Republican Diebold Machines Could Tip Balance in Wisconsin Vote

A massive grassroots drive and higher than usual turnout has put upstart Democratic candidate JoAnne Kloppenburg in a dead heat with Republican Incumbent David Prosser for Prosser's Wisconsin Supreme Court seat. The election was widely touted as a referendum on Governor Scott Walker's union-busting, asset-plundering Republican regime, and likely a critical vote that could decide the fate of state Republican's anti-union and plutocrat-coddling laws. Prosser, widely held to be Walker's henchman and tool, is a pivotal vote on the court's 4-3 split between majority right-wing ideologues and minority non-partisan judges.

Looming over the race is the infamous Republican Diebold machines, known to change some votes while not tallying others.  Diebold has been a major contributor to Republican causes, and its execs had once promised to "deliver votes" to George W. Bush.

Any tally in which Diebold machines are involved are highly suspect.  Diebold is a cornerstone of Republican election-winning strategy.

As the vote totals came in, Kloppenburg clung to a narrow lead, and it would likely be some time before a final outcome can be determined. A recount is not unlikely.

That Kloppenburg has come so close to victory is a testament to the riptide of disdain Wisconsins bear for the Republican regime. Even with Diebold machines that many suspect throw out and change numerous Democratic votes, Kloppenburg held a slim lead Wednesday morning.

Republican plutocrats such as Ohio's Diebold and Nebraska's ES&S supplies upwards of 80% of the voting machines Americans depend upon to give voice to the people's will.  The arrogance with which Republican legislators act, driving agendas opposed by the respondents to numerous polls and surveys, indicates that Republicans are unconcerned their actions will result in voter backlashes at home.  From eliminating Medicare and privatising Social Security to doing away with disaster preparedness and education, Republicans reveal a disdain for the electorate that presupposes people's votes don't count.  With companies like Diebold and ES&S acting as gatekeepers to the democratic process, it is no wonder that Republicans can act with such smug certainty. A few lines of code in a few corrupted machines, and the GOP can drop another race into the win column. 

Despite numerous warnings from watchdogs and voter advocates, Republican Secretaries of State have implemented Diebold machines in states throughout the nation.  Wisconsin suffers from the presence of many Diebold machines, and have been plagued by their new Republican governor and his rubber-stamp legislature. As Republican arrogance grows exponentially, the role of vote-turning Diebold machines will undoubtedly increase.  As more and more voters turn against the GOP, Republicans will count on Diebold to flip more and more votes.

With no paper trail to confirm whether their votes have been counted properly, there can be no assurance that any plebiscite has been correctly tabulated. Voters only have the condescending assurances of plutocrats who openly sponsor Republican underlings tasked with carrying out the plutocrat agenda.

Americans would be better off marking paper ballots. The day will come when happy Americans can show ink-stained fingers to TV cameras to prove they've voted. Until then, no American can be sure their vote has been correctly tabulated.