Practical question about voting.

[July]

How do we determine what's the best method of voting to ensure that our vote is counted?

Since the states and even counties within the states use different systems, and since absentee ballots are sometimes counted by machine, how do we figure out the most likely means of casting a vote that is counted?

Where I live, we have touch screens and machine-counted absentee ballots (Sequoia). I figure that I can at least make a copy of an absentee ballot before I mail it in. Or, I could swear to an affidavit after -- to send where?

Kerry's ahead, Bush has lost among groups that supported him in 2000, and I'm convinced that we only need to have a reasonably fair vote to boot Bush. What's the best way to get there?