Will Your Vote Count? Fixing America's Broken Electoral System - by Herma Percy (Hardcover)

About the Book

Voters in a democratic society should have confidence in the electoral process. Yet, as Americans have witnessed in every election since 2000, voting-the basic act of citizenship--is under assault: technologically complex, subject to manipulation, and fiercely contested on many levels. Documenting the areas of collapse in the American electoral process, this book analyzes ongoing problems in the casting and counting of ballots, as well as new threats: future elections could be compromised by new voting machines that are unreliable, poorly programmed, and prone to tampering. At this critical moment for American democracy, the author issues a call for urgently needed reforms.

Our electoral system was not built for high-intensity conflict, high voter turnout, and close elections. This book:

• Systematically examines the problems voters may face as they cast a vote and the factors that may prevent a cast ballot from being counted.
• Clarifies the degree to which electronic voting machines' security and reliability have been problematic in elections.
• Critically analyzes acts of voting intimidation and discrimination in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.
• Traces the increasing number of election lawsuits, a trend established as a result of the 2000 election debacle.
• Explains the intent of the U.S. founders and fundamental Constitutional principles as they relate to electoral politics at the national level.
• Proposes reform measures to reclaim America's electoral system for the people.

Book Synopsis

Voters in a democratic society should have confidence in the electoral process. Yet, as Americans have witnessed in every election since 2000, voting-the basic act of citizenship--is under assault: technologically complex, subject to manipulation, and fiercely contested on many levels. Documenting the areas of collapse in the American electoral process, this book analyzes ongoing problems in the casting and counting of ballots, as well as new threats: future elections could be compromised by new voting machines that are unreliable, poorly programmed, and prone to tampering. At this critical moment for American democracy, the author issues a call for urgently needed reforms.

Review Quotes

". . . a timely and relevant study of our electoral system in terms of what's gone wrong and what needs to be done to set it right. . . . Very highly recommended reading for political activists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the integrity of the American electoral system, Will Your Vote Count offers thoughtful and though-provoking reform measures to rehabilitate what is an obviously malfunction electoral system at the municipal, state, and federal levels. No academic or community library should be without a copy of Herma Percy's Will Your Vote Count as a part of their Political Science collection." --Midwest Book Review - Library Bookwatch

"Percy (associate professor, Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute, Maryland) uses the 2000 presidential election to outline the existing problems with the electoral process, and offers general readers an analysis of the sometimes faulty technologies used to count votes. The author describes how current voting machines are vulnerable to tampering, programming errors and reliability issues and provides case studies on failures and the resulting lawsuits. She also outlines the steps needed to reform these technologies and offers a thorough analysis of the electoral process and how it is related to the US Constitution as well as the intent of the founding fathers." --Reference & Research Book News

About the Author

Herma Percy, Ph.D. is an associate professor at the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland, and a radio news director, anchor, and talk show host for WNAV-AM in Annapolis. She has had a wide-ranging career in politics, political science education, media relations, public affairs, and journalism.