THe Absolute Minimum Ballot Reforms / Standards....

– 1. We need to add a push for mandated hand-counted paper ballots with multiple witnesses at every stage of the counting within the state, and public reporting of the final state-level numbers by the group of witnesses who are present at the state-level tabulation, in a joint statement, out in the open in a public place. This is the one way we can be reasonably sure there has been no manipulation of numbers. What we have now is an act of faith alone.

– 2. Candidates should all face an equal, fee-less option to be placed on the ballot, and be given equal time in all media covering the election, for free, by law.

– 3 Contributions should be limited in amount and allowed from individuals only, NO businesses, non-profits, PACs or other entities besides individual citizens should be allowed to donate to a campaign.

– 4. It must be accessible for all citizens to vote, regardless of where they are, or of their employment, race, gender, religion, or any other delimiting factor except certified mental incapacity or commission of treason. In an age of fax machines and transferrable electronic documents that can be e-mailed, there is no reason the proper ballot could not be faxed back and forth and verified between polling place workers and the voter via phone as needed. Certainly a citizen could be guaranteed time of work to vote with pay.

– 5. Voters must be allowed to vote for any mix of candidates they wish in any election.

*ONLY with these critical reforms can we have truly meaningful, transparent, secure elections that truly reflect the will of American citizens.*

These are the MINIMUM necessary reforms for our balloting process. They should be agressively pursued by every citizen of this country, every member of any political group.

This change needs to be an integral part of the platform for every branch of the Progressive coalition in every state, and of a wider coalition on this issue by every political party. It must be made a core issue that we never abandon, if we are to have a truly secure and transparent election process. It must be demanded with a uniform voice by everyone.

We need to approach this issue at the state and local levels first. Certainly we can lobby for it at the federal level, but each state we can convert to honest elections is also a great victory for democracy.

We or any nation can have sincere, honest and secure representative democracy through these means. We will have them in a peaceful and harmonious manner. We will never surrender these basic principles. We will be joined by all who believe in the basic principles of democracy that is the bedrock of our nation.

Sincerely,

Daniel A. Stafford - U.S.A. Citizen.