Preventing the Machine Take-Over

Can the Machines Change My Vote from "Yes" to "No"?

The answer is yes.

During the recent Primary, I went to my voting precinct; there were only two people there, one to check my signature and provide a voting card and one to guide me through the use of the new voting machines.

The man who took my voting card, rather surprisingly said to me, “Why bother to commit suicide?”

And I asked what do you mean by that and he replied: “ why bother to vote?”

And I asked him for an explanation.

He said , “ there’s no point in voting because it’s going to be a landslide for Mike Castle…”

To add insult to injury, I asked him whether I could get a printout of my vote.

And he replied, “no…there was no record!”

And I asked him if there is no record, “how do I know that my vote will count?…”
And he said “you don’t.”

Now, I’ve chosen to recount this discussion and my experience at the polls because I left feeling that as of now, I know it wasn’t legal for that official to indulge in electioneering but at the same time, I truly question whether my vote will be counted.

Unfortunately, too, no one seems to see the implications of vote manipulation..

Why do I say that?

Because there is no active movement to provide guarantees to the voter or to assure the voter that his or her vote will be tabulated. None of the machines I have seen leave a footprint even though almost all of us know that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that virtually all of the existing voting machines can be tampered with and only a small percentage provide a paper trail…

This is not speculative. It has been proven by professional computer experts who have gained access to the new machines and point out the ease with which results can be changed to show another outcome. At least one local candidate has spoken to me personally about their doubts as to the honesty of the machine counts and the ease with which they can be tampered with.

Today, about 85% of the machines do not leave a paper trail; moreover, the majority of the machines being used are manufactured by one of two companies both of whose managements have sworn an allegiance to doing whatever they can to get republicans elected.

How can Americans have faith in machines built by those having republican interests, are easily tampered with and do not have a record or no audit is conducted to prove that the votes recorded are tabulated as they are registered?.

The Committee for Positive Change has tried to communicate the need for restoring confidence in the vote again by switching to voting machines that leave a paper trail, conducting audits and instituting other controls to assure that the voters’ intentions were
Fulfilled. The fact remains that if we cannot believe in the results of the voting machines, we cannot believe in the process and all issues regarding our democracy are on the table including the question of our democracy. This is not fluff; it’s not stuff we can readily dismiss; it is the very foundation of our democracy that we are talking about.

It is clear that Delaware needs change in its voting process to assure each and every voter that their vote will count.

Towards this end, I would like to propose a conference of like minded individuals here in Delaware take on this issue of voting machines and the problems of tampering and move forward on legislation to promote the kind of voting machinery or systems that will restore our confidence in the honesty, integrity and confidence in the process.

It is the least we can demand of our democracy.

Les Aaron
Committee for Positive Change