{"id":2240719,"date":"2024-05-09T08:03:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-09T12:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-grassroots-groups-can-increase-voter-confidence-in-an-age-of-glitchy-machines\/"},"modified":"2024-05-09T08:10:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T12:10:02","slug":"how-grassroots-groups-can-increase-voter-confidence-in-an-age-of-glitchy-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-grassroots-groups-can-increase-voter-confidence-in-an-age-of-glitchy-machines\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Grassroots Efforts to Boost Voter Trust Amid Technology Glitches"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-grassroots-groups-can-increase-voter-confidence-in-an-age-of-glitchy-machines%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2240719&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The text discusses the importance of addressing machine skepticism to enhance \u2063voter confidence. It \u200demphasizes transitioning to \u200dhand-marked ballots, hand counts, hand recounts,\u2062 and logic and accuracy testing as\u200c practical solutions. Grassroots groups play a vital role in advocating for these changes at the\u200d local level\u2064 to \u200censure \u200belection integrity and voter trust. The text\u200c highlights the significance of tackling machine\u2063 skepticism \u2063to boost\u2062 voter trust. It stresses the \u200dadoption of hand-marked ballots, hand counts, \u200dhand recounts, \u200cand logic and accuracy testing as \u200ceffective measures. Grassroots\u2062 organizations are\u2063 essential \u200cin championing these reforms locally to uphold\u2062 election integrity and foster voter confidence.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>There are some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-j6-show-trial-is-lying-about-election-fraud\/\" title=\"The J6 Show Trial Is Lying About Election \u2018Fraud\u2019\">election integrity advocates<\/a> who strongly believe election security begins and ends with voting machines. Others try to steer clear of \u201cconspiracy\u201d labels, so they shy away from complicated machine issues altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Although caution is warranted when approaching allegations of interference or persistent errors, the reliability of voting equipment can\u2019t be ignored in an attempt to walk the middle road \u2014 not if the goal is increasing voter confidence. Luckily, there are a variety of practical ways machine skepticism can and should be addressed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-590762870\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-3d8a1378a4a93d13dde2f9e2c31af8e3 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-3d8a1378a4a93d13dde2f9e2c31af8e3\"><\/div>\n<p>Fears of machines gone amuck have existed for some time, with both sides having vocalized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.klobuchar.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/2019\/3\/ranking-members-klobuchar-warner-reed-and-peters-press-election-equipment-manufacturers-on-security\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">apprehension<\/a> about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.klobuchar.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/2019\/3\/senators-demand-to-know-why-election-vendors-still-sell-voting-machines-with-known-vulnerabilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">machines<\/a> at different points prior to 2020, including in 2019, when Democrats loudly <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/450737-house-passes-sweeping-democrat-backed-election-security-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">advocated<\/a> for the passage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/house-bill\/2722\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Securing America\u2019s Federal Elections Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This distrust continues today and directly influences voting behavior \u2014 nothing could be clearer from plaintiff testimonies in a recent Georgia case, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/04\/in-georgia-and-elsewhere-officials-sow-distrust-in-elections-by-dismissing-voters-integrity-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Curling v. Raffensperger<\/em><\/a><em>. <\/em>Clearly, distrust in America\u2019s voting machines hasn\u2019t gone away; it only bounces back and forth across party lines and must be dealt with. But that is easier said than done. <\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, workable solutions do exist. However, the people best suited to bring these changes about might not be the ones you expect. Rather than D.C. politicians, local grassroots groups may be best suited to promote tangible changes on a county level \u2014 and many already have. Locals concerned with the reliability of machines may be surprised by their level of influence and should consider organizing and lobbying their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-our-vote-matters-is-suing-facebook-dominion-mark-zuckerberg-certain-state-officials-others-for-infringing-upon-right-to-vote-assemble-and-speak-freely-you-can-jo\/\" title=\"Group \u201cOur Vote Matters\u201d Is Suing Facebook, Dominion, Mark Zuckerberg, Certain State Officials, Others for Infringing Upon Right to Vote, Assemble and Speak Freely \u2013 You Can Join Too\">local election officials<\/a> about the following.