By Rep. Cynthia McKinney

Never have the issues been so clear as they are for all of us today.  Our country is at war, ostensibly to bring democracy to a far-off country on the other side of our planet.  At the same time, a significant chunk of the American people protest in their own humble ways for democracy at home.  They see unequal protection of the precious right to vote, blatant in Ohio, but not only in Ohio. Voting machines that can't be trusted, casting votes for candidates not intended by the voter.

That happened in my own race in my own state of Georgia. Provisional balloting made absurd by seemingly purposefully drafted arcane rules that in some cases rendered right to vote moot. Our democracy entrusted to privately owned software run on computers that can be hacked, that overheat, break down, or have their batteries die in the middle of the voting process. And moreover, voting on machines that don't even tell us after we voted who it is exactly that our vote was counted for.

When Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, it hoped to correct the blatant irregularities and purposeful disenfranchisement that occurred in Florida in the 2000 election. It is clear from the work of the judiciary committee, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, and the tireless efforts of the people across Ohio that this congress has a lot of work to do.

Our Vice President has told us to expect war for the next generation. It is not only our responsibility but our right to demand full democracy at home.  And we do that by our actions today. This is not merely about bitterness or a recount, this is about a blackout. It's time to end the blackout and shine the light on our precious right to vote.