Georgia must address voting system issues
The New York Times in its editorial, “Combating a Real Threat to Election Integrity,” addresses an important issue for Georgians. The article identifies the many and varied ways in which voting machines in many states – and Georgia is one of them – create an uncertain voting environment. It is breathtaking to think that anyone believes voting on machines over 15 years old is satisfactory. No one would entrust any other part of their lives to a computer that old — a computer beyond warranties and not supported by manufacturers. Yet this is only the beginning of the issues that we must address. The list is long: hours or locations making it difficult to vote; mazes of regulations on absentee voting; complex and discriminatory voter registration requirements; training of poll workers; a dangerous lack of security for machines. I am not alleging that any of these were the deciding factor in the outcome of an election, but when combined with the issues the NYT identifies, that day is not far away and it well could be in Georgia. A comprehensive assessment and prioritization of key steps to improve the election system would be a far better expenditure of monies than looking for those rare individuals who voted from the grave.
PINNEY ALLEN, ATLANTA
Voters can’t turn blind eye to risk
I am writing in response to the letter “Electorate must support president” on July 11. The writer is right in that presidents are human and not perfect. They can’t please all the people all of the time. Since she compared some of the “brotherhood” as acting like spoiled children, let me continue with that analogy. Parents love all their children equally. But if one child is behaving in such a way as to risk ruining the family, it is the parents’ responsibility to stop that child. One cannot turn a blind eye and hope that everything turns out OK.
GENE TURNER, ATLANTA
