TresSugar

Texting Democracy: Estonia to Vote by Mobile Phone in 2011

LibertySugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:30:29 -0800

American Idol may let you text in your vote, but Estonia will be the first actual country to implement voting by cell phone. Technologically-savvy citizens will place chips into their cell phones, that authenticate identifications, before they cast their ballots for the 2011 parliamentary election.

Estonia has already used online voting, without any major security breaches. In order to prevent coercion that might happen when people vote in private, Estonians can still cancel out their e-votes with a paper ballot. An independent study found that the new vote-by-phone procedure should go off without any manipulation or malfunctions.

Would you like to see more access to democracy from voting options like Internet or phone voting? I guess we'll be looking to E-stonia to see how it's done!
Source

Can Online Voting Maintain Election Integrity?

LibertySugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:00:48 -0700

What's a few million extra ballots between friends? In Zimbabwe today, opposition leaders are accusing the government of printing 3 million extra paper ballots, enough to change the outcome of the Mar. 29 election. It's yet another harbinger of potential voting fraud to come. Though most of us probably agree voting integrity is essential to democracy, Africa is not the only place where the authenticity of an election is threatened.

For the past few months, the Democrats have been grappling with what to do about the Michigan and Florida primaries. Online voting has been proposed as a potential solution. Since paper ballots have been historically imperfect, and electronic voting machines are still proving problematic, maybe it's time to bring this whole voting thing online!

Millions of Americans go online to shop, pay bills, sell, bank, and pretty much to do anything! I think online voting could be the future, as it is cheap and efficient. Voting would probably take no more than one minute, and you could do it at home, work, wherever . . . assuming you had a computer. Which brings us to one of the potential problems. For some of the drawbacks, read more.

Online voting could disenfranchise those without internet access, like the poor or elderly, especially if it's used as the exclusive means of voting. Also, the results could be susceptible to fraud, hacking, or innocent technological glitches. So, it might not be the best solution for Florida and Michigan, as there is not much time to guarantee protection from abuse.

Should we start developing secure methods of voting online, and inevitably increase voter turnout? In fact, a system has been used before. The Michigan Democrats voted online in 2004's primaries, and the Democrats Abroad used the internet last month without any problems. The reality: no voting system is free from fraud. So, is it time to check the cyber box?

Source

Do You Dig TrèsSugar?

TresSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Well then digg us!

What is digg exactly? It's a website that lets you submit a story you've found online that you like, and if enough people vote on the story - or "digg" it - it gets promoted to digg's front page and more and more people will read it or watch it.
To find out how to digg, read more

Well, first you have to sign up, then login.
Click "submit new."
Copy and paste the post's URL you want to digg, and click "Continue."
Give it a descriptive title (or just copy the post's title) and give it an interesting description (or just copy the TrèsSugar writeup).
Choose a category. For example, under "Video" choose "Comedy."
Then type in a code they give you, hit submit, and if it hasn't been "dugg" yet, hit submit again!
If a TrèsSugar post has already been "dugg," (like this one, for example) just click on "digg" and you've added a vote.

Thanks for your support!

Check This: Expats Vote Live, By Mail, and Online

LibertySugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:02:13 -0800

Americans living abroad have a voice this primary season. While both Democrats and Republicans can participate in their home state by casting an absentee ballot, the Democratic party got creative this year, launching the Democratic Global Presidential Primary.

Those who preregistered with Democrats Abroad will be able to vote online. Voters will get secure online voting "credentials." The Michigan Democratic Party has been using the same system since 2004.

International voters can also go to special polling places. The Democratic spots are open to anyone with an American passport, including Republicans and independents, and voting is open until Feb. 12. Click here to get a list of the center locations.

Democrats Abroad has been awarded 22 delegates that will be proportionately distributed based on voting results at the Democratic National Convention.

A global presidential primary seems like a great idea! Americans living abroad are impacted by US foreign policy every day, and I am happy their voices will be heard. I also think online voting is a great way to increase participation. But, I wonder if it is more susceptible to fraud.

Do you wish we could all vote online?

Source

FISA: Does It Mean - For Illegal Surveillance Act?

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:30:53 -0700

Yesterday the Senate voted to revamp government surveillance powers and grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies, thus ending all pending lawsuits filed to uncover the extent that Bush and the telecoms violated the Fourth Amendment prohibition of surveillance without warrants. Bush unsucessfuly tried to pass a similar bill under a Republican congress, but finally got what he wanted from the Democrats.

To the surprise of many, Barack Obama voted for the bill while Hillary Clinton opposed it. (John McCain was not there to vote.)

In a statement on her vote, Hillary explained:

In my judgment, immunity under these circumstances has the practical effect of shutting down a critical avenue for holding the administration accountable for its conduct.

Obama's base is inconsolable about its candidate's vote for the bill. Obama explained his rationale directly to his online supporters. To see what he wrote, read more.