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hand-Marked Ballots<\/h2>\n<p>Moving from BMDs (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pa-county-reports-voting-machine-issues-affecting-republican-ballots-dominion-releases-statement\/\" title=\"PA County Reports Voting Machine Issues Affecting Republican Ballots; Dominion Releases Statement\u00a0\">ballot marking devices<\/a>) to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-pac-helped-group-that-pushed-voter-fraud-conspiracy-theories\/\" title=\"Stacey Abrams\u2019 Voting Rights PAC Helped Group That Pushed Voter Fraud Conspiracy Theories\">hand-marked paper ballots<\/a> is one way to increase voter confidence without ditching the convenience and speed of electronic ballot scanners. <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/04\/in-georgia-and-elsewhere-officials-sow-distrust-in-elections-by-dismissing-voters-integrity-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">With<\/a> BMDs, a voter steps into the poll booth, makes a selection, and the machine produces a ballot with a QR code, which is later scanned to tabulate votes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-36336ec27f2d26d5ad2d62215a38b9a6 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-36336ec27f2d26d5ad2d62215a38b9a6\"><\/div>\n<p>The problem is that when you look at a QR code, you can\u2019t tell what it means unless you scan it. Although the machine also produces readable text, the readable text is not used to tabulate the results, and in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lehighvalleylive.com\/opinion\/2023\/11\/northampton-county-voting-machine-glitch-erodes-faith-in-accuracy-of-elections-letter.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Northampton County<\/a>, Pennsylvania, a machine error <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/04\/in-georgia-and-elsewhere-officials-sow-distrust-in-elections-by-dismissing-voters-integrity-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">caused<\/a> the readable text and QR codes not to match. The concern is that the readable text might reflect the citizen\u2019s vote, but the QR code, which is actually used to tabulate results, might not.<\/p>\n<p>Hand-marked ballots would eliminate that issue by eliminating the QR code and creating a more reliable paper trail. As even <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KamalaHarris\/status\/1112410982607974400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kamala Harris<\/a> once said, \u201cPaper ballots are the smartest, safest way to ensure your vote is secure.\u201d Additionally, adopting hand-marked ballots would not require increased manpower because there is scanning software that counts ballots by scanning readable text instead of QR codes.<\/p>\n<p>The pushback to this switch often comes because states or counties would have to purchase different software that can be expensive. Overcoming that obstacle may be more achievable in states where voting technology is determined at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vote.pa.gov\/About-Elections\/Pages\/New-Voting-Systems.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">county level<\/a> instead of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/cybersecurity\/455211-georgia-awards-contract-for-new-voting-machines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">state level<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>In counties where the voting technology is rented from vendors, there may be an opportunity to switch or upgrade when vendor contracts expire. Local grassroots can be effective advocates by filing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/citizens-guide-fight-america\/how-submit-open-records-request\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">open records requests<\/a>, obtaining their county\u2019s contract, and recommending changes in technology at an optimal time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-d627ebf085921f4c84089846569753a3 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-d627ebf085921f4c84089846569753a3\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hand Counts<\/h2>\n<p>Despite what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-ca\/news\/world\/maddow-mocks-georgia-cities-that-will-hand-count-ballots-with-an-abacus-and-a-mypillow\/ar-AA1kDtMJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rachel Maddow<\/a> has suggested, utilizing hand counts on Election Day is not a return to horse-and-buggy days, but a viable alternative to voting machines for some select small counties. If machine reliability is a county\u2019s primary concern, this is certainly a method that would bring greater confidence to voters, since it completely removes voting machines from the equation.<\/p>\n<p>However, hand counts can be a hard sell and come with their own set of challenges. Although hand counting foregoes the cost of voting machines, it requires employing more people to do the physical counting of thousands of votes. While there are strategic ways of counting, hand counts can take quite a bit of time and introduce the possibility of human error or malfeasance. Errors from hand counts would likely be more limited than a widespread machine issue and perhaps easier to catch, but it should be noted that there could be significant errors nonetheless.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, transitioning from voting machines to hand counting is not a practical or achievable solution in every county, but in a small county with robust advocacy, it may be possible.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hand Recounts<\/h2>\n<p>In counties resistant to widespread changes in practice or technology, hand recounts are a much more practical way to audit machines and boost voter confidence. These are often referred to as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/elections-and-campaigns\/post-election-audits\">traditional post-election audits<\/a>. Many states already require that a fixed percentage of the vote be recounted by hand. If there is a discrepancy between the way machines tabulate the votes and the actual results, employing a hand recount increases the chances of uncovering the issue.