Warren Stewart: Paying Attention: Audits, Recounts, Verification Protocols

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Paying Attention: Audits, Recounts, Verification Protocols

By Warren Stewart, VoteTrustUSA

April 16, 2006

Why We Need Them All

“Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom” Thomas Jefferson

Representative democracy depends on confidence in integrity of the process through which the consent of the governed is determined. While challenges to the accuracy of election results are certainly not new and even a cursory review of elections in this country reveals that election fraud is as American as apple pie. However, the widespread use of unverifiable electronic voting machines has raised new and heightened concern that must be addressed. Scrutiny of the election process - eternal vigilance at every level - is the responsibility of the citizens of a democratic society.

There are many efforts underway to increase and enhance public confidence in the election process. No single approach – no new law, regulation, or procedure will accomplish the goal of transparent and verifiable elections on it own. We need a variety of safeguards – a few can be implemented at the federal level, many others will require state efforts, and others will take place at the local level.

Recognizing the limitations and opportunities that exist at each of these different levels will allow a more productive debate and implementation of effective measures to protect the integrity of our elections.

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That being said, there can, and must be, audits specifically designed to determine the outcome of the election, which may be more aptly called a statewide verification protocol. The development of such verification protocols are in progress in Oregon, California, and other states. This is not the purpose of the audit provision of HR 550, or of any federal legislation. We must not rely only on recounts to determine the actual results of an election we must have an audit process that serves to determine the accuracy of the election results.

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http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1199&Itemid=26

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