I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with our voting system, including but not limited to the non-uniformity of voting rules and requirements across the board, the faultiness of voting machines and incompetence of poll volunteers, evidence of widespread voter suppression and lack of adequate polling locations in lower income areas, and finally, the disturbing practice of spoilage.
I believe that we need serious election reform and that it is a non-partisan issue. I find it unsettling that republicans do not feel an urgency for voting reform simply because their candidate won in this most recent presidential election. The republican party has taken the attitude of "as long as it's not happening to me and our man wins, I don't care if the system is a sham." While problems within our voting system are not exclusively harmful to democrats, if these problems remain unconfronted and unresolved, it WILL and already has been detrimental to our efforts at democracy. America should have the best and most airtight voting system in the world, while instead our voting system is a morass of dubiousness and many who would be responsible for reform just turn the other cheek. How can our leaders admonish Russia for having a corrupted voting system, when ours is equally corrupted but just more skillfully glossed over? That is a hypocrisy I would rather see rectified than continue to see perpetuated.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Maria Carreón
To send your letter to the House Committee demanding election reform visit their website and shoot over an email.
Posted by Maria at December 20, 2004 12:35 PM | TrackBackAmerica should have the best and most airtight voting system in the world...
What would YOU suggest Maria?
Posted by: Mad Mikey at December 20, 2004 01:08 PMFirst I would suggest uniform voting rules and standards for every single state and county across America. Second, I would suggest a paper trail for each and every vote. Third, I would suggest that there are more stringent supervision in polling locations. Fourth, I would suggest that there are an adequate number of polling locations for each and every precinct in the country. Fifth, I would suggest that our federal government equip itself to handle all complaints of voter suppression and any problems that occur while voting. Currently, our government cannot process and properly catolog and investigate complaints. Sixth, I would suggest that the practice of spoilage be completely eradicated and any arbitrary disposal of votes deemed illegal.
That would be a start. Any other questions Mikey?
Posted by: Maria at December 20, 2004 01:47 PMRepublicans are concerned about voting problems. We have huge problems with voter fraud in Detroit and lots were reported in Chicago. The only reason nobody talks about those places, on T.V. anyway, is that it was Republican votes that were purged. In Detroit, for example, some 50,000 Bush votes were "spoiled". I know about the irregularities in Detroit because a friend of mine witnessed the purging and the votes were only "spoiled" and tossed because they were Bush votes. Any spoiled Kerry vote was replaced with a blank ballot that got refilled out. Pretty disgusting, eh?
My friend, btw, was a Democrat. He was so disturbed by the blatant cheating and the fact that the officials saw nothing wrong with cheating for their man, that he quit the party. He'll never be a Republican though, I guess that he'll probably go Green after this.
Posted by: Rosemary the Queen of All Evil at December 20, 2004 03:24 PMThey all sound good except for the sixth one - no matter how much you prepare for it, there will always be some dork who cannot follow directions in voting.
And now that I think of it:
...uniform voting rules and standards for every single state and county across America
would be a great start, but unless I'm mistaken it is up to the states to determine their own voting laws/regulations because the U.S. Constitution doesn't specifically address this area.
And getting the states to agree on one voting standard will be about as difficult as getting a Constitutional Amendment ratified.
Posted by: Mad Mikey at December 20, 2004 03:39 PM"I find it unsettling that republicans do not feel an urgency for voting reform simply because their candidate won in this most recent presidential election."
Yes, an election system passed on by eight years of Clinton too. Funny, I don't recall you people crying back then.
Posted by: Gordon the Magnificent at December 20, 2004 06:26 PM