I working on a difficult thread, answering this question and comment⤵️
Meanwhile, I’m going to tell you all an election story.
While in law school, I attended a lecture from a visiting elections lawyer. He was there to tell us what it was like to be an elections lawyer.
Meanwhile, I’m going to tell you all an election story.
While in law school, I attended a lecture from a visiting elections lawyer. He was there to tell us what it was like to be an elections lawyer.
He told us this story:
A volunteer worker in a local election found a box of ballots that hadn’t been counted. She took the box out to her car. (I heard the story a long time ago, so I don’t remember her reason for that.)
It was raining.
1/
A volunteer worker in a local election found a box of ballots that hadn’t been counted. She took the box out to her car. (I heard the story a long time ago, so I don’t remember her reason for that.)
It was raining.
1/
She forgot to close the lid, so the ballots got wet.
She thought about what to do 🤔and got an idea💡
She took the ballots back inside and put them in the microwave to dry them out.
You guessed it. When she finished trying to dry them out, they were ruined and unreadable.
2/
She thought about what to do 🤔and got an idea💡
She took the ballots back inside and put them in the microwave to dry them out.
You guessed it. When she finished trying to dry them out, they were ruined and unreadable.
2/
What happened next was that lawyers for the candidates got together to decide how to handle the situation.
The point (according to the teller of the story) is that people often have the idea that elections work like clocks: Perfectly.
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The point (according to the teller of the story) is that people often have the idea that elections work like clocks: Perfectly.
3/
But they’re usually managed by volunteers and well, things go wrong.
One takeaway: Democracy (rule by the people) is messy and often disorganized.
As a volunteer lawyer, I’ve now helped monitor the voting and tabulation in 3 elections. . .
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One takeaway: Democracy (rule by the people) is messy and often disorganized.
As a volunteer lawyer, I’ve now helped monitor the voting and tabulation in 3 elections. . .
4/
and I’ve done voter protection legal work in 3 states.
I can stand by this as a true statement: The way to win a national election is for people across the country to vote in large enough numbers to offset the inevitable mishaps, unintentional blips, and outright cheating.
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I can stand by this as a true statement: The way to win a national election is for people across the country to vote in large enough numbers to offset the inevitable mishaps, unintentional blips, and outright cheating.
5/
Yes, there's cheating.
Lest you think cheating is new, consider that what we now call cheating (keeping minorities from voting) wasn't illegal before Brown v. Board, the Civil Rights Act and the Voters Rights Act.
It didn't used to be called cheating. Because it was legal.
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Lest you think cheating is new, consider that what we now call cheating (keeping minorities from voting) wasn't illegal before Brown v. Board, the Civil Rights Act and the Voters Rights Act.
It didn't used to be called cheating. Because it was legal.
6/
It's also important for everyone who can to get involved in their local elections.
MY followers wouldn't put a box of ballots in the microwave. Maybe if a few more people had volunteered, someone present would have had a better idea.
My list⤵️
terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
MY followers wouldn't put a box of ballots in the microwave. Maybe if a few more people had volunteered, someone present would have had a better idea.
My list⤵️
terikanefield-blog.com/things-to-do/
Democratic state governments, a Democratic Congress, and a Democratic president will turn that situation around. 😉
People who want to suppress voting make it hard.
There was a time when you first had to take a test, and
blacks got harder tests.
People who want to suppress voting make it hard.
There was a time when you first had to take a test, and
blacks got harder tests.
A lot of voter suppression is just about making it hard. The assumption is that if 3 steps are required, people won't do all three.
That's why education and messaging is key.
Sidenote: I believe the phrase "vote early and vote often" is from Chicago under Richard Daley.
That's why education and messaging is key.
Sidenote: I believe the phrase "vote early and vote often" is from Chicago under Richard Daley.
I think people tend to:
💠overestimate how easy it is to win an election by flipping votes, and
💠underestimate how easy it is to suppress voting by making not want to vote, or persuading them there's no point.
The first is quite difficult.
The second is easy and inexpensive.
💠overestimate how easy it is to win an election by flipping votes, and
💠underestimate how easy it is to suppress voting by making not want to vote, or persuading them there's no point.
The first is quite difficult.
The second is easy and inexpensive.
Did I get the "over" and "under" in the right place in those sentences?
Our elections are held and monitored locally. Each location does its own. Each state monitors its own.
In Putin's Russia, elections are tabulated centrally, so it's easy to manipulate the outcome.
Our elections are held and monitored locally. Each location does its own. Each state monitors its own.
In Putin's Russia, elections are tabulated centrally, so it's easy to manipulate the outcome.
The fact that something is possible doesn't mean it can happen in a widespread manner.
People tend to hear "it's possible" as "it will happen."
The easiest way to suppress voting is to persuade people that rampant cheating makes it pointless.
So STOP spreading that message.
People tend to hear "it's possible" as "it will happen."
The easiest way to suppress voting is to persuade people that rampant cheating makes it pointless.
So STOP spreading that message.
There's a fine line between:
💠Raising awareness so that people take care and make sure (if, for example, they use a ballot marking machine) that the printout indicates their desired vote &
💠Persuading people there's no point voting because their vote won't count.
💠Raising awareness so that people take care and make sure (if, for example, they use a ballot marking machine) that the printout indicates their desired vote &
💠Persuading people there's no point voting because their vote won't count.
I'll end this thread with a moment of levity.
The new machines in Georgia, for example, have a paper trail.
After the voter votes, he or she gets a printout. The voter then checks the printout for accuracy, and inserts it into a secure box.
So if votes are being flipped, it's detectable.
Also . . .
After the voter votes, he or she gets a printout. The voter then checks the printout for accuracy, and inserts it into a secure box.
So if votes are being flipped, it's detectable.
Also . . .
. . . the paper trail means that the results can be audited.
The old machines left no paper trail, and could not be audited.
A worry is that people won't check their ballots. So Georgia needs to educate voters to do that.
I won't march through other states, just GA.
The old machines left no paper trail, and could not be audited.
A worry is that people won't check their ballots. So Georgia needs to educate voters to do that.
I won't march through other states, just GA.
Yes. Meanwhile there's a lot we can do to safeguard elections.
People should get involved in their local elections. Understand how they work. Educate voters about the pitfalls.
State and local officials make the decisions.
So run for local office.
People should get involved in their local elections. Understand how they work. Educate voters about the pitfalls.
State and local officials make the decisions.
So run for local office.
