Members of the military will be allowed to vote this year by faxing or e-mailing their ballots - after waiving their right to a secret ballot. Beyond this fundamentally undemocratic requirement, the Electronic Transmission Service, as it's known, has far too many problems to make it reliable, starting with the political partisanship of the contractor running it. The Defense Department is making matters worse by withholding basic information about the service, and should suspend it immediately.
The Defense Department is encouraging soldiers to use absentee ballots or fax votes directly to local officials, when possible. But it also provides an alternative: Omega Technologies, a private contractor, will accept soldiers' faxed and e-mailed ballots on a toll-free line, and then send them to the appropriate local elections office. Handling ballots is always sensitive, but especially so when, as in this program, they are not secret. An obvious concern is that votes for a particular candidate could be reported lost in transit, or altered.
Omega Technologies is not an acceptable choice to run the program. Its chief executive, Patricia Williams, has donated $6,600 in this election cycle to the National Republican Congressional Committee, and serves on the committee's Business Advisory Council. And while everything about the conduct of elections should be open to public scrutiny, Omega is far too secretive. In an interview, Ms. Williams refused to say who would handle military votes, and whether they could engage in partisan politics. "I will not allow the public to invade the privacy of the employees of Omega," she said.
The secrecy of ballots could be breached at several points: when they are faxed or e-mailed from the field, when they go through the contractor and when they are received by local officials. The Pentagon has not explained why it is acceptable, or legal, to ask soldiers to waive their right to secret ballots. Laughlin McDonald, director of the Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, says he cannot recall another group of voters being asked to give up such secrecy. It is particularly inappropriate, he says, for soldiers, who are under the direct control of the Defense Department.
Nor is it clear that voting by nonsecret ballots is legal. In Missouri, one of two states that will allow votes to be e-mailed through the Pentagon this year, the Missouri Supreme Court held as early as 1895 that its State Constitution requires that voting be by secret ballot. North Dakota has also approved the use of the e-mail voting system for military personnel; about 20 states will allow them to vote by fax.
The Electronic Transmission Service operates with a lack of transparency that is unacceptable in elections management. The Pentagon is allowing Omega to keep its staffing secret. There are no provisions for parties or candidates to inspect Omega's operations or monitor the transmittal of votes. The Pentagon says the procedures for doing so are an "internal working document," which it refuses to make public, and it does not routinely make public how many ballots pass through the system each year. The Electronic Transmission Service operated in 2000 and 2002, and in earlier elections, but Ms. Williams says Omega did not handle ballots in those years. The Pentagon is refusing to say who did.
The Defense Department has taken a "trust us" attitude. Soldiers have to trust that military higher-ups will not try to learn their political choices and hold it against them, and that local elections officials at home will not reveal those choices. The voters have to trust that no one at the contractor or the Pentagon will make errors, or intentionally alter ballots. In a democracy, matters like these should not have to be taken on faith.
What the hell is wrong with the DoD to allow this?!
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Ace Pace wrote:What the hell is wrong with the DoD to allow this?!
Well, that's par for the course in Bush's America.
I know how to use quotes!
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
Patrick Degan wrote:
Well, that's par for the course in Bush's America.
Holy shit, here we go again. Let's blame EVERY idiosyncrocy on Bush. Hell, let's blame your failed date last night on Bush. This is ridiculous. I can't honestly believe you or others a thick enough to believe that he has control over every aspect of this crap. OF course it's bull crap. But leave Bush out of this, FOR ONCE. Like it or not, Bush does not have direct control over both the RNC and the pentagon's actions. In fact, if he did, you'd be even more unhappy.
Such information hasn't reached my level. So far as I know, voting for soldiers overseas and in CONUS will be no different from before -- normal absentee ballots mailed in.
John 3:16-18 Warwolves G2
The University of North AlabamaLions!
"Remember the first rule of politics. The ballots don't make the results, the counters make the results. The counters. Keep counting."
Cookie for the reference.
Babylon 5: In the Beginning quote:
General Lefcourt: "My people can handle themselves. We took care of the Dilgar. We can take care of the Minbari." Londo Mollari: "Ahh, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you."
Patrick Degan wrote:
Well, that's par for the course in Bush's America.
Holy shit, here we go again. Let's blame EVERY idiosyncrocy on Bush. Hell, let's blame your failed date last night on Bush. This is ridiculous. I can't honestly believe you or others a thick enough to believe that he has control over every aspect of this crap. OF course it's bull crap. But leave Bush out of this, FOR ONCE. Like it or not, Bush does not have direct control over both the RNC and the pentagon's actions. In fact, if he did, you'd be even more unhappy.
Riiiiight. It's all just a coincidence.
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
Bob Herbert has run a column about how Jeb Bush's thugs have been trying to intimidate black voters in Florida -particularly old ladies. Fearful of an increased black vote, Bush's henchmen have gone around harassing these old ladies -including flashing their guns at them.
No wonder Zell Miller, one of Lester Maddox's old stooges, supports Dubya!
