Perhaps we can create our own election paper trail.

[Cyrano]

We'll never get an honest vote count until we control congress, and we'll never control congress until we get an honest vote count. If you accept that we're being ruled by a vast criminal conspiracy, then you know they'll never give us a paper trail.

Here's the germ of an idea that would require a lot of organizing, but might lead to something. About two weeks before the election, mail yourself a signed, dated letter stating who you intend to vote for in your congressional and senatorial races. When the envelope comes back, don't unseal it. On election day, vote.

If exit polls and "counted" votes are so far off as to be statistically irrational, we'll have our sealed envelopes.

They'll carry no legal weight, but they might carry moral weight. We invite any media representative, (local, national, world,), to come to a site in our districts where all envelopes will be opened and the intended votes counted. If the election count, and the self-mailed envelopes demonstrate a large discrepancy, the case for another stolen election will be hard to deny.

This is just the core of a half-baked idea with many flaws. But I invite any and all to jump in and improve on it, propose an alternative, or whatever. We can't let them screw us again. Our very freedoms rest on our right to have our votes counted.

[rzemanfl]

1. Signed and notarized statements, executed after a person voted

would probably be admissible in court to show an election result was suspect.

[Old and In the Way]

2. I've been a proponent of this method.

The DNC should be selecting precincts where they sus pect voter fraud and do exactly that. Sad to say, but secret balloting seems to help those that want to steal our elections.

[SoCalDem]

3. In 2002 I suggested this..

Every polling station would have a table with a notary, and affidavits. As democrats left the polling station, they would stop by the table and sign them..

At the end of the day, the numbers could easily be compared..

If 450 democrats showed up to vote, signed in, and "verified" their votes, it would be rather odd for only 200 votes to be registered by Diebold et al..


OR..

my other idea..

Voting Picnic Day..

Show up to vote, and then DON'T LEAVE... bring a lunch/dinner etc.. Make it a "block party" style gathering.. there is strength in numbers.. If there are a hundred or so people sticking around to make sure their vote is counted , they might be a bit scared to pull any stunts.. (Remember how intimidating a well-dressed mob can be?...see FL 2K)

of course any gathering or table would have to remain just outside the "perimeter" that's off limits:)

[tocqueville]

4. why reinvent the wheel ?

there are plenty of efficient methods to count paper ballots without fraud

the most important ones are

- that every voter signs the list of registered voters for the precinct with his/her own signature
- the counting is made by sworn people (legally responsible) recruited by the local authority IN THE PRESENCE OF LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL PARTIES and eventually of neutral observers.


besides the preregistering of somebody as "Republican", "Democrat" or other should be abolished since it strides against the secrecy of vote

the only way of having fair elections is not very much into the "paper trail" (even if it is good that it exists)
but into a TRANSPARENT AND BIPARTISAN CONTROL OF THE COUNTING

[SoCalDem]

6. Because we no longer HAVE paper ballots and our legislators

don't seem particularly eager to address our issues :cry:

[bee]

8. I love the notary idea.

and I think it could (realistically) be made to happen. Heres my question though. How would you convince every Dem to stop and do it? And how would you know if they all stopped?

[SoCalDem]

11. A big sign...??.... "Did your vote COUNT?".. check with us..

Most people are pretty transparent about their "secret ballot".. A car loaded up with Bush stickers is not likely to be transporting a vote for a democrat, and vice versa.. Most people are proud to tell you for whom they voted.. Back in the "olden days" (2000 election for example) exit pollers used to do this very thing..

After 3 "buggy" elections in a row, I would suspect that most democrats would line up to announce their vote.. (It might be the ONLY way to get it on the record)

[juajen]

15. Sorry, but this is not realistic.

Do you realize how many notaries you would have to have to take care of that many signatures? I was a notary for many years, and minimum time involved from signing and verifying id, etc. is about 5 minutes. Wouldn't work.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Here's an easy way to do this

I believe that ever register voter gets a sample ballot mailed to them before the election.

Use your 'sample' ballot has a real ballot and set up collection stations outside of every poll. If people forget to bring their sample ballot, provide them with a copy.

Then only the people who refuse to participate will lose out.

You can also get copies of the list of registered voters in order to make sure each person only votes once.

[Burning Water]

7. I really don't want to

rain on your parade, and I really would like for someway to be found to guarantee honest elections, but I don't see how this could work.

The big problem: most people would not bother. Further, those that did would no doubt mostly be Democrats worried about election fraud. So, here we are, opening our envelopes to dispute say a 51% Republican win when ALL the polls showed that the Democrats should win 53-44, and there we have 96% Democratic votes. Would this be taken seriously by anyone? Would it not hurt, rather than help, the cause of electoral reform? Nothing is so damaging as ridicule.

I personally think a better idea would be to find someone involved, a John Dean type, ready to spill the beans rather than go to prison. Or some documentary evidence. Something like that.

But, at least you're trying, which is more than can be said for many Dem leaders.

[Cyrano]

9. Well, as I said, it was a half-baked idea with a lot of flaws.

But I truly believe that, if we don't find some way to restore honest elections, what's left of our democracy will soon be gone.

One or two more election cycles like the last few, and they won't even have to go through the motions of holding so-called elections.

Won't little King George be surprised to find out that he's no longer needed as their front man. Unfortunately, we won't be in any position to enjoy his departure.

[Burning Water]

13. Perhaps if

the Dem party went back to its roots as the voice of progressives in this country instead of being so focused on winning?? Make a clear and distinct difference between us and the Repukes, and stop worrying so much about the "electability" of the candidates. I really believe that we would have a better shot.

I'm not discounting the stolen elections, I just don't think that explains why the totals are close enough to steal.

By the way, I think Clark is the man to lead us out of the wilderness.

[EFerrari]

10. Interesting idea. And we would only need people to do this

in ONE precinct that we know is targeted, not all over the country. Just one precinct were we know the Thugs will try to steal.

Hmm.

[Katherine Brengle]

12. Notarized -- absolutely great idea.

[Joanne98]

14. That's a great idea!