NYT editorial: In Search of Accurate Vote Totals

[DeepModem Mom]

Editorial
In Search of Accurate Vote Totals
Published: September 5, 2006

It’s hard to believe that nearly six years after the disasters of Florida in 2000, states still haven’t mastered the art of counting votes accurately. Yet there are growing signs that the country is moving into another presidential election cycle in disarray.

The most troubling evidence comes from Ohio, a key swing state, whose electoral votes decided the 2004 presidential election. A recent government report details enormous flaws in the election system in Ohio’s biggest county, problems that may not be fixable before the 2008 election....

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Some of these problems may be explored further in a federal lawsuit challenging Ohio’s administration of its 2004 election. Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, who has been criticized for many decisions he made on election matters that year, recently agreed to help preserve the 2004 paper ballots for review in the lawsuit.

Ohio is not the only state that may be headed for trouble in 2008. New York’s Legislature was shamefully slow in passing the law needed to start adopting new voting machines statewide. Now localities are just starting to evaluate voting machine companies as they scramble to put machines in place in time for the 2007 election. (Because of a federal lawsuit, New York has to make the switch a year early.) Much can go wrong when new voting machines are used. There has to be extensive testing, and education of poll workers and voters. New York’s timetable needlessly risks an Election Day disaster.

Cuyahoga County deserves credit for commissioning an investigation that raised uncomfortable but important questions. Its report should be a wake-up call to states and counties nationwide. Every jurisdiction in the country that runs elections should question itself just as rigorously, and start fixing any problems without delay.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/opinion/05tue1.html?hp

[Apollo11]

1. The alarm bells are ringing

It's always good to see mainstream media highlighting problems with the integrity of the electoral process. Even if it's the New York Times - which as we all know, did Al Gore no favors back in 2000.

I posted this same editorial up in the Editorials & Articles Forum. Hopefully more folks will see it over there.

No issue - not even Iraq - is more important than ensuring clean and fair elections.

If the people aren't choosing the government then it's a dictatorship. And Bush already told us back in 2000 - he thinks that would be "a heck of a lot easier".

[Stevepol]

2. Exactly right: this is the most important single issue in the country.

[mod mom]

3. It's about time. Fraudulent elections have serious consequences, as 6

years of the bu$h regime shows. With the neocons backed into a corner, with the threat of REAL investigations if the congress switches parties, you can count on business as usual (READ: ELECTION FRAUD) in November.

[bvar22]

4. The system CAN be fixed before 2007!!!!!

Pencil, paper, locked ballot boxes, and public counting of the ballots!!!

SIMPLE!