"Secure Elections Act" Coming Up For Vote

Irvu writes "The US House of Representatives is considering HR. 5036, the 'Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008,' as introduced by Representative Rush Holt. The bill is scheduled for a floor vote later today. It would provide for emergency paper ballots, money for the addition of voter verifiable paper ballots to existing systems, and post-election audits. Crucially, the change to paper is opt-in, making it possible for local jurisdictions to govern their own choices. Here are two summaries of the bill. It was reported out of committee with strong bipartisan support. As of this morning the White house has opposed the bill but not threatened a veto, and some previously supportive Republicans have now changed their tune. Calls may be made to your house rep (click on 'Find your representative'). Here's a sample support letter."

Re:Nonsence...

[Misch]

Pssst: Ed Felten [princeton.edu] is a constituent of Rush Holt.

/, as a lobbying vehicle?

[MSTCrow5429]

Is this really an appropriate fashion to present such content, via full endorsement and support by ./?

Re:Crucially Broken

[omega_dk]

View it like this: if there is a significant discrepancy between voting trends in paper-ballot w/ audit counties, and those that decided not to opt-in, those counties may have an angry electorate on their hands that would demand an explanation.

If they can't offer a suitable explanation due to a lack of a paper trail because they decided not to accept free money from the feds... well, I am not going to say they *would* be in trouble because the American Electorate is notorious for not caring, but there would at least be some eyebrows raised.

Re:Let's get one thing straight

[Murrquan]

Maybe the Slashdotters are against voting machines because they actually understand the machines' limitations, and potential for misuse without traces of tampering.

Open Source is (surprisingly) the only solution

[jr76]

You know, I am not the person always gung-ho about open source technology, but I do believe that open source software and hardware is the only way to have electronic voting work. It's the only way to get enough peer-review so that all sides and all parties can be assured it would be tamper-proof. Any private entity is the exact opposite, since they have no requirement, and often the exact opposite incentive to make it tamper-proof, so therefore the devices are more likely to "deliver" the votes the company wants to deliver, all in the argument that "it's more secure" because they say it is. Has anyone ever brought this up in slashdot? It really is worth it's own article. P.S. Paper can be manipulated, too.

Re:ID's

[BlueStrat]

"One thing I don't see mentioned here is the issue of some kind of proof you are who you say you are before you vote. In my opinion thats as much an issue as counting correctly, but it seems to be ignored. Why?"

Because the Democrats have largely been successful in pettifogging and demagoguing the issue so that in the publics' mind, asking for ID==discrimination. No politician can afford, especially when their party is in a major election cycle, to be accused, however falsely, of discrimination. The Democrats have been increasingly using the tactic of busing in homeless people and illegal aliens to vote, sometimes across multiple districts, over the last 20 to 30 years.

This is not anecdotal, this is observation at my polling places, watching the buses pull up and empty out, with the organizers instructing the passengers, and sometimes even blatantly in full view handing out various "payments", from gift cards to cartons of cigarettes. I've overheard the passengers complaining about how many stops and long lines they've had to stand in to the largely unsympathetic organizers.

At first I tried to get someone to take action. I've met with indifference and hostility from both parties' election workers and even the police. I've been shoved around, roughed up, and threatened with arrest and major violence. I've had cameras taken from me, smashed, and the media destroyed. Newspapers, TV, & radio stations have all ignored the situation.

I finally had to give up and just be thankful I was even allowed to vote at all. When I hear Democrats scream about electronic vote rigging, I have to wonder if it's only because they didn't think of it first, and that they're losing the money they spent on the buses and payoffs.

I think there should be a secure way to vote that minimizes shenanigans, but there needs to be just as much concern, if not more, about what other non-electronic tactics are being used to subvert the vote.

Cheers!

Strat