Paper Ballots for NY - Albany Lobby Day Tuesday, 2/15

[Bill Bored]

Just got this email:

Subject: Paper Ballots for NY - Albany Lobby Day Tuesday, 2/15
Date: 2/13/2005
From: Bo Lipari <[e-mail]>

Organization: New Yorkers for Verified Voting

Please come join us on Tuesday, 2/15 in Albany NY where New Yorkers for
Verified Voting and a non-partisan coalition of citizens groups will have a
Paper Ballots for NY Lobbying Day.

We've arranged a demonstration of a complete paper ballot/optical
scan/ballot marker system in the North Concourse, just in front of the
entrance to the Legislative Office Bldg. Many legislators and citizens will
be there trying out this reliable, accessible, and cost effective voting
system.

Come to Albany and join us in this unique opportunity to talk directly to
our legislators and encourage them to support paper ballots for New York.

When you arrive in Albany, come down and see us at the demonstration area in
the North Concourse. We'll be there from 9AM until 5 PM. We can provide you
with background materials to take along, and help finding your way to your
legislators.

At 1:30PM, we'll be holding a press conference at the demo area. We invite
you to join us.

-Bo Lipari

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PRESS RELEASE
******************************
Citizens Groups Lobby Legislature on Voting Machines

Coalition Supports Paper Ballot and Optical Scan Voting System for New York
State

Press Conference and Machine Demo to be held
Tuesday, February 15 at 1:30 PM in the Empire State Concourse
******************************

A press conference and voting machine demonstration will be held in the
Empire State Concourse at the entrance to the NYS Capitol in Albany on
Tuesday February 15th at 1:30 PM. A broad non-partisan coalition of citizens
groups will urge the Legislature to adopt a common sense solution to replace
New York's lever voting machines. A Paper Ballot and Optical Scan voting
system provides voters with essential advantages over electronic "touch
screen" technology. The complete system includes ballot marking technology
which allows a paper ballot based system to provide accessible, private and
independent voting for voters with disabilities.

Optical scan systems have been used in elections around the United States
for over 20 years. Currently used in 25% of all the precincts in the US,
the states of Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio have all decided to use
optical scanners to comply with the Help America Vote Act which mandates new
machines for New York.

* "A new era of computerized voting presents many dangers and challenges to
citizens in a democracy" said Bo Lipari Director of New Yorkers for Verified
Voting. "But, the same vendors who supply the flawed touch-screen
technology also make reliable, verifiable and fully accessible systems based
on a hand marked permanent paper ballot coupled with an optical scanner at a
significantly lower cost" said Lipari.

* "Marking a paper ballot is familiar to anyone who has taken a standardized
test or filled out a form at the DMV" said Andrew C. White of Democracy for
the Hudson-Mohawk Region. "It's a reliable and auditable system that will be
easy to learn and use for poll workers and voters."

* Ethel Silverburg of The Alliance for Democracy said, "This more verifiable
process will help ensure voter confidence. This confidence is essential to
any functioning Democracy."

For detailed information on Paper Ballot Optical Scan voting please visit
www.nyvv.org/