Letters: Concerns about voter verification are legitimate
What mechanism is in place, if any, for the individual Indiana voter to verify at the state level that his vote is counted precisely as cast?
This question was asked of the St. Joseph County Election Board at its meeting of Jan. 14. Their answer is that there is no such mechanism.
The reason for this has to do with maintaining anonymity, which is difficult if not impossible in the event a voter wishes to trace his vote to the point of its counting.
Maybe the reader does not care about this. Maybe his trust is so great that simply casting a vote is enough to satisfy a sense of civic duty in "letting his voice be heard."
Given the concerns about voter fraud, however, I am convinced that such trust is no longer warranted, and that some means of checking the vote count must be implemented.
In an age where serial numbers have long been in place and personal passwords are nearly ubiquitous, it cannot be impossible to introduce a system where an individual vote can be tracked and verified by the individual voter.
A hue and cry has issued forth from those who think additional measures toward vote integrity are an assault on democracy. As a matter of fact, however, it is vote fraud that denudes the democratic process of its fundamental purpose, namely, to see that the will of the people is expressed in public policy.
David Seyboldt
South Bend
The effect of not vaccinating
After two years of COVID-19 and a vaccine for a year, some of our population continues to refuse the protection. We are far from a point where COVID-19 cannot infect, hospitalize and kill multiples of our population. A greater threat is the ability to mutate to a form the vaccine cannot protect against.
The great effect of not vaccinating contributes to inflation, food shortages, diminished ability to educate children properly, more deaths by suicide and drugs, a greater prevalence of mental illness and a harder life to live, if you can.
Some call these people foolish and maybe that's all they are. Selfish is my call. Why should anyone have a greater right to refuse the vaccination over my right to life. Whatever right they believe is being trampled on does not supersede everyone else's right to live. This reality is not debatable.
If a mandate is the only course of action to vaccinate, so be it. Knock, knock, Supreme Court, anyone home? Health workers are now required to take the vaccine. Wow, a no brainer, but a big step in the right direction.
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness comes first. Then, free speech and the right to bear arms.
Jerry Schpok
South Bend
Time for a revolution
Bravo, President Biden. The gloves are off! You have succinctly described exactly who was responsible for the horrendous events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Now it is time for the Republican Party to man up to its responsibilities. You who have been tacit "not-my-faulters, but I have no power-ers" must come out of the closet and stand up the sycophants who are damning the party with lies and distortions.
It is truly time for revolution, but it must occur within the Republican Party. Mea culpas are not enough. You must stand up to the liars and tell the truth about the 2020 election. Your actions must be loud and overt.
If you can rise to such bravery, then your party has a future in America.
Joan Aldrich
South Bend
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: A means of checking individual vote count at state level needed.
