HR 811: Electronic Tallies Can Still Trump Ballots

[kster]

Tuesday, 13 March 2007, 12:42 pm
Opinion: Lynn Landes

HR 811 - Electronic Tallies Can Still Trump Paper Ballots On Election Day

This is a good news / bad news story. The good news - If the Holt bill (HR 811) passes into law, it will be the first time since Feb.14, 1899 that paper ballots will be required in federal elections. Americans will finally regain their right to a paper ballot, to verify their ballot, and to correct their ballot, if necessary.

The bad news - The electronic tally, not paper ballots, can continue to constitute the “official” ballot on Election Day, regardless of obvious errors. Although, it does not appear to be a requirement for election officials to accept an electronic tally over paper ballots.

Snip.. Under the bill, paper ballots must be hand-counted and, thus considered the “official” ballot, in the following situations: 1) paper-only voting systems, which applies to 0.6% of voters, 2) mandatory audits which only affect 10% or less of all precincts depending on the margin of victory - audits take place one week after Election Day giving corrupt election officials ample opportunity to tamper with secret (i.e., anonymous) ballots, and 3) in the remote event of a recount, which also gives corrupt election officials plenty of time to commit vote fraud.

SNIP.. American voters deserve clarity. There should be a single standard for voting that election officials from the poorest town to the richest city can follow. And that standard should include nothing more complicated than a pencil, paper, and local hand-count of all ballots on Election Day. It’s simple and straightforward. And that’s what it will take to restore confidence in America’s voting system.



http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0703/S00218.htm

[Kurovski]

1. K&R.(nt)

[kster]

2. Thanks, Kurovski .......nt