SAMPLING AND CONTROL CHARTING ELECTIONS

Quality control engineers take RANDOM SAMPLES of manufactured items from a production line and inspect for DEFECTS by soe appropriate means. The number of rejects are plotted on a QUALITY CONTROL CHARTS, such as that shown above. The CHART has UPPER and LOWER CONTOL LINES to bound out EXTREME VALUES.

The chart is constructed according to the NORMAL DISTRIBUTION ("bell curve") shown on left side.

  1. Several SAMPLES are taken and rejections noted;
  2. the MEAN NUMBER OF REJECTIONS is computed, determining the CENTER LINE of the CHART;
  3. the STANDARD DEVIATION FROM THE MEAN is computed;
  4. in a NORMAL DISTRIBUTION, 99.73% of all cases fall inside or on 3 STANDARD DEVIATION FROM THE MEAN, which determines the UPPER and LOWER CONTROL LINES of the CHART.
If a REJECTION TOTAL falls above the UPPER CONTROL LINE (estimated probability 0.00135), this is a warning to the engineers that THE PROCESS MAY BE GOING OUT OF CONTROL, and could become worse. They look into tricks to bring the PROCESS back UNDER CONTROL, so that most of the ball bearings will PASS INSPECTION.

If a REJECT TOTAL falls below the LOWER CONTROL LINE (estimated probability 0.00135), the engineers realize that "something good may be happening" -- better supplies, better workmanship, or whatever. They try to find a "cause" and take advantage so that THE QUALITY AVERAGE INCREASES.

By similar methods for various types of equipment, QUALITY CONTROL helped to win WORLD WAR II and enriched the economy and improved out lives in peace-time.

We could do the same with "rejects" of the VOTING PROCESS in each ELECTION. I'm especially considering the REJECTS of ballots "thrown out", for one reason or another.

ELECTION 2000 has revealed in Floria the SCANDALOUS DISENFRANCHISEMENT of citizens for various reasons. The cynical attitude of so much of the Public and the Media should shock us, although the cycnicism of power-hungry politicians need not.

I studied quality control engineering in Graduate School at New York University. I'v taught it in university courses. I assure you that QUALITY CONTROL ENGINEERING WORKS THE SAME FOR BALL BEARINGS AND BALLOTS.

But, apparently, we care more about ball bearings than we do about the rights of our fellow citizens!