Guest blogged by Winter Patriot
Today’s Washington Post has an excellent piece by Dick Thornburgh (former Republican governor of Pennsylvania) and Richard Celeste (former Democratic governor of Ohio). I’ll give you a short excerpt but I urge you to read the whole thing.
Software or hardware problems could render a significant number of voting machines inoperable when they are first turned on. An unexpected sequence of voting inputs on touch screens might cause machines to lock up. Or the cards that voters use to activate voting machines to accept their votes might not work properly. Or voting machines might be inadvertently loaded with the ballot for a neighboring precinct.
Jurisdictions need to come up with contingency plans for such November problems, if they haven’t done so already. One possible example: Make preparations to fall back to paper ballots if necessary.
As I’ve been saying, there’s more.
Charlie L, re your post on WP’s ‘terra’ blog today –SO RIGHT ON! I also wanted you to know about the Portland Premiere of “9-11 Press for Truth” on Sunday 9/10 at Cinemagic (20th & SE Hawthorne) 1pm to 5pm. We are showing the phenomenal Webster Tarpley presentation from the LA conference as well. See here for more info: http://www.pdx911truth.blogspot.com Maybe you could become a blogger with us over at that blogspot? We also meet every Wed. at Laughing Horse Books, (12 NE 10th at Broadway at 7pm). I would like to meet you someday.
Everyone, And now please continue with your regularly scheduled electoral outrage, already in progress.
Ginny
I would not call this an excellent piece. It fails to mention any possible security issues with the machines and reduces potential malfunctions to “bugs.” It also fails to address any issues of responsibility for the current mess.
Yes, Brock, you’re quite right. It’s not an excellent piece, by our standards. But consider the source.
The fact that the Washington Post is talking about possible problems in November — in August — is a big step forward for them.
I would like to see them take more big steps forward, of course!
” Make preparations to fall back to paper ballots if necessary.”
Wake up dudes – it is absolutely necessary!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
Backup paper ballots,.. who needs them ?
A piece of chalk and a blacktop parking lot,..
record the voting entries there.
Backup records,.. fully auditable,.. hope for no rain.
No wonder we are light years ahead of third world
banana republics,.. when it comes to free elections.