Electronic Voting Machines

[mcd1982]

It seems like everyone on DU is bemoaning the fact that nothing is being done about Diebold-like machines, the DNC won't do anything, Dean won't do anything, Congress won't do anything, etc.

What gets me is, what the hell are the Democrats *supposed* to be doing?

Let's see:

White House = Republican
US Senate = Republican
US House = Republican
SCOTUS = Republican
Majority of State Govt's = Republican

So, it seems to me, there isn't a whole lot we can get done. Democrats can scream at the tops of our lungs everyday and the MSM still won't cover a darn thing we say.

So, what is it all of you who say "fix it now Democrats!" really think can be done? I am all for solving the problem but realistically, I can't think of anything we can really do!

It stikes me as a similar situation to gerrymandering. We will never get nonpartisan redistricting b/c it hurts those already in office -- they won't want to see their districts actually be competative. The same with the voting machines -- why would the Republicans (who control everything) want to fix a "problem" that rewards them?

[babylonsister]

1. The Democrats could be more supportive

of voter reform to assure that each vote counts, for starters. Too many issues, not enough time? I dunno... You might consider putting this in the 2004 Election Results and Discussion forum. There are many people over there a whole lot more knowledgeable than myself.

[blueheeler]

2. I just got an email from BBV

http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/1954/5921.html

Not sure whats up with that after the freeper post????????

[pauldp]

3. They could talk about it for starters.

Dean and Reid and Hilary not to mention Franken could at least open their f**king mouths and talk about the US countvotes studies not to mention TIA, and the "glitches" favoring Bush 12 to 1, and Clint Curtis, and the Republicans fighting and killing the paper trails every chance they get.

It's all about public awareness.

[SteveIrving1]

4. Majority of State Govt's = Democrat.....

Actually the Democrats have a slight Majority when it comes to control of the state governments. Go to http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/index.php for more information about which states have laws in place and which don't.

Green = Legislation / Regulation Requiring Paper Ballots (17)
Light Blue = Awaiting Governor's Signature (3)
Purple = Mixed Requirement (1)
Blue = Proposed, Not Yet Enacted (17)
Red = Not Yet Proposed (12+DC)

[mcd1982]

11. i stand corrected...

did the balance tip after the 2004 elections? I could have sworn the Rs controlled more states leges & govs than Ds in 2004 (pre-election).

[mcd1982]

12. also...

if the machines are rigged, won't the print-out also be dubious? what's the point of a paper trail if the machines register the voters incorrectly to begin with?

[snowbear]

5. I read today that Utah is going to Diebold.. but with paper receipts..

On --> http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2772832

Although..... that still doesn't mean they can't be hacked into, right?

Three interesting comments in that Salt Lake paper about their new Diebolds:

..."A computer science professor from Johns Hopkins University has claimed Diebold uses software that is easy to hack into, a claim the company rejects."

..."Last year, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry complained about Diebold Chief Executive Officer Walden O'Dell's fund-raising for President Bush, according to Bloomberg News."

and finally ~

..."Utahn Clarity Sanderson's skepticism is more broadly focused. She tried the new voting booths at a mock election in March, and while she agrees they are "very easy to use and extremely user friendly," she distrusts the technology.
"I think it is wrong to have our elections being run by a corporation," she said. "It takes away all transparency in our elections."
Sanderson, who is the co-vice chairwoman of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus, will continue to vote, but by absentee paper ballot."

[babylonsister]

8. We could all vote by absentee paper ballots

if we thought our voice would be heard. Let's just not use those damn machines! But my faith in the absentee ballots not being manipulated is nil. x(

[stellanoir]

6. I was thinking the same thing earlier today

and was going to start a thread saying, well as of tomorrow it's been 7 months since our third national election was riddled with really curious irregularities (far worse than the Ukraine) , and what has been done to ameliorate the situation. . .?

Squat.

What can be done. . . ?

I've three humble and probably lame assed ideas. . .

1. Every time any of us gets a letter solicitting funds for dough tell 'em you won't give 'em one lousy dime until they actuallize and manifest election reform.

2. Encourage Dems to shut down Congess until the legislation that would insure election reform can be passed.

3. And this is really devious, and possibly criminal, commit an expression of victimless civil disobedience, (I posted a thread about this last week) every time you encounter equipment with the Diebold logo on it, consider afixing a peace of masking tape bearing the words, "rigs elections" underneath it. Understand that you may more than likely be being audited by surveillance when you do so. Consider consulting an attorney first.

That's all I can think of at present.

[Independent_Liberal]

7. We have to get rid of e-voting...

We have to get our elections cleaned up before 2006. We must get rid of all e-voting now.

[autorank]

9. Voting Rights is a NON PARTISAN ISSUE & it has broad appeal.

Basically, doing nothing, saying nothing allows that faction of the Republican Party involved to go out and heist some more elections.

1) We know for a fact that the State of Florida deliberately used a "felon-purging" software program that took 50,000 valid black voters off the rolls in Florida prior to the 2000 election.
2) We know that the software vendor told the State of Florida not to use it as it was because this very thing would happen.
3) We know that blacks voted at 60% plus in 2000 in FL. Therefore, we know that at least 30,000 of these disenfranchised black voters would have voted.
4) The conclusion is obvious, without this trick, Gore would have won Florida without any problem.

That's just 2000. If you want a comprehensive look at 2004, which was a horror show of epic proportions, look at the DU Elections Forum or try this link: http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2004/975.

Doing nothing will cause us to lose more elections.

Doing something starts with naming the problem and forcing public attention. The evidence is there and the public will support us. It's not a Democrat-Republican issue. Almost everyone is in favor of free and fair elections.

[mcd1982]

10. that's the point...

what can we, as individual voters, do?

[lumberjack_jeff]

13. My little democrat-run county...

Has decided to go to exclusively vote-by-mail.

My feeling is that the cure is almost as bad as the disease.

http://www.kxro.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=204&caldate=2005-5-24

[dave502d]

14. "mcd1982" Thank you.

This is the No.1 thing we should be working on.

[emcguffie]

15. Well, here I am in a Democratic state --

-- in a Democratic county, a county with organized activists opposed to electronic voting machines, and the county is still going to go for them, unless something changes.

This is what I don't understand. You lead the horse to water, and the horse tells you it's oh, so thirsty, but it won't drink any of the water. Maybe it's nasty water? Maybe it's partisan water? WTF?

This must mean something, no?