To the Editor:
Paul Krugman ("Saving the Vote," column, Aug. 17) and Bob Herbert ("Suppress the Vote?," column, Aug. 16) write about the dangers to our democracy from unverifiable paperless electronic voting machines and the recent intimidation of African-American volunteers in Florida who get out the vote.
Jimmy Carter has served as an independent election observer in many countries, including the recall referendum in Venezuela last Sunday. In January 2001, when asked about Florida's system, he said, "If we were invited to go into a foreign country to monitor the election, and they had similar election standards and procedures, we would refuse to participate at all."
We have the will and the money to wage a questionable war, but do we have the will and the money to ensure an honest election in November?
Evelyn Chorush
Houston, Aug. 17, 2004
•
To the Editor:
The possibility that my vote may be counted toward an unintended candidate is the issue. The voting machines are just the vehicle.
Dysfunctional or rigged machines enable a form of theft and should be viewed as a crime rather than just a technological boo-boo.
That any government would shrug at this potential tells me that it has no regard for the individual vote or, chillingly, that the fix is in.
Harold House
Westhampton, N.Y., Aug. 17, 2004
•
To the Editor:
It is ridiculous that federal elections can be hijacked by states with uncheckable voting machines.
I understand that each state is allowed to create its own election procedures, but there is nothing wrong with requiring that certain standards be met by every state in order to participate in federal elections.
Congress should enact mandatory minimum federal guidelines for elections and voting machines. If those guidelines aren't met, the votes don't count. This may disenfranchise Floridians, but that would be fairer than punishing the nation for the failure of a state.
Gretchen S. Adamek
East Hartford, Conn., Aug. 17, 2004
•
To the Editor:
There is nothing more important right now to the American people than the integrity of the fall election. As a Florida voter, I am doubly concerned. I believe that the 2000 election was stolen in this state, and I do not, as Paul Krugman put it, fear "sounding conspiracy-minded" (column, Aug. 17).
I live in Sarasota County, which will offer voters only two options: to vote using the unreliable and vulnerable electronic machines that leave no paper trail or to use an absentee ballot. I encourage voters everywhere faced with the same choice to vote absentee.
Jonathan Winer
Sarasota, Fla., Aug. 17, 2004
•
To the Editor:
Paul Krugman says the coming election may be "suspect" if paperless voting machines are used.
What's to be done? State Democratic parties must sue in court to stop the use of these machines on the basis of the mounting, widespread evidence of their unreliability, and they must do so now. Any further delay will surely result in a lost election.
Ron Cohen
Waltham, Mass., Aug. 17, 2004
•
To the Editor:
One should question the motivation of state authorities' interrogating elderly African-American voters in Florida, as described by Bob Herbert (column, Aug. 16).
Why is it that Gov. Jeb Bush and his administration are so intensely scrutinizing would-be supporters of John Kerry this year but showed so little heart four years ago for investigating potential voter fraud and coercion that may have allowed his brother to be declared the victor?
When the recurring stories of electronic voting machine irregularities in Florida are added to this, it paints an even uglier picture of that state than the aftermath images of the hurricane.
James Quigley
East Orange, N.J., Aug. 16, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/18/opinion/l18voting.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
