...ignore the hype and stick with the basics, pray and make a wise decision when voting. And...RELAX!

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/061106

I've had the opportunity to poll watch during Tennessee's Early Voting period, and have observed voters doing their civic duty. The problems that have been predicted by analysts and the media in regards to problems with voter machines have been blown out of proportion.

Never has it been so easy to vote. The new DIEBOLD touch-screen voting machines are self-explanatory. Even if someone has never voted with a DIEBOLD machine or is elderly or disabled and needs help, they will eventually get it.

However, there was some confusion over whether or not the smart cards (used to activate voter machines) were to be returned to poll workers. It was recently learned that at few voting locations in Shelby County, TN (Memphis area), a total of 20+ smart cards went missing as people walked off with the cards, not knowing that they were supposed to return them after voting. A simple misunderstanding. That's also been blown out of proportion as some are afraid that they can be used again to vote with after someone has used them to vote with a first time. The cards contain no information on them once used, and cannot be used again unless activated by the Election Commission. And for that reason, the Shelby County Election Commission said the matter won't be investigated.

What WILL be investigated by the Shelby County District Attorney are allegations that 2 people were able to vote twice. And just today, it was reported by Tennessee Senate Dist. 29 candidate Terry Roland that an additional 14 people voted twice, and 1 dead person!

All of this falls on poll workers involved...if certain poll workers allowed people to vote twice, and tampered with votes, they should be dealt with. But voters can be assured of the security of the DIEBOLD voting machines. It was simply the failure of the poll workers to properly inform voters that the smart cards should be returned once they have cast their ballot. People voting twice and dead voters being able to vote is MUCH more serious!

I'm confident of the overall voting process. I'm not saying there won't be errors and people trying to manipulate the voting process, but overall, people can breathe easy. The only other violations that could occur... people from certain campaigns rallying people to vote for their candidate inside a voting precinct, trying to sway voters at the last minute. Those folks should be 100 ft. from the polling place. But poll watchers have been put in place to catch infractions and report it. So overall, the voting process is legit.

--Stealth agendas--

As usual, the media has also had its agenda on full speed. We all have heard of the never-ending hype that Democrats could re-take the House and Senate. And just last week, on the last day of Early Voting in Tennessee, NBC Nightly News decided to broadcast from Memphis, TN, the Democrat candidate Harold Ford Jr.'s stomping grounds.

NBC's Brian Williams said, "...but I didn't have to think about this one, I knew we were coming to Tennessee."

"The race holds potential for both political and historical significance. This may be the seat in the senate that tilts something. If you believe the predictions as of today, this may be the seat that makes the most history," Williams continued.

Williams meant that Harold Ford Jr. would be the first black Senator from the South since Reconstruction.

I have said before how I think that race shouldn't be a factor in who runs for political office. It's about the job performance of the individual. To narrowly look at someone based on their skin color and use that to decide if they should be elected to office is a shortsighted view on how democratically held elections should be conducted. It puts a blight on our elections because people fail to look deeper into other areas where a candidate can be effective to hold the job they are seeking.

Brian Williams could have very well chose to air from Nashville, neutral territory, but again, the media showed its bias as to who they'd prefer to win in Tennessee, and they are playing up the race issue again.

(See more comments from Brian Williams here:
http://wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5621494)

--Stand and be counted!--

As voters, it is incumbent upon us to do investigative work of a candidate's voting record and their activities to see if what he/she is saying during their campaigns, matches up to what they have done in the past. Ignore the influence of polls and the media to try to sway people at the last minute. Sadly the media will continue to do this, time and time again. But what they present to the public is nothing but hype over a candidate.

The "negative" ads of one candidate disclosing the activities of his opponent won't change. And it isn't all negative if people would do the research behind the allegations to find out if it's true or not. Because sometimes, certain revealed information which can determine how a candidate will do his/her job, turns out to be true. That constitutes an "informed" voter. Don't vote blindly. With the excess of information out there, especially via the Internet, there should be no excuse for people to not know a candidate fully, and where he/she stands on the issues.

The state of America's future depends on whether Americans thoroughly engage in the political process. Have faith in our voting process, and go state your opinion at the polls.

Let's not be lazy... we deserve to lose our freedom if we keep silent.

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