To end corruption in our voting system, our votes should be given from our cellphones or computers with fingerprints.
1 Like
If your goal is to end voting corruption, this proposal will do the opposite.
4 Likes
Anything less than paper ballots and No Machines whatsoever will not stop the cheating that has been going on for decades. Voting machines, mail in ballots, harvesting, phone voting, and drop boxes that get stuffed at 3:00 AM needs to be outlawed!
3 Likes
I’m not keen on this concept. First of all, I don’t have fingerprints after all these years of using my hands. Second, in person is the only way to vote. How do they know it is me online. I need to be able to show my creds so I can vote legally. So NO on this. Sorry.
1 Like
Nothing is safe on the internet, computers, or cellphones. The only safe voting procedure is in person with a valid government picture id.
1 Like
Obviously not a good idea given our historic circumstances. Maybe in the future when things are a lot more secure.
I would say “never”.
In the Sci-Fi TV Series “Eureka”, (2006-2012) the show centered around a “technophobe” US Marshall who stumbled into this small town in the Pacific Northwest that was an enclave of super-genius scientists that worked for a DOD Contractor. Through a series of events, he became the Sheriff of this town.
In the 3rd Season Episode “Here Come the Suns” (Aired September 2008), the town was holding an election for mayor, and he, as Sheriff was responsible for the integrity of the election. The Sheriff was asking his deputy what high tech way the election was administered, and his deputy hands him a stack of paper ballots, and when asked about it, the deputy replied “Digital machines are too easy to tamper with, and let’s just say these elections get heated around here”. So even in 2008 the writers/producers of a TV show saw the risk of digital voting (in what was supposedly a society technologically years ahead of where we are today).
Bottom line The best ballot is a paper ballot, marked by hand in an official polling location (it can be counted - and recounted - by hand, easy to spot tampering, but for speed an appropriate type could be machine counted as well) - and that won’t likely change in our lifetimes.
1 Like
There is a difference between entertainment and reality. Never confuse the two. In regards to recounting by hand, counting a ballot twice does happen. That is why we have systems count the ballot using serial IDs as soon as it is turned in to the final voting machine.
The underlying point remains: Machines will always be too easy for people to tamper with.
No confusion was intended or implied. The underlying fact remains true.
Also keep in mind, this was 2008 - who was President at the time, and who was elected in November? If you said George W. Bush and Barrack Obama, you would be correct. Like most of Hollywood (or the entertainment industry in general, since “Eureka” was filmed in Canada) these writers were leaning heavily towards Obama beating John McCain.
Those are the same hard left writers who were in their fictional world talking about rigging elections trying to convey the message that they didn’t want McCain to win by cheating, but then went radio silent when Obama won - and after the upset by Trump in 2016 did everything in their power to cheat and get Biden elected in 2020.
Bottom line, the left needs to come to terms that the integrity of the election depends on making it cheat proof - Voter ID, Citizens Only, In Person and Paper Ballots are the only way to achieve that goal. History has long shown cheating in voting has occurred, even before electronic voting - and no matter how secure you make it, electronic voting will always have a risk factor.
You are correct, the goal is to improve the election system so that people can prove they are who they say they are and only vote once. There will always be people who try to cheat the system and do anything in and out of their power to ensure greater influence. To neglect that fact would be very naive, therefore new methods, checks, and security is essential. The real question I think that would probably interest you is how can you make a system so secure where you can vote from your phones. This would be a great challenge. I don’t think it would be possible right now, even with ID verification and block chain technologies. Algorithm are always subject to tampering and backdoor access could make systems vulnerable. Any live systems can be spoofed by filters and fake AI renderings. The best option would still be in-person physical ballots.
Now playing with the fantasy idea of having the ability to vote from your phone, it would be a great convenience. There are certainly ways we can learn more about who we are voting for and the reasons why we should vote for them. It would also be great if we can integrated more live systems where we could livestream the candidates as we vote for them so we have the ability to ask them questions and get closure. These systems would be fantastic in theory but difficult to implement in real life. Perhaps one day we will get there, unfortunately not in today’s world.