We will likely never know exactly how much impact voting
discrepancies in Ohio had on the final outcome of the 2004
presidential election.
But California Sen. Barbara Boxer was right to raise questions
about the voting process ““ not because she thought that the
Ohio vote should be overturned, but because there are clearly
problems with the mechanics of our nation’s democracy.
As the United States struggles to bring democracy to faraway
lands such as Iraq and Afghanistan, we must also re-examine our own
electoral process and its fairness.
Citizens should not have to worry about whether their votes
counted, or if they were somehow worth more or less than the votes
of their neighbors.
In the 2000 election, thousands of people in Florida saw their
votes go uncounted because of procedural errors and confusing
ballots.
In 2004, electronic voting machines only made matters worse
because they seemed to function like a black box with little
accountability. Meanwhile, inexplicable exit polling results fanned
the flames of various conspiracy theories.
Boxer has raised a good point ““ voting is one of the most
important rights citizens have. The next round of elections are
practically around the corner and our elected officials must not
remain silent in the debate of reforming the system.