<\/p>\n<p>If a state already has a recount requirement, locals should consult county officials to ensure that the hand recount requirements are being met. Where hand recounts are not required, asking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-kraken-released-attorney-sidney-powell-files-104-page-bombshell-complaint-of-massive-fraud-in-georgia-election-update-michigan-too\/\" title=\"BREAKING: KRAKEN RELEASED! Attorney Sidney Powell Files 104 Page BOMBSHELL COMPLAINT of Massive Fraud in Georgia Election - Update: Michigan too\">county election boards<\/a> to adopt a partial hand recount might still be a more realistic compromise than advocating for new software or full hand recounts, while still providing some reassurance that machines have operated properly.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Logic and Accuracy Testing<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dos.pa.gov\/VotingElections\/OtherServicesEvents\/Documents\/2024-Directive-on-Logic-Accuracy-Testing-3.0.pdf\">Logic and accuracy testing<\/a> is the process of testing voting machines before Election Day, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eac.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-06\/2022_EAVS_Report_508c.pdf\">almost every state<\/a> employs some method of logic and accuracy testing. The Election Administration Commission has extensive recommendations for how logic and accuracy testing should be performed, but there is good <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlightpa.org\/news\/2024\/04\/northampton-county-voting-machine-error-testing-records-2023-election\/\">reason to believe<\/a> that many counties are failing to follow the guidelines they suggest. Proper and thorough logic and accuracy testing likely could have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlightpa.org\/news\/2024\/04\/northampton-county-voting-machine-error-testing-records-2023-election\/\">prevented<\/a> a major machine malfunction in Northampton, Pennsylvania, where the machines produced flipped votes.<\/p>\n<p>Most states also allow <a href=\"https:\/\/schleycountyga.us\/news\/public-notice-of-logic-and-accuracy-testing-on-the-voting-equipment\">public<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/elections-and-campaigns\/policies-for-election-observers\">observation<\/a> of logic and accuracy testing, and to ensure the testing is occurring, locals should attend. Grassroots groups may also be able to request that their election officials make certain adjustments to ensure logic and accuracy testing is as effective and thorough as possible.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hash Testing<\/h2>\n<p>Lastly, there is a type of testing called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eac.gov\/blogs\/what-hash-validation-and-why-should-election-officials-care\">hash testing<\/a>, which the U.S. Election Assistance Commission recommends. Each machine has a hash value that serves as a kind of digital fingerprint. A common way of verifying the integrity of a machine\u2019s software is to compare the hash value of the machine to the hash value of the software as originally certified. <\/p>\n<p>If there are differences, it may indicate that the machine has been compromised. Local grassroots individuals who are technologically savvy may be best equipped to approach their local election officials and request that effective hash code testing be done on voting machines. If testing cannot be completed on all voting machines, perhaps grassroots members should advocate for testing at least some machines.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Grassroots Efforts Can Improve Machine Skepticism<\/h2>\n<p>Most county election administrators have at least some say in the election process. For this reason, county election security and transparency measures can vary \u2014 sometimes greatly. Some counties are more thorough in their use of logic and accuracy testing, some are more willing to clean voter rolls, and some can determine what election equipment they use as long as they meet certain requirements. This can open the door for local groups to have quite a bit of influence. <\/p>\n<p>Increasing the reliability of voting machines is possible. It may take coordination, but it is a worthwhile endeavor where any informed citizen can make a difference.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b8aaa6606994e8ecb5732119d83f07f9 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b8aaa6606994e8ecb5732119d83f07f9\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some election integrity advocates focus on voting machines as the cornerstone of election security, while others avoid complex machine issues to avoid conspiracy theories. While it&#8217;s crucial to tread carefully regarding interference claims, the importance of reliable voting equipment cannot be overlooked<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2939,"featured_media":2240720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/49610288042_8527fc4188_o.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2240719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/49610288042_8527fc4188_o.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2939"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2240719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2240719\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2240720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2240719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2240719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2240719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}