Comments on: Write-ins and Lizard People http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/2008/12/24/write-ins-and-lizard-people/ Deep thoughts and cheap shots Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:10:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Harvey http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/2008/12/24/write-ins-and-lizard-people/comment-page-1/#comment-232 Harvey Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:44:55 +0000 http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/?p=129#comment-232 Cynic, while I can't think of any specific examples of selling votes for cash, non-identifiable ballots are very important to prevent transactions of the form "I vote for you and write in Lizard People for the next race, in exchange for getting to keep both of my legs". We're lucky that in the US the positive feedback of (relatively) clean and trustworthy elections means we're not as worried about secret ballot compromises, but it took many reforms to get us to this point. Cynic, while I can’t think of any specific examples of selling votes for cash, non-identifiable ballots are very important to prevent transactions of the form “I vote for you and write in Lizard People for the next race, in exchange for getting to keep both of my legs”. We’re lucky that in the US the positive feedback of (relatively) clean and trustworthy elections means we’re not as worried about secret ballot compromises, but it took many reforms to get us to this point.

]]> By: Aerion http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/2008/12/24/write-ins-and-lizard-people/comment-page-1/#comment-228 Aerion Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:54:44 +0000 http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/?p=129#comment-228 OK, I'll elaborate a little more, now that I'm actually out of bed. (Well, I'm still sitting on the bed. But I have moved in the meantime, and I think that for Christmas <s>morning</s> afternoon, that's not a bad accomplishment.) The identifying-mark law is aimed at preventing vote-selling that may or may not occur. This is the same way. In addition, the goal is to avoid debates over whether or not a write-in is an identifying mark; such debates were a, if not <i>the</i>, main source of challenges during the MN-Sen recount. (I watched way too much of the feed at <a href="http://theuptake.com/" rel="nofollow">The Uptake</a>.) Most of the challenges were rejected (the votes were counted). That's my preferred outcome---I'd rather err on the side of counting votes---but it does open the window for a potential vote-seller to use the write-in attack, knowing that there is solid precedent that would ensure the ballot is still accepted. OK, I’ll elaborate a little more, now that I’m actually out of bed. (Well, I’m still sitting on the bed. But I have moved in the meantime, and I think that for Christmas morning afternoon, that’s not a bad accomplishment.)

The identifying-mark law is aimed at preventing vote-selling that may or may not occur. This is the same way. In addition, the goal is to avoid debates over whether or not a write-in is an identifying mark; such debates were a, if not the, main source of challenges during the MN-Sen recount. (I watched way too much of the feed at The Uptake.)

Most of the challenges were rejected (the votes were counted). That’s my preferred outcome—I’d rather err on the side of counting votes—but it does open the window for a potential vote-seller to use the write-in attack, knowing that there is solid precedent that would ensure the ballot is still accepted.

]]> By: Aerion http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/2008/12/24/write-ins-and-lizard-people/comment-page-1/#comment-224 Aerion Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:23:48 +0000 http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/?p=129#comment-224 No, and I don't have to have an example. This is a post about theory. No, and I don’t have to have an example. This is a post about theory.

]]> By: Cynic http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/2008/12/24/write-ins-and-lizard-people/comment-page-1/#comment-219 Cynic Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:39:32 +0000 http://www.aggressivelyuninformed.com/?p=129#comment-219 That's nice, in theory. But do you have any actual examples of someone selling their vote? That’s nice, in theory. But do you have any actual examples of someone selling their vote?

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