Electronic voting machines

[Epoch]

After these recent reports on the failure of electronic voting machines, what will it take for an overhaul of our voting system or just going back to ballots? How can the government act on this or how can we get our representatives to act on this. Something needs to be done so we don't get cheated out of another election. I'm really glad that these reports came out but I bet you won't see the White House acting on it. It'll take our representatives to do it. I know Ben Cardin will stand up for fair elections (MD-D, i.e. my guy). If anyone knows of any campaign or bill opposing these electronic voting machines please let us all know so we can contact out reps.

Thanks,
Epoch

[dajabr]

1. Rep. Rush Holt Introduces Legislation

By YubaNet
May 26, 2003, 08:32
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Rep. Rush Holt today responded to the growing chorus of concern from election reform specialists and computer security experts about the integrity of future elections by introducing reform legislation, The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003. The measure would require all voting machines to produce an actual paper record by 2004 that voters can view to check the accuracy of their votes and that election officials can use to verify votes in the event of a computer malfunction, hacking, or other irregularity. Experts often refer to this paper record as a “voter-verified paper trail.”

“We cannot afford nor can we permit another major assault on the integrity of the American electoral process,” said Rep. Rush Holt. “Imagine it’s Election Day 2004. You enter your local polling place and go to cast your vote on a brand new “touch screen” voting machine. The screen says your vote has been counted. As you exit the voting booth, however, you begin to wonder. How do I know if the machine actually recorded my vote? The fact is, you don’t.”

Last October, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), groundbreaking election reform legislation that is currently helping states throughout the country replace antiquated and unreliable punch card and butterfly ballot voting systems. HAVA, however, is having an unintended consequence. It is fueling a rush by states and localities to purchase computer-voting systems that suffer from a serious flaw; voters and election officials have no way of knowing whether the computers are counting votes properly. Hundreds of nationally renowned computer scientists, including internationally renowned expert David Dill of Stanford University, consider a voter-verified paper trial to be a critical safeguard for the accuracy, integrity and security of computer-assisted elections.

http://yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_3121.shtml

[gristy]

3. Here's the link to Holt's home page

in the House

http://holt.house.gov/display2.cfm?id=6282&type=Home

The best thing DUers can do is contact the rep from their own congressional district and ask them to co-sponsor Holt's bill. Holt especially needs a Republican to co-sponsor. Currently he has 26 Dems, 0 Repubs.

[Epoch]

5. interesting...now what?

So I contacted my rep. Ben Cardin and I e-mailed a group of people from my school to contact their reps. as well (about 120 people on this list). Now how do we insure that it gets brought to the floor and not just killed in subcommittee..and how do we make sure it wins on the floor. To be sure, Delay, Blount, et al. will do anything and everything they can to make sure that this bill doesn't pass.

Spread the word and fight in your home states. Contact your state legislatures. LEt's make sure that Bush doesn't steal California, Maryland, Georgia (well...maybe not steal), etc.

Any other ideas?

Epoch

[shatoga]

2. Self help suggestion- provide a paper trail yourself!

A Notary Public outside your polling place.
No paper trail is the key to Republicans' dictatorship.

we can provide that paper trail!

Vote
exit the polls
swear and attest: "I did not vote for (enter name of Republican candidate)"

Number of sworn statements will prove the results were FIXED!

Grounds to bring down the government!

Legal, courts will have to accept the sworn statements.

Bush has been pre-selected in 04, just like his brother was pre-selected in 02.

No paper trail is the key to Republicans' dictatorship.

we can provide that paper trail!

[gristy]

4. I've thought of that myself...

What you are proposing is a very big job and would need to be run by a large reputable non-partisan organization (are there any? Not sure...).

I asked the Carter Center (Jimmy's org) if they could take it on. They said no since the issue was too partisan. They have monitored elections in other countries.

[shatoga]

6. simple solution and easy to do

democrats get one notary per polling place in about half the precincts

party ponies up the money to pay for notarixed statements and subsequent lawsuits.

Failure to go along tells us they have sold out to the RNC.

fixed election in 2000 lacked only a few words to overcome extreme court.

"dimpled chad for Bush, dimpled chad for Gore...
hanging chad for Bush, hanging chad for Gore...
All candidates will be subjected to the same standard regardless of which standard is chosen by local elections officials.

with the whole world watching...
what's wrong with an honest vote count?"


The statements were never made.
The question was never asked.
IMHO Bush was pre-selected by influential Democrats who sold out.

Nobody personally accused.

The guilty parties' quick acceptance of the phony selection2000 speaks volumes for itself.