and investigations), and it's all for the benefit of democracy.

My family can forgive my prior absences, knowing I can now afford to visit them on a moment's notice. Because of this, Christmas this year has been tragically beautiful.

The best gift I take from them this time is that we all agree we all want honest elections, whether Democrat, Republican or other.

Postscript: Of course, blood bonds are primary and I love all the members of my family. I couldn't have done this work over the past couple years without the financial and emotional support of my biological family, as well as those friends and allies I consider part of my tribe. "Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more."

1 | 2

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. Her blogs also address religious, gender, sexual and racial equality, as well as environmental issues; and are sprinkled with book and film reviews on various topics. She spent most of her working life as a legal investigator for private lawyers, and five years as an editor. She currently serves as a senior editor at OpEdNews. All material offered here is the property of Rady Ananda, copyright 2006, 2007, 2008. Permission is granted to repost, with proper attribution including the original link. "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." Tell the truth anyway.

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4 comments

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...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Joan BrunwasserJoan 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...

to see more of bio, click on member name

from the heart

thank you, rady. both for your personal story and for what it can teach us about the universality of this issue: EVERYONE wants their votes to count and wants to be able to count on their votes being tallied accurately and securely. Anyone opposed to such an ideal would have a heck of a time trying to justify it.
Joan B

by Joan Brunwasser (164 articles, 3539 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 634 comments) on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 3:49:39 PM

Oregon elections lead the way. I am passionately interested in national election & registration reform. Also, issues of presidential power.

"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing."
Barbara AdamsOregon elections lead the way. I am passionately interested in national election & registration reform. Also, issues of presidential power.

"All that is necessary for evil to prevail is that good men do nothing."

Your oped article, today.

Rady, I sent this email text to an activist friend, today.

This is an interesting personal story. She shares my deep conviction that getting our elections straightened out is of the highest priority. Whether you agree or not, please take time to read.

BTW, The picture is changing very fast.
Only 10 days ago, Rush Holt switched from paper trails/receipts to requiring actual paper BALLOTS.
Today, hand counting & optical scanning are the only means of counting them.
I have favored letting each state chose its method. while knowing optical scanners are NOT infallible, either - just MUCH better than any kind of DRE/touch-screen.

"Sufficient hearings and floor debate are imperative," I told Peter DeFazio. (In particular, hand counting versus optical scanning needs to be addressed.)

Any compromise? Yes, the bill could require paper ballots by 2008, not specifying counting method.
If optical scanners then prove unreliable or dubious, ALL states could be required to to do hand counting by 2010.
I'm uneasy with having yet another presidential election possibly swung by unreliable machines.

BTW, Oregon no longer requires audit of OSs, for the audits always jibed with the random hand counts.
Are there certain companies or models that are superior? Even so, I doubt they're infalable.

click here

Watch this closely, Lois. It's all going to be an explosive issue in the 110th Congress, only exceeded by Iraq.
You may wish to forward this to your mailing list(s).

Barbara

by Barbara Adams (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4 comments) on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 4:08:04 PM

I'm an anti-civilizationist and election boycott advocate in San Diego. For reasons not to vote in faith-based elections with secret vote counts for candidates you cannot hold accountable if they fail to represent you, check out the discussions, articles, and videos on my website http://noinnovember.ning.com
Mark E. SmithI'm an anti-civilizationist and election boycott advocate in San Diego. For reasons not to vote in faith-based elections with secret vote counts for candidates you cannot hold accountable if they fail to represent you, check out the discussions, articles, and videos on my website http://noinnovember.ning.com

Thank you, Rady.

Thank you for all that you are doing, and for sharing this poignant story with us.

Of course you are working to save the environment along with democracy, even if you didn't get a chance to explain it to your family. If we'd had honest elections, Bush wouldn't have been able to appoint anti-environmentalists to head all the federal environmental agencies.

As you pointed out, without honest elections, nothing else is possible.

--Mark

by Mark E. Smith (21 articles, 30 quicklinks, 100 diaries, 1325 comments) on Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at 4:11:34 PM

We're pulling together on this.

This comment has been flagged and is awaiting review by the editors -
Reason: Other

Text I emailed to Rady this pm, checking box to post in comments. Why didn't it appear.
Note:I'm Oregon (see profile) & a copy of Cheated is in the mail.

This is an interesting personal story. She shares my deep conviction that getting our elections straightened out is of the highest priority. Whether you agree or not, please take time to read.

BTW, The picture is changing very fast.
Only 10 days ago, Rush Holt switched from paper trails/receipts to requiring actual paper BALLOTS.
Today, hand counting & optical scanning are the only means of counting them.
I have favored letting each state chose its method. while knowing optical scanners are NOT infallible, either - just MUCH better than any kind of DRE/touch-screen.

"Sufficient hearings and floor debate are imperative," I told Peter DeFazio. (In particular, hand counting versus optical scanning needs to be addressed.)

Any compromise? Yes, the bill might require paper ballots by 2008, not specifying counting method.
If optical scanners then prove unreliable or dubious, ALL states could be required to to do hand counting by 2010.
I'm uneasy with having yet another presidential election possibly swung by unreliable machines.

BTW, Oregon no longer requires audit of OSs, for the audits always jibed with the random hand counts.
Are there certain companies or models that are superior? Even so, I doubt they're infalable.

click here

Watch this closely, Lois. It's all going to be an explosive issue in the 110th Congress, only exceeded by Iraq.
You may wish to forward this to your mailing list(s).

Barbara