An Independent Exit Poll for 2006 and Beyond
The Need for Independent US Exit Polls
"Exit polls are widely acknowledged to be one of the most important elements in helping to ensure an honest election. But this is true only if the poll is conducted with appropriate methodological rigor, if the processes are transparent, and if the data made available. Sadly, this is not the case for the media-sponsored exit polls; and it will be even less so in the future. Hence, the importance of an independent exit poll."
How to Overturn A Stolen Election
HOW TO PROTECT THE VOTE COUNT
1. Election Day Exit Polls.
An exit poll can be designed to serve the purpose of election
protection. A sufficient sample of voters at each of several
precincts would be asked, as they leave the polls, to tell
interviewers how they voted. Although news organizations commission
exit polls, these results are not made public. An exit poll whose
results are in the public domain is a crucial piece of election
protection. Because of the statistical and sociological issues
inherent in exit polling, this polling should be done by polling
experts.
2. Litigation.
Twice each year an election is held, and opportunities arise to
investigate election technology and procedures through litigation.
Whether or not litigation will result in a different winner, as many
cases as possible should be pursued aggressively in order to help
protect future elections. In addition, there are opportunities to
base litigation on the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).
Litigation requires candidates to serve as plaintiffs, lawyers' time,
and money for expenses, such as state fees for opening up electronic
voting machines.
3. Data Collection and Analysis: Election Results.
An electronic database of precinct-level election results, including
the separate tallies for regular, provisional and absentee ballots, is
fertile ground for statistical analysis both for short term use
(finding anomalies) and long term use (targeting precincts for the
next election). Creating such a database may be quite
labor-intensive. This initiative will require training volunteers to
collect data both at precincts and at central tabulation locations, as
well as development of web tools to consolidate data collected by many
different people. Finally, statistical experts should use the most
sophisticated techniques available to analyze the data.
4. Data Collection and Analysis: Voter Files.
Each state has a Statewise Uniform Registry of Electors (SURE), i.e.,
a voter list for the entire state. In addition, smaller jurisdictions
and political parties maintain their own lists. These lists should be
monitored to guard against illegal purges. In addition, the evolution
of the lists should be analyzed statistically to search for anomalies.
This initiative requires money for purchasing lists on a regular
basis, computer resources for database creation and maintenance,
statistical experts to design algorithms and programmers to implement
these algorithms.
A good example of how to prevent a stolen election comes from US actions in Ukraine. See the testimony of Ambassador John Tefft, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, and Senator Richard G. Lugar, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations