Using HAVA to our advantage -- what we're attempting in the Orange State

[Fly by night]

This post was part of another thread, but Wilms suggested I make it a separate thread. So here goes. We need to show that we can learn something from our enemies. If they can infiltrate our SOSs and take over our election commissions, we can become part of newly empowered HAVA citizens advisory committees and hold tight the leash around THEIR necks. Wadda ya think?
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In the course of meeting with our state legislators here in Tennessee, we had one prominent Republican leader suggest that we needed to convene a citizens advisory panel to help direct the Orange State's voting system decisions. Then I met with the Tennessee Disability Coalition (TDC) Director about VVPB and MRMR issues, who agreed with us that the disabled don't just want easier access to vote, they also want their votes counted properly too. During that meeting, I learned that there ALREADY was a HAVA citizens advisory group which had not been convened for over 10 months by our statewide Coordinator of Elections and, when it was convened, it was to act only as a "rubber stamp" to whatever our statewide Coordinator of Elections' evil masters (Diebold and ES$S) want done.

After hearing that, we suggested having the members of the HAVA citizens advisory committee call its own meetings. Today, when I got home, here is the message I received from the TDC Director: "(Our TDC Board Chairman) reported back from his meeting with (the Tennessee Secretary of State). The TN SOS has agreed to have the HAVA committee meet and TO LET THE COMMITTEE ELECT A CHAIR who can call meetings and work directly with (the statewide Coordinator of Elections). (The TDC Board Chair) is going to get with (the Coordinator of Elections) right away to get a committee meeting set up."

We need to do everything possible to make HAVA work for us, including forging alliances with the disabled AND making HAVA citizens advisory committees have their own power base and independence, rather than simply rubber-stamping what the Coordinator of Elections wants to have happen. We feel real good about this latest step, as well as getting an invitation to meet with the statewide members of the TN Disability Voters group in the next three weeks.

Hopefully before we're done, we will have election reformers from across the state serving as members of the HAVA citizens advisory committee and doing the good work that this committee should have always been about -- protecting our votes and saving our democracy.

Reactions and suggestions would be appreciated. Peace out.

[satya]

1. Big kick for the orange state.

:kick:

[Melissa G]

2. big kick for Bernie. Way to build coalitions! n/t

[Wilms]

3. I'm happy you and TDC Director found one another.

Those interested in secure voting and those who want accessable voting have been artificially divided.

Glad you guys ain't falling for it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x359634#360586

[Bill Bored]

4. Yes!

Is this part of HAVA or is it grass roots, or state law, or what?

In NY, we call for this in a couple of Bills, but the makeup of the committee, as specified therein is so far not adequate. No explicit requirement for computer geeks and that sort of thing. But it's a start and will probably become law soon.

There's also a complaint procedure in HAVA. What if some of us complained that we can't tell if our votes were counted as cast?

Link to the HAVA statute:
http://www.eac.gov/law_ext.asp

[Wilms]

5. kick n/t

[Fly by night]

6. kick

[FogerRox]

7. bookmarked

[Wilms]

8. kick n/t