The 2020 election is now history and a new administration has taken the mantle of
leadership for our nation. Regardless of which candidate was your “favorite”, there are
some stark conclusions to be reached:
leadership for our nation. Regardless of which candidate was your “favorite”, there are
some stark conclusions to be reached:
— Lawyers and judges, particularly after an election, cannot or will not stop fraud; only
certified observers remain as the primary shield against fraud, and those observers
must have sufficient courage to identify and object to any irregularities immediately.
Barriers erected to interfere with legal observation activities must be eliminated promptly –
as while one seeks a court order to quash the interference more unsupervised action
(ballot stuffing and the like) may be completed. Any illegal activities must be stopped
when first observed – better that vote counting be stopped for a while than proceed
under the cloud of fraud. Observers must have sufficient support to stop voting until
suspect activities have been mitigated.
certified observers remain as the primary shield against fraud, and those observers
must have sufficient courage to identify and object to any irregularities immediately.
Barriers erected to interfere with legal observation activities must be eliminated promptly –
as while one seeks a court order to quash the interference more unsupervised action
(ballot stuffing and the like) may be completed. Any illegal activities must be stopped
when first observed – better that vote counting be stopped for a while than proceed
under the cloud of fraud. Observers must have sufficient support to stop voting until
suspect activities have been mitigated.
— Ballots should never be left unguarded. At least two knowledgeable, certified
observers for both parties must remain in the same room with the ballots until totals are
registered and attempts to include any “found” ballots after the election is closed should
be prohibited. This requires working in teams, so that 24-hour coverage is provided; if a
truck load of unexpected ballots arrives at 3:00 am, they must remain quarantined until
inspected and immediately destroyed if suspect – BEFORE they can be intermingled
with valid ballots. Given some of the stories reported recently, observers should inspect
all lockers, closets, tables, nooks, crannies, etc. for “lost” ballots before counting begins
– as well as when counting is completed to see that no ballots were “lost” in the counting
process. Recounts after an election is seldom a sufficient solution – recounting a stuffed
ballot box will always end with the same, incorrect result.
observers for both parties must remain in the same room with the ballots until totals are
registered and attempts to include any “found” ballots after the election is closed should
be prohibited. This requires working in teams, so that 24-hour coverage is provided; if a
truck load of unexpected ballots arrives at 3:00 am, they must remain quarantined until
inspected and immediately destroyed if suspect – BEFORE they can be intermingled
with valid ballots. Given some of the stories reported recently, observers should inspect
all lockers, closets, tables, nooks, crannies, etc. for “lost” ballots before counting begins
– as well as when counting is completed to see that no ballots were “lost” in the counting
process. Recounts after an election is seldom a sufficient solution – recounting a stuffed
ballot box will always end with the same, incorrect result.
— Voter rolls must be verified by observers as well as election officials. If an election
official is found to condone or initiate illegal activities, that person should not only face
legal charges but should be forbidden from involvement in all aspects of future
elections.
official is found to condone or initiate illegal activities, that person should not only face
legal charges but should be forbidden from involvement in all aspects of future
elections.
— Voting should be only by paper ballot by a qualified citizen with a valid, picture ID.
Significant risks are created by using computers for recording or counting raw votes –
especially those that can print marked ballots or are connected to the internet, subject to
hacking.
Significant risks are created by using computers for recording or counting raw votes –
especially those that can print marked ballots or are connected to the internet, subject to
hacking.
— Voter registration lists must be corrected before each election to ensure no voters
remain with incorrect addresses, with no address, living in other states…. or who are
dead. These lists must be available for examination by the public.
remain with incorrect addresses, with no address, living in other states…. or who are
dead. These lists must be available for examination by the public.
— The past election demonstrated many problems when anything close to ballot
harvesting was adopted. No state should be permitted to issue unsolicited ballots.
Signatures and birth date for all absentee ballots must be matched against voter
registration rolls. To accomplish this, absentee ballots should contain both the
signature of the election judge who certifies the ballot is being issued to a qualified
citizen, and signature of the voter. This would make absentee ballots easily identifiable
should recounting be necessary (and envelopes containing the voter’s name and
address plus signature should be maintained with the signed ballot until all recounting is
satisfied). To minimize possible issues, absentee ballots should not be intermingled
with normal ballots. Voting in person with a pictured ID should be the only way for a
voter to retain autonomy.
harvesting was adopted. No state should be permitted to issue unsolicited ballots.
Signatures and birth date for all absentee ballots must be matched against voter
registration rolls. To accomplish this, absentee ballots should contain both the
signature of the election judge who certifies the ballot is being issued to a qualified
citizen, and signature of the voter. This would make absentee ballots easily identifiable
should recounting be necessary (and envelopes containing the voter’s name and
address plus signature should be maintained with the signed ballot until all recounting is
satisfied). To minimize possible issues, absentee ballots should not be intermingled
with normal ballots. Voting in person with a pictured ID should be the only way for a
voter to retain autonomy.
There are serious concerns over election integrity after the past election, and unless we
make cheating more difficult and dangerous, cheating will continue … and continue to
erode our confidence in electoral results. Greater care must be exercised across the voting process to stop people from engaging in unlawful activities, including simultaneously voting in two states or voting after death. Temptation for manipulation and direct illegal actions are by-products of changes that have been instituted by some states – without fundamental changes, people will continue to cheat…. because it works!
make cheating more difficult and dangerous, cheating will continue … and continue to
erode our confidence in electoral results. Greater care must be exercised across the voting process to stop people from engaging in unlawful activities, including simultaneously voting in two states or voting after death. Temptation for manipulation and direct illegal actions are by-products of changes that have been instituted by some states – without fundamental changes, people will continue to cheat…. because it works!
