Excerpt: "The whole world is watching Georgia's US Senate runoff elections. Set to finish January 5, they'll decide who controls the balance of power in the pivotal next US Congress."
People wait in line on the first day of advance voting for Georgia's Senate runoff election in Augusta, Georgia, on Dec. 14. (photo: Michael Holahan/AP)
Who Will Protect Georgia's Vote Count?
31 December 20
he whole world is watching Georgia�s US Senate runoff elections. Set to finish January 5th, the elections will decide who controls the balance of power in the pivotal next US Congress.
With them comes a �hidden� down-ballot Georgia Public Service Commission race that hovers over America�s last two big nuke reactors � and that could upend the whole Senatorial outcome.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring into the state. Every nanosecond of radio/TV time has been bought and overpaid for.
The preliminary battles have raged over voter registration and turnout, precinct closures, misinformation about where people can vote, intimidation of citizens waiting in line during early voting, rejection of �flawed� ballots, and much more.
But they all pale before one issue: will there be a fair and accurate vote count?
The answer depends on whether grassroots citizen groups can muster the expertise, the staff, and the clout to make sure ballots are correctly marked, properly scanned, and accurately counted � and then rightly recounted.
It�s a decisive undertaking.
Ballots mailed to voters are mostly sent back through the postal service or put in drop boxes. They can also be returned in person to election boards, which may be the safest option of all.
They�re then screened. Signatures are checked, markings are verified. Partisan advocates can observe the process and are often hot to disqualify. The Georgia Secretary of State�s office is now claiming a tiny percentage of the cast ballots are being thrown out.
Georgia does have a �curing� process, where voters whose ballots are rejected can be called or otherwise notified. That correction process can be uneven.
Once the ballots are approved, they�re scanned directly into an electronic reader. The ballots themselves are preserved.
The images made during the scanning process and then electronically read can easily be saved on hard drives. There�s no logical reason to erase these images, which make recounts much easier to do. But many counties do it anyway.
Voters who personally bring their ballots into a voting center (as opposed to an election board) usually must surrender them, then vote using a touchscreen marking device.
Ironically, Trump is loudly alleging fraud on Dominion machines bought (for more than $100 million) by Georgia�s Republican Secretary of State. The purchase was bitterly opposed by voting rights advocates. (A Dominion representative had a close personal relationship with Georgia governor Brian Kemp, who denies that had anything to do with the purchase.)
Rather than providing the voter with a cheap pen, these hugely expensive touchscreen devices create a paper ballot with a bar code. The ballots are then scanned and counted. The tallies are sent from the counties to central tabulators for a statewide vote count.
In a vulnerable pivot point, the data can be downloaded onto thumb drives and personally driven by a local election official to be compiled and counted. Internet transmission from the counties to the state�s central tabulator is also an option. Hand-tallied totals could also be printed on paper and driven in, but it�s rarely done that way.
In any event, tapes of the results from the precinct scanners are legally required to be posted on the door of each precinct, for visible monitoring by the public.
Both Georgia Senate runoffs are virtually certain to be recounted.
Likewise the Public Service Commission race, on which billions of rate case dollars depend. Though it�s gotten virtually no media attention, this race features Georgia�s first African-American PSC candidate, Daniel Blackman. His focus on grassroots campaigning, huge cost overruns at the state�s two new nuclear reactors, and the critical issue of broadband in rural areas may increase turnout and affect the Senatorial outcome.
Overall, the whole system reeks of vulnerability. Bitter disputes now rage over alleged stripping of the voter rolls, massive shutdown of voting centers in African-American neighborhoods, the question of how many legitimate voters actually get their ballots in the mail, and more.
The process of challenging and curing ballots is intensely contested. The incoming paper ballots require secure tracking technology and incorruptible chains of custody.
The bitterly disputed ballot marking devices produce a paper record that voters can inspect � but they rarely do. The human eye cannot confirm that the printed bar code accurately reflects the voter�s intent. Voters can�t read bar codes.
Computerized scanning devices are hackable. So are vote counts transmitted by internet, as well as thumb drives hand-carried to the central tabulators. If the images are erased from the scanner�s memory cache, the recount process can be compromised.
These vulnerabilities can be cured. Preserving the electronic ballot images, for example, would render the inevitable recounts far easier and more accurate.
But only a powerful, highly qualified, well-coordinated team of election protectionists can make all this happen.
