Alex Small wrote:
I believe that George Will once proposed eliminating the anonymous ballot.
I don't know if US do respect international treaty...
But they all say the vote should be anonymous for general election (they don't talk about local election).
Those of us thinking seriously on this topic want anonymity across the board (partly, we vote for most offices on the same day - national thru local).
The rationale was that if people are voting illegally, it should be possible to delete those illegal votes when the crime is discovered. Forgive me if I'm mistaken in my recollection.
The legality of a persone comming to vote must be verified on the day of the election...
Oops:
I can turn up at the polls at 8:59 pm in New York State. I can mail in an absentee ballot the day before election day (meaning noone knows of it til days later).
In other words, we need a bit of flexibility.
When I turn up at the polls and, for whatever reason, I am not recognized as legitimate, I file a paper affidavit ballot - something that goes in an envelope like an absentee ballot, so no one sees my vote until the envelope is opened (and then all these paper ballots go in a ballot box so that no one is sure which of them is mine). Before opening, the affidavits on those envelopes get approved or rejected.
If the election is close and the debating is bitter, it can take days to make the decisions and be able to complete counting the votes.
List of valid voter should be produce in advance with a chance for the elector to verify them and check if he is present and his dead father is not present anymore.
One thing we do in New York is mail a card to each voter telling them where the polling place is (such can move, for getting too many voters for a single polling place, and for other reasons). The Post Office returns undeliverable cards (not perfect, for the postman may not know that Joe is dead or moved out, and whoever is still there may discard the card, but we try).
I am not familiar with US way of voting... but this is the way it work in Belgium. Remember voting is mendatory in my country.
It's always interesting how conservatives are convinced that massive numbers of illegal immigrants and felons are swarming American voting booths. I've worked at a polling place 3 times now, and I have yet to see all that many people of any type showing up. If there is in fact a steady stream of voters crossing the Rio Grande illegally, they sure aren't going to my polling place, nor are many other voters.
Remember that with remote e-voting they will be able to vote from the internet without having to cross the Rio Grande. ;-)
Some of us reject internet voting for being uncontrollable in many other ways.
David GLAUDE
-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] people.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/davek Dave Ketchum 108 Halstead Ave, Owego, NY 13827-1708 607-687-5026 Do to no one what you would not want done to you. If you want peace, work for justice.
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