Also posted by Mark Cook here on X:
https://x.com/PatriotMarkCook/status/1863609060899074255
Mark has helped me learn much about overall process after first meeting him at Cyber Symposium, 2021, and he worked with two Anoka County commissioners (one former) to help them learn as well.
Read to end where a student-auditing idea is proposed…
Progressive Election Enhancement Platform
THE FOLLOWING IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS.
If you have suggestions, please reach out!
You can find me on X @PatriotMarkCook
Scope
At the heart of democratic governance lies the voting system, a mechanism designed to reflect the collective will of the people. For this system to truly serve its purpose, it must be so simple and transparent that every citizen, regardless of their background, education, or technological literacy, can not only participate but also understand and verify every step of the process. This simplicity and transparency are not just about ease of use; they are fundamental to ensuring equal access to the electoral process. If the mechanics of voting are shrouded in complexity or lack transparency, trust in the electoral outcome diminishes, eroding the foundation of our republic. At its essence, voting involves citizens marking their choices on paper, followed by a straightforward count of these marks. This process doesn’t necessitate elaborate or costly technology; instead, it demands clarity, accessibility, and the ability for public oversight. For American citizens to genuinely reclaim their electoral process, immediate and comprehensive reforms are imperative. Here’s what we must implement:
Voter Registration
Every 2 year
In-person at the county
Verified citizen and residency check at that time
On a paper voter registration card
Witnessed signature
Stored by voting precinct
A read-only standardized digital list of registered voters is provided by every county on their website to share with the citizens and all other counties
Each county cross-references their list against all other counties. Paper poll books for each precinct are created from registration cards prior to every election
Absentee Ballots
Limited to as-needed basis
Proof must be provided and accepted
Extreme scrutiny must be placed on every incoming ballot, with additional integrity mechanisms
A Ballot choice ‘hash’ could be developed that could be used as additional form of received ballot integrity
Election Day
One day voting holiday
Elections at the precinct (each precinct <= 1500 population)
Standardized FIXED voting start/end/duration across the country to eliminate time-staggered abuse vector (14-hour voting period, for example) – This will require some work and thought!
West coast would be starting at 5a and ending at 7p.
East coast voting would start at 9a and end at 11p.
100% registered and participated, would result in just under 2 voters per minute max needed throughput. If each voter takes 6 minutes to fill out the ballot, one would need to have minimum 6 voting booths per precinct. If people arrive with cheat sheets, this is all easily doable.
Checked in on paper poll book
Witnessed signature
Cross-referenced with previously filled out voter registration card
No early or late ballots
Paper ballots dropped in translucent locked container
Entire room on video
Election Night
At poll close, all ballots:
Batched
Scanned to produce digital images
Votes COUNTED WHERE CAST
Under video
Bi-partisan citizens and witnesses using state-approved hand tabulation method
Results released right then by precinct and posted on the outside of the building for all to see/verify
Reporting
Each precinct posts the signed precinct results on the outside of the building, the same page that was scanned during tabulation
All ballot images, tally sheets, results pages, other paperwork, and video put on county website grouped by precinct for anyone and everyone to verify all they like.
Just like I did here: https://openelectionrecords.org/ar-searcy-county-2024-03-05/
Auditing
Students in 6-12th grades
Civics refresher
Election refresher
Break into groups
Pull up their school’s precinct ballots from county website
Students re-tabulate the ballots themselves
Compare results
If there is any discrepancy
Students submit through a standardized reporting form on County Website
County celebrates the catch and publicly awards the class
Advanced math students could then dive into the statistics of the elections to identify inorganic patterns
Public
The public can access all election data on the county website and audit to their hearts content
Voted lists
Ballot tabulation
Chain of Custody
Statistics