Obama wrote:

Given the choice between voting for an improved yet imperfect bill, and losing important surveillance tools, I've chosen to support the current compromise. I do so with the firm intention - once I'm sworn in as president - to have my Attorney General conduct a comprehensive review of all our surveillance programs, and to make further recommendations on any steps needed to preserve civil liberties and to prevent executive branch abuse in the future.

If President Bush seized powers beyond his reach, should the citizens be allowed to assert their constitutional rights in court, or should responsibility be political rather than legal? I hope there is some accountability for any illegal violation of civil liberties, as even Americans with nothing to hide should fear a government that can use private information to manipulate those innocent American representatives, journalists, activists, and dissenters working on their behalf.

Briefing Book! Sarah Palin Chats About Controversial Issues

LibertySugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:30:39 -0700

Watch CBS Videos Online

Sarah Palin: Pro-choice? Sarah Palin on feminism and how homosexuality is a "choice." - Jezebel
S&M: Barack Obama: S&M fan? Somebody used artistic license during San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair. - SFist
Russia: Freedom of rap? Russian soldier sent to Siberia for online rap. – newsblog
Electoral Votes: Forgot this isn't a national vote? Check out who's up in the electoral projections based on state polls. - Donklephant

Source

Take the CitizenSugar Reader Survey!

CitizenSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:30:37 -0800

Every day we aim to bring you news and stories that entertain, educate, and inspire you, but we want to make sure you are getting the most out of CitizenSugar and all the Sugar sites. In order to do that we want to know more about your likes, dislikes, and where you spend your time online.

You are invited to participate in our quick and painless 2008 Sugar reader survey. It's sort of like voting - there's no right or wrong answer, just the one that's true for you. Through this feedback we'll be able to make sure your Citizen experience is the very best possible.

You can show your support by taking just a couple of minutes to fill it out. Click here to begin the survey! Thank you!

Baskin-Robbins' New Election Flavors! Which to Lick?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:00:48 -0700

Just in time to cool off this heated election, Baskin-Robbins has released two spanking new flavors, one for each of the candidates. Ever wonder what two scoops of McCain tastes like? His flavor, Straight Talk Crunch is:

Caramel ribbon, chocolate pieces, candy red states and crunchy mixed nuts swirled into White Chocolate ice cream.

Think a lick of Barack is more your taste? His flavor, Whirl of Change, is:

Peanut-nougat ice cream whirled with chunks of chocolate-covered peanut brittle and a caramel ribbon.

I think they're willing to look the other way on the whole Obama doesn't like ice cream thing . . . Given the (banana) split of the country, what would election-themed flavors be without a chance to vote for your favorite? You can, in the Flavor Debate '08. From now until Oct. 20, sample the candidates' sweet stuff and vote online or in stores for the winner. I wonder if the ice cream war could be a useful replacement for the old Electoral College? It would be a sweeter contest, to be sure.

Which flavor would you want to try first?

Making Tiaras a Habit: Nuns in a Beauty Pageant - Good Idea?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:00:29 -0700

I'll watch any pageant, or any show about pageants but this one? I'm not sure. An Italian priest is organizing an online beauty pageant for nuns called "Miss Sister 2008." The aim of the contest is to fight the stereotype that all nuns are old and homely. The priest behind the plan says, "Nuns are a bit excluded, they are a bit marginalized in ecclesiastical life. This will be an occasion to make their contribution more visible."

And the answer to the big question I know was on the tip of your tongue is this: "We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits." He continues, "But being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is gift from God, and we mustn't hide it." Visitors to the website hosting the online pageant are supposed to vote for the nun "they consider a model."

The effort, said to have been inspired by suggestions from nuns, has drawn criticism from the association of Catholic teachers saying, "It's an initiative that belittles the role of nuns who have dedicated themselves to God." The idea of showcasing nuns' beauty as a means of "making their contribution more visible," is an interesting concept. Is it an inspired way of bringing the life of a nun into modern times, or missing the point of being a nun altogether?

Source

UK Debates Holding Terror Suspects For 42 Days: Too Long?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:15:55 -0700

The US isn't the only country with a firm eye on terrorism - and they're certainly not alone walking the tricky line between government abilities to crack down in meaningful ways and civil liberties. The British House of Commons is set to vote on a measure allowing police to detain people for up to 42 days without charge if they're suspected of terrorism-related activities.

Human rights organizations are outraged by the provision. Amnesty International, has launched an online petition called, "Say 'No' to 42 Days" saying of the measure, "Allowing police to lock people up for a month and a half without charge will undermine basic human rights to which everyone in the UK is entitled." Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying that, "giving British authorities the power to detain terrorism suspects for up to six weeks without charge violates the fundamental right to liberty and risks undermining counterterrorism efforts."

Those closer to the government are speaking out as well. To see what they had to say, read more.

The former British spy chief says holding suspects for six weeks is excessive. Though the bill might be defeated in the House of Lords, it faces a round of political back and forth if the government insists on the plan. The House of Lords own blog says it's probably a portion of the bill that will ultimately be decided by the courts.

With the government in Britain already able to access scads of personal information, where is the line between safety and rights? Is 42 days too long to be held without charge?

Source