    
Roy Lipscomb
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Lipscomb
Post Number: 31
Registered: 8-2005
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 1 | | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 4:17 pm: | |
One essential component of a fair election--and
in fact, of democracy itself--is transparency.
Anything that enhances government transparency
also enhances democracy.
Unfortunately, it's an uphill battle to get laws
passed that get public officials to appreciate
the need for, and the right to, transparency.
But technology can put tools in citizens' hands
to bring about greater transparency, all without
relying on public officials.
One tool that our group, the Illinois Ballot
Integrity Project, has found effective is an
"Election Incidents Hotsheet."
The Hotsheet is a blog that acts as a "bullhorn"
for citizens, giving them an outlet to report
election irregularities directly to other members
of the public.
These reports and alerts get posted instantly, with
no filtering or editing. And they're made available
instantly to a worldwide audience, including other
voters, public officials, journalists, and public-
action groups.
..................................................................
This upcoming November's election is the eight
election in which IBIP is sponsoring its Hotsheet.
In pursuit of greater transparency and fairer
elections, we like to help groups create hotsheets
in other jurisdictions as well.
As in previous elections, we're offering a clone of
our Hotsheet to other election-integrity groups.
This includes not only the software, but also
assistance as needed to customize it for your
jurisdiction.
There is no cost or obligation for this service.
The Hotsheet is simple to operate. All you need to
do is reply to reports, if needed, and possibly
delete an occasional inappropriate posting.
To view our Illinois Elections Incidents Hotsheet,
click on the "Hotsheet" button on our homepage,
http://ballot-integrity.org
You can view the generic template for the Hotsheet at
http://tinyurl.com/27ewtj7
Any questions or comments? We'll be delighted to hear
from you.
Thanks,
Roy |
