So, the WH and the US Senate are openly NOT working to protect our electoral process...

[Dennis Donovan]

The WH is completely dismantling its election security office, and McConnell is refusing to let election security bills pass thru the Senate. Now, the IC is running around with hair afire (think George Tenet in Aug 2001) saying *we are under attack as we speak*.

Then, we vote November 3rd.

What happens on November 4th? If Trump "wins", should we accept the results knowing the election was tampered with? What if we win? Don't you think the other side will point to that same tampering and also call the election bogus?

Unless broad measures are taken NOW, neither side will have confidence in the integrity of the outcome.

This is a major fucking problem, folks.

[Turbineguy]

1. If they secure the election

they will lose.

[Dennis Donovan]

2. Exactly. And they know that.

"Party over Country" is their thing now.

[Turbineguy]

4. Russian economy is about

1/6 that of the US.

But they'll be King of the Shit heap.

[TDale313]

5. Bingo!

[ck4829]

50. Yep

[maxsolomon]

3. I've been saying this for 3+ years

No action will be taken. It is naïve to think anything will happen beyond scattershot state-level efforts.

Only one way it gets fixed: 100% Democratic control of the Federal Government.

[Grasswire2]

6. I've been screaming, too. Reliance on election 2020 to rid us of Trump is RISKY BUSINESS.

Comey, Coats, Wray and Mueller all told us UNDER OATH that 2020 is rigged "as we sit here"

The standard for fair election, according to the experts.

1. Hand marked paper ballots, voter verifiable.
2. Strong ballot security.
3. Strong audit trail.
4. NO APPS, NO WIFI Transmission of tallies, NO OPTICAL SCANNING.

So it may take a little longer for networks to get results.

Worth the safety and security of our election.

Follow @jennycohn1 on twitter for the best election security info. You don't have to be a twitter member to read it.

[Dennis Donovan]

8. Without federal guidance or money, states have only been able to do so much

I pray no problems in NV tomorrow. A second meltdown will further erode confidence in the electoral system.

[ahlnord]

16. hand counting ballots

The hand counting of paper ballots does not cost money. It was the conversion to computerized voting and computer tabulating that cost money! We citizens should rise up in each state and demand a reversion to the old tried and true hand counting. It is the only way we know to hold a secure election and trust the results.

[Dennis Donovan]

18. Relying on hand counting only would be more error-prone than a machine

...so it's better to use the machine initially, but if the machine spits out obvious nonsense, back to counting paper to cross-check.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

24. That conditions people to rely on the machine

Hand counting ballots is not more error-prone -- see the error rate for grocery store checkouts, e.g.

Hand counting can be done under the view of the public, with multiple counts taking place simultaneously.

[Grasswire2]

45. sometimes you don't know if the machines are spitting nonsense.

Hacking can happen at several different stages.

What WOULD actually be ancillary help would be exit polling. Alas. Gone.

[calimary]

43. Hmmm - @jennycohn1. Gotta try that.

Thanks for the tip!

[global1]

7. The Fix Is In....

Why do you think they thumbed their noses to more witnesses and more evidence in the impeachment trial? Do you think that they cared what the American People would think if they acquitted Trump? They knew there would be no repercussions because the fix was in. They knew Russia would interfere in 2020 and assure them the win in the election - both the WH and maintaining control in the Senate. Mitch didn't have anything to worry about.

Is all hope lost however. I think not - because I still believe if we Dems have a massive turnout - all the voter suppression, gerrymandering, cheating, stealing of votes and foreign influence won't be enough for them to win. Even with all their shennanigans - there is more of us then there are of them.

We can't sit this election out - even if our candidate didn't win the Dem nomination - because if we do we assure them the win.

Our only hope is to "Without A Doubt - Don't Sit This One Out" and "Vote Blue No Matter Who".

