The ACLU was the first membership organization I ever joined, some time back in high school. I'm sure I don't need to go into my reasons with this crowd here. In guarding freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of worship, and the freedom to vote and be heard, it's always seemed to me they're doing the fundamental work of democracy (the fact that none of that should really be in contention is another issue altogether.) Time and time again, they've stood for the rights of great and small to stand up and be counted, chants of "Communism!", "Terror-Simp!", "Anarchy!", and the rest be damned.
Which is why I'm so very confused by today's press release trumpeting their lawsuit to prevent Cuyahoga County from dumping their much-maligned Touch Screen voting machines in favor of a verifiable paper ballot.
New Voting System Will Result in More Uncounted Ballots
CLEVELAND – The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Ohio filed a lawsuit against state election officials in federal court today challenging the use of unequal, inaccurate and inadequate voting technology in Ohio’s most populous county. Today’s legal action seeks to block Cuyahoga County’s recent shift from using electronic voting machines to a system that lacks the ability to provide voters with notice of balloting errors and an opportunity to correct such mistakes. According to the ACLU, the use of this new system violates the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment as well as the Voting Rights Act.
Now, given, they have a point. In the hands of a competent, honest, and benevolent government, a properly made, fully backed-up electronic machine is a more flexible, reliable method of voting than any paper ballot. They can support as many languages as you want without having to print up additional ballots, they get results in quicker, they allow voters to correct any mistakes, and the chads don't hang. And so if a competent, honest, and benevolent government were trying to take properly made, fully backed-up electronic machines away from a certain voting population, I would be concerned as well. But since when does the ACLU assume a competent, honest, and benevolent government? Last time I checked, they've spent the last few years fighting the same guys they're now trying to entrust with the keys to an unmonitored ballot box. And I just don't get it.
The ACLU Voting Rights Project are the guys heading this particular suit up. I respectfully asked them what exactly they're thinking. If you're of a like mind, maybe you should ask them too: vrpaclu@aol.com