To the editor:

I remember listening to a distinguished panel of historians discuss how the genius of our founding fathers was their understanding that power WOULD be abused. Transparency along with checks and balances were their attempts to address this human failing.

Gov. Brownback, Secretary of State Kobach and the Republican-dominated Kansas Legislature (in their oh-so-proven wisdom) know better. They smile at us and, in chorus, intone, “trust us.”

I refer to the July 18, Journal-World front page article, “Kansas voting without a paper trail.” Wichita State University professor of mathematics, Beth Clarkson, has been attempting to investigate odd patterns in recent Kansas election returns. Kansas, (as do many other states around the country) now uses election voting machines. In Clarkson’s attempts to look into voting data she found that there is either no paper trail or has ran into state and county officials fighting tooth and nail to not have any voting data released.

Cue the smile, hear the chorus, “trust us.”

I want my vote to count, I want that a lot! Voting for who one believes most accurately represents one’s needs is one of the most important and basic rights of a citizen. I want to have faith my vote has been accurately counted, and not negated or reversed by a few clicks on a keyboard. Kansans who care about our state and Americans who care about our history as a free people need to look hard into this. God help us.