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| (US) 1/06 - No Right To Recount |
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| Author |
Message |
    
Lorian Weston
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Lweston
Post Number: 3
Registered: 01-2006
Best of Black Box? 
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 11:31 pm: | 
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I'm as rabid about restoring an honest vote as anyone, and have been active for the last 3 years+. My concern now is that several states, (I believe nine at this time) in a prescient mood, apparently have "disallowed" recounts, at least in Presidential elections. Others have changed the rules so that recounts are prohibitively expensive, etc, to effectively prevent them altogether.
Without even going into the il/legalities of this, what can we do to deal with this growing problem that may yet impair an honest election? |
Bob Fleischer
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Rjf7r
Post Number: 47
Registered: 09-2005
Best of Black Box?
Votes: 1 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 6:51 am: |
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In an honest world, only the feeble or insane would make recounts more difficult after the recent troubles we've had in elections -- or the criminal. |
Catherine Ansbro
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Catherine_a
Post Number: 1514
Registered: 12-2004
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 7:24 am: |
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Bob said: "In an honest world, only the feeble or insane would make recounts more difficult after the recent troubles we've had in elections -- or the criminal."
Exactly. So what do we do in the areas where criminal forces apparently have the upper hand?
We can:
--Document (video, FOI, PRR)
--Publicize (web, conventional media, one-to-one, publications including books and articles)
--Take legal actions (worth a try where the judiciary isn't tainted)
--Organize/protest/take to the streets (worked in Bolivia)
--Civil disobedience
--Provide moral and/or financial support to individuals and groups who are involved in any of the above
Other suggestions? |
Kathleen Wynne
Moderator
Username: Admin_ii
Post Number: 183
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 8:09 am: |
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Lorian,
It's hard to imagine that any state legislator would think it wise to pass a law that prohibits recounts! I've never understood anyone voting "for" such a thing.
However, considering what Brad Friedman recently reported on BradBlog concering an e-mail from lobbyist Jack Abramoff to his partner, Michael Scanlon:
"Just met with Ney!!! We're f'ing gold!!!! He's going to do Tigua," wrote Abramoff to Scanlon in an Email, after Ney reportedly promised to add the Tribe's hoped-for legislation to HAVA while the bill was still pending."
This is a "pigs at the trough" mentality that many of our so-called representatives have that makes it possible for them, as in this case, to agree to include totally unrelated language regarding gambling casinos favored by the Tigua Indians in an ELECTION REFORM BILL. Have mercy!
It's disgusting that this kind of thing happens all too frequently because of the seemingly unfettered inside access and influence lobbyists have with Congress, while we the people stand outside screaming at the top of our lungs to be heard and to no avail.
Like you, BBV is fed up with this kind of behavior and wants to put a stop to it. We've come up with some actions that we are urging citizens to take "before" the 2006 election. By empowering citizens with such actions that help us collect any evidence of wrongdoing, will put public officials and politicians alike on notice that we are watching them and we are going to hold them accountable.
We can't depend on a broken system to fix itself. It's up to us.
Kathleen Wynne
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
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TRIPLE PROTECTION FOR ELECTION 2006 - STARTING NOW:
(1) All American Paper Chase
(2) Dumpster Diving for Democracy
(3) Candid America Project
HOW TO DO IT: See Forums - Actions You Can Take Right Now
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Bob Fleischer
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Rjf7r
Post Number: 48
Registered: 09-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 11:04 am: |
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Re: "It's hard to imagine that any state legislator would think it wise to pass a law that prohibits recounts! " --
Is it possible that the supporters of such measures actually believe the claim that somehow recounts were being used by the evil Democrats to steal elections? From our perspective this is pure fantasy, but the meme behind the Supreme Court decision in 2000 was that the recount was somehow, intentionally or not, biased in favor of Gore and was a tool to steal the election from Bush.
Bob |
Lorian Weston
Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Lweston
Post Number: 4
Registered: 01-2006
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 12:25 pm: |
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They are attempting to minimize/make 'the people' irrelevant; destroying our vote and by making Congress a farcical institution. Gads, wouldn't I love to see the word sedition come up in association with a numer of these people. Blackwell in Ohio comes to mind.
I'm spending my Saturday looking through 'How You Can Do It', and formulating a more aggressive approach.
Again - thank you, thank you to BBV and crew. |
Kathleen Wynne
Moderator
Username: Admin_ii
Post Number: 185
Registered: 08-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2006 - 1:48 pm: |
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Lorian,
In your search in formulating more aggressive approaches in dealing with the many issues that plague election reform, please also check out the 3 actions listed after my name below.
When you visit our forum: "Actions You Can Take Right Now", BBV breaks down each of the 3 actions and includes suggestions on what you can do to get started.
We're all in this together, Lorian and that's how we're going to win this battle.
Kathleen Wynne
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
TRIPLE PROTECTION FOR ELECTION 2006 - STARTING NOW:
(1) All American Paper Chase
(2) Dumpster Diving for Democracy
(3) Candid America Project
HOW TO DO IT: See Forums - Actions You Can Take Right Now
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Brant Lamb
Frequent Voting Rights Forum Participant
Username: Brantl
Post Number: 311
Registered: 01-2005
Best of Black Box? N/A
Votes: 0 (A keeper?) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2006 - 5:04 am: |
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Lorian, one of the things that I think needs to be done is that voters need to be able to verify that their ballots were counted correctly and that they should have the legal recourse to getting them corrected.
I think that will require the voter getting a legally binding copy of their vote and that it have the hash code of a scanned thumbprint on it (this isn't a thumbprint, the fact that you cast the vote can be proven, but not what your identity is).
This would also allow the weeding out of some false ballots (where no unique voter really voted them) and allow for weeding out of duplicate votes. This would require people to come back and validate their ballots in the event of there being more ballots than registered voters, but what choice would you have besides this?
This will be vitally important if there is no recourse to a recount. |
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