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Democrats Pass on Challenge to Secret Vote Counting in SC

By Michael Collins  Posted by Michael Collins (about the submitter)       (Page 3 of 3 pages) Become a premium member to see this article and all articles as one long page.   No comments

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Not a chance! It's not at all difficult to determine the clear intent of the South Carolina Constitution. The law means what it says, "the ballots shall not be counted in secret." But doesn't the U.S. Constitution state that "Article 1, Section 8. The powers of Congress. To declare war"?

So much for the English language and the law. We're at the mercy of a justice system that genuflects before power and politics and embraces convenience. Will we be saved by judges who've created their own code, just like those Florida voting machines: "flip-flopping" every time in the direction of power and control, by the few against the rights of the many in a relentlessly consistent pattern that strips us of our most fundamental legal protections.

New Hampshire and South Carolina are just previews of February 5, "Super Tuesday" when primaries will be held in 24 states.

These states have voting and vote counting that is conducted in secret by machines made and serviced by private firms; and voting that cannot be easily and quickly verified. The citizens' right to know is casually surrendered to e-voting manufacturers by the officials sworn to serve those very citizens.

Almost all of the states have restrictive recount laws that require a very close election, a 1% or less difference in some cases. This effectively bars recounts unless "malfunctions" or vote stealing is marginal. Even if election fraud or "machine malfunction" is suspected for very good reasons, the right to recount is limited to only elections where mistakes or stealing produce a very thin margin.

These touch screen "ballots" are nothing more than a computerized record (not a ballot). After the election, citizens almost always lack the right to examine that computerized records and are typically barred from reviewing the paper forms they mark for optical scan voting machines.

How can those elected claim to rule when they're unable to prove the first and most fundamental requirement of an election - that they have the right to serve by having legitimately claimed a plurality or majority of the votes cast.

END

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