Paper Ballots Necessary to Preserve Democracy

[kster]

NC Times

By: KEN KARAN - Commentary

SNIP...At the center is Registrar of Voters Deborah Seiler, who is in the unenviable position of having to prove to county officials that the products she sold them when working for Diebold are what she said they were. And she has to prove to citizens that she is representing their interest in verifiable and secure elections. But if successful, it only serves to confirm that Seiler is still looking out for her former, and possibly future, employer. Already calls are out for Seiler to recuse herself from any deliberations concerning what to do about the Diebold contract. If Seiler has her way, most voters will be mailing in their ballots to be secretly counted on Diebold's opti-scan. But a more enlightened Bowen may end that possibility by recognizing the risks inherent in that method, too. And the possibility has also been floated that registrars may just ignore Bowen's orders and continue perpetuating the fraud.

If the decertification of Diebold machines means the end of secret vote-counting and a return to paper ballots counted by hand, the sky will not fall, chaos will not reign and the terrorists will not follow us home. Instead, printers will print ballots, voters will mark and verify them in one simple process, and they will be counted in view of citizens. Any concern that a system of paper ballots is more prone to tampering than electronic voting is wishful thinking on the part of Diebold's supporters. Imagine a top-to-bottom review of a paper ballot system. How many secret processes would have to be investigated? None. How many worse-case scenarios would have to be imagined? About five, compared to the 120 ways to rig e-voting. All that's needed with paper ballots for security is to keep your eyes on them, and to create an impregnable chain of custody.

E-voting forces citizens to abdicate responsibility for the functions of a free society. Thomas Jefferson taught that, "the qualifications for self-government in society are not innate. They are the result of habit and long training."

The right to self-government is unalienable, but the act itself must be practiced. One habit required for self-government is being mindful of the importance of elections as an experience, a celebration, and not a chore. Being an adult demands taking responsibility. Responsibility for some things cannot be delegated. We cannot delegate responsibility for making choices like whom to marry and whether to have children. We cannot delegate responsibility for the crimes we commit. We cannot delegate responsibility for practicing our religion. And, we cannot, in a democracy, delegate responsibility for choosing the government we are empowered by our Creator to create.



http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08/12/perspective/...

[babylonsister]

1. Sweet. The sky will NOT fall! nt

[kster]

2. How many worse-case scenarios would have to be imagined? About five,

compared to the 120 ways to rig e-voting.

WOW! THIS GUY IS GOOD!

[Kurovski]

3. K&R. (nt)

[kster]

4. Hand Count the Ballots,

and stick the e-vote/counting machines UP THE MANUFACTURERS ASS, then they too will be FULL OF SHIT.

Thanks Kurovski

[fed-up]

5. 5th rec/kick so the morning crowd can read this nt