If an election is worth winning, then there is someone willing to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

“If an election is worth winning, then there is someone willing to steal it.”

Michael Roman, Special Assistant to President Trump

in Nancy Cook, “The mysterious oppo researcher working in the White House lawyer's office”, Politico, February 11, 2018, last accessed 04/04/2018 at https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/11/trump-oppo-researcher-roman-403138

“I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy: Dear Jack, Don't buy a single vote more than is

• necessary. I'll be damned if I'm going

to pay for a landslide.”

John F. Kennedy, speaking at Gridiron Club in 1958

https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_f_kennedy_404009

Democracy Counts!, Inc.

Same-day election audits Voter-suppression audits

6/15/2019 *Restoring voting rights

*Ensuring that declared winners are the true winners *Ending government paralysis in the face of crises

A California nonprofit corporation dedicated to

The Problem

*“Mitch McConnell is Making the 2020 Election

Open Season for Hackers”

The New Yorker Magazine, June 11, 2019 http://bit.ly/2WKMDdo

Government is paralyzed* It will not protect our elections!

Existing election integrity strategies can’t meet the challenge

 Lobbying is least effective where the reforms are

most needed

• Politicians who owe their positions to existing

arrangements will not change the arrangements voluntarily

 Lobbying does not inspire mass citizen involvement  Speculation-based challenges fail in court  Small-scale audits fail in court

Government may be paralyzed, But American citizens are not. And lobbying may be ineffective, But we can act anyway!

Democracy Counts’ same-day election audit system empowers us to be protectors of democracy

D.C.’s same-day election audit system

 Inspires and empowers ordinary people  Can be used everywhere in the U.S.  Delivers data quickly  Leverages the judicial system  Disrupts the political status quo

…then rinses and repeats

Audits will weaken the power of hyperpartisans

 Exposing error and fraud will provoke investigations and

prosecutions, eliminate impunity, increase deterrence

 Solid data on voter suppression will produce injunctions, lead

to new case law protecting the right to vote

 Eliminating fraud and reducing suppression will make

gerrymandered districts vulnerable to increases in voter turnout

 Governments will become more representative and more able

to implement solutions to the crises we face

Audit-based lawsuits challenging suspicious elections will meet the four-part judicial test for injunctions

“[S]howings of irreparable injury, inadequacy of legal remedies, a balance of hardships tipping in favor of the party seeking the injunction, and consideration of the public interest are all necessary before an injunction may issue.”

Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms (Monsanto)

The Core Audit Tools

Compares polling place results with official results, exposes “fraud in transmission” Quantifies effects of suppression, allows effective legal attack Reproduces vote tallies from inside the polling places; exposes ballot-level fraud “Incident Reports App” Real-time reports by voters and observers, enables quick evidence-rich legal challenges “Parallel Vote App” “Voter Suppression App” “Data Preservation App”

Key Audit Processes

Injunctions, investigations Courts Decision to Sue

... Election Day and Night ... ......Post-Election..... ..Pre-Election..

Apps Data analysis Official Results Audit data Data base Auditors + Voters Injured Parties Legal analysis Audit Design Recruiting & Training Pre-election analysis Systemic Consequences Voter Education

Successful Beta Tests

• California primary, June 2016

Clinton/Sanders race

• Broward County, FL, November 2018

Wasserman Schultz/Canova race

FAQs

 No official permission or cooperation is required

• Though official cooperation is desirable and helpful

 Use of system is protected by the First Amendment

• Government officials cannot legally prevent use of tools

 Collects evidence of constitutional injuries of every kind

• E.g., voter roll stripping, dirty tricks, intimidation, etc. etc.

 Voter education conducted through civil society organizations, e.g.,

churches, service clubs

• Improves operation of system
• May improve voter turnout and civic participation in general

Help Democracy Counts! protect your democracy

Contribute on GoFundMe.com (search on “Democracy Counts”) Make introductions to influencers, help obtain endorsements Host a house party to learn more and spread the word Write an article in a newsletter or newspaper Join a local audit team

For Further Information:

www.democracycounts.org info@democracycounts.org

Thank you!