[slater71]

9. I cant say if more, Moscow Mitch, Moscow Mitch, Moscow Mitch.

He has the bipartisan bill on his desk and refuses to bring it to the floor. He has to be charged with treason in failing to protect the integrity of our election which empowers the Russians. We have to take a total and complete control of the senate in Nov.Moscow Mitch has to go .

[budkin]

10. They want Russia's help because it's the only way they keep power

And these election security bills are therefore "too partisan." Simple as that.

[Dan]

11. I think that we will be in a Civil War

If Trump is put back in power by Putin and the GOP.

I never thought that I would say this, but I do believe that the GOP is an evil that must be removed from our nation. If we win, we must put the GOP on trial for sedition - identify the party as agents for a foreign state government.

And I honestly believe if Trump is empowered again - a lot of us who are members of DU will be targeted by the GOP/Putin party.

[Dennis Donovan]

13. I can see how this would lead to violence

...easily. Maybe not 1861-style, but tensions are already being inflamed, especially via Russian-based trolling and propaganda.

[hadEnuf]

36. We should plan on violence happening from the right if Dems somehow manage to win.

Most likely the Iowa screwup will be part of their "rationale" for calling the election a coup and starting whatever terrorist tactics they have in mind. Look at the Bundy standoff for a preview of what they like to do. And the GOP will denounce the perpetrators, but they will support their cause.

The right has been organizing their extremist supporters and stockpiling weapons & ammo for years. There is a reason for this.

This has been barreling down the rails at us for years while we've tried to be "bi-partisan" with these traitors. It's really, really time to start wising-up.

Hillary Clinton was never so correct as when she referred to the "vast right-wing conspiracy".

[Dan]

39. Wow, your vision is as dark as mine.

I wonder if the Administrators of this site have (may it never be necessary) a process to wipe data from the database - that points to the identities of the members...

[hadEnuf]

41. It's what the Right has been doing to Dems for years: dehumanize, villianize and finally ostracize.

There are plenty of RWNJ's willing to push things way over the limit to force another "we'll back down for the good of the country" moment like Gore in 2000. To think it couldn't happen again simply makes no sense.

I'm also pretty sure DU has ways of protecting or dumping personal member info, especially after the 2016 breach.

[duforsure]

12. The WH and the Republicans in the Senate

Are blocking any bills which would protect our elections and voting process. Unless you're saying Democrats are too.

[yaesu]

14. catch 22 nt

[Perseus]

15. Yes it is, but what are Democrats (DNC) doing about it?

I have been very frustrated because I don't see anything happening from our side to prevent the cheating, to be able to prove the cheating when it happens. Talk is cheap, our Democratic leaders need to take the bull by the horn and prepare themselves.

The fact that I am not seeing anything doesn't mean nothing is happening, I am not in public office, so maybe something is happening and they are keeping it under wraps to catch them infraganti when they do the cheating, that is my hope, my dream.

[bucolic_frolic]

19. Some Democratic governors have stepped up

here in PA we have new voting machines. Not that they're perfect.

[bucolic_frolic]

17. "openly not working" -- standing down -- surrendering

raise the white flag, will ya?

Or sell them on TV.

[BlueJac]

20. Sure looks that way!

[Botany]

21. Funny both Trump and the Republicans are not upset with the Russians for trying to rig our ....

... elections again but now they are upset that Russia got caught doing it and that patriots
stepped forward and did their job to help protect America.

[orleans]

22. k&r forever! n/t

[malaise]

23. Which is why Russia alone must not be blamed for this mess

and ReTHUGs are way more at fault - it's criminal.
How the fuck to you preach to others about freedom and democracy while blocking others from voting in your own backyard.

[young_at_heart]

25. Where is the outrage??

[gembaby1]

26. It's called a coup.

[Evolve Dammit]

27. They are traitors and it is a coup. Nancy, we don't have weeks for a "briefing."

[Nitram]

28. Please don't write "the US Senate." Write the "GOP majority in the US Senate."

[Dennis Donovan]

29. Not enough room on the subject line.

[Nitram]

30. How about GOP instead of Senate, then? It is Republicans that are the problem, not the Senate.

[Cousin Dupree]

31. I'm sorry. What's an IC?

[ananda]

32. The internet community?

???

