Keeping the polls honest

This year our election may be the most important election of our lifetime. Once again we will be conducting an exit poll. In past elections we have been trying to impress upon our citizens the importance of having integrity in our voting system. To this end we urge all citizens to go to the website of the “Center for Information Policy at Princeton University” at “citp.princeton.edu/voting” to watch a short video about the exact same voting machines that are in use in Pike County. In short, this video explains how malicious software can steal votes and create viruses that can spread throughout the county and ultimately skew the vote count. The Apr. 10 issue of “PC World” magazine’s website also has an article which specifically refers to our county’s Diebold Accuvote machines entitled “U S Presidential Elections Can be Hacked.” In sworn testimony computer programmer, Clinton Eugene Curtis, from Tallahassee, Fla. said that he had written programs to rig elections. Our electronic election systems are controlled by private companies with no government oversight and there have been numerous problems in the past, some in our own backyard. With these thoughts in mind we urge you to take part, no matter who you’re voting for, in our exit poll. It consists of you making a simple checkmark on a small paper ballot, in private, and dropping it in our ballot box. More volunteers are sorely needed. You can contact me at 570-686-3552. Thank you and I hope to see you at the polls. Donald Minasian Milford