Sen. Reid Rolls Out Plans for Clean Elections

[kpete]

Reid Rolls Out Plans for Clean Elections

"At a breakfast with reporters Tuesday, incoming Majority Leader Harry Reid warned that the “do-nothing” Congress, as his party has labeled recent Republican rule in the chamber, will soon be over....

"Principally, Reid said that would mean passing a bill to create criminal penalties for election fraud, including offenses such as voter misinformation campaigns carried out by robo-calls and misleading flyers.

"Noting that such tactics were used in both the Missouri and Maryland Senate races, Schumer said, “I think the person or people who authorized that should go to jail for 10 years.” Currently, civil fines usually are the most serious penalty assessed for such ploys. Schumer added that a separate unit should be created within the Justice Department to deal with cases of election fraud." (Roll Call)

more at:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002000.php

[Demeter]

1. YES!

Now to see if it comes out looking anything like what it went in as, with money to implement it!

[IndyOp]

2. Go Harry! And then let's get the machines fixed up...

We have to have voter-marked paper ballots (like optical scan) so that casting and counting votes is not dependent upon electronic voting machines -- use the readers to speed counting if they are working, and audit the paper ballots to make sure the machines are counting correctly.

:kick:

[mom cat]

7. Or lets just get rid of the machines and go paper only!

[Justyce]

13. Yes, much better -- machines will always be too

easy to rig/hack. I would like to see paper voting with plenty of monitors during the entire process and vote count... I saw somewhere where they counted in a room with glass in the front for whoever wanted to stop by and watch & somewhere else where they were talking about broadcasting the whole counting process. But, hey, I'd just settle for getting rid of the electronic machines. I don't know why the entire public isn't in a frenzied rage over this, because how can they believe that anyone fighting verifiable voting is honest & wants fair elections...

[mom cat]

29. The use of electronic machines was a Republican idea and the

main machine vendors are controlled by clear partisan elites. They will NEVER be trustworthy!

[IndyOp]

24. Mom cat - I want instant-run-off voting and it isn't going to happen

with handcounts. :shrug:

[mom cat]

28. I do not see how hand counts would interfere with instant runnoff voting.

It would seem that the instant runnoff is mearly a way of counting votes after all and that hand counting could do this as well or better than machines.

[Triana]

3. YES!! And proud to give this its 5th rec...

...This is awesome!

Give 'em Hell Harry!!

[blondeatlast]

5. Already DESERVEDLY on the Home page!

We've got some great Mods and Admins at DU and it's clear they pay attention.

[blondeatlast]

4. The systemic disencfranchisement of poor and minority voters

has been occurring for decades.

Put 'em on the ropes early, Harry, and let's see them get themselves out of it.

Give 'em Hell, Harry! :bounce:

[wake.up.america]

6. Fair, transparent elections are part of the American system. Why does Rove hate Ameroca?

[Kashka-Kat]

8. Yeah!!!!!! Top priority Id say - fair election is what the whole system is based on

[William769]

9. Looks like the nay sayers have gone into hiding here recently.

:rofl:

[Febble]

15. Nope

Just happy to see a Democratic House and Senate. Yay.

[texpatriot2004]

10. Yes! Give em hell Harry. Harry Reid has a posse. nm

[trogdor]

11. That is, the homeless people they hire to pass out the flyers should NOT get ten years.

The people who hired them should, most definitely.

[Lucky Luciano]

12. We also need to make a rule that says there should one

voting machine per 250 people in a precinct. The 250 might be low - I am making it up - but it is clear that some precincts have lines and some don't. The registered voters to voting machines ratio must have a minimum number if it does not already havew one.

[ContraBass Black]

14. Yes!

Let there be no questions when the votes are counted.

[oc2002]

16. I commend the leadership of the party for calling for reforms, but lets not forget the diebold

or electronic voting machines currently being used with little to no federal guidlines that are basicly a vote and hope it gets it right.

we need a system reform for these machines to make the counts auditable and VERIFIABLE!

and yes, making stiffer jail sentences for dirty tricks should be a no-brianer, but you know they will just come up with loop holes in the laws. And the reality is that our jail system is so over flowing with criminals on drug charges, that it is doubtfull anyone convicted of said crimes would spend a day in jail.

