Counter-action to BBV?....

[ablbodyed]

Maybe we should all demand absentee ballots. It'll take more time to count, but do we REALLY need to know instantly that our vote probably didn't matter, or can we wait and know that at least there's a paper trail that can be checked?
Love some feedback on this.

[shirlden]

1. This has been discussed a lot

over the past few months and is certainly an option for many. As the 2004 election draws nearer, I anticipate that there will be a major movement to do just this. For now, I hope we are all focusing our energy on stopping the mass purchase of defective voting machines from Bush Corporate sponsors.

:argh:

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. In Florida we had early voting

for the 2002 election. Early voting and/or absentee ballots are the way to go at this point. Since most of the absentee ballots are caste before election day, there shouldn't be a problem with tabulating the results in a timely fashion.

[ablbodyed]

3. In NY we count....

the absentee ballots LAST, at least in my county. I was a Demo poll watcher. We read the numbers off the results sheet from the back of the lever-style machine; then opened the sealed anonymous inner envelopes which were shuffled vigorously after they were removed from the signed outer ones, and counted; then added to the machine numbers and written on the tally sheet. The results were called into the central office from which they were released as totals from across the state. Counting took quite a bit of time, so the results WILL be delayed, but that's a small price to pay to have some controll over our votes. Sorry if this is old news to DU.

[RedEagle]

4. Do Absentee, But Watch How They Are Counted

In Florida, there was the voter purge, hanging chads, and the discrepancies found by Palast in how optical scan machines behaved from one county to the next.

Florida is also where the negative 16022 Gore "votes" happened that almost caused Gore to cede early.

We don't know how many more negative votes might have gone unnoticed.

Something like 30 - 40% of the Florida vote was counted on Diebold opitcal scan. Bush fought like heck to keep a hand recount from occuring.

The scam is in the optical scan, too. If the ballots are never recounted, by another system entirely or by hand, no one knows.

Paper ballots? By all means. Then be ready to help pay for hand recounts of suspicious results.

Before that, write or send petitions to the county and state officials buying equipment that you will not use any voting system that does not produce a voter verified paper ballot, put in a ballot box. Tell them this NOW. Every person on DU can make these officials think twice about the money they are about to spend. Boycott touch screens without a voter verified paper ballot. Send this message out RIGHT NOW.

It's a simple email, fax, letter, phone call. HAVA money is YOUR money and it's not to be spent on paperless voting systems, touch screen or internet.

VoteHere's system doesn't cut it, that piece of paper of theirs isn't left for auditing elections and can be used to sell votes. Just walk up to that screen with your buyer, verifiy your vote, get your money. What a joke)

If you are in a Diebold county or state, demand to know the version of the software being used. Then check to see if it is certified. Check your state's requirements. Keep the officials busy and let them know your are watching and will boycott voting systems that do not produce a voter verified paper ballot. Tell them that RIGHT NOW.

Everyone on DU can do this. No official out there can justify spending money on systems people don't intend to use.