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  • From: Simon Spero <ses AT unc.edu>
  • To: mindcrime AT cpphacker.co.uk, "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] Delaying the elections?
  • Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 19:33:50 -0400

Phillip Rhodes wrote:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5411741/site/newsweek/

Now, who didn't see *that* coming? This is some seriously scary stuff. It's a small step from "delaying" the elections, to the appointment of King George the II as permanent ruler.

Not particularly scary at this point; what it says is that the DOJ (correctly) don't believe that the executive branch has the power to delay elections at all; it sounds like they're asking Congress to lay out the rules on what to do if the election cannot be conducted on the day scheduled. In other words, they're taking steps to make sure that procedures don't have to be determined as events unfold, when the whole burden of decision would fall on the executive.

Having a well prepared set of plans for dealing with any attacks makes it less likely they'll be needed.

For example, if there's a strike on the East coast on election day before voting starts of sufficient magnitude to prevent large numbers of people voting, should polling be delayed nationwide? For just the affected state? For just the affected area? If there's a revote, should it cover the whole state, or just those precincts where voting could not be conducted.

What should happen with absentee ballots? If they haven't been counted, but aren't destroyed or contaminated, should they be counted as is? What about if they are destroyed or contaminated after having been counted?

What about if the strike is on the West coast, after polling has closed on the east coast but before polling has closed in the targeted region? What should happen if the targeted region does not have sufficient electoral college votes to affect the outcome of the presidential race after all non targetted states are counted?

Given what happened on 3/11, these aren't idle questions. If you don't think that Congress should be addressing them, who do you want making the call?




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