I believe there are steps states and the Federal government can take, to ensure robust integrity in national elections. I believe both states and the federal government, should pass laws that ensure:

• Every election at every precinct, is subject to a full audit, conducted by a team of independent experts, chosen by the losing party or parties. (Note: each auditor on the team must be exhaustively investigated, and be found to:

1. not have any strong ties to a political party
2. not be an activist for any political party
3. not have received bribes, favors, or gifts from a political party, or from a group or individual who pursues the interests of a political party.)

Each political candidate should be able to send an individual auditor of his personal choosing, to observe and report on the audit taking place.

For an election to become accepted, all auditors (including the personal representatives of the candidates of a race) have to sign off on the election result at a precinct.

• Every ballot printed, must include a secret ID (e.g. TX305-001). This secret ID must be assigned to a voter in his registration file. Therefore every ballot printed, will be for a specific voter. A voter should only vote using the ballot that has his secret ID printed on it.

Each voter should be assigned a secret PIN in his registration file, which is sent out to the voter via text message or email, prior to voting. When the voter votes on his ballot that has his secret ID printed on it, he should provide his PIN. This makes all forms of ballot casting safe (including mail-in ballots) as it requires the voter to provide on a ballot specifically designated for him, a PIN or code that only he should know. No ballot should be accepted without a secret ID printed on it, and a valid PIN. A worker tallying a ballot, could input the secret ID and PIN on the ballot into a local, closed, network database. Ballots with valid secret ID and PIN combinations would be accepted by the system, all other ballots (including ballots with duplicate secret ID and PIN combinations) would be rejected.

The above system would be extremely secure, as made-up or bogus ballots would be rejected for not having valid secret IDs and PINs.

• Ensure the system described here is implemented.

The first two suggestions would make just about every election system secure. I believe the first suggestion is the most critical for ensuring secure elections; the second suggestion definitely makes elections extremely secure; and the third suggestion provides a practical way to implement a relatively simple, secure system, that can scale to any state’s needs. The third suggestion also provides tremendous transparency.

I believe states should adjust their laws and processes in ways that incorporate the above suggestions. If the first two suggestions are made into federal law, it would force Democrats and the entire country, to have fair elections.