I think all voting machines need to be the same in each state, do you agree?

Question

If we are voting, things should always be equall.

Answer 1

There should be voter reform. That includes the machines used and the way people vote to help protect against voter fraud and to help prevent problems like the last 2 elections

Answer 2

Technically, no.

Each State is a sovereign nation in its own right. Although the right to vote must now be extended to all LEGAL citizens regardless of race, creed, color or religion, the method of voting is up to the citizens of each State, not the Federal Government.
Furthermore, the vote for the President is at the sole discretion of each State Legislature --- it is not a popular vote sort of thing --- the general idea is that the State Legislature, voted directly, is more informed and less likely to fall victim to a centralized, federal tyrant. Usually, they refer to "popular vote" so that they don't get into trouble with their constituents. However, each State Legislature represent the final word on the electors that are sent to vote for the president.

Short answer: the whole vote issue, although complex, was originally well thought out by the founders. To change it in any way, would be to invalidate the original articles of confederation which founded the union and bonded the States to the Federal Democratic Republic, and would therefore cause many problems. (Meaning that the contract call the Constitution becomes void.)

Besides, you want your elections controlled locally. Not by the central dictator --- cuz he'll always win by 100 percent of the vote--- well known, even in recent history.

Answer 3

I don't agree. I see where you're coming from, but the problem is who in the Federal government decides on the voting machine. If we get someone honorable and just, then more power to consistency! But what if we get someone who, oh, is in cahoots with the Diebold manufacturer or something? Then the entire country could be corrupted.

I like leaving the method of voting in the control of the individual states... although I do hope voting sites now know to keep paper backups of some sort!

Answer 4

I agree, but 10th Amendment of States rights are entitled to have their own statues, laws, regulations etc... Look at it this way (presedential elections) If things were equal the person with the most votes would win, not the person with the electoral college.

This happened to Gore back in 2000. Had the popular vote, lost electoral and look what has happened since...

Answer 5

I'm not sure what the advantage would be. Most people reside in one state, and vote in that state, and rarely move. Only people that move state to state every year or so would find that convenient.

I think the states are in best position to choose their voting systems and enforce the rules for ethical and fair voting practices.

But I do agree with that other person...the electoral college is a bunch of bunk.

Answer 6

There is no reason to have a uniform national voting machine since we do not have national elections.

Within each state, you want as many voters as possible using similar machines. However, I am reluctant to give one manufacturer an absolute monopoly over voting machines in a state. My preference is for optic scan ballots which allow for accurate hand recounts. That way, it does not matter which machines are used.

Answer 7

I disagree. So long as a machine does the counting, then we will never know for certain who really wins.

There needs to be complete transparency in an election. Not only does the election need to be honest, it needs to be seen to be honest.

That means, when I cast a vote, I need to know for certain that my vote goes into a box that has NOT been pre stuffed with votes. I need to know that my vote is counted, once and that it is in sight of independent witnesses the whole time. I need to know that every person votes once and their votes are counted once. I need to know that it is impossible to have genuine votes rejected, that it is impossible for any votes for one candidate to be switched to another and that it is impossible for any candidate to get more votes counted for them, than were cast.

With electronic voting, all these scenarios are possible, which renderes the whole election process invalid. How can I possibly have confidence in a system in which such fraud is not only possible, but it is easy to do too?

If during an election, a vote, or group of votes are out of sight (eg in computer memory) then there is NO WAY I can be sure that it is counted. it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to know that my vote is counted in the totals. I would have to examine the source code and the memory cards and have access to all electronic traffic on the networks during an election to know for certain.

Nobody has access to the source code but the companies writing the code. The companoes writing the code are owned by people who openly support one party.

The votes are often supervised by people who openly support one party.

Add all this together and you have a voting system worthy of tin-pot dictatorships. not the world's foremost democratic (ish) republic.

With something as important as elections, for a position as powerful as President, amongst candidates from the most corrupt group of people, (politicians) then I need to know for sure that my vote has not been tampered with in any way shape or form.

Do you think I should leave this down to TRUST?

Come on! Corruption and conspiracy are the lifeblood of politics. The dems AND the republicans will use ANY trick in the book that they could attempt to get away with to secure victory. IF it is possible to rig an electronic election at all, then the mere possibility of it's rigging should preclude this methoid of voting altogether. sadly electronic voting clearlty IS wide open to fraud and/or error. The results of ANY electronic vote is, by the nature of the equipment, suspect at best.

This is NOT partisan griping, but open eyed common sense. What would republicans do if their candidate won an exit poll by 6% but lost the counted poll by 10%? They would be screaming vote fraud.

When results of electronic votes differ widely from the exit poll, then the result is very very suspect.

We need elections to be held in the highest levels of honesty and integrity and they need to be seen to be, otherwise why have an election at all?

Answer 8

They should cut all the computer crap, and use... PAPER!!! In Hawaii you can either use a paper ballot or the electronic (computer) ballot, and almost everyone uses the paper and pen ballot. It's easier, and leaves no room for BS.

Answer 9

Yes they should but they wont because they need it like it is now so they can say there is a problem with these machines and make it turn out in favor of who they wont.

Answer 10

Let's one up this, and make them "open source", both hardware wise, and software. I don't care who manufactures them, just as long as we know they haven't been tampered with. Paper trail would be nice as well, every gas pump has a receipt, how hard could it be?