CA Elections - Better Accurate than Fast!

[kster]

by Tom Courbat
December 9, 2007 at


Here's the problem. Many counties across CA will likely shut down their precincts after the polls close on Feb 5th, bundle up their paper ballots and drive them to the central tabulator for counting (those without precinct-based scanners). This means there is no counting at the individual precincts, thus no posting of results at the precincts, thus no check and balance on the report from the central tabulator that the votes CAST in precinct "x" are the votes REPORTED for precinct "x".

This is a perfect way to ensure the public cannot verify the legitimacy of the votes.

Hand-counting at the polls is the traditional and historical way used in America to minimize the likelihood of vote-count tampering. It is not that difficult to obtain four to eight individuals to come in fresh at the close of polls (generally at least half would be provided by the Democratic and Republican parties) and hand-count the ballots. If the Registrar were to embrace this approach, the political parties and the election integrity community would work with her to recruit the volunteers to make it happen.

With the February '08 ballot being especially light (a vote for president and a vote for each of six statewide initiatives), this election will be the perfect opportunity to test the return to hand-counting in the precincts. It has been done for two centuries BEFORE e-voting came in around the year 2000, so it can certainly be easily reintroduced in the upcoming light election where there will be no e-voting machines (except for disabled voters).

SNIP...No bank manager would ever propose his/her tellers simply dump their cash drawers into the vault (without accounting for every penny) and “trust” him to count it up by himself. Think about that analogy – and we are only talking about money in that case. So why would American voters just allow their votes to be dumped into truck and driven to the main office without them first being counted at the site where they cast their vote???



http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_tom_cour_071209_ca_elections___bette.htm

[autorank]

1. What? You expect elections to be run in a business like fashion? K*R

That would mean that instead of the audits proposed, that are not done, we'd have "inventory." Yep, that means count everything you've taken in for the purposes of knowing what you have. You do a count, by whatever means, and then you do an inventory. This event only happens every so often. You must"inventory." Audits come on top of that. Bus as of now, we have those ballots going off to central tabulation, no witnesses in many cases, and no ability to examine the counting machines. Great system, designed for criminal exploitation.

in·ven·to·ry (nvn-tôr, -tr)

http://www.answers.com/topic/inventory?cat=biz-fin

n. pl. in·ven·to·ries
1.
a. A detailed, itemized list, report, or record of things in one's possession, especially a periodic survey of all goods and materials in stock.
b. The process of making such a list, report, or record.
c. The items listed in such a report or record.
d. The quantity of goods and materials on hand; stock.
2. An evaluation or a survey, as of abilities, assets, or resources.

tr.v. in·ven·to·ried, in·ven·to·ry·ing, in·ven·to·ries
1. To make an itemized report or record of.
2. To include in an itemized report or record.

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Why Inventory Accounting is Required

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/inventoryaccounting.asp

It is a requirement of GAAP that inventory be properly accounted for according to a very particular set of standards, so as to limit the potential of overstating profit by understating inventory value, and to limit the potential to overstate a company's value by overstating the value of inventory which has in fact materially depreciated in value.

In other words, inventories prevent MISREPRESENTATION

[lame54]

2. Here's a related vid...

i was asked to make this vid for a website that endorses paper ballots
http://youtube.com/watch?v=j_jTQIDW9Qg
please watch and critique for my next draft