Inability to Recount Electronic Ballots, and Other Irregularities Place Validity of 2004 Election in Question

Interview with Ronnie Dugger, co-founder of the Alliance for Democracy, conducted by Scott Harris

While the U.S. media has focused much attention on street demonstrations in Kiev where thousands are protesting what they believe to be a stolen election in the nation of Ukraine, the press corps here at home largely continues to ignore disturbing questions about the validity of America's recent presidential election.

Although Democratic Party candidate Senator John Kerry conceded to President Bush the day after the Nov. 2 election, political parties and citizens groups are demanding an investigation into voting irregularities around the country and a recount in the state of Ohio. The Green and Libertarian parties recently succeeded in raising the required funds to file for a recount in Ohio, where the unofficial margin of victory for Bush was 136,000 votes.

Questions about the veracity of the election results revolve around major discrepancies between exit polling and the final tallies in many states; a GOP-initiated voter suppression campaign; and the lack of an adequate number of voting machines in some key Democratic districts causing extraordinarily long lines. Also under scrutiny in Ohio are the tens of thousands of uncounted spoiled and provisional ballots and the inability to re-count electronic votes where totals are susceptible to manipulation. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Ronnie Dugger, co-founder of the Alliance for Democracy who as far back as 1988 warned against the dangers of computerized voting. Here, Dugger discusses the ongoing investigation into irregularities in the 2004 election and what's at stake for the nation's democracy.

Visit the Alliance website at www.thealliancefordemocracy.org Read Dugger's pre-election article titled, "How They Could Steal The Election This Time," by Ronnie Dugger, The Nation, July 29, 2004 online at www.thenation.com

Related links:

"More on the Stolen Election," by David Corn, "Capital Games" column on TheNation.com, Nov. 30, 2004

"How To Take Back A Stolen Election," by Thom Hartmann, Common Dreams, Nov. 29, 2004

"Validate the Vote," by Ian H. Solomon, The Baltimore Sun, Nov. 25, 2004

"Activists Keep Heat on Ohio over Ballot Errors," The Associated Press, Nov. 30, 2004 www.freepress.org and www.votersunite.org

"Ohio Presidential Results to be Challenged," by Steven Rosenfeld, FreePress.org, Nov. 20, 2004

www.blackboxvoting.org

www.ustogether.org

www.votecobb.org

www.commoncause.org

www.helpamericarecount.org

The Tumultuous Ukrainian Election

"Where Democracy Refuses to Die," by David Talbot, Salon.com, Nov. 29, 2004

"U.S. Campaign Behind the Turmoil in Kiev," by Ian Traynor, The Guardian U.K., Nov. 26, 2004

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"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org

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