In the era of artificial intelligence and omnipresent technology, we’ve been subtly maneuvered into a tech-dependent mindset. One area where this is particularly true is our voting process. Drawing inspiration from the European model that endorses paper ballots, I argue that America needs to embrace paper ballots for the sake of transparency, security, and simplicity.
Trust in the electoral process is the bedrock of our democratic process, and nurturing this trust is the responsibility of the Arkansas Secretary of State. Ensuring transparent, fair elections is a solemn duty that should never be outsourced to external, for-profit corporations.
Alarmingly, we have been duped into accepting voting machines (actually they are voting computers) as secure, transparent, and foolproof. But are they truly infallible? Evidence and experience suggest not. Despite this, my non-profit organization, the Arkansas Voter Integrity Initiative, Inc., faces resistance from proponents who maintain the flawlessness of Arkansas’ elections, primarily because of the convenience factor associated with voting machines.
Understanding this complex issue requires exploring some crucial facts about the voting process: the concealed ownership of Election Systems and Software (ES&S), their refusal to disclose the computer programming code, and the indefensible use of unreadable barcodes, which appear to be in violation of both federal and state laws.
ES&S, an external private company, has taken over Arkansas’ election process. This Nebraska-based company, controlled by the McCarthy Group, refuses to reveal its financials and investor list. This lack of transparency from the people who control our elections raises serious accountability questions.
Additionally, the voting machines rely on secret proprietary source codes for programming, inaccessible even to the Secretary of State. Why should we place our trust in an unseen, unknown process with our votes?
Voting machines further undermine trust by reading barcodes instead of the actual text on ballot summary cards, contradicting the Help America Vote Act of 2002’s voter verification requirement.
Arkansas officials assure us that election audits validate the machine counts. However, no comprehensive audits of past elections have been conducted, rendering these assurances dubious. The limited scope and statistical insignificance of these so-called ‘audits’ call their validity into question.
I propose a solution: secure, watermarked, hand-marked, and hand-counted paper ballots. With a straightforward process, any County Quorum Court in Arkansas can pass a binding resolution to transition to paper ballots – yes, it is that simple.
While adopting paper ballots may seem laborious, isn’t it worth the effort to preserve our republic and ensure faith in our democratic process? Despite opposition suggesting otherwise, cybersecurity experts highlight unseen risks in computerized voting, such as potential undetectable vote manipulation. This makes the additional work not just necessary, but crucial. Machine-tabulated, hand-marked paper ballots can give a quick election night count, while hand-counting prior to certification offers comprehensive auditing for every race, bolstering our democratic process’s integrity and transparency.
We must continue to provide handicap-accessible voting machines at every location, as mandated by the Help America Vote Act, balancing the needs of both machine proponents and skeptics, potentially fostering greater voter participation.
Arkansans increasingly voice their frustration with officials who disregard their demands for transparent elections. It’s high time our elected leaders acknowledged this call and transitioned to paper ballots.
I urge you to express your support for paper ballots to your local Justice of the Peace. Transparency in our election process can only be fully achieved through paper ballots. Visit AVII.org for more information.
Colonel Conrad Reynolds (USA Ret.)
CEO, Arkansas Voter Integrity Initiative
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About the Author:
Colonel Conrad Reynolds (USA Ret.) is a combat veteran and a noted national security expert with an expansive 29-year career as an Army Intelligence officer. His in-depth experience and dedication to service have been critical in shaping his views on public policy and election integrity. Over the course of his career, Colonel Reynolds has worked with some of the country’s most significant intelligence agencies, including the FBI, NSA, DIA, and the CIA. His insight and expertise have been instrumental in navigating complex national security challenges, earning him recognition as a trusted authority in his field.
Currently, Colonel Reynolds continues his commitment to serving the nation by leading the Arkansas Voter Integrity Initiative, Inc. Through this non-profit organization, he strives to enhance the transparency, security, and simplicity of the voting process, building on his conviction that trust in the electoral process is a cornerstone of our Republic.
