We finally got a paper ballot law for our state, but Iowans must step up ensure that the 2008 Presidential election is not decided by tens of millions of votes that cannot be verified or truly recounted.
Last Friday, Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the Ballot Integrity Act of 2007 (no bill number yet), which will require that all voting systems used in federal elections offer a voter-verified paper record- by 2010. The bill will also require equally important routine hand audits of the paper records – by 2010. Among the bills cosponsors are Senators Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, and Barack Obama.
The Ballot Integrity Act will likely be treated as a companion to Rep. Rush Holt’s bill HR 811, a bill which is very near to a full House vote, so the prospects of a conference committee this summer are strong. HR 811 has a 2008 deadline for paper records and audits.
There is good stuff in the Senate bill, but 2010 is too late as a deadline. Unless federal or state legislation changes things, 13 states are likely to use paperless electronic voting, either exclusively or extensively, in the 2008 election. Among those states are Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and South Carolina.
That’s tens of millions of votes, dependent entirely on the correctness of software. What a risky and foolish gamble, in the wake of a drumbeat of security reports, a comprehensive analysis by a task force of top computer scientists, and vote-altering glitches in recent elections.
Paperless electronic voting is an idea whose time should never have come, and is on its not so glorious way out.
So why are the Senators going for a 2010 deadline? It’s simple: they don’t want to put election officials through a major change of equipment in a year’s time. That is an understandable motive, but states have proven that it can be done in less than a year! Florida is going to prove it by November 2008. New Mexico, Connecticut, and North Carolina implemented major overhauls in voting equipment in a matter or months.
A task as important making the vote accountable can be done by November 2008.
That’s where you come in. Let Senator Clinton, Senator Dodd, and Senator Obama know that we must have a verifiable election in 2008 (after thanking them for sponsoring a bill with worthy goals!) Let then know you are from Iowa, of course, and that you believe the Ballot Integrity Act must have a deadline of November 2008.
Phone calls are probably most effective, but e-mails help as well. And Senate offices should be contacted first; campaign offices come second. If you see them at Iowa campaign functions, raise the issue!
America cannot afford another Presidential election that leaves doubt about the outcome in the minds of millions of voters.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Senator Hillary Clinton
Senate Office:
Phone (202) 224-4451
Presidential Campaign Office:
Senator Christopher Dodd:
Senate Office:
Phone (202) 224-2823
Campaign Office:
Senator Barack Obama:
Senate Office:
Phone (202) 224-2854
Campaign Office:
2 Comments
thanks for posting
This is obviously a huge issue. You are right that the routine hand audits are crucial.
Given the typical speed of the legislative process, however, I am skeptical that this bill could be passed and implemented in time for next year.
desmoinesdem Wed 30 May 11:20 PM
It has to pass soon, yes
But when states have done this in a matter of months, it is entirely feasible. Legislatively, tt’s going to be a big fight, but the leadership in the House and the Senate want this to pass, so it will be acted on soon. We have to keep the pressure on; as long as we do, there is a chance for 2008.
If we don’t do everything we can to make this happen by 2008, how will we feel on the morning of Wednesday November 5, 2008
when tens of millions of votes were nothing more than 1s and 0s?
sean-flaherty Wed 30 May 11:41 PM