As for counting the ballots, I'd prefer to see each ballot counted by hand at the local precinct level, but I understand that isn't practical in some larger precincts. Optical scanners can be used, and if the election is close, a hand recount might be necessary.
Of course optical scanners can be hacked or malfunction, and thus a random sample ballot recount of 10% of the ballots (or greater) should be required for every election, no exceptions.
The ballots are the official record of the election, and the ballots are there to be counted, recounted, and reviewed by human eyes.
Another important point: the voters should be able to observe the counting of the ballots. I'm not saying the voters should be able to heckle the election workers, as the Bush thugs did during the Florida recount in 2000. Nor should they be able to handle the ballots or otherwise interfere in the process of counting the votes. But the elections and the votes belong to us, the voters. No arrogant election official should be able to ban voters from watching the vote count process. The elections belong to us, not the voting machine companies, the election officials, or the government. We should be able, by law, to observe the process.
Federal law should require that the ballots be kept for a set period of time, the minimum of which should be at least until after the next election.
It would be important to make sure that each precinct is properly supplied with computers, printers, blank paper ballots for printing, privacy envelops, and redundant back up equipment for all these items, including cables and every other component necessary to keep everything working throughout election day. I would bet that if we kill the secret, anti-democracy DRE machines, the savings would more than cover the cost of the supplies and backup supplies for most of the country, as well as training on how to hook up the computers and printers, refill paper in the printers, change toner cartridges, etc.
Another thing I'd like to see is federal law forbidding any component of an election system from having a wireless, infrared, or internet connection. Each component should stand alone and not be networked to any other device. And no voting data transmitted via the internet, either.
Another important provision is an exception to the proprietary information laws for all voting system components. Proprietary information laws are great for almost any product, but not for voting machines or voting system components.
If a company spends the time and money on research and development to build the proverbial "better mousetrap," that company should have the legal right to keep what makes their mousetrap better a secret, so they can then exploit that technology and outsell their mousetrap competitors. Proprietary information laws provide legal rights to companies protecting their trade secrets, and punishment for those who steal such trade secrets. That's a very good thing.
But there should be exceptions to the proprietary information laws for election system components. Voting machines and other voting system components aren't like other products. Mousetraps, carburetors, computer monitors, etc. don't carry the weight of our democratic republic on their shoulders. We don't count on these products to help us execute the primary function of a citizen in a democracy - voting.
The only thing secret about our elections should be the secret ballot. The machines used to create, process and tabulate these ballots must be absolutely transparent. No secret machines, no secret software. If companies that make these machines refuse to accept that proprietary information laws don't apply to voting system components, then the voting machine companies are cordially invited to get the hell out of the voting machine business. Either make your equipment transparent (metaphorically, of course) or get out of the business. Don't like it, Diebold? Don't want to do it, ES&S? Unhappy about this, Hart InterCivic? Okay, then buh-bye, and good riddance to bad trash!
There are many other details that would need to be worked out in legislation. The exact method for counting the ballots, methods of securing and storing the ballots, requirements for counting provisional, absentee and military ballots, laws to prevent voter intimidation, vote caging, and voter dis-information (remember the "Republicans vote on Tuesday, Democrats on Wednesday" flyers in passed around in Ohio in 2004?), requirements for signs in the voting booth urging voters to look at the ballot and verify its accuracy… the list goes on and on. But if the provisions I've written about are enshrined in federal law, we'll have taken a huge step towards returning the power of elections to the voters.
Stephen Heller is famous as the "Diebold Whistleblower". He turned over much evidence of Diebold's defrauding of the State of California and for, his efforts, was rewarded with a three felony count indictment.
There is no necessity for any type of machinery to be involved in marking the ballot. Most third-world countries employ a pencil. The average US citizen would probably manage to make a cross in a box.
by
cam (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 55 comments)
on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 11:46:36 AM
Thanks for all you have done in this area. I have followed your case from the beginning and even donated a little towards your legal fund.
I think your ideas would provide a functioning and accurate voting system that ensured that citizens would be involved in the process. However, as a computer person I have a feeling that the number of frozen machines, jammed printers, inexplicable crashes, and the many other infuriating issues associated with using computers and printers could make some elections quite nightmarish. We had something of a meltdown during the primaries here in Maryland recently using Diebold machines.
One thing is clear to me. The current proprietary voting systems are completely unacceptable and must be scrapped immediately. The idea that we can spend half a trillion on promoting democracy in Iraq, but can't spend a few million dollars to fix democracy here in the US is absurd. Our priorities are all screwed up, but that's nothing new.
Unfortunately, the House is poised to pass HR 811, which will allow them to say they have fixed the problems, and move on. Everyone needs to write and call their congressperson and tell them not to pass HR 811, Holt bill. We need something much better and more comprehensive than that.
by
John R Moffett (82 articles, 17 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 646 comments)
on Monday, July 23, 2007 at 12:56:05 PM
2 comments
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