On March 20, U.S. Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Richard Durbin (D-Il.) said they will soon introduce a bill to provide public funding for congressional candidates. They say their model is the “Clean Elections” system now used for state legislative candidates in Maine and Arizona. Both states do not discriminate for or against any candidate on the basis of political affiliation. Anyone who raises a certain number of small contributions is entitled to public funding. The Specter-Durbin statement implies that their bill will follow this principle. It would be difficult for them to introduce a discriminatory bill, since two independent U.S. Senators were elected last year. A similar bill will be introduced in the House by Congressman John Tierney (D-Ma.).
HI,
THANKS FOR YOUR CLEARLY WRITTEN ARTICLE. I HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW VOTING SHOULD BE DONE. IF YOU GET A CHANCE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT AND HAVING TROUBLE.
VOTING BY MAIL. I HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE POST OFFICE OVER THE YEARS, AND HAVE TALKED TO POSTAL WORKERS, ESPECIALLY., ON NIGHT SHIFTS AND HAVE SEEN HOW EASY IT IS TO MISS DIRECT OR DISPOSE OF MAIL. THE VOTE MAIL IS EASY TO TELL FROM THE ENVELOPS . A GLANCE AT THE ZIP TELLS YOU A LOT ABOUT THE CHANCES OF HOW THE VOTE WILL GO ON ONE OR TWO CONTESTS ON THE BALLOT. YOU DON’T HAVE TO OPEN OR STEEL THE MAIL WHICH IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN MISS DIRECTING IT OR TRASHING IT. . I MY SELF, HAVE SEEN A GUYS TRASH MAIL WITHOUT KNOWING IT. ONCE YOUR IN THE GROVE YOU CAN DESTROY A LOT BEFORE YOU WAKE UP TO IT. LIKE WORKING LATE AT NIGHT AND HALF ASLEEP. LIKE COLLEGE GUYS AND MOON LIGHTERS WORKING AS TEMPS.
1. THERE SHOULD BE A CLEAR LARGE TYPE PAPER BALLOT MARKED BY THE VOTER.
IT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN NEWS PAPERS AND THE INTERNET BEFORE HAND SO THE VOTERS CAN STUDY IT.
IT COULD ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS AND OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND OFFICES.
THE ORIGINAL CAST BALLOTS SHOULD BE KEPT ON FILE IN A SAFE PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, MAYBE TEN
2. ALL VOTES SHOULD BE HAND COUNTED IN PUBLIC, IN THE POLING PLACES BEFORE SHIPMENT ANY WHERE ELSE BY THREE SEPARATE GROUPS: A. PARTISANS, B. NONPARTISANS AND C. OFFICIAL COUNTERS
3. THE VOTER SHOULD PUT THE BALLOT THROUGH AN OPTICAL SCANNER FOR COUNTING (A FORTH CHECK ON THE HAND COUNTS, ONLY A CHECK}. A COPY COULD BE MADE THAT THE VOTER CAN KEEP OR SHRED. THE COST OF AN ACCURATE VOTE IS ONE OF THE JUST PRICES OF DEMOCRACY.
4. THE VOTERS SHOULD HAVE A CHOICE WHEN VOTING TO BE ABLE TO MARK THEIR BALLOT WITH A RANDOM NUMBER KNOWN ONLY TO THEM BEFORE IT IS SCAND, COPIED AND STORED. IN A DISPUTE THE VOTERS WHO KEEP SUCH A BALLOT COULD BE ASKED, ON A VOLUNTEER BASES, TO LET THEIR BALLOT BE CHECKED AGAINST THE ORIGINAL BALLOT RETAINED BY THE ELECTION AUTHORITIES. MAYBE THE VOLUNTEERS NAMES SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC SO FORGERIES COULD BE DETECTED. IT WOULD BE VOLUNTARY. I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THIS.
5. VOTING BY MAIL. I HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE POST OFFICE OVER THE YEARS, AND HAVE TALKED TO POSTAL WORKERS, ESPECIALLY., ON NIGHT SHIFTS AND HAVE SEEN HOW EASY IT IS TO MISS DIRECT OR DISPOSE OF MAIL. THE VOTE MAIL IS EASY TO TELL FROM THE ENVELOPS . A GLANCE AT THE ZIP TELLS YOU A LOT ABOUT THE CHANCES OF HOW THE VOTE WILL GO ON ONE OR TWO CONTESTS ON THE BALLOT. YOU DON’T HAVE TO OPEN OR STEEL THE MAIL WHICH IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN MISS DIRECTING IT OR TRASHING IT. . I MY SELF, HAVE SEEN A GUYS TRASH MAIL WITHOUT KNOWING IT. ONCE YOUR IN THE GROVE YOU CAN DESTROY A LOT BEFORE YOU WAKE UP TO IT. LIKE WORKING LATE AT NIGHT AND HALF ASLEEP. LIKE COLLEGE GUYS AND MOON LIGHTERS WORKING AS TEMPS.