More Vote Buying in the News…

How does one buy votes in Kentucky? My guess, though the story says nothing about it… absentee ballots:

http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/246250.html

The indictment alleges that the four conspired to use county-owned gravel, asphalt and building materials to buy votes. According to the indictment, thousands of dollars worth of the materials were distributed to private citizens in an effort to influence the election….

Luallen’s office released a report in July that questioned more than $13.4 million in spending and said the financial situation in the county had “only gotten worse” in spite of a change in leadership from a previous scandal-plagued administration. Thompson’s predecessor, Donnie Newsome, spent 10 months in federal prison on vote-buying charges before resigning from office.

The Language of Democracy

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_anthony__071126__22transparent_and_wel.htm

Transparent and well-regulated elections, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to anonymous voter-marked ballots, visual observation of the vote count, public inspection of registration records, legal US Citizenship of all voters, and an audited, certifiable electoral process, shall not be infringed.

Just where or where has my mail ballot gone?

Jason Aaron Osgood has posted a pretty good breakdown of how King County, WA, processes absentee ballots. It’s well worth reading, as it visually explains why the chain of custody is problematic in Vote-By Mail systems…. there’s just too many steps in the process.