Lynn Landes: Settle for nothing short of all-paper voting

[nmoliver]

I fully endorse what Lynn Landes is saying - we must insist on paper-only voting.

I am writing to her to tell her that she needs to add some additional points to her argument:

The Republicans have shown every time that they will take any action to block a recount, including getting a "stay" from the US Supreme Court, running out the clock so that recounts are ineffective, rigging the recount evidence, etc. ad infinitum. So having paper trails "for a recount" just sets us up for another land mine.

In addition, it is ONLY in paper-only elections that exit polls match the tallies. Machine tallies have NEVER been proved accurate.

- Nina


http://onlinejournal.com/evoting/121704Landes/121704landes.html

Electronic Voting

Voting rights groups 'block' talk of machine-free elections

By Lynn Landes
Online Journal Contributing Writer

...
Discussion about the accuracy of voting machines is also fodder for disinformation. Take Dr. Ted Selker of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), please. At the conference, he once again blathered about "residual votes" (i.e., overvotes and undervotes), claiming that "new" machines are better than old machines. How wonderful for the industry. Selker avoids the real elephant in the closet—that
voting machines can be easily rigged and impossible to safeguard. Selker claims that voting machines reduce undervotes and overvotes, when in fact, he can provide no evidence that the voting machines don't add and subtract votes on command or willy-nilly.

...

It's time for a good hard look in the mirror. Voting machines have been around since 1892. Why have the voting rights groups failed for so long to recognized the tremendous threat to basic civil rights these machines pose? When the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed why didn't these groups question the use of voting machines? Why
didn't they stop and consider that all the good the act would do, would be rendered moot by these technological Trojan Horses? Sure, a few minority congressmen have made it to Congress, but that doesn't mean that elections haven't been routinely rigged. The U.S. Congress does not remotely represent the diversity of people or opinions in the general population.

...

Four years after the 2000 election, voting machines are causing more problems than ever. Someone needs to get a clue. At least let's have a real debate, Wade.

Lynn Landes is one of the nation's leading journalists on voting technology and democracy issues. Readers can find her articles at EcoTalk.org. Lynn is a former news reporter for DUTV and commentator for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Contact info: [e-mail] / [phone]

[meganmonkey]

1. I agree

paper and pen - count them at the precinct with public allowed to pbserve.

National standards. local control!!!

[glitch]

4. Yep - paper ballots, hand counts at precinct level with public observing.

Too simple, too efficient. But, no place for billions of government subsidy to republican vote machine corporations, no chance of one party controlling the vote count, so it will never fly in the new FSA (Fascist States of America).

[Caution]

2. yeh because that has never been abused or anything...

There is such a thing as a happy medium

[Kelvin Mace]

3. You are correct!

Paper in the absence of rigid auditing requirements is a problem, as is e-voting without paper.

A balance must be struck, but paperless e-voting must be outlawed.

David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org

[dewaldd]

6. A paper ballot is useless if you don't count it

If we count on machines first, it will give the crooks a month or so to tamper with the ballots. We will always be fighting for recounts after elections. Candidates without money will not be able to ask for a recount.

A fair election is our RIGHT, and the only way to do it is to do it right the first time--hand count on election night!

[stirringstill]

5. Pen and Paper--Period

Having read her web site and learning who owns the voting machines made me into a paper ballot only convert. This is a lot more complicated than simply Republican owned machines, and she knows it. Ballot box stuffing will likely always occur but grand scale theft of national elections will be made impossible. Democracy is fast becoming an illusion and she knows we must wake up.

[mary195149]

7. Also, on the paper ballot,

there should be a carbonless copy for the voter to have a receipt after finished casting vote. That way, no one can go back to change paper ballot.

[rjbny62]

8. agree, there needs to be a receipt given to the voter

[enough]

9. kick