Voteword.org

Jim Madison Sez….

Paul — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:42:21 +0000

I’m finding the history of voting in the U.S. to be a fascinating narrative. The reason I’m delving into it, by the way, is because I’m surprised at how many reputable, thoughtful people and organizations actually want to do away with the ballot. Apparently, many people believe that the lack of accountability and the implied corruption of the process have totally discredited the “art of Electioneering”, as James Madison referred to it. But, in a letter to Caleb Wallace, in 1785, Madison said this:

“…as to the mode of suffrage I lean strongly to that of the ballott, notwithstanding the objections which be against it. It appears to me to be the only radical cure for those arts of Electioneering which poison the very fountain of Liberty. The States in which the Ballott has been the Standing mode are the only instances in which elections are tolerably chaste and those arts in disgrace. If it . . . → Read More: Jim Madison Sez….

Thank you, Barbara!

Paul — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:57:28 +0000

There’s this real patient woman who’s managed to read my mind and create this gorgeous new site. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Barbara Snyder.

Our Story So Far

Paul — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:37:57 +0000

Why Vote Word is essential for the recent low-turnout elections. With local elections, the chances of an election being decided by 20 or 30 votes is a lot greater than with state or federal elections. Thus the likelihood is higher that you’ll be calling or emailing your friends to ask them to check if their vote was recorded correctly. Here is how that would work, using the example of a state-wide contest. “So aren’t we trusted to be part of the solution?”

That’s what a friend said to me recently. She was talking about all the ways experts are going to solve the problem of voting accuracy for us. “But we voters don’t have to do anything? We’re not trusted to check our own votes?” Her point was that no matter what the truly qualified experts come up with, we voters should have the ability to check up on those software and hardware engineers. New . . . → Read More: Our Story So Far