[Arazi]

33. Intelligence community -CIA, NSA etc. The group of agencies tasked with intelligence work

[Under The Radar]

34. That's the chaos level they are shooting for.

If they win they protect it, if they lose they challenge the untraceable results and don’t leave office and results are fought in court for years.!

[DENVERPOPS]

35. WASF DD

If Trump wins, there will not be any investigation what so ever.......

If perchance, by some miracle, the Dem wins I can predict what will happen. Trump will yell Democrats rigged the election with their constant corruption, led by Crooked Hillary and Obama. He will have his owned DOJ declare the election invalid, the supreme Court that he also owns will intervene and we know what will happen them (2000 election).
The Republican controlled Senate will vote to "investigate" which will give them time to alter the evidence and maybe take a couple of years to fully "investigate". And they will leave Trump in office until the outcome......whenever that is.......
(AND the Republican controlled senate will also still be there)

It is more than painfully obvious that the Republican Party and Trump own it all............everything and anything they need to do anything and everything they want to do, shoved down the throats of the American People.

I know that his fifty million are all aggressive, beyond rational and reasonable thought, and they know their behavior will be condoned and emboldened by Trump.

It won't have geographical boundaries. It will be in every city across the nation........

I hope I am wrong, for all our sakes..........

Putin is laughing his ass off each and every hour of every day. How he brought down the U.S. without firing a single missile.
Most of all he is laughing at how easy it was to do........

[James48]

37. France.

That’s my plan of the stuff hits the fan.

French President Manuel Macron has said Americans are welcome to come to France and make it a second home. I shall prepare a travel kit and be ready, should the shitgibbon “win” again.

I promise to go find a rather small town, meet with the local mayor, and request temporarily asylum for those of us far enough left leaning, and willing to learn French. I am bordering on retirement, so if I can set up a small provincial Ex-pat community center in Southern France, with affordable housing, medical, and inexpensive loaves of bread, will some of you come join me?

We can make it a hippie haven - young retiree commune of progressives.

Follow me!

[demigoddess]

38. another step to the autocracy or theocracy or republican-ocracy

[Politicub]

40. The remaining fair and impartial justices, the democratic house and the voters are the only things

standing between tyranny and freedom.

The executive and senate (and much of the judiciary) has been taken over by those who are hostile to the American experiment and are driven by their thirst for power.

Let's hope that we prevail and win big in November so we overwhelm any of the dirty tricks in play by Trump and his Russian comrades. And if we win big enough, I hope we can somehow inoculate our democracy from a threat from a future Trump-like figure.

[kacekwl]

42. Shouldn't Tom Perez and the DNC be

Doing something about this. Why can't we use paper ballets ? Does this require a amendment to the constitution or what ?

[Skittles]

44. this is how they "win"

cheating is how they always "win"

[Grasswire2]

46. worst case scenario is wickedly easy to pull off for them

Botch the tallies in several states. (EASY)

Refer to SCOTUS for resolution.

Voila. Trump wins.

THIS is why absolute scrupulous attention must be made to the elements of a secure election.

1. Hand marked, voter verifiable paper ballots

2. Strong AUDIT TRAIL.

3. Strong BALLOT SECURITY

4. NO APPS. NO Wifi TRANSMISSION. NO OPTICAL SCANNING.


So the networks may not get the winner the same night. Big Deal.

[drmeow]

47. they are openly

Working to NOT protect our elections

[ck4829]

49. Unwilling or unable?

[ck4829]

48. If that's the case, then it's not any foreign country to blame, but our own govt

[Squinch]

51. But I have been told right here on DU that it's nothing to worry about.

They said, "A few facebook posts from Russia? Big deal."

I kid you not.

On DU.

[Iliyah]

52. The answer . . .

a resounding YES.

[greatauntoftriplets]

53. I have no confidence now.