Even with the great wins on Election Day it is very obvious that changes are needed before 2008 if we are to get a clean election. Congress seems blind to the problem and even with a new Congress the chances of broad changes seem slim. The netroots need to attack this problem at the state level by ballot initiative in 2007. Follow me below the fold for my ideas.
State wide initiatives are used for everything from raising the minimum wage to stopping gay marriage. It is through this process that I believe we have our best chance of cleaning up the election process. I am currently in the process of starting a not for profit called Save The Middle Class which will educate lower and middle income people about how they are often voting against their own best interests when they elect socially conservative candidates who then vote overwhelmingly for economic policies that are destroying the middle class of America and therefore helping to destroy our country as we know it. In order to get more fair minded people to the polls we need to make everyone feel that their vote will count and that their opinions can make a difference. With the last three election cycles riddled with electronic voting problems and voter suppression tactics it is no wonder that we can not get a higher percentage of registered voters to the polls.
My idea is to simultaneously have ballot initiatives in as many states as possible in 2007 that would call for the immediate elimination of robo calls and other suppression tactics as well as making it illegal to use any electronic voting machine that is hackable. We would also call for a set number of voters to each piece of voting equipment and would allow paper ballots for anyone that was uneasy with whatever equipment might remain after the ballot initiative. All elections would need a verifiable paper trail and together we can come up with other stipulations that will guarantee free and fair elections. We all know that GW Bush lost in 2000 and his 2004 victory in Ohio was riddled with voter suppression and electronic voting problems to such a degree that many feel he did not win that election either. In this election votes just disappeared in Florida. Those votes would have changed the official election results. I feel our democracy can not survive such questions about its elections and the time has come for strong action. Please recommend this diary so I can gather all the suggestions of the community as I start the investigation of the feasibility of this project.