Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org
DRE’s? Optical Scan? Diebold? ES&S? Not for the little town of Cheshire, Massachusetts! They’ve used paper ballots for 213 years and the system, they say, is not broken so it needs no “fixing”!
Furthermore, they suggest an interesting (and perhaps obvious) means for meeting the new Federal requirement for disabled voters…The absentee ballot!
According to The North Adams Transcript the “Voice of the Northern Berkshires”, town Selectmen in the small city have signed a letter to Secretary of State William F. Galvin, giving notice that they would not comply with the federal Help America Vote Act, which mandates the purchase of an electronic voting machine for elections. (Note: There is actually no requirement for any electronic voting machines as noted in VotersUnite’s “Myth Breakers: Facts about Electronic Elections”)
“This system has served us well for the past 213 years, and we see no compelling reason to change,” the letters states.
Selectman Paul F. Astorino said the town does not need a modern voting machine because of its small population. “If we had thousands of people in this town, we’d get one, but we don’t,” he said.
Cheshire has about 3,500 residents.
Town Clerk Christine B. Emerson, who is also head of elections for the town, said buying a new voting machine would cost too much for the town, and that the town already had a system for disabled voters in place. “What is being overlooked here is that there already is a mechanism in place for disabled voters and it’s the absentee ballot system,” she said.
Outstanding! Time for other towns to follow suit. Lets run the "Magic" voting machines out of town on a rail tarred and feathered!
Now then, can we get the cities to just stand up and all say the same thing???
WE WON’T PLAY THE GAME….
Its perfect timing to start dumping the machines town after town, and exclusively say in public, that yes the Diebold other machines have banned interpreted code.
I’m not sure this part matters at all, its more the existance of banned dynamically linked interepreted code that is the real problem- but what the public needs to riot about, is it is illegal period.
Since its illegal these bastardized machines should not be in circulation at all and another alternative or precinct scanners, etc needs to come to replace them.
AND the ITA needs to be held to the fire for allowing these proven illegal machines use in all the states…as well as explain its lobbyists like O’Dell..
Doug E
OT alert:
Does anyone agree this is really sick?
Katrina rubberneckers pack tour buses
This seems to be the only redeeming jesture:
"Passengers also get a packet with pictures of the destruction and a form letter asking them to write their congressional representatives to urge them to help the city."
I think they should – at the end of the tour – ship them to Washington DC to stand in front of the White House and demand help!
John
Just like I told you to be aware of, the neocons have now recess appointed Mr Von Skaovosky to head the Federal Election Commission.
He has been appointed to the FEC effective today.
Van Spakovsky leaves the DOJ to become head of the FEC
What that means is they have *effectively* sped up their attack plan, and did not wait at all, so we are going to be dealing with a rogue FEC very soon which means its time to crack down…… big time.
John what would it take to get a TRO placed against the FEC proving that "HAVA" does not regulate using the machines?
Doug E
Nice Try Cheshire!
Asking people to lie about their whereabouts on election day is not a solution. Most "absentee" ballots require the voter to swear they will be out of Town on election day.
There is nothing more exhilerating as an American than coming out of a voting booth after casting your vote. Why deprive a disabled person of that feeling because you’re too cheap.
Mike Farrell #5 said:
"Most "absentee" ballots require the voter to swear they will be out of Town"
Here in California you need no excuse to vote absentee. In fact once you’ve done it they automaticaly send you and absentee ballot at the next election. I do not know the requirements of other states, but at least here it is the way to go.
Mike Farrell #5 said:
"There is nothing more exhilerating as an American than coming out of a voting booth after casting your vote"
At the last election I made an error on my absentee ballot and had to go to the polling place to vote. They took my absentee ballot and marked it spoiled then had me fill out a new ballot. When I was done my ballot was inserted into a machine which look just like a paper shredder. I was then given a sticker that said I voted.
Very far from exhilerating!
Those crazy Massachusetts Liberals…What’s the matter with all those radicals, wanting to keep their 200-year-old system that works?
Loons, just loons I say.
Now, if the rest of the country were as Liberal.
This is not the end of this at all, we need to organize a committee for each of the eastern states and say that paper ballots are just fine where they are especially in Tennessee..
Meanwhile get ready for the fight on Diebold!
Doug
My little NJ town uses paper ballots and as far as I know, it’s not going to stop using them anytime soon. Now, if most of the residents in the town will wake up and stop voting for candidates that actually hurt them, we’ll be in good shape.