Skip navigation.
The Texas Blue
Advancing Progressive Ideas

Who Makes Your Political Machine?

Arguments about voting machines are legion these days. As often as a new batch of touchscreen machines are ordered, someone is filing a lawsuit or signing petitions.

Usually, this is for good reason. A recent suit filed by the Texas Democratic Party demanded that the eSlate voting machine in use in several counties in Texas actually record votes accurately, which sort of seems like a no-brainer. The problem alleged in the suit is mainly with straight-ticket voting, which some people seem to dislike in general, as there is legislation in play in the state House to do away with it entirely.

I think the nationwide drive underway for paper trails on voting machines also makes a ton of sense, especially in light of how poorly handled the elections in the last several years have been. I was surprised that so many unverifiable machines were put into use after 2000, but that's more a testament to the national political environment after 9/11 than anything. This country's electorate was more permissive than usual during that time. Now people are starting to raise eyebrows at all the tests the systems fail, and all their security problems.

Essentially, no one should ever have a problem with a vote being verified, or elections results being carefully tabulated. If anyone makes the argument that it's too expensive or can't be done for one reason or another, they shouldn't be trusted. Government by and large can do anything it wants to do.

So the battle is joined, and people everywhere are now hoping against hope that their votes count, and maybe even doing something about making sure their votes count. It seems like a bizarre argument to have in the United States at this day and age, and I have yet to see an effective argument against making sure all the votes are tallied correctly. It is one of those governmental oddities where one side is right, the other side is non-existent except for covert beneficiaries, and yet not much gets done to move things forward.

Taking a lead

Aren't there aspects of accountable voting that can be mandated from a national level? I have never understood why Democratic Party doesn't make this a black eye issue for Republicans. How could anyone oppose electoral accountability and not come away with one heck of a shiner? Every politician from county commissioner to president should be forced to take a definitive stance on this issue. Has anyone tabulated the cost of legal battles associated with defending indefensible voting machines? I wouldn't be surprised if it were more than the cost of creating a verifiable system at every precinct in America.

Syndicate content