If you don't like the MoveON petition, then

[Eric J in MN]

specifically support Rush Holt's (Democrat-New Jersey) Voter Confidence Act for voter-veriied paper ballots with audits by using the form at:
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=5582

The form requires your 9 digit zipcode, which can be found at:
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

[KoKo]

1. Done....I like Russ Holt's the best...eom.

[MeDeMax]

2. I do like it but...

I don't see why people couldn't support more than one reasonable voting reform.

Wow, I must have been in hibernation, I didn't know the details of what had happened to the senior citizen discussed/described in the moveon petition. I am genuinely impressed with this individual and his/her attorney for persisting even when they didn't have the money to engage due process.

Thnx for verifiedvoting link I'll check it out and sign the petition.

[Eric J in MN]

3. What senior citizen? I'm not familiar with the story you're talking about

nt

[MeDeMax]

5. story excerpt from MoveOn letter...

(full letter in a separate post, same thread)



Two months ago, we heard a disturbing story from an Ohio voter. A senior citizen, on Election Day she voted for Kerry on the electronic voting machine at her precinct, but the machine indicated a vote for Bush. She changed her selection several times and the machine kept showing Bush. Finally, it showed a vote for Kerry and it appeared her vote was counted, but she was far from sure.

Badly shaken, she went to a lawyer for help but couldn't afford a legal fight. The lawyer approached MoveOn PAC for help, and we offered funds donated by members supporting electoral reform. The attorney used the Ohio Public Records Act to demand information on the voting machines. Local officials resisted and the lawyer prepared to sue.

In response, the local officials backed down and provided the computer records of what happened that day for all the electronic voting machines in the county, along with paper documents that can be compared to the computer records.

Using the funds from MoveOn members, one of the nation's top experts on electronic voting machines will now go through the data. The expert's conclusions will be turned over to authorities who are investigating voting irregularities.

The voter who raised this complaint (who has asked us not to reveal her name because the matter is ongoing) deeply appreciates MoveOn's support. She told us, "I can't change the outcome of the election, but we can find out what happened. If something went wrong, then someone should be held accountable. I just want to know -- did my vote count?" We will continue to support her fight to uncover flaws in Ohio's election system.

In the meantime, Congress can repair what we already know is broken -- from requiring paper receipts to providing remedies for long lines to prohibiting election officials from campaigning for a candidate.

Sign our petition right now:

http://www.moveonpac.org/repairthevote/





full letter in a separate post, same thread

[MeDeMax]

6. Full Letter...

(received today - 2/23/05 - from MoveOnPAC)

Dear MoveOn member,

Several great bills have just been introduced in Congress to repair the embarrassing flaws in our election system -- from electronic voting machines to long lines to partisan election officials. Everyone's waiting to see if this new legislation will pick up speed or fall victim to partisan bickering. If we act right now, we can give these bills the early momentum they need.

Later we'll tell you more about how your contributions are exposing election errors in Ohio, but first we need your help to get this legislation moving. There's no time to lose: In the coming months, states are poised to buy a billion dollars worth of unreliable electronic voting machines without paper trails.

Can you speed election repairs by signing this new petition?

http://www.moveonpac.org/repairthevote/

We'll deliver your comments to your Senators and Representative. A massive grassroots push could move legislation through Congress in time for the 2006 election.

Last November, a paperless e-voting machine lost more than 4,000 votes in North Carolina, leaving a tight statewide race up in the air for months.1 Another mistakenly added nearly 4,000 votes to Bush's total in Ohio.2 The solution for these electronic glitches is straightforward: e-voting machines should be equipped to print an ATM-like receipt for every voter. Voters can see their choices are recorded accurately on paper, and if there's any question about the outcome, a recount can rely on these voter-verified paper ballots. Only then can we know an election was run fairly.

Last week, Senators Clinton (D-NY), Boxer (D-CA), Kerry (D-MA), and Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a far-reaching bill to require paper receipts, provide remedies for long lines, stop partisan election officials, and institute a national holiday for voting. Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Harry Reid (D-NV) have introduced bipartisan legislation focused on voter-verified paper ballots. In the House, Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) has introduced a bill to require paper ballots and audit electronic machines to make sure they're counting properly. All these bills would ensure handicap accessible voting and all would vastly improve our election system.

At our Future of MoveOn house parties after the election, MoveOn members chose election reform as one of our top priorities. Your donations are making it possible to get to the bottom of what happened in Ohio and problems with electronic voting machines there and elsewhere.

Two months ago, we heard a disturbing story from an Ohio voter. A senior citizen, on Election Day she voted for Kerry on the electronic voting machine at her precinct, but the machine indicated a vote for Bush. She changed her selection several times and the machine kept showing Bush. Finally, it showed a vote for Kerry and it appeared her vote was counted, but she was far from sure.

Badly shaken, she went to a lawyer for help but couldn't afford a legal fight. The lawyer approached MoveOn PAC for help, and we offered funds donated by members supporting electoral reform. The attorney used the Ohio Public Records Act to demand information on the voting machines. Local officials resisted and the lawyer prepared to sue.

In response, the local officials backed down and provided the computer records of what happened that day for all the electronic voting machines in the county, along with paper documents that can be compared to the computer records.

Using the funds from MoveOn members, one of the nation's top experts on electronic voting machines will now go through the data. The expert's conclusions will be turned over to authorities who are investigating voting irregularities.

The voter who raised this complaint (who has asked us not to reveal her name because the matter is ongoing) deeply appreciates MoveOn's support. She told us, "I can't change the outcome of the election, but we can find out what happened. If something went wrong, then someone should be held accountable. I just want to know -- did my vote count?" We will continue to support her fight to uncover flaws in Ohio's election system.

In the meantime, Congress can repair what we already know is broken -- from requiring paper receipts to providing remedies for long lines to prohibiting election officials from campaigning for a candidate.

Sign our petition right now:

http://www.moveonpac.org/repairthevote/

Thank you for all you do for democracy.

Sincerely,

--Noah T. Winer, Adam Ruben, Eli Pariser, and the whole MoveOn PAC team
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005

P.S. Yesterday, the New York Times editorial urged Congress to pass these very bills. You can read it at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/opinion/22tues1.html

Sources:
1. "Democrat concedes Agriculture post," The Sun News, February 5, 2005
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=642

2. "Report Says Technical Foul Up Inflated Franklin County Bush Votes," Associated Press, February 12, 2005
http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4192153/detail.html

PAID FOR BY MOVEON PAC
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

[feelthebreeze]

4. Done, passed on and nicely done, Eric J in MN

[garybeck]

7. Holt's bill is not what you think

it allows for 98% of the votes to be cast on DREs.

none of the legislation is addressing the issue.

I don't understand why they can't do what was done here in Vermont. A real ban on DREs, all votes have to be cast on paper ballots, period.

We still have to deal with optical scanners but at least we don't have DREs. they should be banned nationally, period.

Holt's bill only requires that a printed paper is provided, along with the DRE. The actual vote is still done by the DRE and there is nothing to ensure that the DRE vote matches the paper receipt. it does not call for open source code, so, it would be as easy as pie for them to write a program that prints a vote for one thing and casts a vote for another.

Holt's bill sounds good at first but I believe it will allow the proliferation of DREs. Invisible ballots will still be cast.