FFor Release: Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Contact:
Frank Sobrino, Press Secretary
O: (212) 669-4193
Statement by Public
Advocate Betsy Gotbaum
for New York City Board of Elections Hearing
I
want to thank the Board of Elections and Commissioner Ravitz for holding this
public hearing.
As
the City’s Public Advocate and as a member of the Voters’ Assistance
Commission, I am disappointed by the State’s failure to ensure that the
promises made in the Help America Vote Act come to fruition.
Regrettably,
New York State’s slow implementation has led us to where we are today. HAVA
passed in 2002, but it took a federal Department of Justice order for the State
to accommodate persons with disabilities this past election cycle, and to
finally compel the State to go forward with replacing the machines.
While
the City’s Board of Elections has done an admirable job given the constraints,
we should all be ashamed that our state is the last one in the country implementing
this federal law.
Now,
with new questions emerging about Ciber Inc.’s ability to evaluate new voting
machines, our deadline to select these machines by March 7 is fast approaching.
The slow decision-making process by the State has led us down a road where we
stand to lose millions in federal dollars. The State Board of Elections’
inability to have machines certified in a timely manner has harmed our city’s
ability to make decisions in the most prudent fashion.
Let
me be clear – this decision will impact the outcome of every single election
from the time these machines are installed.
We
cannot disenfranchise the poor, the elderly, the disabled, minorities, or those
with language barriers. The wrong choice will have the potential to
disproportionately affect those groups and dramatically reduce the trust all
New Yorkers have placed in us as elected and appointed officials.
We
must select the machines with the best chance of truly capturing every vote
cast, protecting the integrity and security of our votes and preserving the
fundamental right to vote.
We
must select the best technology available – the precinct-based paper ballot
optical scanners. It is abundantly clear that the touch-screen voting machines
– the Direct Recording Electronic machines – should not be used in our city.
My
friends at New York University’s Brennan Center, the League of Women Voters,
the New York Public Interest Research Group and New Yorkers for Verified Voting
all have shown in their diligent research that undercounting is greatly reduced
by optical scanners. The evidence clearly shows that DREs cost more and fail to
count a much larger percentage of votes than optical scanners.
Voters
have to know that their votes are verifiable and can be independently
validated. Only optical scan machines can accomplish this goal and leave a
vital paper trail.
The
price tag is also a major concern. DREs are prohibitively expensive.
Furthermore many more DREs would be required to service voters, especially at
peak voting times. If DREs are selected, the ratio of people per voting machine
must be lowered to ensure that all people can get a chance to vote, and not be
turned off, or turned away, because of long lines. The ratio may be as low as
150 people per DRE, with one lever machine replaced by three DREs. Optical
scanners allow many more voters to simultaneously vote in private booths, and
have their votes processed and would likely prevent a voting bottleneck, long
wait times, and long lines.
It
is not just the machines we select, but the quality and quantity of the
training of our poll workers, the training and informational materials that the
BOE prepares, and our collective effort to disseminate public information that
will ensure a proper transfer from the old outdated lever machines to the next
generation of voting machines. I look forward to working with all of you to
accomplish this vital goal.
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