And then, what do you think is gonna happen, huh? Whoever doesn’t think the way they want, suddenly loses their jobs, or has accidents, or gets Ebola, or something. That’s the only thing they’re missing: how we think. Then the conspiracy wins. We never win.” The cabbie’s diatribe was interrupted by brutal honking and swearing from the cars behind his battered cab. The stoplight had turned green about half-way through his speech.
The screen returned to Stephanie and the Senator in studio.
“So, what do you think, Senator?”
“It’s obvious and disheartening that the majority of our citizens do not trust us with safeguarding their constitutional right to vote secrecy. This is a fact that cannot be denied. I also strongly believe,” the Senator continued, wearing the same kind, reassuring smile, “that our government has lost the confidence of our people. We need to own that. In time we have made many mistakes, and our government’s reputation, although in shambles, is of our own doing. I also believe that sometimes you have to push for progress despite resistance to change. Change is hard, change is scary, especially when you have a strong underlying issue of trust. What have we done, as government, to gain the confidence of our citizens? We have burst into people’s homes in the dead of the night with SWAT teams, to execute simple search warrants, or for no reason at all. Even better, one time SWAT had the wrong address to begin with but ended up charging the man of the house for pulling a gun in self-defense. Police is discharging weapons at minivans full of children for speeding. The same police force, steering clear of high crime zones and preferring to waste their time setting up speed traps on deserted highways, where they can be safe themselves and do as little as possible for curbing real crime like drug trafficking, home invasions, assaults, or homicides. How do you think our citizens feel when we distribute military grade weapons and vehicles to the same police force? How about illegal wire-tapping, surveillance, all sorts of invasions of privacy that we have subjected our constituents to over and over again? And now we expect them to trust us, and we’re surprised and disappointed when they don’t? I’m sorry, but this is hardly a surprise. Yes, it is disheartening, but it’s not a surprise. We need to own that before we can start fixing it.”
“Then how do you see the future of e-vote in the face of the growing anxiety over voter secrecy?”
“We can only hope that our education campaign bears fruit and reduces the anxiety levels over time. We definitely don’t want these concerns to impact voter participation. I strongly encourage all citizens to exercise their right to vote. To me, this is more than a right; it’s a duty. I am also hoping that what we’re seeing now is the initial response, when people react emotionally. With time, education, dialogue, and increased visibility into the e-vote process, I’m hoping this anxiety level will be dulled out, enough for citizens to exercise their right to vote with sufficient confidence that their constitutional right to voter secrecy will be safeguarded at all times and at all costs. This is my personal promise. If I had any concern for how voter data is stored and manipulated, I would be the first one to pull the plug on e-vote reform.”
“Senator, in conclusion, you’re hoping that this wide-spread fear will blow over, and you’re essentially asking the citizens of America to trust you?”
“I am confident that we will be able to gain some level of confidence over time. With continued communication, dialogue, and understanding on both sides. We are still a few good months away from November. And I promise you, Stephanie, and everyone else, that the way the system is designed and built doesn’t permit the type of privacy issues that the citizens fear. You have my word.”
“Thank you, Senator, we wish you all the best in achieving this ambitious goal.”
“Thank you, Stephanie, always a pleasure.”
The camera zoomed in, showcasing Stephanie’s portrait.
“This was Senator Sidney Mulligan, the pioneer of electronic voting, responding to the growing concerns around voter secrecy. Live from our studio, this is Stephanie Wainwright, with News of the Hour."
...47
...Thursday, February 11, 11:07AM EST (UTC-5:00 hours)
...Fort Lauderdale Marina, Harbormaster’s Office
...Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Muhammad Sadiq moved with difficulty along the building, holding the cane tightly and limping visibly. His right leg, still unable to support his body weight after the recent hip replacement, was