Outrage against the machine

Shane Wade
Opinion Editor

When it comes to the integration of money and politics, there should be no surprises. Now, not only can votes be bought but also voting machines.

Hart Intercivic provides voting machines to various counties through the country, including, most relevantly, in the swing states of Ohio and Colorado.

A few months ago, however, the firm was bought by a private equity fund, H.I.G. Capital. Oddly enough, H.I.G.. Capital also has numerous corporate ties to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, particularly its status as the sixth highest contributor to all Romney committees, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

That’s right: A company that provides voting machines to 370 jurisdictions and 17.7 million registered voters has heavily invested in Mitt Romney.

Whether actual voter fraud or miscalculations occur with these machines or not, the fact remains: Romney should have been forthcoming with this information.

The fact that he hasn’t is indicative of both his character as an entitled individual and the heavily fractured status of the American electoral system.

Our electoral system is so flawed, we don’t even directly vote for president. We have a controversial electoral college system where we entrust our vote in a individual we’ve never met, who then submits their vote based on the collective.

In America, you don’t have to have the most votes to win a presidential election; you just have to have the right votes. The interest and populace of a few large states trump those of smaller states. In close elections, like this year’s, that essentially means candidates pander to five or six swing states.

Furthermore, private companies, like Hart Intercivic, essentially run our elections through their machines, software and personnel. We currently don’t have legislation that prevents the kind of impropriety the Romney campaign is intertwined in. There’s no system or rules that standardize voting methods or machines, even on county or regional levels.  

In America, politicians want you to jump through hoops to get a government issued I.D. in order to vote, but are mum about the impropriety with placing the responsibility of collecting and counting votes in the hands of private companies.

Money in politics is the root of all corruption. The stink of this scandal and the infamous Citizens United ruling should be an alarming beacon of distress, regardless of political affiliation. No one man and no one party should have the rampant powers and influence that they currently wield.

What’s more alarming is that no one, including President Obama, Governor Romney or our do-nothing Congress, has stepped up to combat the obvious flaws in our electoral system. None have spoken out against Romney’s ties to H.I.G. Capital or Hart Intercivic and few have openly criticized the Citizen United ruling. America’s being commoditized and Americans are being exploited and the voices we’ve elected are silent.

Former president George W. Bush once talked about the cornerstone of democracy being “free and fair elections.” Back then, he was referring to Iraq.

Whatever happened to “free and fair elections” back here?