Polls are showing that the people favor democrats taking over majority party status in congress in November. It is by average about 47% to 33% and growing (link here).

However, the way congressional districts are drawn (link to your district map here) raises the very serious spectre that gerrymandering may thwart the will of the people.

The way districts are drawn can change everything (link here).

The reason that is wrong is because it is anti-voter and even when the voters overwhelmingly favor a particular outcome, this can be thwarted and republicans could hold the majority contrary to the people's will.

In other words, the design of the districts is such that it thwarts and is contrary to the will of the people at large. It is designed to preserve incumbency and thwart the political notion of accountability.

The effect is that the people cannot replace members of congress unless and until the kool aid drinking devotees of that congress member revolt.

Furthermore, districts are carved out in strange shapes that result in districts passing thru many counties instead of being defined and bounded by one or more counties.

The map link above shows how true this is. Look at the 25th and 28th districts of Texas, Tom DeLay constructs, to see what I mean.

Thus, malfunctioning electronic voting machines in a county may actually add up to malfunctioning in several congressional districts even tho only one county is involved.

We have a dictatorial situation anytime the will of the people is thwarted by its government. There is no other name for it.

Some dictatorships are less vile than others, but calling a spade a spade is what I am talking about.

We have a dictatorship if the people cannot express their will by their vote. If the government allows us to vote but that vote is meaningless, the fact is that it is a dictatorship because the people cannot change the government.

The Texas gerrymandering case has been put on the fast track by the US Supreme Court (link here).

This is unusual under normal circumstances, but is all the more unusual since the cases have been stalled and have therefore been on the slow track in the US Supreme Court until now.

The case it now seems that will be reversed is Henderson v Perry (link here).

The issue of gerrymandering is equal to the problem with voting machines. Because even if we perfect the voting machines, the gerrymandering issue is just as much a threat.

Both evils ... gerrymandering and fraudulent and junky electronic voting machines ... are destroying American democracy.

And if the judicial goes down the tubes too (link here), and does not stop gerrymandering, I am sorry to say that democracy will be gone from American soil for a long time.

I’m sorry to see Howard Dean insinuate that he questions the demonstration he did with Beverly Harris because I’ve been pointing to it for a long time. It really doesn’t matter though, because you have to be a complete lunatic to believe it’s impossible for a computer to be capable of changing votes. Howard has to be commended greatly for treating the issue seriously when ABSOLUTELY NOBODY ELSE HAS besides Dennis Kucinach (the invisible man)! John Kerry thinks he is going to run again after telling us for months “and this time we’re going to count EVERY vote”. Get serious John! Joking about the stolen election like you did this week doesn’t help anything. I see knee-slaping humor in the republican party every day, but the voting issue simply isn’t funny at this point!

California District 1 winds its way thru Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Sonora, and Napa counties; while California District 2 winds its way thru Siskiyou, Trinity, Shasta, Tahama, Glenn, Butte, Yuba, Colusa, Sutter, and Yolo counties.

Texas District 25 winds its way thru Hidalgo, Starr, Jim Hogg, Duval, Live Oak, Karnes, Gonzales, Caldwell, and Travis counties. Texas District 28 is similar. Utah District 1 winds its way thru Juab, Tooele, Box Elder, Cache, Rich, Summit, Morgan, Davis, Webber, and Salt Lake counties.

Up to ten counties, or more, touched in one congressional district.

These facts illustrate the point that election officialdom is bounded by county lines and state lines, however, these congressional districts have no such political boundaries. This is problematic and it exacerbates the problem.

If counties use different voting machines and techniques, you could have ten different types of voting procedures for one congressional district. Add precints to the count, and it becomes more and more obvious that cacaphony and helter skelter are apt descriptions for the gerrymander world.

Further, if a congress member wants to challenge election results for only one congressional district, that congress member may have to pay up to ten counties for a recount.

See what I mean?

Time is running out and the more people that get the message, the better. Kerry had his chance and I would never vote for him again! Hillary is the candidate the Republicans will support, because... she has no remote chance of winning! The elections in 06 and 08 are so important to getting our country out of this nose dive! I would like to hear more out of Dennis Kucinach (?). Besides, it would be interesting to see what Kucinach would say up against Rove!

BRAD,

A clinton administration appointed official has been caught leaking and no story? I thought you cared about leaks? Guess not. I guess you just care about raising money so you dont have to work. And putting up stories about democrats leaking doesnt help you with that does it?

The fact that he was appointed by Sandy Berger, who was caught stealing docs from national security doesnt rise to the level of a story I guess either.

But SNL does?

Allen, Elkhart, Lagrange, Steuben, Kosciusko, Noble, De Kalb, and Whitley counties are all touched by Indiana Congressional District 3.

Allen county's problems with the uncertified MicroVote election machines may not be the same as the other counties in this congressional district.

Indiana District 9 winds its way thru Monroe, Brown, Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, Ripley, Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland, Jefferson, Scott, Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Perry, Crawford, Washington, Orange, Dubois, and Spencer counties.

Wow about 20 counties (and the potential for multiple electronic voting machines) in one congressional district.

All you dont is talk about leaks, and no story?

I think you owe an explination to your readers and the people you want to pay you as to why. Lets all wait and hear the answer.