[renate]

22. further down on that page, there's a story with a link to this:

"As investigators in Sarasota County, Fla., continued to sort out why 18,000 blank votes, or 'undervotes,' were recorded in the race to replace Rep. Katherine Harris, New Jersey Democratic Rep. Rush Holt charged that the inaccuracy of the machines 'poses a direct threat to the integrity of our electoral system and to our nation's democracy.'

Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., who unsuccessfully has taken his quest for paper ballots to the federal courts, said it strained credulity to believe that 18,000 voters in the county voted in the U.S. Senate race and for county judge, "but miraculously chose not to vote" in the congressional race.

"I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but you can't help but mention that the one county with a problem was the county that supported the Democratic candidate," Wexler said.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/16020881.htm?source=rss&channel=krwashington_nation

[Strawman]

17. I'd like to see him bait McConnell by advocating public financing of elections

Also.

[wilt the stilt]

18. What will Karl do

The repubs are in trouble.

[Stevepol]

19. A jillion K&R's!!!!!!

[garybeck]

20. would this be a new bill, or an amendment to Hillary's?

there is already a section on campaign practices.

[civildisoBDence]

21. A ten year sentence for vote tampering sounds reasonable...

but so does a forty-year sentence for Abramoff (who got six years and will probably serve far fewer.)

Newsprism

[gaja]

40. What are Reid's connections to Abramoff?

Only 66.000$ in contributions or more?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111701682.html

Abramoff allegedly names Reid
Nov. 16, 2006 at 9:22AM
Investigators probing convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's dealings with U.S. congressional members said Abramoff allegedly named Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.
A spokesman for Reid said the Senate's next majority leader has done nothing illegal or unethical, ABC News said.
"We have no idea what Abramoff is telling prosecutors to save his skin but I do know that these kind of old allegations are completely ridiculous and untrue," spokesman Jim Manley told ABC News.
A source close to the investigation told ABC that Abramoff alleged that more than $30,000 in campaign contributions to Reid came from Abramoff's clients. The lobbyist reportedly claimed that Reid agreed to help on Indian gambling issues, ABC said.
The source said prosecutors would not rely only on Abramoff's account and that his allegations against Reid and others will not necessarily mean criminal charges would be filed, ABC said.
Abramoff, who reported to federal prison Wednesday, was sentenced in connection with guilty pleas involving a casino boat gambling scheme. He also is awaiting sentencing for corruption involving government officials and their staff members. He is cooperating with federal investigators looking into corruption in the legislative and executive branches.

http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20061116-085004-5587r.htm

[LSK]

23. Robo-calls defeated the Duckworth campaign

I would love if this legislation got passed.

[Mrspeeker]

25. the do nothing did alot!

For themselves and there rich and now even richer friends. I hope its not the plan to label the out going GOP control as did nothing and leave everything the way it is. So many of the recent bills passed into law are just down right unconstitutional. I hope its not the plan to move forward without taking alot of steps back with a big eraser.

[PBass]

26. AWESOME!!!

Should be compliled on a "per count" basis.

[Ino]

27. MO AG wants to ban auto-calls from politicians

nixon is going to run for gov. hope he wins

http://tinyurl.com/ynfaxn

In the 10 days before the election last week, the Missouri attorney general's office was deluged with more than 800 complaints from people fed up with annoying phone calls from politicians.

"Even when you hang up ... they are still talking with their recorded message,'' a woman in Macon wrote.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Jay Nixon urged the Legislature to pass legislation allowing consumers on the state's No Call list to ban automated calls, including from candidates.

[The Count]

30. Great! Now about the vote count, exit polls, paper ballots....

I am just hoping they deal with all aspects, beyond vote suppression.
But for this:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[mhatrw]

31. How about demanding auditable elections as well, Harry?

Or is that too much to ask?

