Reply #22: REQUESTING EDITING HELP WITH FOLLOW UP LETTER..... [View All]

[Pacifist Patriot]

Thank you for attending the January 13, 2005 meeting of the DEC. I appreciate you taking the time to speak about our election system and field questions. I was extremely embarrassed by the rude young man who spoke early in the meeting. Please be assured his perspective is not remotely shared by the majority of his generation. I have voted in four different precincts since moving to Brevard County in late 1994. Previously I have been a registered and active voter in Georgia and Massachusetts. I can say without hesitation that Brevard County has an excellent precinct system and extremely courteous and well trained poll workers. I commend you on their work and yours.

You seem to be intent on complying with election law, ensuring a smooth election process and doing so within budget. It is clear that your priorities with respect to elections are entirely appropriate. Ironically, the forces in our society that value technological progress and speed of information at the expense of voter confidence pose a threat to accomplishing your objectives.

I am sure you can sympathize with the concerns expressed last night regarding electronic voting. As Dr. Rebecca Mercuri indicates, any computer programmer can make the screen display one thing, the memory to record something else, and the tape to print something entirely different.

http://www.notablesoftware.com/RMstatement.html

Unfortunately for North Carolinians, the problems they experienced with electronic voting machines in Carteret and Gaston counties are resulting in a special election at great cost to the tax payer. Glitches here and there may not seem to indicate a widespread issue, but as the problems add up the issue appears to be quite troubling. As you can see from the list contained at the following site, some glitches have indeed affected specific contests.

http://www.votersunite.org/info/previousmessups.asp

There are three simple things the Board of Elections can do to help assure voter confidence in Brevard County’s elections.

· Require the touchscreen machines mandated by HAVA provide a printout that can be verified by the voter and maintained by the Board of Elections in the event of a necessary hand count.

· Insist the software used to program all voting machines be held in public trust for inspection rather than kept proprietary.

· Conduct and publicize random hand counts that verify not only ballot totals in a precinct, but internal tabulation results.

I am sympathetic with respect to the cost of the third item. Is this something a group of private citizens could do on behalf of the county at their own expense?

Again I want to thank you for the work you have done for Brevard County elections over the last decade. Please convey my appreciation to your staff.