[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Maybe we need *more* Recounts.

[Email subscription to blog articles]

Posted by Speed Gibson:
Maybe we need *more* Recounts.
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1231027841.shtml


   Sometimes it takes a prominent case to truly expose a problem and
   rally support for reform, despite the public officials' claims that
   the system is working. The Kelo case resulted in needed reform of
   Eminent Domain laws throughout the country, even Minnesota. And now we
   have the Minnesota Senate recount of 2008.
   Mostly, the system is working, mostly those parts that our Secretary
   of State cannot influence. When this is all done, a few dozen votes
   will decide it. But there's another number to consider - the margin of
   error.
   As the ballot challenges show, a number of voters can't seem to follow
   the instructions. And being humans, we may have all voted incorrectly
   at one time or another. It's impossible to codify every situation in
   law, so there must always be some subjectivity. It's doubly subjective
   when the election officials seldom have any prior experience in
   recounting.
   Maybe we should stage a recount just to exercise the machinery,
   sharpening the saw. Here's my idea: pick one of the Congressional
   races every two years and recount it, no matter how lopsided. Let's
   just see how close the final tally is to the announced total.
   The specific Congressional District to recount should be picked
   entirely at random, after the election, drawing a ping pong ball
   perhaps. It might happen that the same District is recounted twice in
   a row, maybe more. Maybe we draw an extra ball when that happens. All
   election officials must "fear" a recount, every time.
   The resulting audit reports will help us find problems in the system,
   and help quantify just what the margin of error really is. It also
   might prove helpful in educating the voters on proper procedure.