Elfdart wrote:Bob Herbert has run a column about how Jeb Bush's thugs have been trying to intimidate black voters in Florida -particularly old ladies. Fearful of an increased black vote, Bush's henchmen have gone around harassing these old ladies -including flashing their guns at them.
No wonder Zell Miller, one of Lester Maddox's old stooges, supports Dubya!
Wow. I just LOVE unsubstantiated claims. Especially ones that are so ludicrous.
{} Thrawn wins. Any questions? {} Great Dolphin Conspiracy {} Proud member of the defunct SEGNOR {} Enjoy the rythmic hip thrusts {} In my past life I was either Vlad the Impaler or Katsushika Hokusai {}
Elfdart wrote:Bob Herbert has run a column about how Jeb Bush's thugs have been trying to intimidate black voters in Florida -particularly old ladies. Fearful of an increased black vote, Bush's henchmen have gone around harassing these old ladies -including flashing their guns at them.
No wonder Zell Miller, one of Lester Maddox's old stooges, supports Dubya!
"Right now we can tell you a report was filed by the family of a 12 year old boy yesterday afternoon alleging Mr. Michael Jackson of criminal activity. A search warrant has been filed and that search is currently taking place. Mr. Jackson has not been charged with any crime. We cannot specifically address the content of the police report as it is confidential information at the present time, however, we can confirm that Mr. Jackson forced the boy to listen to the Howard Stern show and watch the movie Private Parts over and over again."
Patrick Degan wrote:
Well, that's par for the course in Bush's America.
Holy shit, here we go again. Let's blame EVERY idiosyncrocy on Bush. Hell, let's blame your failed date last night on Bush. This is ridiculous. I can't honestly believe you or others a thick enough to believe that he has control over every aspect of this crap. OF course it's bull crap. But leave Bush out of this, FOR ONCE. Like it or not, Bush does not have direct control over both the RNC and the pentagon's actions. In fact, if he did, you'd be even more unhappy.
Riiiiight. It's all just a coincidence.
I guess I don't even understand what Bush could gain from this. He controls the military vote overwhelmingly anyway. What's the point?
Talon Karrde wrote:I guess I don't even understand what Bush could gain from this. He controls the military vote overwhelmingly anyway. What's the point?
Proof that he controls the military vote overwhelmingly?
Besides, it's obvious what he could gain from this. No soldier is going to vote against his C-in-C as long as the voting is public.
Patrick Degan wrote:Riiiiight. It's all just a coincidence.
I guess I don't even understand what Bush could gain from this. He controls the military vote overwhelmingly anyway. What's the point?
Those of us more in touch with reality realize that while this is so if voting is public, people safe from retribution for daring to use their rights might just vote against the guy who sent them to shitholes like Iraq on a bunch of false claims.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
Elfdart wrote:Bob Herbert has run a column about how Jeb Bush's thugs have been trying to intimidate black voters in Florida -particularly old ladies. Fearful of an increased black vote, Bush's henchmen have gone around harassing these old ladies -including flashing their guns at them.
No wonder Zell Miller, one of Lester Maddox's old stooges, supports Dubya!
Recent articles are showing that support for Bush by people in the military and military reservists has been slipping ever since the Iraq invasion. Their friends and relatives are in the line of fire and some of them are coming back dead or maimed. Combat pay and family benefits for reservists have been reduced. They have reasons to rethink support for Bush.
And with him cutting back VA so much, along with his swipes at those who really fought in Vietnam, he's none too popular with the Ex-military, particularly the boomer crowd....
The scariest folk song lyrics are "My Boy Grew up to be just like me" from cats in the cradle by Harry Chapin
Patrick Degan wrote:Riiiiight. It's all just a coincidence.
I guess I don't even understand what Bush could gain from this. He controls the military vote overwhelmingly anyway. What's the point?
Those of us more in touch with reality realize that while this is so if voting is public, people safe from retribution for daring to use their rights might just vote against the guy who sent them to shitholes like Iraq on a bunch of false claims.
Never mind that there is no legitimate reason to deny anybody a secret ballot.
When ballots have fairly and constitutionally decided, there can be no successful appeal back to bullets.
—Abraham Lincoln
People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs.
—Dr. Gregory House
Oil an emergency?! It's about time, Brigadier, that the leaders of this planet of yours realised that to remain dependent upon a mineral slime simply doesn't make sense.
—The Doctor "Terror Of The Zygons" (1975)
jegs2 wrote:
What makes you believe that? I've known plenty of soldiers who would vote against a sitting President, whether it be in public or private.
And I'm sure there are plenty who would do so, but its the principal of the whole thing.
Take this example, say that you are at the end of the semester in a university class and your teacher comes in with a series of those teacher performance sheets. He tells you that the performance review will remain confidential and he will not be allowed to see them and he even asks a student to hand deliver the forms to the registrar. This is a common occurance in my school.
Now, take the same scenario except that instead the teacher says that he will be reviewing the critiques before giving them to the registrar, but he assures you that it will have no effect on your final grade.
So now tell me, do you think that the results of both teacher reviews will be identical?
