I had already been suspicious of the '00 and '04 election results before reading "Fooled Again: How the Right Stole the 2004 Election & Why They'll Steal the Next One Too" by Mark Crispin Miller. However, reading that book, which was rather comprehensively researched, reminded me that the machines are not the only problem. What makes everything so much worse is that very few people in leadership positions are challenging the concept of voting machines pushed by partisan companies that leave no paper trail and are readily available for tampering. When somebody like me discusses it, we are dismissed as wacky conspiracy theorists. which is why there has been so little incentive to enact meaningful reform.
At this point I have no confidence that the elections in our nation are fair. I also have no confidence in the Democratic Party to make enough noise about this to make a difference. It is a given that the msm will be silent.
However, every now and again, I am capable of being surprised. Today was such a day. The Washington Post, in an editorial, addressed these touch-pad voting machines with no paper trail produced by Diebold. In specifically dealing with the situation in Maryland, the following was stated:
"...the touch-screen machines that have been in use are seriously flawed. Voters cannot know for sure whether their choices are correctly recorded and tallied because the machines do not produce any paper trails showing each vote cast; that makes an audit impossible. Computer experts note, too, that results can be rigged without risk of detection."
Interestingly, the Post makes it a bi-partisan issue, as if the GOP is as eager to correct the problem as are Democrats. Uh huh? Additionally, they refer to Dems who are allegedly trying to impede reform in the interests of attacking the Republican Governor. I don't know the local politics of the state that well, but it would not be the first time that Democrats were clueless. In fact the party ineptitude has been reaching new heights of late, so I don't take issue with the conclusion.
I do know this. If we allow machines with no paper trail, we can say goodbye to our democracy. Because the right-wing will continue to steal elections that they never won. At this point, they know the Democrats will do nothing but crawl back into the corner with their tail between their legs.
That is the saddest part of the story.
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"When Machines Count, Votes Don't"
Our election reform group, www.DefendersOfDemocracy.com has been fighting against evidence-free elections for over two years. We are a non-partisan organization, and applaud Maryland's Governor for taking THE ethical position on this issue. We will be watching Gov. Ehrlich to follow through on this statement.
It is time for Georgia's Governor, Sonny Purdue (R), to stand up for accountability as well. We Georgia citizens demand accountable elections with paper ballots. Does Gov. Purdue have the nerve to demand the Georgia Assembly pass a real election reform bill like the Original Vote Count Protection Act? Or will Georgia Republicans pass a weak bill like SB500 that makes election accountability falsely appear to be an expensive commodity that Georgians cannot afford?
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