There are key symptoms to watch for. �Glitches� in the registration records and in the ballot marking devices lead to long lines, most frequently at college campuses and in areas with large percentages of non-white voters.
Precincts may report outcomes (as should be visible on the tapes posted on their doors) that vary wildly from local exit polls. In fact, this has been the case in many of this year�s US Senate races, including the ones won by Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham.
In Ohio 2004, the late-night vote count stopped for 100 minutes as John Kerry was 4.2% ahead. When the delay ended, George W. Bush mysteriously led by 2.5%, then won the presidency.
In Greene County that year, thousands of warehoused ballots sat open and unguarded. Despite a federal court order, 56 of Ohio�s 88 counties destroyed their voting records, preventing an accurate recount of that bitterly contested election.
All that and more could happen in Georgia within the next week. Grassroots groups such as the Atlanta NAACP, Citizens for Good Governance, Scrutineers.org, Audit USA, TrustVote and others are well-versed in various key pieces of the electoral process.
But without a massive, deeply committed task force of well-coordinated election protection activists, Georgia�s vote count could be up for grabs � no matter what its citizens actually want.
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman co-convene the Grassroots Emergency Election Protection Coalition at www.electionprotection2024.org. Their many books reside at www.freepress.org, along with Bob�s Fitrakis Files. Harvey�s People�s Spiral of US History is at www.solartopia.org.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
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Look at the GOP candidates -- supported by the Supremes' "person hood" decision - I only have evil thoughts for the future of Scalia/Thomas - the biggest crooks/mafia pigs that do NOT belong in the high court.
We're a nation gone stupid.
Vote DEM/ Vote Obama -- and VOTE in 2012. Get all Dems and non GOP/TP in your areas OUT TO VOTE.
If your rep/Senator votes for anything that takes our rights away - vote him/her OUT.
NEVER EVER vote TP/GOP (Unless the TP/GOP rig the election - there is really no way they can win the W.H. - but the Koch Brothers etc could buy their way in)
Little is said about China's investment in health, medicine, education and superstructure in a region that not so many years ago was a brutal theocracy, where the people spent their time doing little more than spinning prayer wheels.
The Dalai Lama is a puppet owned and operated by outside influences and he is no friend of the Tibetan people. Underlying everything to do with Tibet, do not underestimate the extent of American activity to create unrest in the region as another front to divert China.
Tibet is very remote and for many years the vast majority of its people had no contact with the outside world.The Church saw to it that those few who were educated, were taught a very narrow and religious based doctrine. Unfortunately, it is possible that some of these very sincere and dedicated people can be easily swayed by skilled, manipulative operatives to show defiance - sometimes extreme - against China.
If the US CIA were to stay out of this, I'm sure that the Chinese and Buddhists would resolve the problems quite well. After all, Buddhism is a major religion in China -- it is not the same as Tibetan Buddahism but they are sister faiths.
There are actually a lot of Tibetan Buddhist practitioners in China, mostly among the more educated class.
China claims sovereignty over Tibet dating back to about 1300 - seven hundred years ago. America has become interested in Tibet more recently, to foment trouble to distract China, and because of their interest in recently discovered Tibetan resources. The CIA's role cannot be dismissed so lightly. In this instance and many others, it is intent on exploiting and perverting hints of nationalism or discontent around the world to further America's national interests - resources and global domination. America's real interest in the Tibetan people (or any other people other than American) is zero.
We don't just disagree, Richard. As someone else points out in this conversation, this sort of propaganda is tantamount to holocaust denial. I consider it truly foul. If you intend to continue spreading this sort of disinformation and were honestly offended by my bland response, I can only suggest you grow a thicker skin.
People who discuss human rights abuses should often look in their own backyard. In America, for example, they still have capital punishment, which has been known to quite markedly detract from some people's human rights. Then there's the over two million people incarcerated - more than China - and almost the entire population of Tibet!. The discrimination against black people is just an integral part of life in the USA.
Keep up the good work for human rights, John. I'd start closer to home if I were you.
Chinas 1959 invasion of Tibet caused the deaths of thousands of monks and nuns. My friend lost 10 familly members, including children killed durring the invasion. 600 monasteries containing ancients work of art and literature destroyed.
If you met the Dalai Lama and witness his care for the orphans of Tibet, rather then being influenced by third person conspiracy theorists you would know his sincerity.
