Peter S. Kosinski, Co-Executive Director

Stanley L. Zalen, Co-Executive Director

Commissioner Evelyn J. Aquila

Commissioner Helena Moses Donohue

Commissioner Neil W. Kelleher, Co-Chair

Commissioner Douglas A. Kellner, Co-Chair

New York State Board of Elections

40 Steuben Street

Albany, New York 12207

Dear Co-Executive Directors, Co-Chairs, and Commissioners,

Thank you for applying strict standards to electronic voting equipment seeking certification in New York.

I urge you to continue your diligence and to apply the most stringent standards as carefully as possible. New York was wise to require voting machines to meet the 2005 federal guidelines, and we should apply these standards rigorously.

New York may be the first state to actually examine computerized voting equipment carefully. We should set the highest standards and provide leadership to our whole country by doing this. Hundreds of election irregularities have been caused by computerized equipment that fails during elections and is not manageable and easy to use by election staff, poll workers, or voters.

It won't do our state any good to certify equipment that does not work. We should not let our counties buy and use machines that are easily corrupted by innocent and malicious errors.

Please do not cut corners on our democracy!

Yours truly,