Kerry, Feingold introduce resolution regarding voting machines

[Blaukraut]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 27, 2006

Contact: Zach Lowe (Feingold) - [phone]

Liz Richardson (Kerry) – [phone]



FEINGOLD, KERRY INTRODUCE RESOLUTION URGING BACKUP PLANS FOR VOTING MACHINES

Difficulties with Recent Primary Elections Highlight Need for Back-Up Systems Like Paper Ballots



Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Kerry (D-MA) have introduced a resolution calling on state and local governments to have back-up systems in place on election day to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote is able to. The Senators’ Sense of the Senate resolution notes the difficulties that voters in many states have experienced with new voting technology and urges states to do whatever is necessary to ensure that voters are actually able to cast a vote on November 7, 2006, including providing emergency paper ballots in the event of a voting machine failure.



“We cannot allow the American people to lose faith in the most fundamental aspect of our democratic system – the right to vote,” Feingold said. “Some of the problems we saw this year, like voters in Maryland being told to come back later because the machines weren’t working, are simply unacceptable. A back-up plan as simple as having emergency paper ballots on hand is essential to preventing election day disasters.”



Kerry said, “It’s a disgrace that a Congress and an Administration which talks about exporting democracy around the world ignores the challenges of our own democracy right here at home. We have seen American citizens disenfranchised in our elections for the simple reason that no effective back up system was in place. That’s a national scandal. But here we are, 42 days away from another election, and Congress has again dragged its feet even after we mobilized 35,000 citizens to demand a hearing for our Count Every Vote Act, even after what we saw just this month in Montgomery County. We need emergency action now. That is why I am co-sponsoring the Dodd-Boxer legislation to provide emergency paper ballots and that is why Russ Feingold and I are introducing our resolution today demanding election day back-up plans. We have a duty to ensure that no citizen will be denied the right to vote in 2006.”



Feingold and Kerry are also co-sponsoring legislation with Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) to help states make paper ballots available in case of election day problems with electronic voting machines. Feingold and Kerry introduced the resolution ahead of Congress’ adjournment for the 2006 elections. With the problems some voters have already experienced during primary elections this year, the senators believe the Senate should be on record supporting state efforts to be prepared in the event of problems on Election Day. Earlier this month, problems with new voting technology were reported in a number of primaries around the country.



A copy of the resolution can be found here. http://feingold.senate.gov/FeingoldKerry_Sense_of_the_S...



###



Liz Richardson

Deputy Press Secretary

Senator John Kerry

[phone]

http://kerry.senate.gov

[INdemo]

1. This is great but I have a problem with this

Obviously we had problems in 2004.So why wait and introduce this resolution 30 odd days before this election..This doesn't give states time to put in place a back-up system

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[INdemo]

7. What was that for...

Congress has had two years to fix the voting system..This should have been a priority right after the election was stolen in 2004

[Blaukraut]

9. unfortunately, repubs control congress

and it wasn't in their best interest to fix the voting system. Not surprisingly, the only bills that were ever introduced were those that disenfranchised voters even more. Lets hope that the Boxer/Dodd emergency bill in conjunction with the Feingold/Kerry resolution will be successful.

[rumpel]

3. I believe it is because of all the problems in the primaries

that are finally sending the message home.

Better late than never.

Especially look at what they are trying to do in Florida, read here:

Paper ballot question for Sarasota question appealed by state, thanks to seafan

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x450977

[FogerRox]

4. Ahhhhh maybe not, this seems in support of the Boxer Dodd bill

There is plenty of time to print paper ballots, to be used on Nov. 7th.

Its about winning in 2006. Its about the PR management too, make the COns look bad just before the election. I got out of my election reform mode months ago, now its time to..

TAKE THE HILL ! ! !

[Sugarcoated]

5. Will they be able to get this passed in time?

And, will the pukes allow it to even get anywhere?

Good point that it would, politically, make pukes look bad if they opposed this before the election.

[patrioticliberal]

8. Of course not.

[Individualist]

10. Passed in two days?

Uh,no. Boehner says Congress will adjourn for the campaigns day after tomorrow.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Easy form to support Emergency Paper Ballots.

http://www.truemajority.org

"Paperless electronic voting machines will be used once again this fall, and already during the primaries they failed. In Maryland crowds of legal voters were turned away from the polls when the machines couldn't be started.

There's a simple safeguard - have enough paper ballots on hand so the election can go forward even if the machines let us down again. Obvious, right? Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Dodd (D-CT) have introduced a last-minute bill which would provide money to any state that is willing to print up the paper ballots."

[bobbolink]

11. With timing like that.....

nebbamind.. can't say anything about the sainted Kerry

Shit.

[burythehatchet]

12. I can

WTF???

Why not wait until the night before? After all, whats the rush??

This is the stupidest fucking thing I've heard. I'm going to wake up now and realize it was a bad dream.

[WildEyedLiberal]

14. What about sainted Feingold?

Or are you going to conveniently ignore that this is his bill, too?

[bobbolink]

16. Oh, ever so kindly put.

What do you assume I think about Feingold, since you obviously are much smarter?

Nebbamind, this was all about one-upping, wasn't it???

