NY: Two More Counties Pass Pro-Lever Resolutions; Appeals for Citizens to Petition Lawmakers

[Wilms]

Lever Resolutions in Columbia & Ulster Counties

Sunday, February 22, 2009

by Re-Media Election Transparency Coalition

Following the lead of Dutchess County, in February both the Ulster County Legislature and the Columbia County Board of Supervisors passed resolutions authorizing their county governments to formally urge or request respectively that the "New York State Legislature and The New York State Board of Elections enact laws, rules and regulations that specifically authorize the continued use of lever-style voting machines." The Ulster resolution was passed unanimously and the Columbia resolution passed with only one dissenting vote.

The Kingston Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has also taken a position advocating for the retention of levers in New York. Although they had previously been concerned about being at odds with the League of Women Voters of NY over their position in favor of optical scanners over levers, an article by Teresa Hommel, who worked to write the LWV national position in 2006 clarified for the group that the LWV standards were never intended to apply to non-electronic voting machines and therefore should not be construed as a position in opposition to lever machines. A poll of the AAUW Kingston membership revealed that over 90% of the respondents thought that the group should work to help retain the lever voting machines.

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New York has the last transparent, secure, accurate and reliable electoral system left in the nation. Join citizens, county legislators, county election commissioners and political parties in saving our lever voting system! Here's how:

1) Seek resolutions from your county government. Here at our blog, you'll find:

* a letter to send to your legislators. Send copies of this letter or, your own version, to all members of government.

* a copy of the first resolution to keep our lever voting system, unanimously passed in Dutchess County, NY (PDF version available here) and now being considered by other county legislatures -- and with your help, across the entire state!

2) Sign and circulate this petition: http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/save_ny_levers

3) Donate to support our efforts and contact Joanne AT re-mediaetc.org to volunteer some time to Save Our Lever Voting System.

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http://re-mediaetc.blogspot.com/2009/02/lever-resolutions-in-columbia-ulster.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. Go, New York! We're counting on you to help us start peeling back the e-voting horror! nt