Instead of trying to UNfix elections..we just must FIX them

[SoCalDem]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record.....

We simply MUST take the bull by the horns and correct the way we vote as a nation.

I know that "the states" are responsible for running their own elections....B U T ... that whole issue needs to be re-visited.

I will "trust" the states to actually RUN their elections, but I will no longer TOLERATE "the states" BUNGLING elections that determine the composition of the Senate and House...and of course who sits his butt in the chair at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

HAVA was a big joke (like I knew it would be).. It was "briar patch" legislation at its very best/worst..

HAVA was about THROWING MONEY at states to help them "fix" their elections. What state would not jump at the opportunity for money coming their way? The beneficiaries? Republican-owned Vapor-Vote machines.

As a result we just got an even creakier set-up.

The only way we can EVER have a chance at fair elections again is to separate the nationally-held offices from the local/state offices and the proposition/measures that create the need for these multi-page, confusing ballots..

If Ohio or Florida or any state screws up their vote, we end up with a bogus president.. It's already happened TWICE IN A ROW.. How many more times do we just sit back and say "better luck next time"? Sure we can "ask for, and PAY FOR" a recount, but it's almost always going to be too little too late. As much as I fervently HOPE that Ohio somehow "goes our way", I seriously doubt that there's much chance of it. By even asking for a recount, we are portrayed as loony conspiracy nuts. Any overturning at this point would just turn into another ferocious court battle, and we all know how THAT would turn out.

What has to happen is THIS:

Congress needs to amend HAVA and it's a simple fix..

National office races (at most THREE in any given election cycle)MUST be a separate ballot.. A PAPER one.. The SAME for ALL states.. The IRS has NO trouble standardizing its forms for use in ALL states.

It could be a 5 x 7 note card stock.. Each state would need to have them printed with the various candidates.. Listed alphabetically with a simple box next to each name.. Instructions.."Vote for ONE in each column"..Permanent marker..Mark the box.. I know that scan machines can be set sensitively enough to register "any" mark inside the box..

Cards would be consecutively numbered so that "extras" could not be added at the end of the day.

The state's "other" races could be voted on in any manner they chose.. That's THEIR business.. I really will not lose much sleep over whether prop55 passes or not in Nebraska.. BUT I do care if 50K "extra" votes are mysteriously "vapor-voted" into existence. I also care if the vote tally does not "add up"..

People do not come to blows with each other or cast off friendships over school board positions, but they DO over president/senate/congressperson..

Now for registration....

EVERY citizen 18 & over should automatically be eligible to vote.It should be a DUTY of any city's registrar to see to it that everyone 18 and over (and don't tell me they cannot find out who those people are). To get a driver's license in CA, you must produce a birth certificate and a second ID..(at least WE did)so why on earth do we seem to have such a problem registering people?

If people choose not to vote, we cannot change that, but NO citizen should be turned away on election day because they did not show up on some "list"..

If people choose to join a political party , that should be their choice, but everyone who is a citizen should be automatically "eligible" to vote..party or no party. Primaries would demand party affiliation, and that's no problem for me. General elections should be totally non-partisan.

How hard would it be for each household to be sent voter-registration "update" applications? The gas company seems to have no problem sending a bill each month..They know where all the households are.

Would a postage paid return envelope be illegal?
How about including voter registration applications with the packet of stuff that MUST be filled out for school. (for Seniors in high school)The ones who would still be 17 on election day whould be void, and returned to the student to re-submit later..


Even absentee balloting needs to be updated. If one thing is "wrong" on it, the WHOLE ballot gets tossed. The "two part ballot" would at least insure that the votes for president/senate/house would be counted. The simplicity almost guarantees it. If the "counters" want to go round and round about the rest of it, so be it.

We MUST apply pressure and continue to do it until congress changes this mess. Regardless of who wins, we MUST know that he/she won fairly and trust the voting process.

Do you realize that we have not had a president that was accepted by ALL the country, since Bush1? How sad it THAT??

Republicans never "accepted" Clinton, and WE have never, nor ever will accept *² as president. That hurts our nation and weakens us in the eyes of the world.

We cannot wait much longer..

[oc2002]

1. With Republicans in charge, reform has no chance at all. Democracy is dead

nt.

[ewagner]

2. Another possible HAVA fix....or two....

Mandate that no person in any state who has responsibility for overseeing, managing or the voting process can be an officer, official or consultant to any party or candidate running in the election....

No more Katherine Harris'

No more Blackwells

Control over ballots must be done by CPa firms. Responsibilities would be to certify how many people voted; certify the process of counting the votes; have a verifiable audit trail for certification of the election.

[ladjf]

3. You're on the right track. Keep on making good suggestions.

[silverweb]

4. I'm with you!

We need the groundswell to start at the local level, grassroots style. Maybe DFA members can get their local groups to help spread the word. As individuals, we can put pressure on our congressional representatives to sponsor and support legislation.

Diebold and other companies will fight and lobby for all their worth, but they need to be cut out completely. Security can not be entrusted to any corporate suits, PR people, or shareholders. We must assume corruptability at all levels and the simplicity, recountability, and purity of a clean process must be the overriding concern.

[Eric J in MN]

5. There is Election Day registartion in Minnesota, Wisconsin,

and a total of six states.

There is a bill in Congress to get Election Day registration in all 50 states.

http://www.theorator.com/bills108/hr3153.html

[bloom]

6. We will probably have to make it a bi-partisan issue

like campaign finance reform. With a massive advertising campaign.

Something to bring up at everyones "re-election" - did they vote for it or not?

[SoCalDem]

7. It really IS a bi-partisan issue.

If..(and it's a BIG if) *² really DID win, it would be of great comfort to his minions to have us off their backs:evilgrin: