The Orbis

As we approach the upcoming election with less than two months to go, we ought to be very concerned.  This apprehension goes far beyond merely who wins or what party is in control.  We need to be worried because our system of democracy is hanging precariously in balance, likely to fall and shatter at any given moment.

Our ability to vote for our representatives under “safe” conditions with accurate results sets us apart from many other countries who struggle with constant coups or other attempts to change governments by force.  Losing this safety means losing a part of what makes us so distinctly American.  We have a choice whether to vote or not, and if we decide to, we know our vote will be factored into the equation. 

If on Election Day we have a repeat of Florida’s election fiasco – some say it could happen in Ohio this year – I am not sure our democracy can withstand it.  Frankly speaking, we did not learn our lesson from 2000.  Electronic voting machines meant to fix the problems with paper “chad” ballots have only proven to be more unreliable.  They can be easily hacked, information can be changed, and disks can be wiped clean.  Without a physical ballot, many simply don’t have faith that their votes will be counted much less recorded, rightfully so.

Can you imagine if the election was delayed again this year?  Can you imagine if the election was decided by the Supreme Court?  Chaos would ensue.  Whereas people were unhappy about the results in 2000 but accepted them, this year I can’t say with certainty that people would agree to four more years of George W. Bush without a fight if he was elected again under questionable circumstances.  And, any so-called accurate recount would be near to impossible to verify.

Throughout the summer months in speeches given all over, DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe made a promise to Democrats that lawyers would be stationed at all polling sites to ensure that no one will be disenfranchised and the election will not be stolen again.  Yet, without a paper trail to serve as evidence of votes, either side could claim foul play and hold up the election, regardless of who is monitoring election sites.

If there is one thing we all know about George W. Bush, it’s that he wants to win at any cost and there is no limit to how low he will go to do so.  If the election looks like it is going toward Kerry, who’s to say that Bush won’t find a way to put the election back in the hands of the Supreme Court.  Heck, he won that way last time.

Some worry that votes could be bought if receipts were printed which recorded their candidate selection.  But, if these receipts had no identification and were kept at the polling station and not distributed to voters to serve as a record of votes, I fail to see how this does not solve the problem.

In Florida, in fact, Republicans have been dispensing and encouraging the use of absentee ballots to ensure that votes are counted.  Why not give everyone absentee ballots in regions of the country that are forced to use questionable voting machines?

Clearly, with so little time before the election there is not much that we can do to change the way many will vote on November 2nd.  However, if you are using electronic voting machines, put pressure on your local representatives to call for changes.  Your freedom depends upon it.

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