Browse: Home / Luther Weeks

Suggestions for reading and viewing on the 4th of July

By Luther Weeks on July 3, 2014


Once again, we have some suggestions for the 4th of July. A Centennial address from 1876, a short video from last month, and a historical movie from the late 1600’s.

Posted in | Leave a response

An afternoon at the Recount(?)

By Luther Weeks on June 28, 2014

On June 24th there was a third budget referendum in Colchester, CT. There were separate questions for the town budget and the Board of Education budget, both previously twice voted down. This time the town budget passed by a margin of twelve votes and the BOE squeaked by with a margin of four votes.

This was actually the first time I have attended a recount in Connecticut. In the past I have attended about eight recanvasses. Every time, I have attended a recanvass, either as a member of the public or representing a party or slate, I have learned something. Most often a few good ideas, and new ways not to run a recanvass. This was an exception, I only learned good things. It was a thoroughly effective recount in all regards, and educational for me.

Posted in , | Leave a response

What price convenience? Another confirmation that the Holy Grail of voting is not found in conventional wisdom

By Luther Weeks on June 22, 2014

When you vote in November, consider: What price convenience? What cost convenience? What individual effort is Democracy worth?

To listen to elected officials and many activists, the Holy Grail of Elections, would seem to be Turnout. Given the emphasis you would think that almost nothing else matters: Integrity, candidate access, campaign finance, media bias, or costs – when focusing on turnout, it seems everything else is forgotten. A report from Ohio, confirms earlier studies that early voting does not increase turnout,

Posted in , , , | Leave a response

The dirty secret(s) of vote counting

By Luther Weeks on June 17, 2014

In college I followed our nationally ranked hockey team. With ringside seats at an ECAC semi-final game, we struck up a conversation with a referee, who frequently stood just in front of us on the ice. For a long while it was a tie, and we learned from him that refs do no like tie games, with the pressure on every call in a sudden death overtime. Elections can get rougher than hockey, there are more and tougher calls in close contests – calls that can easily expose the little know vulnerabilities of our election system and the flaws in the promise to “count every vote”.

Some of those vulnerabilities are covered in an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee. All that, more and less, could happen in Connecticut.

Posted in , , , | Leave a response

“It happens all the time.” All over the place (Part 3)

By Luther Weeks on June 12, 2014

Here we continue our review of are some of our posts of past errors surfaced in Connecticut and around the country, selected from our over 900 posts, covering 2009.

Posted in , , | Leave a response

“It happens all the time.” All over the place (Part 2)

By Luther Weeks on June 7, 2014

Here we continue our review of are some of our posts of past errors surfaced in Connecticut and around the country, selected from our over 900 posts. Last time we covered the 1st year of CTVotersCount. 2007-2008. Continuing from there:

It seems the 2nd half of 2008 was a good year for uncovering problems, not so good for credibility.

Posted in , , | Leave a response

Worse than Hurricane Sandy? As bad as climate denial?

By Luther Weeks on June 2, 2014

A new ZD-Net Editorial: Internet voting: A really bad idea whose time has come

Summary: Believe it or not, most states have some provisions for allowing people to vote over the Internet. The pressure is on to expand it, even though a secure online voting system is impossible using today’s technology.

Climate denial might end human life or at least life as we know it. Internet voting denial can only wipe out our democracy.

Posted in , , , | Leave a response

“It happens all the time.” All over the place (Part 1)

By Luther Weeks on May 27, 2014

I wish we could say for sure “It doesn’t happen all the time.” We do not know for sure, its one of those unknowns, but from what we do know of those surfaced, our bet is that it is much more likely “that it happens frequently in Connecticut, say at least once or twice every statewide Election and Primary. More likely than not in our guesstimate”

Posted in , , | Leave a response

Would this, could this happen in Connecticut…we hope so.

By Luther Weeks on May 21, 2014

Contractor error causes wrong candidate to be declared winner, error discovered, results corrected!

Posted in , | Leave a response

Estonia defends I-voting system, critics respond

By Luther Weeks on May 16, 2014

Two days ago we posted the video and referenced the web by security experts showing the hacking of and their concerns with the Internet voting system used in national elections by Estonia. Yesterday there were further developments, responses, and rebuttals:

Posted in , | Leave a response