CODE RED is about what has happened to American elections, American politics, and America since computers took over the vote counting just a few short years ago. It identifies red flags and offers accessible examinations of why those flags are red. It is a disturbing and provocative call to action. It is about saving our democracy and our country. Now, before it's all gone. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of a democracy. America, which considers itself the beacon of democracy, has turned to computerized counting for virtually all of its public elections. Several other advanced democracies-including Germany, The Netherlands, and Ireland-have moved away from the computerized tabulation they initially embraced, having recognized the manifest security risks it entails. But America has continued to entrust its elections to privatized and concealed vote counting despite mounting and voluminous evidence that the vulnerabilities to manipulation are not merely hypothetical but are actually being exploited, with profound political consequences. CODE RED shows how America has come to adopt and embrace such a system and why America is so collectively resistant to any serious reconsideration of its safety and appropriateness. We examine the role of election administrators, politicians, and the media in stifling investigation of the validity of suspect American elections and, more generally, of the safety and rationality of a system proven by experts to be easily corrupted. We also examine the nexus between computerized elections and the veer of American politics over the past few years since the computers took over the counting. Finally, CODE RED urges possible ways out of this mess, and evaluates the prospects for reform and resolution by various tactics. The conclusion is that time is running short for a political (i.e., non-revolutionary) resolution, and that restoration of electoral legitimacy and political balance will depend on an exercise of public will not witnessed in America within living memory. CODE RED combines analysis and advocacy and concludes with a powerful call to action.
