Election Reform Report Released - 9/19

[babylonsister]

Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform Stresses Urgency of Reform

Former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker Release
Bi-Partisan Election Reform Report to Policymakers and the public



Washington , DC ( September 19, 2005) The final report of the Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by former president Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, was released to the public today. The 21-member Commission offers 87 recommendations to strengthen the country's electoral system and build confidence in the political process. The full report, as well as the executive summary and the list of recommendations, is available on the Commission Web site at: http:// www.american.edu/Carter-Baker . Please direct inquiries to the Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University -- [e-mail] or [phone].


The 21-member private commission is organized by American University. Comprised of former Members of Congress, scholars and nonpartisan leaders, the group identified "five pillars" of election reform voter registration, voter identification, voting technology, increased access to voting and nonpartisan election administration and recommended ways to strengthen them.



-------------------------------------------------------------
Center for Democracy & Election Management
American University
3201 New Mexico Avenue, NW Suite 265
Washington, DC 20016-8026
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: http://www.american.edu/internationalaffairs/cdem/

[OnTheOtherHand]

1. sure has lots of pretty pictures

I'm glad I have DSL.

OK, more substantively -- it's a big report, but here are the recommendations on voting technology (alas, the report doesn't allow copy-and-paste). A different link to the download page:

http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer

3.1.1 Federal law should require a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (the report mentions that this would permit random recounts, but I don't see an explicit recommendation about that -- it may be there, it is a big report!). Federal funds should be appropriated to implement the law. Urges R&D into new technology that might be "more effective()" than paper trails and ballots.

3.1.2 "States should adopt unambiguous procedures to reconcile any disparity between the electronic ballot tally and the paper ballot tally. The Commission strongly recommends that states determine well in advance of elections which will be the ballot of record." (Uh, yeah.)

3.2.1 "State and local election authorities should publily test all types of voting machines before, during, and after Election Day and allow public observation of zero machine counts at the start of Election Day and the machine certification process."

3.3.1 "The Independent Testing Authorities, under EAC supervision, should have responsibility for certifying the security of the source codes," and copies of source code should be put in escrow for future review -- manufacturers unwilling to comply "should be prohibited from selling their voting machines."

3.3.2 "States and local jurisdictions should verify upon delivery of a voting machine that the system matches the system that was certified.

3.3.3 "Local jurisdictions should restrict access to voting equipment and document all access, as well as all changes to computer hardware or software."

3.3.4 "Local jurisdictions should have backup plans in case of equipment failure on Election Day."

From pages 35-38 of the full-report PDF, pages numbered 27 through 30.

There's a lot in another section about election staff, poll workers, etc. -- which would certainly be important to implement a lot of these "should"s.

[babylonsister]

2. Thanks for the breakdown, OTOH; I rec'd this this

a.m. in an e-mail and hadn't even gotten around to looking at it yet.

[OnTheOtherHand]

3. I'd better say again: it's a huge report, I just did four pages!

For instance, they spend a lot of time proposing unified, interoperable state voter databases and a photo ID system, accompanied by new registration efforts and provisional ballots, all of which is supposed to "transcend() the sterile debate between integrity and access." It's pretty easy to transcend sterile debates in a conference room (although it's even easier not to!), but actually implementing that whole package well would be a neat trick.

[cyberpj]

4. I got the email too - my first feeling is

that they'll keep everyone bush with VOTER situations with not a lot of time and attention to ELECTION MACHINE FRAUD but I'm really really willing to be wrong.

THANKS FOR POSTING THE IMPORTANT SECTION!

Will read more later.

And wonder if it will get any press today?

[Peggy Day]

5. how to make sure this isn't ignored

Anyone? I called the 202 # with thanks. I wasn't so sure that paper trails that are under glass(yea)that can be verified would be suggested. We need to make sure this isn't just ignored. How to bring it to the media for days on end.
What is the next step after the suggestion of this report to fruitation?
Thanks

[katinmn]

6. I got it too. Lets kick and nominate this.

[cyberpj]

7. done and done nt.

[Einsteinia]

8. It supports the concept of CA's SB-370, which merely

allows Californians to read their paper trails. Check out this website for the pros and cons of SB-370 and new information supporting it:

http://www.califelectprotect.net

[autorank]

9. Look what real voting rights activists have to say...we were screwed!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x394051#394102

[Melissa G]

10. Nominated!

[sonias]

11. Here's a link to Rep Rush Holt's press release on the report

http://www.holt.house.gov/issues2.cfm?id=11127
Some of the Commission’s recommendations deviate from a few key requirements of the Holt bill. Among the deviations:
* The Commission would allow states to determine whether the electronic or VVPAT is the "ballot of record"—a position that is inconsistent with the concept of having a uniform national requirement for a voter-verified paper trail to serve as an independent audit device for all voting systems equally in every state.

* Although the Commission recommendation itself does not say when to implement the VVPAT requirement, the text states "the Commission believes that transparency in voting machines should also be assured in time for the 2008 presidential election." The Holt bill would require all voting systems to be VVPAT-equipped in time for the 2006 Congressional elections.

Although he gives them some praise on the voter-verified paper audit records, he does say it deviates from the ballot of record part of his bill. Without the VVPB being the ballot of record, then you don't really have confidence that the voter determined the outcome.

Stinking IDs, we don't need any stinking IDs.

Sonia

[emlev]

12. Response from Rep. John Conyers

Congressman John Conyers, Jr.Join With Me in Fighting New Poll Tax Proposal

I have spent my more than 40 years in public service fighting for voting rights and a better democracy. Today, I am sad to say, there are proposals being made that would set us back in that struggle. A privately funded, unaccountable Commission organized by former Bush-Cheney campaign lawyer James Baker, III, and former President Jimmy Carter issued a report today that includes policy proposals that will disenfranchise over ten percent of eligible voters –– a national ID requirement to vote. I need your help to fight this 21st Century disciminatory poll tax today. It is unconscionable that in the very year we are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, that we would even consider a proposal that would make it more difficult for tens of millions of citizens to vote.

The simple fact is that many minority and poor voters do not have the time, money or need to purchase a drivers license. In fact, over ten percent of eligible voters in the last election did not have a photo ID. They vote by presenting other means of identification (a voter registration card, utility bill, or affidavit). This Commission is now asking Congress to deny the franchise to those voters unless they obtain a national ID card. ..

see www.johnconyers.com
sign his petition, too

[emlev]

13. self-delete (threading error)

[emlev]

14. Dissenting Statement by Commissioner Spencer Overton

He talks both about the ID requirement and about the procedures of the work of the commission. Very interesting.

http://carterbakerdissent.com/index.php

[thjay]

15. Myself and 500 + others received this email

Does it bother anyone else that the report was mass emailed without using the blind cc option? More than 500 others now have my email address. That is so unprofessional.

I'm not even sure how I got on the list. Once I sent a not so nice email to Robert Pastor. I figure that's when I got added to the database, which in itself is not a big deal. I just never expected it to get shared like this.

I'm curious if any of the rest of you feel the same way.