WHOEVER IS BEHIND THIS, IT'S JUST PLAIN STTOOOOOOOPID!!!

OK?

[WildEyedLiberal]

24. Gee, maybe because you singled out Kerry?

:eyes:

[bobbolink]

31. Damned right. HE was the one who threw in the towels within hours.

AFTER collecting big bucks from people to "fight the election results".

THAT was KERRY.

[WildEyedLiberal]

34. You talk but all I hear is bla bla bla....

:eyes: Same ol shit, day after day after day...

Like a broken record.....

[blm]

19. We finally have a crew of senators taking this up and still the guns

point at the hated Kerry.

Sorry he doesn't curl up and melt away for some of you people - guess he's still just TOO COMMITTED to trying to make a difference in the world for the better. And too busy working to bring justice into the worl of the corrupt and to open government up to people who cheer against him.

[bobbolink]

33. And still those who will support him no matter what, and rather than

understand the anger some of us have (from being terribly hurt and let down, I might add), you'd rather make it personal and vilify us.

Way to unite the party, pard!

You may want to take note that I expressed my distrust of Kerry, not his supporters.

But, you chose to come back at me personally.

Just out of curiosity, do you reallly think that's gonna win me over to Kerry's "team"? Do you?

[blm]

35. I am speaking to a general "you" who treat a senator with Kerry's record

as if he is unworthy of any respect.


And I hope you save some of your hurt and direct your anger at the actual villains of what went down in 2004 - Kerry did his part and WON the election. The DNC was charged for FOUR YEARS with the duty of securing the voting infrastructure for Democratic voters and candidates in every state.

Instead, the DNC oversaw a weakened party infrastructure that was collapsed for the most part in crucial states, and that did nothing to counter the 4yr efforts of the RNC machine working to suppress Dem votes, purge voter rolls and rig machines all over the country.. The Dem party infrastructure was too weak to SUSTAIN a Dem victory earned by the candidate.

There is no AFTER with voting machines - they need securing BEFORE the vote as rigged machines are set up for onetime use and then erased and untraceable.

[ohtransplant]

13. I'll take any positive step from any good Dem.

Good on you Senators!

Timing? If Rs really believe in fair elections, like they say they do, why not support this legislation? Is it more urgent to give * the keys to the torture room?

Do we always have to let them set the agenda? Is there nothing to be said for taking them off their game?

In addition, these are long-term battles. If Rs oppose these bills as expected it further exposes them as the hypocrites they are - on the eve of another election. Sometimes timing is about finding an "opportune" time...IMHO.

Go Kerry!

Go Feingold!

[dkofos]

15. Not good enough

Why not have paper ballots on hand
for anyone not wanting to use a machine.

My guess is the machines wouldn't get many hits on election day.

[Blaukraut]

18. That's what they're asking for

Both the Kerry/Feingold resolution and the Boxer/Dodd emergency bill is demanding precicely that - backup paper ballots.

[dkofos]

22. In case of emergency

I want it in lew of machines

[Blaukraut]

26. That's not feasible short term, hence the emergency bill

calling for paper ballots made available to voters in case of machine failure. Getting rid of the machines altogether is something that will take a lot longer and will be met with great resistance. So that particular fight will have to be fought with a long term goal in mind.

[dkofos]

27. So I guess you want to vote on a machine again.

Because you trust them.

[Blaukraut]

29. Where did I say that?

No, I would not vote on a voting machine if I had the option of a paper ballot instead. I don't trust the machines at all, but I also realize that getting a bill passed in a republican congress that would essentially get rid of the machines completely is not doable at this juncture. It must be a long term goal, though. I believe I stated that already.

[Sugarcoated]

17. Yes, maybe the last minute thing is a strategy

If they introduced earlier, maybe it would have been buired and forgotten about like other voting bills before it. Maybe, just maybe it's a manuever? Something they can use against pukes in the run up to the election?

[glitch]

20. Or anticipated by the republicons and checked.

I just hope Kerry/Feingold/Boxer/Dodd are as smart as I think they are, and have a strategy.

[Sugarcoated]

21. If it's a stategy

and the pukes do check them in the next two days there better be WALL TO WALL Democrats and Dem advocates telling the voters from now till election day.

[glitch]

30. We'll know soon enough. We're going to know a lot of things soon enough.nt

[mopinko]

23. i think they used to call this a "get well bill"

look like you are doing something that your constituents care about, even though you have no plan to make it happen. or even when the plan is to do it in a way where it can't happen. but you get to go out and say, oh those bad guys wouldn't let me. the last minute is especially good for this kind of thing.

[WildEyedLiberal]

25. You tell em

:eyes:

I'm sure you'd be such an exemplary Senator and despite a Republican majority, you would single-handedly manage to pass universal health care, verified paper ballots, and universal fair trade all in one session.

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

Cynicism is an ugly trait.

[mopinko]

28. Cynicism is an ugly trait.

pity it is so useful these days.

[bobbolink]

32. got that right! Most people *are* cynical now. That's why many

don't vote.

We can choose to look at it, and understand it, or we can so self-righteously attack "cynical" people and look down our patrician noses at them.

"pity it is so useful these days"

You're so right. :cry: