[LINK] Blind voter demands secret vote

[David Goldstein]

So the answer to Richard's concerns below is to work for a solution. By saying existing technologies are not perfect therefore we should abandon the idea of electronic voting is idiotic. The objective should be how to make electronic voting work taking into account everyone's concerns.

Let's face it, electronic voting is here with its imperfections, and it's going to happen and be available to everyone in the not too distant future. So make it work.

Karl, I agree "Non-discriminatory voting is NOT the same as electronic voting, and it is a fallacy to equate the two." But, electronic voting is probably the only viable method of giving people who are blind a private vote.

Fred, no, I didn't expect you would want to deny people who are blind the vote. It was a response to the continued inability of a number of people on this list to understand the issues involving people who are blind. People who are sighted take things like the ability to vote in privacy for granted. It's not even important for a lot of people, blind or sighted.

And Craig, dear Craig. I love his childish filter for my messages. Makes me feel proud! Go Craig, go!

David

----- Original Message ----
From: Richard Chirgwin <rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au>
To: Link Mailing List <link at anu.edu.au>
Sent: Friday, 24 August, 2007 5:01:40 PM
Subject: Re: [LINK] Blind voter demands secret vote

David Goldstein wrote:
> Totally irrelevant idiotic uninformed comment Craig.
>
> A person who is blind is capable of voting. They are unable to vote in privacy without electronic voting.
>   

I think the blind could justifiably resent being made into a sort of 
"group trojan horse" for a completely odious and undemocratic practise - 
that of subsuming the role of electoral participation to a machine.

Do I consider my right to participate in *both* ends (the count as well 
as the vote) more important than the right of one person to specify the 
mechanism by which they vote?

Yes. And I don't apologise for this.

Do I think my right to:
- a robust electoral process
- a secure electoral process
- full participation in the electoral process
- an electoral process which can be verified by a citizen without 
specialist training

...outweighs the right of one person to stipulate the means by which he 
will vote?

Yes: because these are rights of citizens (of Australia), /including Mr 
Rankin./ He has the right to the transparency of the electoral system 
(although regrettably not the ability to participate in processes such 
as scrutineering), and it's damned silly to say "I will give up the 
integrity of the system to get the system I want".

The position taken by Mr Rankin is a variant of the politician's syllogism:

- We need a solution
- This is a solution
- Therefore, we need this.

I don't buy it, and don't see why I should.

RC



> David
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Craig Sanders <cas at taz.net.au>
> To: Link <link at anu.edu.au>
> Sent: Friday, 24 August, 2007 1:55:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [LINK] Blind voter demands secret vote
>
> On Fri, Aug 24, 2007 at 01:26:37PM +1000, Howard Lowndes wrote:
>   
>> http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/24/2013957.htm?section=justin
>>
>>
>> "A blind man is taking legal action against the electoral office because it 
>> will not provide him with a way to vote in secret.
>>
>> David Rankin, from Golden Grove in Adelaide, says he has to get a relative 
>> or friend to fill out his ballot paper for both state and federal 
>> elections.
>>     
>
> in later news, a legless man sues his local council for not providing
> footpaths that he can walk on. he said "it doesn't matter that i'm not
> physically capable of walking, it's discriminatory for the council to
> not do whatever it takes to provide me with a footpath i can walk on,
> and it's even more discriminatory to expect me to adapt my expectations
> to match my capabilities".
>
>
> craig
>
>   
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