Discussion of all things related to Public Domain

[tom poe <tompoe AT amihost.com>]

Hi, Prof Kimball:  In our little informal group, we've locked onto the
following question:
"How would you like to be the CEO of a company that controls 80% of the
voting machines used in key states in the upcoming presidential
election, and have to tell Bush he LOST?"

Anyway, I have a question, if I may.  Have you come across immediate
solutions for protecting the voters for the 2004 election?  Some like
the idea of holding an online unofficial vote, just to satisfy people's
need to feel like they got to vote.  That doesn't really address the
issue, so there needs to be other options.

One option our informal group came up with, is to force the election
officials to permit distributing pieces of paper to each voter, and
letting them fill out their paper ballot, and place it in a sealed box. 
This parallel vote, albeit unofficial, would serve to force the machines
to consider behaving, even if they don't, and if they don't, then the
public can demonstrate the ludicrous situation in black and white.

It would be a tremendous volunteer undertaking, but with the focus on
key states and key precincts, it just might do the trick.  What do you
think?  Could you share this idea, and possibly begin to identify some
of the pitfalls that might have to be overcome?
Thanks,
Tom Poe
Open Studios
Reno, NV
http://www.studioforrecording.org/