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Tag(s): 2008 Election Presidential; Corporations E-Voting; Democracy; Electronic Voting; Hillary Clinton; New Hampshire; Obama-Barack; Optical Scan Voting Machines; Polls; Primary Interference; (more...) Ron Paul; Voting Integrity; Voting Technology (less...)
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January 9, 2008 at 23:17:03

Headlined on 1/9/08:
Inherent Uncertainty and NH's Primary Results

by Rady Ananda Page 2 of 2 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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Dave Berman describes this idea in two ways:

[W]e have the intentional creation and perpetuation of inherent uncertainty. It serves the power structure to keep the masses divided. Wedge issues are just the most superficial and obvious ways. More insidious and apparently not as easy to recognize is the rift in the perception of reality created by inherent uncertainty.

He explains further, in tonight’s email to me:

I think inherent uncertainty is intentionally created through various means including sheer laziness and false balance, but also in situations where "truth" can never really be known - secret vote counting, for example. Whatever is published is presented as if it were a certain fact….

Leaving it to the media consumer to decide also facilitates a rift in the perception of reality. This is the linchpin of it all, since matters of fact are forcibly devolved into differences of opinion that can never be resolved (since we can never know the true outcome of any election counted in secret).

Instead of fighting about who was right, the pollsters or the machines, we are better served by removing machines from public elections and reaching conclusive outcomes - results that can be repeatedly verified by anyone.

We do this by upgrading to hand-counted paper ballots at the precinct, on election night, before all who wish to observe. Results are then posted at the precinct for all to verify.

There are several hundred precincts in the nation that still hand count paper ballots, on election night. It takes 4-5 hours, depending on the number of counting teams. It’s done at the precinct level, which handles about 1,000 registered voters. A fresh team of counters can be pooled from the list of registered voters, and the audit verification is part of the hand-counting process.

Hand-counting is simple – we’ve been doing it for over 125 years on a mass scale. It’s the least expensive, and the easiest to secure from fraud. It is a “high order civic duty” according to Sally Castleman, Executive Director of Election Defense Alliance.

Transparent vote counting will yield inherent certainty, since any group of people can count the voter-prepared ballots to arrive at the same conclusive outcomes. This is what we deserve and demand.

Call or write your representative and demand these machines be banned from use in the United States. Stand up for transparent vote counting that leads to conclusive results. Stand up for democracy. Do it now.

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All voting machines should be banned from public elections. Given all the scientific evidence condemning computerized voting systems; given all the

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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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9 comments

Dave Berman is the author of We Do Not Consent, both the book and blog. http://WeDoNotConsent.blogspot.com.
Dave BermanDave Berman is the author of We Do Not Consent, both the book and blog. http://WeDoNotConsent.blogspot.com.

YES!

Well done Rady. More to come...

by Dave Berman (46 articles, 0 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 47 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 12:04:14 AM

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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Got one on NH?

I think I continue to fall prey to the inherent uncertainty set up the elites, which you explained so well last nite.

If you have an article on NH, I'm compiling an expanded list starting with Rob and Joan have done.

by Rady Ananda (127 articles, 289 quicklinks, 37 diaries, 1124 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 8:16:53 PM

Anon
AnonAnon

Let's have a recount

For all of us who are interested in a recount, there seems to be a real possibility of one. There were 42 candidates on the Dem + Rep ballots and any one of them can request a recount. It seems like Albert Howard, one of those 42, is inclined to do so. If we can contact him and offer to raise the money for recount, he will likely request an official recount. Our chance is now.

See below for the news story about him.

"It was back to reality for presidential candidate Albert Howard of Ann Arbor, back behind the wheel of his Checker cab waiting for passengers at Detroit Metro Airport.

The father of eight savored his 40 votes in the New Hampshire presidential GOP primary. Howard was among 42 also-rans who paid $1,000 to get on the New Hampshire ballot, and he was something of a celebrity, interviewed by Time magazine, the New York Times, Boston Globe and the nightly ABC News.

