Without free and fair elections, all other problems we fix can be quickly undone should the

[rhett o rick]

Republicans regain control.

Republicans have long tried to drive Democratic voters away from the polls. "I don't want everybody to vote," the influential conservative activist Paul Weyrich told a gathering of evangelical leaders in 1980. "As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."

It was obvious leading up to this last election that Republicans were working to suppress votes. The fact that they failed does not mean they will give up. IMO they will continue working to suppress Democratic voters harder than ever. Consider that they are desperate and have near unlimited funding.

Ari Berman wrote a good article in the Dec. 10, issue of The Nation, entitled “The Voting Rights Fight.” In the article he points out how active voters foiled many attempts by the right to suppress votes. However, he also points out that early next year the Supreme Court will review a challenge to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act that gives the federal government the right to review voting law changes in sixteen states that have a history of suppression of voting by minority voters. The conservative court is expected to overturn Section 5. This would be a major setback.

Berman goes on to point out that Democrats need to do more to try to get the US Election Assistance Commission functioning. The commission was enacted to help states run elections, but the commission “has no commissioners, executive director or general counsel, and hasn’t met publicly since 2011.” And the Republicans are working to kill this commission.

Again I say that working to insure fair and free elections has to be a top priority of this administration. Otherwise, any progress we make can quickly be undone if Republicans gain more power.

[Zorra]

1. Well said. This should be an immediate fundamental goal of any democratic society.

Maintaining the potential for chicanery in our electoral system is stupid beyond words.

[s-cubed]

2. Senator Boxer and ReP Jim Moran(D-VA)

are introducimg the LINE act about national voting standards. I called their offices in support, but also to say that it doesn't go far enough. We must have elections that both sides have confidence in. Right now half of republicans believe Acorn stole the 2012 election, many of us feeL the 2004 election was stolen in Ohio. Since Acorn died in 2010, we may be less delusional, BUT we must have elections that everyone has confidence in.

1. No more proprietary software, either on voting machines or tabulating machines. The system architecture must also be public: no man in the middle architecture. NIST (or a special nonpartsian organizatio like the BLS) must certify all software and architectures and anti-hacking protections.

2. The last step in voting involves the voter examining a printed paper ballot, coded to prevent "losing" ballots. These ballots are preserved for recounts and for required random audits of all elections.

3 . Automatic national registration of voters when they turn 18 , much like the draft. A national registry of voters. No purges are allowed within 6 months of an election and purged voters must be notified at that time. Voters can check their status online. If necessary a national voter ID.

I'm sure there are other needs, but these would be a good start.

There are some constitional restrictions: states have power over elections, but standards can be set for federal elections.

PLEASE call Sen Boxer202 224 3553 and Rep Moran 202 225 4376 to let them know we need much more than standard about standing in line

[marions ghost]

3. I strongly favor the automatic registration

of voters. It avoids the registration manipulation opportunities and also gets people voting at a younger age.

--No more proprietary software and RethugliCon controlled machines. Check

--Paper ballots with random HAND counting DURING elections.

--------------

We do need more protections than what Boxer and Moran recommend. Contacting them is a good idea.

[rhett o rick]

5. I think interferring with a person right to vote should be a federal offense.

And that means you better have a good excuse for long lines or go to prison. And dumping voter's registrations. For caging.

All electronic processes backed up with paper checks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. It is a Federal and state offense

The problem is not the laws, but lack of enforcement.

[rhett o rick]

10. Are there federal laws that cover throwing out registrations, or caging, or not providing

adequate voting machines, etc.?

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Yes..

They are rarely enforced.

[marions ghost]

12. The voting process need to be radically overhauled

It is antiquated, dysfunctional, and wide open for the massive corruption we have seen. The system is prey to all kinds of behind-the-scenes manipulation.

We can't know the extent of vote tampering at the machines, but the obvious mickey mouse stuff that happens should tell us how vulnerable the whole system is. I mean, make the lines long so people can't or won't vote.

--is it obvious now that vote suppression and manipulation is a REPUBLICON strategy?

[99Forever]

4. K&R

[Initech]

6. Part of the problem is that we give the clergy way too much power.

And the bad thing is the Republicans have so closely aligned themselves with religion that we'll never have fair elections until we address that issue.

[rhett o rick]

7. How does the power of the clergy affect free elections? nm

[rhett o rick]

8. Does anyone else think that interferring with a person right to vote should be a federal offense? nm