A fix for Americans' election suspicion? David Dodson, opinion contributor 43 mins ago
When I flew to Honduras from Wyoming in 2009 as an international election observer, I anticipated violence and conflict.
There was little reason to believe otherwise. The country had the highest murder rate in Latin America; In the days before the election, thousands of protesters faced off with riot police and tires were burned outside the presidential palace.
I found something very different. And what I learned during those surprisingly peaceful, healing days showed me there are some smart and basic fixes for the U.S. election process. What's more, these fixes, through the simple act of transparency, could become even more vital in coming years as this year's election turmoil has undermined trust in our processes.That November day, I saw mothers holding their children's hands while waiting calmly in line to vote. In a remarkably organized process, voters showed a photo ID card, left a thumb print on a page by their name and were stamped with ink that would last several days to prevent them from voting twice.
After the polls closed, I observed counting at one of the more dangerous areas of the city, along with former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R-Mass.). We saw members of the two principal political parties stand behind the counters and, together with the public, watch the count.
No electricity, no problem.
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