Tibet was poor in science and technology but rich in art, philosophy and spirituality. Wether you agree with other s priorities is irellevent, peoples basic rights are trampled. I don't believe the CIA is forcing people to self immolate.
People are amazingly and perhaps wilfully unaware of the fact that most Tibetans were illiterate serfs prior to modern government by the Chinese, and were among other things subject to torture.
And it is a matter of public record that the Dalai Lama has received CIA funding, especially in the early years (google it---there are NYT articles about it).
This doesn't mean the Chinese or the Chinese Communist Party are perfect but many solutions will put Tibet in a much worse position (e.g., with a huge US base in them --- then we'll see how much attention Hollywood pays).
As earlymusicus writes, "Corporations don't give a rip about human rights...", which is the new governing mantra. Freedom and democracy are evaporating into history, as so many past concepts.
I have known personally many Tibetan people, both monks and laity. To suggest that they are engaging in violence in order to return to the 19th century is laughable. You may try to rewrite history, and misrepresent the Tibetans all you like, but the information is out there and available. This is not China yet, and we still have access to the truth.
No one had a lavish lifestyle in Tibet. Some lived better then others.Like everywhere. Monkhood has very strict rules.
Vows of poverty and chastity are taken seriously to this day.
You say monks caused unrest. Who invaded who? Tibetans of all classes only want the "Feudal Theocracy"reins talled, could it have been that harsh and unfair? Tibetans are spiritually oriented. At one time 75% of Tibetans were monks. This caused many material problems for Tibet.
$186,000 a year is chicken feed for International Aid. Get some perspective.
Wether the conditions in Tibet are manufactured or not there has been a massive amount of cultural destruction, much as happened in the Bush2 invasion of Iraq. The US let the museums and Universities be looted because to destroy a culture is to destroy its identity.
On the flip side of the argument, chins need only look at conditions regarding religious intrusion into Gov't to justify their actions. Like it or not the house cleaning must happen in each Gov't's house and not in the coercion of some other other country.
Be clear that China is not an ally of the US or much of the West and their incursion into Asia will not stop at Tibet.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/127184.htm
And the CIA has supposedly only ever acted most honourably when it interferes with the functions of sovereign countries around the world, killing millions of people in coups and other covert actions over recent years and putting their economies into eternal debt to the IMF and others (e.g Indonesia). Don't people know and understand the CIA's agenda?
Meanwhile others who contribute to this site are being accused of parroting Chinese propaganda or members of some anonymous "party" for holding a different view.
The fact is, America's activities and propaganda are subject to increasing scrutiny these days by people in the rest of the world, and what we see is lies and deceit on every front. Wikileaks, anyone?
What is wrong with allowing Tibetans to determine what type of government they want and if the choose a theocracy, so be it, it will have been their choice. Let's not be hypocritical and point the finger at the US for invading Iraq etc to "foster democracy" and then say that it's ok for China to occupy Tibet, since they brought progress to the region. Can we at least be internally consistent?
The truth in Tibet's case is probably neither what China says nor what the Dalai Lama says, but probably somewhere in between. Regardless, I think at this point the Dalai Lama has reached the higher ground: he has never denounced or attacked the Chinese, which cannot be said of the Chinese government.
Sixty years ago the Tibetans lived under a theocracy. Over 90% of people lived with no access to modern medicine, hospitals, schools or electricity, although they were well-versed in spinning prayer wheels. Over the last sixty years, Tibet has changed from a serfdom to a modern and even prosperous society. Life expectancy has changed from thirty years to seventy.
Tibetan "discontent" has been fanned by the American Government and its agencies, with an actively complicit church. It is the Dalai Lama, the monks and exiled Tibetans who promote what is largely the myth of an unhappy and oppressed Tibetan people.
Of course there has been friction as Tibet has been introduced to more Chinese people and modern-day China and the world at large. China spent $2.4 billion on the railway to Lhasa, and current plans involve a $50 billion expenditure on infrastructure. The old establishment of Tibetan monks don't want to see their power base stripped away.
Another myth suggests that there is no religious tolerance in China. There are 100 million adherents to Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism, some 85,000 places of worship and 300,000 clergy.
Finally if 1,000 years doesn't give any country the right to occupy, can the Indians have their land back, please?
Wow. Talk about propaganda, you've got it covered. If you're not actually a card-carrying member of the C IA you should be granted honorary status by them for happily buying into the dreck they peddle.
Bod Gyalo!