Welcome to Ballot Bills election system, research and logic

This website Blog contains opinions of the owner about current and past processes, as well as, driving political forces that are involved in our election processes.

History of the Ballot – by National Museum of American history

Wooden ballot with clay marbles
The term “ballot” is derived from the Italian ballotta, meaning “little ball.” This ballot box was not used in a U.S. election. It was used by members of a Washington, D.C., social club.
Gift of Society for the Oldest Inhabitants of Washington, D.C.

Paper ballots

Voting in the 19th century usually involved casting a printed paper ballot. State election laws typically specified the dimensions and thickness of the paper, and the size of type to be used. The rest was left to the issuing parties, local party operatives, and candidates, resulting in various ballot forms and styles—and a potential for voter confusion and fraud.

The Blanket Ballot

Developed in South Australia in the 1850s, the blanket ballot—listing all candidates for office regardless of party—was gradually adopted in the United States after 1888. The printing and distribution of such all-inclusive ballots became a function of government rather than competing parties. The voter typically marked the ballot in the privacy of a voting booth, sometimes guided by party symbols—like the eagle guarding a glass jar ballot box representing the Republican ticket of William McKinley and Garret A. Hobart, top left.

Gear and Lever

The gear-and-lever voting machine rendered the Australian ballot in steel. Later, computerized punch card ballots became an acceptable alternative that allowed for the speedy tabulation and announcement of returns.

Magazine, The New Yorker, November 3, 1956

Butterfly Ballot

This ballot used IBM punch cards as the recorder medium that was counted in a counting machine. This ballot type brought in the “Hanging Chad” controversy that plagued the Bush vs. Gore election. – Ballot Bills.org comment for clarification.

The close presidential contest between Al Gore and George W. Bush came down to a struggle over the Florida vote. In Florida Bush led Gore by 930 votes out of six million votes cast. Gore asked for a recount by hand of ballots from four counties in which his support was believed to be strong. To conduct the recount in Palm Beach County, citizens organized into teams of two Republican and two Democratic Party counters and observers. A magenta-colored card is used to help identify the holes in the ballots.

As a process engineer the process needs to be taken apart, analyzed and find the problems.

So let’s analyze the system used to count the voters choices and the integrity requirements for results.

The computer/scanner systems

Today we deal with the same issues !!! Introducing computers that are more and more complicated, provided by companies that claim them to be accurate and secure. Yet the public does not trust them, because as the public learns more about computers, many people know that inside the black box, algorithm’s can do anything that the software programmers can develop. Just like the past think about the drivers, money, power, control, the same things that have plagued all elections but to the Nth degree. Integrity, the public wants a process that they are assured it provides correct results. Question, how do you develop trust in a system that is supplied by companies that will not make the software code publicly available. It should be very simple software code that just counts the vote.

First the Blanket Ballot

History tells the story- Let”s look at the obvious, the blanket ballot used in 1888 was nearly as complicated as it is today. The public accepted it because it provided a more neutral ballot and less confusing than was previously provided by the parties. Obviously, the complicated ballot was difficult to count votes and provide election results quickly, but not a problem back then. As time marched on, the public’s desires changed, for quick results and current information as the printing press, radio and television pushed the envelope. Increasing population and women’s right to vote also weighed heavily on the time to count votes using poll workers. Something had to give, so new ideas emerged to deal with the Blanket ballot, the rest is history.

Yet the same issues of the blanket ballot continue, the problem still lies in the complicated Blanket ballot. In fact the problem continues to get worse, elections are combined into massive elections including; Federal, State, City, County, Judges, State, County and City propositions where does it end? The voters are maxed out, How do the voters know about all of these and make a good informed judgement if they are working and living a life. Is something nefarious going on to make it more complicated. Evil loves complication and confusion.

The Blanket Ballot is obviously a major problem, In fact my analysis shows it to be the main problem. So we need to ask the how, why, when, where, questions. How is it a problem? Because it takes significant manpower to hand process and cannot be done in quickly in the desired time constraints. Why because it opens the door for other ways to process the results, like computers/scanners. Which are not acceptable to meet the integrity of knowing the results are correct as viewed by the populace.

The computer systems