    
pacific_alien
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: pacific_alien
Post Number: 38
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Saturday, June 4, 2005 - 6:02 am: | |
Greetings George,
A federal law would indeed be an appropriate tool, but I have grave doubts that this is achievable in the current environment.
New/revised vote legislation/contracts proposed in recent months at any level has appeared to be nearly as flawed as what it is meant to replace, perhaps even worse in some cases.
Look at machine purchase decisions alone, there's enough spin (lies) going on there to pretend that black is white. Robust solutions to the real problems are very hard to find in the propositions.
Hell we are in the middle of 2005. To ensure that the 2006 poll is not corrupt, new laws, systems and oversight will all need to be in place and tested/proven before the campaign begins. Even with my rose tinted spectacles on I can't see this as realistic. I also have concerns regarding whoever might be found responsible for any past bad behaviour is likely to still be driving the bus and determining it's route. I suspect there are preconditions to be met before proper change can occur at all.
I'm thinking it is now looking like the entire electronic system should be tossed out until some time when it is properly sorted and the people can be confident. Allowing another election to procede using a system proven to be seriously unsafe is plain dumb. It is time to call for a return to paper and pen with human counting, while all the research continues and durable remedies are sought. Right now it is even difficult to imagine a healthy machine system available for 2008. How many more crooked elections are enough?
If a car, a drug, food, or anything else was as unsafe as a voting machine it would be ordered off the market and recalled immediately with full refunds by the manufacturer. That is what is required nationally if there is to be a clean election in '06.
What do you think?
Cheers
PA |
