Am i the only one who thinks the Florida/Michigan primaries situation is completely ridiculous! What don't i know? Is it not going to make that much difference anyway?

How could it even be suggested that the delegates should count from the first vote? i didn't vote at all because it didn't count. I can't be the only one that stayed home. Obama wasn't even on the Michigan ballot.

This goes against common sense........I'm watching Walker, Texas Ranger. Things get wrapped up neatly at the end and the good guys always win.

paula

Elections & Voting
Scrap the "secret" ballot and return to open voting
By Lynn Landes
Online Journal Contributing Writer


Nov 4, 2005, 15:44

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publ...nter_114.shtml


The problem is worldwide. From the Ukraine to the United States, many voters no longer believe that their votes are counted correctly. And that's regardless of whether paper ballots or voting machines are used. The problem is the "secret" ballot.

Secret ballots are anonymous ballots. They can be easily replaced, altered or destroyed, particularly if voting machines are used. Even if voters 'verify' their ballots and even if audits are performed, widespread vote tampering can still occur with relative ease and little risk of discovery because there still remains no effective method to 'certify' the authenticity of ballots, no way to identify an individual ballot and link it to an individual voter.

With few exceptions, election officials around the world are certifying election results based on anonymous and untraceable ballots. And contrary to a growing legion of election statisticians, exit polls are not an adequate check on election results. It's ridiculous when you think about it, using anonymous exit polls to verify anonymous ballot results.

The entire voting process should be 100 percent transparent. To that end, I am proposing a protocol for Open Voting with Total Transparency (OVTT):

"Voting shall take place only on Election Day. All ballots and counting shall comply with the following criteria: paper-only, voter-certified, duplicate-provided, and hand-counted. Certification shall require voters to include their name, address, and signature on the ballots. Election officials shall provide the voter with a copy of the voter's ballot. After the election, all ballots shall be available for public inspection at the Board of Elections office. Not permitted are the following: absentee or early voting, Internet voting, voting machines or optical scanners, and secret ballots."

It's simple and straightforward. But, is it too extreme? Not at all. Citizens today may be surprised to learn that the world's democracies were not founded on the secret ballot. Quite the contrary. Voting was a public process where qualified citizens voted openly, either by voice or on paper. People took pride in standing up and being counted. Then things changed.

The secret ballot concept originated in Australia in 1856. It began to be used in American elections after the Civil War. The secret ballot was sold to the public as a weapon against voter intimidation and vote selling. The downside risk, that a secret ballot system actually facilitates ballot tampering by restricting public oversight, apparently lost out in the debate.

In fact, three voting practices were introduced during the post-Civil War era that severely limited, if not destroyed, meaningful public oversight of the voting process: 1) absentee voting, 2) the use of voting machines, and 3) the secret ballot. Absentee voting has always been problematic, which is why many states and nations restrict its use. Voting machines are under increasing scrutiny due to their inherent non-transparency, which is why most countries have chosen not to use them. Amazingly however, the secret ballot has dodged public scrutiny, so far.

It appears that since 1892, when Grover Cleveland became the first American president to be elected by the secret ballot, neither constitutional scholars nor voting rights activists have seriously questioned the wisdom or logic of its use. I was no exception. We all failed to recognize the obvious.

Secret ballots and transparency in government are mutually exclusive concepts.

For the past few years I've been promoting transparency

I think the main issue is that everyone who did vote should have the right to have their vote count. And in the election they do vote for the delegates they want. I personally think it was a little out there to punish them for holding an election too early.

Further, I do think it matters when you look at how close the democratic race is and how just a few delegates could make the difference in who takes the nomination for the fall election.

It does seem like in the end our vote (popular vote) doesn't count but when you add in our votes for the delegates it does. Now, if you talking super delegates, then in the end, no it doesn't count. Confusing huh? I am still trying to figure out the difference between a primary and a caucus. haha

I think all elections should be based on popular vote and that delgates and super delagates should be wiped out. But, it is not going to happen.

No one complained about their vote not counting at the time - but they didn't vote. I can see why they need our votes now tho with it being so close. BUt we can't use the first one......it's just too unfair.......this is interesting. I hope they all stay cool. The media is poised like giant vultures with super powers.

They need to get it right and if you want to get it straight - surprising ly nonpartisan Saturday Night Live is portraying honest reaction and thinks like the public . I am enjoying every funny word of it. Barack could be in a little trouble but I am developing a healthy like for all 3 of them. I am actually starting to like Hilary, shes not afraid of any thing. Barack gets best dancer, and even Bush did a dance llast week....and looked like he had had a glass of champagne for lunch, maybe on an empty stomach. He looks happy......it's almost over.

McCain speakes his mind......he has my trust. The other two I'm getting to know in a good way.

well any comments? I'm thinking someone would answer the phone at 3 am no matter who we vote for.

amusing and fun,
paula

http://tinyurl.com/29pmaj

video/ documentary on HBO 2007


this is how are soldiers are coming back - alive -w/ PTSD or worse.
I have had enough of war and government family dynasty's
I will not vote for those that created this war or upheld the weapons of mass
deception... so that only leaves Obama for me -

What to do, what to do???

The real problem seems to be that no one wants to pay for a rerun , but it's unthinkable that two large states should just be deleted from the process because of an arbitrary rule that produced a skewed result. Clearly the first primary was not a reflection of what "the people" want. Maybe somebody should call the white house at 3 am and see what the guy who answers the phone has to say..., or my best suggestion is get Hillary and Barack in a room and have them flip a coin... either winner takes all or flip 2x -once for each state. Hillary at least had the sense to get her name on the ballot..covering her butt in the event of a screwup. She has been in politics long enough to know screwups are common. That alone tells me she is smarter and more experienced than her opponent . Perhaps she does have a claim to their delegates by default. Another idea would be just add up the delegates and split them down the middle. How about having a special Democratic night on American Idol. Have them both show up, give a 3 minute speech and call it the Florida/Michigan Vote night and open the phone lines for a few hours. Unfortunatley there are no simple answers and the populace may have to revolt to revote.

I do like the American Idol solution...if the phone lines were open all day CNN could get a ton of milage out of it too.

This probably boils down to a petty grudge or argument between parties. They are talking about mail in as an option in Florida...........what does one say? I see a window for errors in this method.....like, are postal carriers permitted to handle ballots?

Entertaining tho isn't it....lawsuits lngering around like vaporous clouds waiting to form.

And George tap danced at the Whitehouse when he endorsed Mc Cain.

paula

Paula - all elections in my county have been exclusively mail in for two years now; it seems to work well. Along with mailing the ballots in, there are also designated places throughout the county to drop off your ballot.

No, I don't believe you carey - it sounds way too simple.haha


paula

especially for texas.

sure had some dedicated people voting twice.

but lordy...so many didn't know where to go. i will say from all the news reports, the people working the polls did an awesome job directing them to the correct places.