[JudyM]

32. How about criminalizing *appointing* rather than electing the president?

[Land Shark]

33. Nothing is clean about Electronic elections with Secret Vote counting on corp hard drives

[PATRICK]

34. Thank you, Sen. Reid

Locally this means a lot since the fraud available to the incumbent GOP ham sandwich was last minute robocalls and Superhumungous Big Lie scare ads that had even strong Democrats asking if we intended to ruin Social Security and raise taxes on everyone, besides comically despicable pictures of terrorists.

I believe we would have netted three seats around my area with those particular tactics eliminated. Why? The calls were effective in inflaming the GOP base, turning off or confusing Dem voters from harsh campaigning, interfering specifically with the necessary GOTV strategies with not enough time for defense.

In other states it is more imperative to remove e-voting first, but reform must be comprehensive and the principles well known among the public.

[fooj]

35. Criminal penalties...

I like the sound of that.

[seasat]

36. How about 527s?

In Florida, a 527 financed solely by two large corporate sugar companies contributed to the defeat of Jim Davis for governor. There ought to be a rule that keeps these large corporations which live off our tax dollars from laundering their subsidies into political attack ads. We're letting these special interests buy elections and I'm sick of it. We should limit any contribution to a set amount equal to what a political campaign would receive if they mention any politician or race in their commercial or just ban them completely.

[SquireJons]

37. Takin' care of business. n/t

[creeksneakers2]

38. Hooray for Harry Reid!!!!

I still want to see the details though to find out if this violates the first amendment and also who decides what fraud is.

[happydreams]

39. Certainly the Repugs in the Congress will join him in his

efforts. :sarcasm:

[blondeatlast]

44. In the spirit of bi-partisanship. We should SO encourage this.

:rofl:

[Martin Eden]

41. It's a good issue, and a winner!

Let's see what happens when the minority rethugs spend what little political capital they have on trying to block fair elections.

[focusfan]

42. I hope that Bill gets passed

maybe that would stop future Bush's from getting in the white
house.

[AikidoSoul]

43. Random Manual counting has to be FEDERALLY mandated

Random Manual counting has to be FEDERALLY mandated. Manual recounts are actually illegal in Florida under most circumstances! Other states take the lead from Florida's Bush-style elections officials who have managed to get laws passed making it next to impossible to detect fraud.

Florida statutues impose narrow constraints which confine recounts so narrowly that it stops the counting from seeing whether the main body of the vote is correct. If you read Florida Statute 102.166 -- Manual recounts --you will see that manual recount may not include the main body of votes!

Manual recounts are allowed only for overvotes and undervotes! AND --the undervote / overvote r
recount may only proceed WHEN THE DIFFERENCE IN THE VOTE IS less than 1/4 OF 1% and the
number of undervotes or overvotes are considered to be enough to make a difference in the outcome
(See link to statute here):

http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=CH0102/Sec166.HTM


Any criminally inspired computer designer can design firmware or software secretly programmed
to win by just enough of a percentage above the percentage criterion to bypass any recount
requirement.

:mad:

:mad:

:mad:

:mad:

K & R!!!!!

[pa28]

45. Outstanding. Hopefully there is more.

Illegal purging of voters must be stopped. An audit trail for results with a clear set of national standards is also needed.

Good start Harry.

[nicknameless]

46. Good news. Hopefully Reid will go further and stop election rigging BEFORE it happens.

Prosecuting robocallers and those distributing misleading/false information AFTER THE FACT does nothing to effect the outcome of an election.
The NH phone jammers may do time, but the damage they caused cannot be undone. No revote.


Focusing on what can effect the outcome of our elections is most important.
:bluebox: Illegal voter roll purges must be addressed BEFORE elections.
:bluebox: Dumping/outlawing the effing, vote-rigging machines must be done BEFORE elections.


Violators (RoVs, etc.) must face stiff criminal penalties.
Election offices across the country have been disenfranchising voters by the hundreds of thousands.
They must be prosecuted if we are to remain a democracy (or return to being one).

[Hekate]

47. KnR. THEY HEARD US!

Our democracy may yet be saved for our children's children to inherit.

:bounce:

Hekate

[RestoreGore]

48. Call for the ouster of electronic voting machines...

That will be taking a stand.