Black Box Voting, founded in 2003, is a nonpartisan investigative reporting and public education organization for elections.
Sancho: Oh my. Wynne: Oh. Oh no! Pynchon: What is it? What is it? Wynne: Seven “yes,” one “no”! (Ballots: Six “no,” one “yes”) Pynchon: Oh my god! This video calls into question the accountability of New Hampshire elections. Most New Hampshire vote counts are not observable. Votes have been counted on the Diebold Accuvote ballot scanner technology, which can…
A caucus is an election style where participants come together in a meeting to first discuss, then vote. The process is more transparent than most U.S. elections because you can see who can vote, who did vote, observe the vote count, and (hopefully) observe the chain of custody. With caucuses, chain of custody has been a weak area. Sometimes party…
Your voter information is sometimes stolen by burglars. Sometimes it gets hacked, sometimes leaked. Occasionally employees take it home. Sometimes it gets lost, and sometimes it gets found by someone else. For these reasons, we should be judicious about what information we require for a voter registration, how voter lists can be used, and how they are protected. Nowadays that old,…
Purchasing is the act of procuring goods, services or works from an external source. Public purchases should be: • Needed • Of good quality • Purchased at the best possible cost. Public bodies often put out an “RFP” (Request for Purchase), or bid process in which companies must submit a proposed request, all using the same requirements, and generally unable to see…
A role model is a person who leads by example. Because elections are multi-faceted, people with different kinds of expertise can become highly effective using their own unique skill set. Being a role model does not require wealth or a powerful position; anybody from the community has the potential to become an outstanding election integrity role model. “Never doubt that…
Advocacy aims to influence decisions, engaging in a series of actions to change “what is” into a “what should be.” There are several approaches to advocacy. SEE ADVOCACY EXAMPLES Advocacy strategies can: – Question the way policy is administered – Open up space for public argumentation. – Influence agendas by raising significant issues – Target political systems that are…
Election observation helps to assess the fairness, transparency, and lawful conduct of an election process. Observers do not interfere, and while they do not directly prevent electoral fraud, they may act as a deterrent. • The primary function of election observation is to record and report problems with election integrity. • It’s important to observe the entire process — before,…
Organizing to achieve better election integrity involves coming together into a group, or social network, that acts in shared interest. In general, connecting with and building a network amplifies power. • Organizing can aim to create a durable organization, or it can be less formal and more temporary in character. • Organizing can promote consensus building, which may be viewed…
Election integrity research is any systematic investigation to discover facts or collect information in order to improve election transparency, fairness and accountability. Research includes methods such as observation to document election problems; case studies; quotations from experts and witnesses; tests, photo / video evidence, collection of costs and statistics. Some useful research sources are: • Public records • Video and…