At one point, his vote total climbed to 178, then dropped. He is asking the New Hampshire Secretary of State for a recount. Howard said he was in awe that even 40 people picked him."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080110/NEWS06/801100364

by Anon (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 3:14:12 AM

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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Mixed reviews on the recount idea

thanks, Anon, for posting this. I've got my ear to the ground and there is a debate right now about whether or not to pursue a recount, a full scale investigation (citizen-run, not government-run), and other ideas.

I'll post more as I learn the particulars.

by Rady Ananda (127 articles, 289 quicklinks, 37 diaries, 1124 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 8:19:43 PM

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

excellent!

very good job tying things together. i like your basic premise - inherent uncertainty- as a non-starter for our elections. makes sense to me.

thanks.

by Joan Brunwasser (164 articles, 3539 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 634 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 7:11:36 AM

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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Fantabulous Idea to BLAST THE BLOGOSPHERE

and our Congress and local newspapers... you and Rob really pulled this off in a dramatically successful way.

I'm collecting the essays you posted and expanding it, and will sent the whole ball of wax to my lists.

That inherent uncertainty frame - I was whining to PeopleCount about you asking us to write about NH's primary. I said, "We've got a lot of questions and no answers."

When Nancy Tobi responded with "We do have a lot of questions. But we will never have answers as long as we have privatized secret vote counting," it finally hit me. That's exactly the point. Then I suddenly understood, clearly, what Dave Berman's been talking about.

Elites are deliberately setting us up with inherent uncertainty so that "facts" devolve into opinions.

But, scientifcally, there are a discrete number of ballots, which allows us to have a conclusive outcome - one that is not subject to debate or opinion. Different groups of people can count them and, if done honestly and accurately, all will arrive at the same totals.

When you watch Leon County Election Supervisor Ion Sanchez (in this video) clearly show how optical scan tabulators can be hacked, we must reject their use in public elections.

ENOUGH! I like EDA's I-Count idea... that is the way to go. Show up, America. It only takes 6-8 people per precinct to count your neighbor's votes in 5-6 hours. Often less.

Thanks for all you do, Joan... what a ride this has been, eh?

by Rady Ananda (127 articles, 289 quicklinks, 37 diaries, 1124 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 8:30:04 PM

Currently I'm a cartoonist and contributing writer for The New Orleans Levee. For those wishing to view my work you can see my latest at: nolevee.com
Mr MCurrently I'm a cartoonist and contributing writer for The New Orleans Levee. For those wishing to view my work you can see my latest at: nolevee.com

If voting could change things ...

they'd make it illegal

by Mr M (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 19 diaries, 1773 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 9:45:29 AM

Andi Novick
Northeast Citizens for Responsible Media
www.re-media.org
andi novickAndi Novick
Northeast Citizens for Responsible Media
www.re-media.org

Couldn't do this work without you

Once again Rady pulls it all together with the supporting documentation and crystal clarity-- sifting through the density of the overwhelming information and focusing a beam on what must be done. I personally could not do the election integrity work I do without her.

And since anyone following this work understands that it is only WE the people who can be counted on to count our votes accurately and transparently- we must create a huge citizen volunteer army to do just that.

Just think if tens of thousands of us were ready to be deployed on election day- into the fields to count the ballots by hand and perhaps conduct citizen exit polls.

What if we showed up in droves and said, 'We're here to count-- get that machine out of my way'.

We need to be organized and mobilized to do what's necessary to guard our ballots, which is why Election Defense Alliance is proposing a national registry of citizen volunteers willing to show up and count.

see THE "I COUNT CORPS" -- Sign up to take back our elections

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_andi_nov_080110_sign_up_to_take_back.htm

by andi novick (54 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 15 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 11:35:56 AM

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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 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. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

I COUNT - Great Project Idea

and thanks for all you do, Andi ~ and Joan and Dave and the other 25 authors I have collected who wrote just about New Hampshire.

I'm compiling a list of articles - which Rob Kall and Joan Brunwasser started with their wonderful idea to blast the blogosphere, and Congress, and the mainstream lamestream press...

thank you so much, Andi, for pulling together that incredibly diverse group of people to file the amicus brief in US vs. NY. you're my latest hero...

:-)

by Rady Ananda (127 articles, 289 quicklinks, 37 diaries, 1124 comments) on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 8:15:01 PM