This isn't rocket science and we have been doing a pretty decent job of it for over 200 years in America. Let's just get back to basics:
- Legal, register voters with ID
- One election day
- Paper ballots (no machines)
- Hand count with observers (no machines)
Vote in private, count in public.
I would add: Election day to be a National Holiday all nonessential offices closed.
If you are going to do paper ballots and manual hand count, then the only way to have an objective observer is to have the cast ballot put under a camera to record the ballot. This includes all ballots cast.
Each ballot box should be numbered and a gps tracker attached to it and activated once picked up for delivery to the destination. All ballot boxes should be accounted for before the counting begins and should have a deadline as to when they should be at the counting place.
Then a video camera should record the box 24/7 at the destination. At no time the ballot box should be off camera. After voting, each cast ballot should be counted by placing the cast ballot in between two video cameras that are synced for three or more seconds. The image should be broadcast on monitors large enough so that if someone was 6 feet away could read the smallest of words on the ballot clearly. The recording should be connected to a local NAS server and no part of the system should be connected to the internet. The count should remain blind until all cast ballots have been recorded.
At no time should the count be divulged to anyone until the completion of the count. Once the count has been completed, the software should then print off in paper form an accounting of every ballot cast and totals. A hard deadline of time should be based on the total number of registered voters in that area.
There should be recording of the registered counter as well with each recorded ballot a timestamp including the counter’s registration number included with the image. Each counter should be given a unique identifier that is encrypted on the image. Should a counter need to be replaced or can not do any counting, an entry should be entered as to the reason, time and date.
Any cast ballots that are circumspect should still be recorded and a panel of 1 person from each party in the election should all view the image at the same time and a majority should then decide as to validity of the ballot. Voter intention should not be inferred rather only what is seen on the ballot. Markings that occur in more than one place should be disqualify that particular vote on the ballot. The whole ballot should not be disqualified just that section.
Two observers from each party should also be present to view the decision and the circumspect cast ballot. Observers that raise issues should be addressed as they arise.
Elections need to have the tightest security and the tightest regulation. By video recording everything, creating tracking of ballot boxes, not allowing the count to be known until completion of the count, this includes review of circumspect ballots, we can then provide a fairer election. As it stands right now, elections are too loose with the handling of the ballots and the ballot boxes. The corruption is very miniscule on the side of the voter and occurs in much larger numbers with the handling, delivery of, and counting of the ballots once they have been cast. Not knowing the count until all cast ballots (including absentee and circumspect ballots) will prevent a lot of the ballot harvesting issues. Placing the GPS tracker on ballot boxes and to not start the count until all boxes are returned will prevent a lot of what is known as allot harvesting where boxes mysteriously turn up in the trunk of a car. The total number of ballot boxes should be kept a tightly held secret. All information should be kept through compliance logs created on a local storage system not connected to the internet.
Yes, I know some of this is controversial and some of it is expensive but this would be the best recourse for a fair and honest election during the counting process. The issue on the voter side is still a human one. We can have all the rules, policies and regulations regarding who can cast the ballot but it is ultimately up to the poll worker to allow or stop a person from voting. And that will always be the weakness of any election.
By the way we do have the technology to do this, we just don’t have the will to do it.