Reply #8: And if Congress doesn't act, VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT THIS FALL! [View All]

[Peace Patriot]

Recommended by the Colorado Democratic Party, in the face of huge problems with the electronic voting system.

1. It's paper. Better than not paper (paperless e-voting). AB votes were very important to several 2004 election studies (showed bias toward Bush in e-voting results vs. paper). They will help in challenges, recounts, and studies checking for fraud. It provides a record of your vote.

2. IT'S A PROTEST!!!! Americans NEED TO protest! Why is our government so fucked up? THIS IS WHY. Rigged e-voting machines. BOYCOTT the machines. DON'T vote on them!

3. If the PROTEST is big enough--if everybody in the country who despises the Bush Junta (60% to 70%) votes by Absentee Ballot--the reign of these rigged voting machines is OVER!

4. It's easy. Everybody can do it. (Most states have some form of AB voting.) It's a maximum participation protest. It will HELP turnout. To those disillusioned persons who say "it's all rigged" and don't want to vote, we can say: But this is a PROTEST aimed at UN-rigging the system! No excuse not to vote. It's a great motivator.

5. It turns voting into an active PROTEST, rather than a passive act of despair and hoping against hope.

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Cautions: Fill your ballot and its envelope out very carefully (to avoid disqualification). Hand-deliver it to registrar's office or polling place (check local rules), or send it registered mail/ return receipt requested, or Fed Ex (to have a record that it was received). The least secure thing to do is simply to mail it regular USPS. More you can do: Take election day off and go demand to SEE where the AB votes are and how they are counted. (Document everything--if they're scanning the AB votes into the rigged electronics, take pix; if they're dumping them in a back room and reporting e-voting totals first, take pix, write good doc notes, etc. Precede this with a separate letter (separate from you ballot) to your registrar/sec of state, demanding TRANSPARENT vote counting, and also proper handling, counting and reporting of AB votes. Tell them you'll be there and you'll be watching! (--with your lawyer!).

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THE EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOT BILL

If we are to back an emergency paper ballot bill, then I think it must say that all paper ballots must be counted BY HAND and RESULTS POSTED AT THE PRECINCT LEVEL, before ANY totals are released; or, if they want to do a partial count, and release the results, those results must be composed of the same percentage of AB paper ballots (and other real paper ballots--not provisional, and not mixed up together) as the e-voting percentage. 50% report on e-voting must be equaled by 50% report of AB votes, and 50% report of real paper ballots. In other words, they must be counted TOGETHER. No shunting the AB votes or other paper ballots aside for e-vote totals, and thus election officials and corporate news monopolies "calling" elections on the e-votes alone. This is a simple provision. And it is a matter of justice.

BRAD, I think it's very important that this emergency bill NOT permit the use of "provisional" ballots as a sub. Much too much disenfranchisement has occurred with "provisional" ballots. I think it should be specifically forbidden. Let election officials do some leg work. They CAN get real ballots printed. (Maybe the bill should include some money for it.)

I AGREE WITH THIS: "These paper ballots are not to be provisional ballots, but regular paper ballots that shall be counted immediately upon the close of polls on election night along with all other votes cast by properly registered voters."

BUT I WOULD AMEND IT THIS WAY: "These paper ballots are not to be provisional ballots, but regular paper ballots that shall be HAND-counted IN PUBLIC immediately upon the close of polls on election night, AND THE RESULTS OF THIS HAND-COUNT POSTED AT THE PRECINCT LEVEL, BEFORE ANY ELECTRONICS ARE INVOLVED. ABSENTEE BALLOTS SHALL ALSO BE HAND-COUNTED AND THE RESULTS POSTED ON ELECTION NIGHT, BEFORE ANY ELECTRONICS ARE INVOLVED. THESE HAND-COUNTS AND POSTINGS SHALL OCCUR along with THE COUNTING OR TABULATION of all other votes cast by properly registered voters. IF PARTIAL RESULTS ARE REPORTED TO THE PUBLIC, THESE RESULTS MUST PROPORTIONATELY REPRESENT THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PAPER BALLOTS along with electronic voting totals."

I would like to include a hand-count and posting of all optiscan ballots--but that might be too much for this emergency bill. But on the above items, I think we had better be concerned with setting precedents. If they are required to "count" the paper ballots but not to "post the results," then many will not post them--or will only post ELECTRONIC totals AFTER they have scanned these ballots into the rigged electronics. And many corrupt officials will STILL report only e-voting totals to the media and to the public, thus creating DIFFICULT conditions for challenges and getting a recount (--if the election has already been "called"). So why not set the precedent--and make it the law--that paper ballots must be hand-counted and results posted BEFORE they do anything else with them?

Also, so many people are now planning to vote by Absentee Ballot, that we MUST include AB's in the requirement to count them on election night. Election officials have been very abusive about this--and sometimes don't count AB votes until days later, in their PRESUMPTION that the AB votes will reflect the e-vote. THIS TIME that may NOT be true! If you're going to tell them what they have to do with paper ballots, this should INCLUDE Absentee Ballot votes!

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I don't have lot of faith that Congress will act (or will do the RIGHT THING--another worry!). This is the "Diebold Congress"--the Congress (s)elected by Diebold, ES&S and brethren. They have no reason to give us back our right to vote. The Emergency Paper Ballot Bill is a righteous bill. Who could oppose it? But do remember what this Congress has been up to! Spending a week on flag-burning. Trying to find a way to let Bush torture people (and free a whole lot of torturers from any criminal liability, past or future). NOT responding to numerous calls for withdrawal from Iraq, and the clear will of the American people that we do so. Passing the bankruptcy bill. Etc. Etc. It's ALWAYS worth it to try--for educational purposes, if nothing else (with AB voting as the backup suggestion). I DO think it's important to get the public's outrage about this rigged voting system across; to show our strength; and to put these Bush toadies on the spot. All to the good. But just don't count on it. AND DON'T FORGET THE BACKUP PLAN: MASSIVE AB VOTING TO FORCE REFORM AT THE STATE/LOCAL LEVEL (probably the only level where it's still possible).

If we FLOOD election officials with MOUNTAINS of Absentee Ballots--and BOYCOTT their diabolical machines--I believe it will create sufficient panic and crisis at the local level to put you and other election reformers at the table, with our demand for TRANSPARENT vote counting.