By Rob Kall
It's that simple when it comes to electronic or e-voting. If you can't re-count it, don't count it in the first place. Voting is a process integral to democracy. Any invention or experiment that attempts to toy with or experiment with such a basic component of democracy is straight out, totally, purely, completely unacceptable. The threats of electronic voting have been widely discussed (see here.)
Reassurances from state voting commissioners, that electronic voting is "wonderful" don't cut it. Promises and guarantees from sales reps from the privately held companies that reap millions in profits from sales of them-- forget it.
Keep it simple. If the vote can't be re-counted and verified, then the vote collecting process employed is not trustworthy, not "Democracy quality" This should be a mantra that the mainstream media are repeating MORE often than they cover Michael or Janet Jackson or the Lacey Peterson murder trial or the latest kidnapped kid or conjoined twins. Un-recountable Votes Shouldn't Count. And legislators should put the law into effect immediately.
This should be a federal law that applies to any vote that affects the federal government-- elections of the president and legislators to the US House of Representatives and the Senate.
It is not acceptable for some backwater county to play with national politics by using substandard equipment or technology that is too vulnerable to tampering or hacking, or corruption by a partisan official with access to source code. .
There are bills on the floors of both the Senate and the House that require paper ballot trails that can be verified and re-counted and they should be enacted immediately, with the directive that this simple rule-- that if you can't recount, it can't be counted in the first place-- be required in the November elections. If the country has to spend a billion dollars on this, then do it. If the manufacturers say it can't be done, don't believe it.
The public elections component of our democracy is too precious. The risk of corruption of elections too great. Not one vote that can not be recounted should be accepted as counting towards any elections that affect the nation's politics.
Ideally, this should be a law that affects every election. But at the very least, it should carved in stone for federal elections.
This simple phrase should be sent, by the millions, to every legislator, every network and newspaper, by millions of Americans, demanding that it be enacted before the next elections. Nothing less is acceptable.
Perhaps the phrase isn't the most perfect. If you have an idea for a shorter or more powerful one, send it to me. I'll add it to this article and get the word out.
Other phrases that might work
Don't count un-re-countable votes
Unrecountable votes Don't Count
If You Can't Recount it, Don't Count It in the First Place.
Not recountable, not countable
Rob Kall rob@opednews.com is editor/founder of OpEdNews.com. This article is copyright Rob Kall and originally published by opednews.com but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog or web media so long as this credit paragraph is attached. Over 85 other articles by Rob Kall
