Electronic Voting in the Republic of Ireland
David Edelman
In 2004 (or shortly before), the Republic of Ireland had just received delivery
of a large number of a similar type
of voting machines (i.e., without paper trail) as those which had been used
in the US, for elections here (in ROI), despite the misgivings of
many voters.
As one of the more established researchers in Statistics in Ireland,
I was invited as an expert to speak on RTE (Irish National Radio
-- aprox 3 Million listening audience, including the North and the greater UK) by a noted
Irish Radio and Television journalist named Pat Kenny about potential
issues with
this form of voting machine, wherein I presented evidence from the US,
including Steve Freeman's paper, among other anomalies (of which there were many).
Shortly afterwards (and I think partly as a result of my speaking out, and with
such clear evidence), the scale of public condemnation of the machines
rose to such a level that the machines (50M Euro worth) were immediately banned
in the entire
Republic, and put into indefinite storage. Elections still take only one
day to tally here,
and even if I still find myself disappointed with the results (e.g. the incumbents
retaining power the other day, albeit weakened), I feel glad
that I can have confidence in a higher degree of integrity and
transparency in the outcome, at least over here.
Regards,
David Edelman
Dublin, Ireland
Michael Green
Your contribution is of interest in both the simplest and profoundest way by
illustrating the difference between a democratic government that, whatever
its grave shortcomings, is subject to a public media that gives voice to the
concerns of its people and can thus be pressured into being responsive to
the will of the people; and one that isn't.
Regards,
Michael Green
Jeannie Winter
One less national voting system to have to laboriously
transform. (Way to go, fellas! We all owe you a nice
fruit basket, maybe a high-end Body Shop shaving cream
kit.) Thank you for posting this, David. I was
starting to feel a bit gloomy...
Yours,
Jeannie Dean in FL-13
http://www.youtube.com/jeanniedean
www.shadowvote.org
www.videothevote.org
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