James Leroy Wilson's one-man magazine.

Tuesday, November 08, 2016

Election Follies: Other states are dumb

I voted today against the death penalty in Nebraska, against a tax hike/bond question, and for Gary Johnson as President of the United States. I also voted for a consolidation of two county offices.

State legislative, judicial, and local elections are formally non-partisan. Unlike Johnson for President, I knew of no Libertarian Party member, or philosophical libertarian, running. I did not vote in those races.

The voting tools were a pencil and a paper ballot. I was to color the oval beside my choice. Then there was a covering to hide my choices from the election official who deposited my ballot into the box.

And I had to wonder...

What's this about Russians or others hacking the election? While I have no doubt that computers will scan these ballots, there's a definite paper trail backing it up that can be audited.

How do other places not keep things simpler and more tamper proof?

If the election can be hacked in other states, they were inviting it. This isn't blaming a rape victim for wearing skimpy clothes; a state that doesn't have a paper trail invites the hacking. You could say intended it.

I don't know if there will be concerns about how these votes are counted. I have as much confidence in my vote being properly counted as I ever did. That's not to say I have a lot of confidence. I know error or fraud is possible. Maybe all elections are rigged.

But I prefer the false sense of security in a paper ballot to no security at all.

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