As everybody knows, Florida was up in the air for many weeks, as those who recounted, or wanted to recount, votes for the umpteenth time tried to divine or manufacture voter intent. Half of the country was bound to be upset whoever prevailed.

It is obvious to all viewers that elections' procedures need updating. I have a very simple suggestion to make. Federal, state, and local governments would be better served if they would hire accounting firms to develop balloting technology, along with the necessary controls. In addition these auditors could observe the count on election day, much like counting inventory at year end. If glitches occur in the machines, the auditors could fix or replace them as quickly as possible so the election process could continue. If they observed any irregularities, the auditors could inform the appropriate authorities and allow them to carry out a criminal investigation.

If the two parties worry about the party affiliations of CPAs, they could stipulate that an equal number of individuals from the two major parties constitute any task force or committee and observe any elections. Better, the task force that would undertake this mission could be a team of accountants and politicians and administrators and other citizens.

The only real problem is money. The question is whether federal, state, and local governments really want a solution given what it could cost. This issue ultimately returns to the people, for they would have to pay higher taxes to support the improvements. I sincerely hope that they would be willing, for the post-election debacle lasted at least 36 days longer than I had ever wished.

More importantly, it would add stability and legitimacy to the process and to those who are elected if we could know that the reported results reflect reality. All votes should count, provided the voter actually voted. And they should count only once so people are on an equal footing.

Society sorely needs somebody to add integrity of the process. Auditors have the necessary skills and competence and prestige, so let's give them a chance.

More by J. Edward Ketz