The Most Important Investigative News Story in America: Voting Machines

As America approaches enormously important Congressional and Presidential elections, there is no story more important than making certain that votes are counted honestly.

I would pose these questions, worthy of the most serious, deep and long form treatment:

First, as a purely technical matter, based on the opinions of leading experts without bias, what is the technical feasibility in theory of doctoring the vote count, through voting machines, to steal an election? In theory, can it be done, and if so, how would it be done? Objectively.

Second, a thorough examination of the foreign and domestic companies that manufacture, run, or profit from these machines. There are major objective truths that can be ascertained about these companies, without alleging or denying misconduct. If they are foreign, do they have potential national interests of their own, which might be served by influencing a U.S. election?

If they are foreign or domestic, have they supported or opposed any candidate or party, and if so, who? Have they lobbied for or against any specific policies that affect their business interests, and, if so, would that suggest a financial interest in election winners, or not?

Third, as a matter of principle and policy, should any company that owns, runs or manages the vote counting machinery be permitted to keep secret any aspect of the technology of the vote count?

To state my own bias, the answer should be absolutely and unconditionally no, and this should be non-negotiable. The essence of freedom and democracy, the actual counting of votes to allocate power and governance, is not another proprietary product. It creates a grave danger to democracy itself, to keep secret the very means of protecting the integrity of the vote.

It is not the mission of fearless investigative reporting to simply repeat my view, or any view. It is the job of fearless investigative reporting to give the audience the maximum available facts, and to air all sides of opinion in a great, informed public debate. My point here: there needs to be a great national debate today, about whether the means of counting votes should be treated as a proprietary product for profit, surrounded by secrecy, or treated as a sacred public trust, with our citizens given the facts necessary to best protect the integrity of our freedom.

Fourth and finally, after fairly ascertaining the potential dangers to the integrity of the count; after objectively reporting whatever political or financial or national interests are held by American or foreign companies that run these systems; and after a serious public debate about openness versus secrecy; there should be discussion of whatever concrete proposals have been offered to better protect the integrity of the vote count.

This is not to charge, or refute, allegations of what may have happened in the past. This is to propose a mission for the investigative journalists of America:

To fearlessly, honestly, and objectively gather together in long form all facts that are clearly provable; to define without fear or favor the objective interests of those who seek to count the vote through secret means; to initiate a great debate about whether secrecy should be acceptable or unacceptable in this matter; and to put before the public those who believe reforms are needed, those who believe reforms are not needed, and therefore honor the First Amendment vision of an informed citizenry making the core decisions that govern our democracy.