BBV: Graham Introduces Legislation To Ensure America's Votes Count

[GregD]

press release --

http://www.senate.gov/~graham/pr120903.html

For information call: 202-224-3041
Graham Introduces Legislation To Ensure America's Votes Count

December 9, 2003
Senator Bob Graham, D-Florida, today introduced the Voter Verification Act, legislation that would require computer voting systems to produce a paper record.

"After the election of 2000 and the mid-term election - where stories of voter problems were not uncommon - we have to put an electoral system into place in which Americans can have full confidence," said Graham. "This legislation will take us one step further to ensure that every vote really counts and we do not have another debacle like the 2000 election."

Key provisions of the legislation include:
- Requiring that all voting systems produce voter-verified paper records for use in manual audits
- Banning the use of undisclosed software and wireless communication devices in voting systems
- Requiring mandatory surprise recounts in .5 percent of both domestic and overseas jurisdictions.
- All voting systems would have to meet these requirements in time for the November 2004 election.

There is bi-partisan companion legislation already filed in the House. HR 2239 is sponsored by Representative Rush Holt, Democrat of New Jersey, and 94 other members.

Graham's bill will be referred to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

1. Whoa!

First Kucinich, now Graham ups the ante...great Dems those two are!

[neuvocat]

2. Excellent!

Florida is one place that needs this kind of attention too.

[Gin]

4. Wonderful.....

gin

[FloridaPat]

5. We're stuck again down here in Florida. Bush2

has decided no paper trails for the next election. Suprise suprise.

[Orangepeel]

3. the theme of last week's Florida Dem Convention was to honor Sen. Graham

very well deserved.

Thank you, Bob!

[Jerseycoa]

6. He's so good (eom)

[mndemocrat_29]

7. Everyone start to write to your senators to get cosponsors

We'll need a lot of them.

[leftchick]

8. Whoa!!

I knew I loved Sen. Graham! :bounce:

[librechik]

9. !!! Go Bob !!!!

best news I've heard all week!

[Lindsay]

10. Woohoo!!!

Excellent news...thanks, GregD, for posting it.

[Just Me]

11. Bob,...You are so, like, FABULOUS!!!

I'm gonna pass this on to my constituents ASAP!

YOU GO BOB!!! I love you!!!

[0007]

12. Man, this will piss Katherine Harris off to the bending end..

she'll never win another election again - and that goes for that idiot Jebb Bush also and his moron brother, junior.

[Melinda]

13. Thanks Senator Graham.....

:yourock:

[seafan]

14. Graham is a bulldog under that gentlemanly exterior.

That's our Senator! :bounce:

[w4rma]

15. I'm going to miss this great man when he retires from a long, prosperous

career in the U.S. Senate. :(

[leesa]

16. This is so sweet. Christmas already?

[gristy]

17. Way to go BOB!!

Looks like the long-awaited companion bill to HR 2239.

[alfredo]

18. I just sent a letter to my Senator, asking him

to back this bill.

Be sure to let your Senator know.

[GregD]

19. Conversation with Graham's, Clinton introduces bill

We spoke to Graham's office this morning. Turns out that Graham discovered this issue (HELLO BOB!!!!) this weekend and sat down to write the bill.

My guess is that he heard all the candidates (his former competitors) speak strongly about the issue at the FL convention last weekend and got the clue.

A frustrating point was that the guy who is in charge of Graham's bill knows little about the issue, so Ellen brought him up to speed and we will work closely with them to make sure they benefit from our experience.

Another frustrating point is that they did this without Republican support, so we have sent him off to try and find someone like McCain, etc. Any suggestions?

Hillary Clinton introduced a bill this morning as well - and we are expecting yet another. Ellen is already calling Clinton's office, and we plan to try to encourage these folks to all work together on one bill so we can focus our efforts.

Any thoughts on all this?

[BeFree]

22. Thoughts on this...

Thanks, Greg, for working the nuts and bolts, and for keeping us posted.

What I want to know is this: Are we going to settle for anything less than paper BALLOTS? In other words, will we settle for the machines doing the counting, or do we settle for nothing less than than each vote being individually counted?

Too many people seem to think allowing the count to be electronic is a-ok. We could end up winning this battle but losing the war.

Your thoughts?

[GregD]

23. My thoughts are

that these electronic machines are being rammed down our throats and we don't have a prayer of each vote being individually counted with the present level of media support that we are NOT RECEIVING. Billions of dollars are being wave at the states due to HAVA, and we have people like LWV and ACLU opposting us, along with the bulk of the Republican legislators.

So far, we have 4 on this team that have effectively given up our careers for the present time and are working on the vv.org site. We have had somewhere between 100-200 people that signed up on our site and actively volunteered to help make phone calls. Plus whoever is involved here and at BBV.

With that said, we are up against a huge machine that needs to be changed, and making such changes is a team sport. We need you, and everyone else who are passionately concerned about this issue to be passionately involved in a very active role - regardless of the personal cost or impact on your lifestyle. If we don't win, and Bush steals another election, don't blame the people who tried - blame those who did not.

You asked...

[glitch]

24. you are doing good work

I'll volunteer at vv.org and keep telling everyone I know about this issue, which I believe is the most important issue we face. But what I really mean to say is
:kick:

[bearfan454]

20. Finally.

This is great. Let's see if Daschle or Dean says anything about it.

[ElementaryPenguin]

21. A great contribution from an excellent statesman! Call your Senators

and Reps now!! DEMAND THIS BILL BE PASSED!! There can be NO justification for opposing this legislation!! It ought to mean political death to anyone who tries to!!

[GregD]

25. OK, more news about Graham's bill

Item 1 -
For starters, we have a bill number for Graham's bill: S.1980 It looks like it is a clone of HR2239.

Item 2 -
Clinton introduced a bill as well, and it is not as strong as 2239. We have no plans of standing behind it, but a reliable NY volunteer is working with some folks and trying to get it improved. If it gets fixed, we'll look at it. In the mean time, we are pressing for S1980.

Item 3 -
No Republican cosponsor, so please help us find a few - we need them!

From what we learned over the past several months, not having Republican support is the "kiss of death" so it is imperative that we seek their support right out of the gates.

Item 4 -
Since it is a copy of HR2239, there are some weaknesses. We hoped it could be changed RIGHT NOW, but we were too late, and it has to wait for the Committee (see below) to make any improvements.

Item 5 -
Their press release was in error:
<<<Graham's bill will be referred to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.>>>

Instead, it is going to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, who are listed on this page with all contact information:
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/fair_elections.asp

So, we have the following fine folks. If they are yours, please contact them. If they are NOT yours please contact them. If you are uncertain whose they are, please contact them.


Republican Committee Members
============================
Trent Lott, Chairman (MS)
Ted Stevens (AK)
Mitch McConnell (KY)
Thad Cochran (MS)
Don Nickles (OK)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Bill Frist (TN)
Gordon Smith (OR)
C. Saxby Chambliss (GA)

Democratic Committee Members
============================
Chris Dodd, Ranking Member (CT)
Robert C. Byrd (WV)
Daniel K. Inouye (HI)
Dianne Feinstein (CA)
Charles E. Schumer (NY)
Tom Daschle (SD)
Mark Dayton (MN)
Richard J. Durbin (IL)

[alfredo]

26. Sent one out to

Mitch McConnell, but he is such a neo con, I don't think he has any love for our voting rights.

[dusty64]

27. Great!

Why the silence from the Democratic "leadership"? I think we'll have to pressure our Senators on this one, what are the chances it could pass?