Oh wait ... This just in.... He was a Kerry Supporter.

Its all becoming clear.

Do you care about leaks or dont you Brad?

Dred # 4
check Fl district 24 the one Clint Curtis is running against Tom Feeney. It only covers the area around the military instalations and the high dollar gated termite mounds sold to the retired lobyist and wall street sharks from the northeast. It carefully winds its way through Oviedo skirting the black neighbourhoods to tie into the wintersprings golf courses. The same in Orange county by passing the middle class for the gated golf courses. It ignores the southern half of Brevard a working class area, Only takes the retirement area of Volusia, a subdivision heavily advertised and sold in N.Y.C.
This is just one reason Clint Curtis needs your support.

Ricky hold your breath for the next 7 days you are wasting valuable oxygen.

Ricky you are so dishonest and disingenuous.

We have stated time and again here that crime is not a political concept.

You can't ignore and not be ignoreant, so stop ignoring the facts.

Furthermore, there are not enough democrats that are being investigated and even less that have been indicted, to make a baseball team.

However with the candidates from the republican dictatorship, you could make three teams.

So enough with the kool aid kookery and the falsehoods already.

We got your number and it is 33% and falling. We are the mainstream and in touch with the people and you are in touch with the Criminal in Chief.

BarryG #11

Wow, good eye.

I have been interested in this subject, and I think it will dawn on us more and more that the electronic voting machine train wreck coming has a partner in crime called gerrymandering.

BTW:

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Click Here and Support Clint Curtis
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Ricky is the most unpopular:

"Rick is the Least Popular Senator

This poll makes it official, Rick Santorum is now the least popular member of the U.S. Senate. Congratulations, Rick" (link here).

You're doin a heckuva job Ricky.

No doubt about it, Jerrymandering is as big a threat as the voting machines. Tom Delay doesn't have a thing over Utah in that crimespree!

Hey Ricky:
Brad's in it for the money!
He has sour grapes!
And he's crazy! (the big three last ditch arguments)

He's a virtual Paul O'neil, and if you don't know who that is you just might find his name in your wallet somewhere. Read his book and find out why he just couldn't be loyal anymore to his old child-HOOD buddies, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Greenspan!

I have a request for any Daily Kos members who see this:

There is a newly-recommended Diary up quoting Howard Dean recently about Diebold and other electronic vote-counting machines. There are about 17 comments so far, including a couple of absolutely vicious smears (courtesy of 'Anonymous Army' and other saboteurs) of Bev Harris and all her groundbreaking, tremendous work. Here's the URL (or click above):

http://www.dailykos.com/...ory/2006/4/22/13728/8193

Basically, I see this Diary as an outstanding oppurtunity to EDUCATE Howard Dean on the intricacies of this ongoing TRAIN WRECK. He apparently isn't even convinced yet that the demonstration he did with Bev on tv was the real deal... Etc., etc. But he IS clearly starting to GET IT. Which is very encouraging. [He should be encouraged to talk and CONSULT with Debra Bowen in CA - she's on top of this situation and would be a great resource for the DNC.]

What we need is a detailed, yet as concise as possible, synopsis of the lowlights of the vote-counting software and hardware problems, in one or more comments in the Diary, to get the information all together in one place where he is likely to see it. [One example: Dean's COUSIN is mayor of Salt Lake COUNTY in Utah. He should be given a recap of the Bruce Funk situation, for starters there.] It's dreadful that he hasn't had the time to really educate himself and the DNC on this, but he is apparently willing to learn a lot more than he has, and capable of appreciating the seriousness of the situation, based on these recent comments.

Thanks vote-guardians!

Highly Recommended for republicans especially neocons * http://www.cbfleet.com/product/fleet.aspx * . . . . .

Is "Ricky"...Rick Santorum??? It never occurred to me!!! Rick Sanitarium. Now we know! "Ricky" is Rick Santorum!!! You heard it here, first...on the Brad Blog!

Ricky: Maybe Brad will start running stories you want him to run, when the MSM/Rush/etc... start running stories we want run, that are being suppressed, but reported on here. Why should Brad waste time and effort on wingnut stories that are obviously on every single media, except progressive blogs? Then, this wouldn't be a progressive blog. Go to the other blogs who whine about Democrats and Hillary Clinton. Everytime I accidentally have Rush Limboob on, he's whining about Hillary Clinton. Is he afraid of her? Aren't you embarrassed to be caught with the radio on Rush Limboob complaining about Hillary Clinton for 13 years??? Move on, Ricky...he's taking you for a ride, Bub.

Rush is a big, fat sissy, and anyone who listens to him is one, too. And I know you listen to him, admit it.

So other then so very weak attempts at slander, you all are going to completely ignore this story?

But I thought you were all concerned over leaks? In fact you wanted the book thrown around. And now, nothing. No one cares.

I cant imagine why. Oh, cause you you dont care about leaks, just attacks on political opponents.

I cant wait till Nov of next year.

Ricky you are doin' better, only one year off. Who ya gonna vote for in '07 ... KKKarl Rove?

Ricky #21

You said "So other then[sic] so very weak attempts at slander ... "

So you don't admit to being Rick a la post #15, or do you "simply distance yourself" from him?

Which is it?

E-voting is

E-OK=Electronically OK