Was the 2004 Election Stolen? How Would You Know?
Summary
Did voting irregularities change the outcome of the 2004 Presidential Election? How would we know?
580 words
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by Eric Armstrong
In 2004, the news broadasts reported a number of dirty tricks--all of them, it seems, generated by Republicans
There were reports of people being told that if they showed up at the polls, they would be jailed for overdue parking tickets, that their children would be taken away for overdue alimony. Since these problems afflict the poor, and the poor tend to vote for Democrats, it seems clear that these incidents were perpetrated by members or affiliates of the Republican party.
In one case, the indictment was even more clear: People were told that because of the expected size of the turnout, Republicans would vote on Tuesday and Democrats would vote on Wednesday.
That these incidents occurred at all is deplorable. But when an election is as close as it was in 2004, they raise the question of whether even more serious irregularities occurred.
There were some irregularities in Florida, for example, where traditionally Democratic precints exhibited the expected ratio of votes on issues traditionally favored by Democrats (like a minimum wage bill), but when it came to the presidential race, that ratio was mysteriously reversed. So if the ration was 5 to 3 in favor of the Democrats on that legistlation, which was the expected result in that county, then the ratio was precisely 5 to 3 against the Democrats in the Presidential race--a mysterious an inexplicable result that is better explained by reversing the votes than by human behavior.
I've heard it reported that the irregularities didn't affect the outcome, so they're not terribly important. On the other hand, if there are multiple sources of error, it's possible that together they changed the outcome, even if any one of them wasn't significant.
On the other hand, maybe there weren't any serious irregularities at all. Maybe the election was as clean as a whistle, and all stories to the contrary are merely scare-mongering or apocryphal.
The point is, how do we know. How can we establish a deep level of trust at a time when our nation is so deeply divided.
We could perform an audit, of course. It would be expensive and it would take a lot of time, but we could do it. The problem is that the loser has to request it. If they do, they risk putting a choke hold on the government, creating economic uncertainty, and looking like a petulant, whining loser in the bargain. So true patriots who put the nation ahead of themselves tend not to do it.
But that leaves us wondering--especially when the election is as close as it was in 2004.
The Citizens' Advisory presents a possible solution to this dilemma. If we assume 100% participation in the system, then the results could conceivably be deduced directly from the number of people who chose to listen to particular advisors. In cases where the numbers were too close to call, people who were receiving conflicting advice could be queried to find out how they voted. Their responses would be anonymous, of course. But with an automated system tabulating the responses, the result could be determined in a matter of days.
Until 100% participation is achieved, of course, the system could only deliver a statistical sampling. But that sample could be obtained at virtually no expense. It could then be used to determine whether or not there is a reasonable basis for a recount.
In other words, the Citizens' Advisory gives us a way to validate our democracy, and make sure that it is functioning effectively.
About Eric Armstrong
Eric Armstrong is computer systems designer, writer, and philosopher. He is currently working on a book that uses the principles of General Systems Theory to explain how America's epidemic of obesity and disease stems from profitable, but unhealthy, ingredients in the food supply; how the corporate financial system (and our own retirement plans) are complicit in the problem; how the American political system allows it to happen; and how our problems with the environment, a dwindling standard of living, and even our problems with the global economy all stem from the same constellation of systemic interactions. At www.treelight.com/health, he focuses on nutrition and fitness. At www.citizensAdvisory.org, his forming non-profit is working to get the money out of politics. At www.artima.com/weblogs, he writes about software, web technology, and development tools.
About Citizens' Advisory
Corporate money has hijacked the ballot box. The Citizens' Advisory aims to take it back. Our goal is to put people in charge of the political process. The voting-advice system recommended by the Citizens Advisory lets people choose advisors they trust. Done right, that system will enable multi-party coalitions in cyberspace. The system appeals to voters because it's convenient. It appeals to social activists and their organizations because it levels the political playing the field and empowers them with a stronger political voice.
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