I voted by absentee ballot this year for the first time, and I look at the difference between that and the "provisional" vote that was used in a lot of places (although not equally well implemented -- ohio sticks out as a bad example).
The point is that you cast a paper ballot vote and put it in an envelope that you seal and sign and certify your elegibility to vote, and in both cases this information is checked by election official to ensure that (1) it is valid (ie that I am registered) and (2) that there are no other votes with my registration tagged on it.
This would seem to answer all the questions republicans raise on voters and the "democratic vote fraud" system.
Take this a step further: make the ballot with a carbon copy that the voter keeps and that it has code number on it.
When the votes are counted, each district can produce a list with the votes opposite the code numbers so that the voter can confirm (1) that the vote was counted and (2) it was counted properly, and send this list to each voter.
Add a method to appeal votes that are not counted so that legitimate votes that have been held back can be counted if the correct information is provided.
This would answer all the questions democrats raise on vote counting and the "republican vote fraud" system.
Make this program universal, and the lawyers can go to bed with the rest of us when the votes are cast ... the votes can be counted later.
In fact lets delay the national totalling of the vote until the electoral college (where we can make a big ceremony of the whole thing).
This would allow any district that needs to run a re-vote without it being influenced by any other results. You could make a re-vote mandatory when the number of votes not counted exceeds the difference in the totals.
Thoughts?
This message has been edited by RAZD, 01-03-2005 20:00 AM
we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel
AAmerican
.Zen
[Deist
{{{Buddha walks off laughing with joy}}}
™ Version 4.2