Transportation of ballot boxes commonly gives rise to fear of substitution... Confidence in the process can be enhanced by the presence of party representatives both at the count and during any interim period of transport.
As to citizen-run parallel elections, the International Parliamentary Union explains:
Parallel voting tabulation has also proven its value as a means of independently verifying the results reported by electoral authorities. In this process, monitors record results obtained from selected polling sites, and compare them with the official results: The monitoring of vote counts as part of an overall election-observation effort
• Can boost the confidence of voters suspicious of possible fraud; • Permit results to be projected more quickly than the official results; • Allow for the identification of actual winners; and • Allow for the consequent exposure of any attempted manipulations.
REBECCA MERCURI, PhD., Affidavit attached as Exhibit A to Squire v. Geer Complaint, Franklin County (Ohio) Court of Appeals, 06APD-12-1285. Dr. Rebecca Mercuri has been studying electronic vote tabulation since 1989, and has published over 40 scientific papers on electronic voting technology. She observed the partial recount of Frankin County, Ohio's November 7, 2006 election. She also oversaw the Signature Audit of 25% of Franklin County's records.
Her report found systemic problems, concluding "there cannot be full confidence in the results of these (35) problematic precincts."
She describes Franklin County's recount process as constituting "a breach of procedure that thwarts any meaningfully appropriate and independent recount of the election from the RTALs" (real time audit logs that serve as the ballot of record in Ohio.)
"The recount methodology used by Franklin County did not conform, and in fact significantly varied from the method prescribed by Ohio Secretary of State's Directive No. 2006.50 in many respects."
Dr. Mercuri concludes:
"In summary, there are numerous reasons why there cannot be confidence in the election process, the recount, and the vote totals for the Franklin County, Ohio November 7, 2006 election. These reasons include:
a) the denial of an appropriate recount from the VVPAT/RTAL materials for the requested precincts; b) significant evidence that parts of original RTALs and end tally reports were missing; c) evidence the voting system was inappropriately configured and improperly used during the election d) indication that election procedures were violated, including the possibility of password overrides during setup, and use of the machines to cast ballots after RTAL paper supplies has run out; e) evidence of inappropriate impounding and handling of election materials at the County warehouse following the election, including improper exposure of the VVPAT/RTALs; f) unexplained disparities between the public counters of ballots cast and the number of voters who signed the poll books in many precincts; and g) misleading information provided to voters, and not properly followed up by the County, regarding the safety and examination of the voting machines and system."
In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Focused mainly on elections, 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. Sign this petition: http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/ny_levers_petition
This is an excellent list of resources. Your solution about precinct hand-counting of paper ballots with public observation is, in fact, the only way we will be able to regain honest elections in this technological age. Thanks much for this good work you have done.
by
Michael Richardson (81 articles, 15 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 36 comments)
on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 3:56:08 PM
Any active or passive involvement in the intentional disenfranchisement of a U.S. Citizen should be a Class A felony FOR EACH INSTANCE.
If this crime is committed by anyone holding ANY government position, they should lose all their estate and they and their progeny should be denied ANY government funds in perpetuity.
If more than 100 counts are involved, the death penalty should be an option.
I think THAT would get a few Republican Secretaries of State or Electoral Commissioner's attention. I'm thinking of people like Ken Blackwell or the Republicans in Warren County or in the FL-13 or just about ANYWHERE where Republicans are allowed anywhere near the registration or voting process.
Most of the corrupt LOCAL, REGIONAL and NATIONAL Republicans who have conspired (and acted solely) to cheat and steal votes have done so believing that they were "fighting a moral battle against evil." But I wonder how many would do it again if they thought they could go to jail, lose everything, sentence their children to destruction, or even DIE for it. Sure, some would, but many would wimp out if they thought it wasn't going to be as easy as we've made it.
Time to change the rules of the game and make cheating a LOT harder.
CharlieL
Portland, OR
by
Charlie L (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 674 comments)
on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 6:20:23 PM
2 comments
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