Technically Speaking
For decades, Florida elections have been a Petri dish of snafus, blunders and downright unscrupulous behavior. This particularly holds true for Broward County, who was under the spotlight again after the 2018 general election. This lengthy, well-documented history of mismanagement is the reason many residents are hesitant to accept election night results, and even if they do, doubt lingers.
To reshape the county’s image and free it from its repugnant reputation, a group of concerned citizens has come together to organize and execute a citizens audit for Broward County’s 2020 election cycle, which begins in March with the Presidential Primary. The grassroots collaborative is bi-partisan and includes representatives from various civic groups and social clubs. This is a non-partisan community initiative. All county residents are welcome to participate and volunteer, regardless of political party affiliation.
Broward isn’t the only county attempting to implement this type of auditing strategy, but it is the first metropolitan area of its size to attempt it on a broad scale. Also, this isn’t the first time a citizens audit has been attempted in the area. A small team, targeting a handful of precincts, was formed for the 2016 election.
Over the past few months the Westside Gazette has allowed me to use this space to educate and inform you regarding our antiquated and vulnerable election system. Now, it’s time to move from learning to action! It is time for us to actively engage in this political process and ensure the will and intent of our communities are recorded accurately and with integrity.
Please read the Citizen Audit Press Release below and let me know what you think. Email me at perrybusby03@gmail.com. As always stay tuned to the Westside Gazette for more information about your vote.
Citizens Audit Set to Tackle Election Fraud
Can Broward County stand the test?
Hollywood, FL September 17, 2019 — Grassroots Activists, Political Parties, Civic Organizations, Social Clubs, Advocacy Groups and Individuals are coming together to organize and execute a Citizens Audit of Broward County’s 2020 election cycle. The failure by federal and state government to respond to the revelations of hacking and election fraud at the national level as well as Broward’s own, local, chaotic history, has left the burden of election security in the hands of its citizens. And they are stepping up.
Sharing leadership of the Citizens’ Audit, Jamie Friend, President of the Democratic progressive Caucus of Broward and George Navarini, Chair of the Republican Hispanic Assembly of Broward, are counting on the community to unite around their common concerns. “This is not a liberal issue or a conservative issue, it is a civil governance issue” Navarini stated. “I want for all of Broward to be equally that every one of our votes are counted, and the voice of all the citizenry is heard, Republican, Democrat, and Independents alike. None of us are so sure this was happening in the past.”
Any engaged citizen can be an auditor and all voters registered in Broward County can participate in the exit poll portion of the audit. Volunteers are trained and certified on downloadable apps, then given a poll assignment. The number of volunteers signed on will determine the number of polling locations to be audited. It’s a huge job that will require massive public outreach, education, cooperation among agencies, and support from the media, as well as the publics’ trust and participation. Brandon Peters, the Florida Democratic Party’s newly hired Voter Protection Director, applauds the adoption of the Democracy Counts audit process for Broward stating “This is the type of grassroots accountability Floridians will have to rely upon until those who control the Florida Legislature begin to take election integrity more seriously.”
Democracy Counts! same day election audits empower citizens to watchdog elections, exposing and deterring fraud while producing accurate, verifiable data for immediate legal challenges when fraud is exposed. The Citizens Audit puts in place a routine method for independent, public verification or rejection of election results, prior to certification, and will set precedence for elections to come, here in Broward, then the state and across the country. Power to the people, defenders of Democracy.
CONTACT LIST: Jamie Friend; Daniel H. Wolf; Organizing Chair – Citizens Audit Broward CEO,
Founder – Democracy Counts! President – Democratic Progressive Caucus of Broward
citizensauditbroward@gmail.com
info@democracycounts.org (754) 423-0851 (619) 434-6110
George Navarini Organizing Co-chair – Citizens Audit Broward; County Chair – Broward Republican National Hispanic Assembly Member – Republican Liberty Caucus GONavarini@aol.com (954) 600-3843
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