Voters: Trust, But Verify

     Dear Friends,
     Ronald Reagan was famous for saying "trust, but verify" when it came to dealing with the Soviet Union.  That same thought also applies to voting.  Today I saw in the New Bern Sun Journal an article that was very troubling.  A voter attempted to vote a straight line ballot there and just as he was about to finalize his electronic vote, he saw on the machine's screen that somehow it was changed from one party to another.  He contacted a poll worker and after a few tries his desired votes were properly recorded into the machine.  According to the story, he wasn't the only citizen to have that problem. 
     How many people who voted did not catch a similar error and unknowingly cast ballots for people they DON'T want to elect?  What can you do about it?
     First - double check your votes line by line and race by race.  Whether you are using a pen to fill out ovals or an electronic touch screen machine, give it a second look.
     Second - if you make a mistake or want to change your vote, ask a poll worker for help.  Tell them you think you might have made a mistake and want to correct it.  Don't but your paper ballot into the machine or finalize your vote on an electronic machine then ask for help.  It is too late then.  STOP and ASK FOR help the second you have a question or think you made a mistake.  The poll workers are there to help.  Hey - we all do that every so often. But if you make a mistake here, it could haunt you for 2 or even 6 years.
     Third - please share this information with your family and friends who will go voting with you.
     Sincerely yours,
     Tom Goffe