Crabbing and Electronic Voting machines...

[Epoch]

Greetings all,
So I mentioned my plan to gather signatures to get my MD representatives to copsonser Rush Holt's bill. The letter is drafted and I have two of my professors reading over it at the moment. The plan is to post the letter on the activism board of DU and then start getting signatures. First step is Steny Hoyer's district, where I live for the summer and go to school at St. Mary's College of MD.
The petition page will include a box for political party affiliation to show our reps. that this is a non-partisan issue supported by everyone.

I should have this up in one or two days after I do some crabbing in the Chesapeake today. Thanks! And feel free to use the letter for your own reps. We can do this!!

Epoch

p.s. I called Rush's staffer and he's going to send me some info. We're supposed to talk again tommorow on the phone.

[dajabr]

1. Way to take some action, Epoch!

I'll be looking forward to seeing your letter - have fun crabbing!

[Epoch]

3. Draft of letter: DU help needed...

OK all. Here is the draft of the letter. Any suggestions from you guys would be greatly appreciated! Also, I have a blank or two in my letter. Wasn't there another group that filed a report on the vulnerability of these machines besides Johns Hopkins? Also, I read somewhere that anyone with $100 worth of computer gear could hack into the system. The Hopkins report says that a 15 year old computer enthusiast could hack into the system, but I'd like to find the $100 citation. If anyone has it please let me know. Ok here it is:

Dear Representative ________,
One of the fundamental tenets of democracy, and one of the reasons the United States is a great nation is its tradition of free, fair, and open elections. Recent reports from Johns Hopkins University and ______ have discovered the vulnerability of the widely used electronic voting systems to abuse, corruption, and fraud. At the moment, these electronic voting machines do not provide voters with a receipt or record with which they can check the accuracy of their votes or know with complete confidence that their votes have been recorded. Paper receipts are essential to an electronic voting process. Election officials could use these paper receipts as a critical safeguard to verify cotes in the event of a computer malfunction, recount, hacking, or other irregularity. In fact, the Hopkins report states that anyone with $100 worth of computer equipment could successfully hack into the system (cite). This “voter-verified paper trail” would guarantee the integrity of our electoral system and insure that the United States government remains responsive to its citizens. Without a safe, secure, and trustworthy system with which to vote for elected officials like you, we will lose an integral part of our system of governance and way of life. We, the undersigned, urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003, introduced by Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) on May 22, 2003 (H.R. 2239) in order to preserve the tradition of democracy. Whether Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, or other, this issue is important for all citizens of the United States. Thank you for considering our request.




Ready or not, here we come!
Epoch

[webDude]

2. 1) but I thought you just got rid of crabs!? 2) way to go!! will look...

forward to the petition. Good work!