Paper Ballots for NY - Call the HAVA conference committee
(one more time)
After four weeks of inaction, the HAVA conference committee
has finally agreed to meet again. Last week, the Senate signed the certificate
reauthorizing the conference committee, and they are expected to meet early
this week to resolve the outstanding issues - voter verification and voting
machines.
Even with strong support for Paper Ballots/Optical Scan
(PBOS) system among many members, the
HAVA conference committee seems reluctant to call for outright adoption of this
highly reliable, auditable, accessible, and cost effective voting system. But
by not requiring it now, the committee will essentially punt the voting machine
decision to the State Board of Elections. And if that happens, we're facing
many more months of fighting to keep touch screen voting machines out of our
polling places.
So, I'm asking you to call each of the ten members of the
conference committee early this week and tell them that New Yorkers want to
vote on paper ballots and precinct based optical scanners.
--Call them and tell them to adopt PBOS, saving New York
over 116 million dollars in acquisition costs.
--Call them and tell them to adopt PBOS, so that we have
paper ballots for recounts, and won't have to rely on flawed, unauditable touch
screen machines.
--Call them and tell them to adopt PBOS, so that NY will
have a proven voting system that is used in 30% of the counties in the US, and
will last 15+ years without need for replacement.
Even if you've called or written before, please do so again.
Call as early in the week as you can, as a decision may be reached within the
next few days.
We're going to continue our fight for reliable voting
equipment no matter what happens, but right now, for the HAVA conference
committee and our Paper Ballots for NY campaign this is our last chance, last
dance.
Phone numbers are below. Please call today.
Thanks,
Bo Lipari
The Senate Members:
John J. Flanagan, Chair, Senate Elections Committee
518-455-2071
Nicholas Spano
518-455-2231
Serphin Maltese
518-455-3281
Martin Dilan
518-455-2177
George Maziarz
Phone: 518-455-2024
The Assembly Members:
Keith Wright, Chair, Assembly Election Law Committee
518-455-4793
RoAnn Destito
518-455-5454
Kevin Cahill
518-455-4436
Helene Weinstein
518-455-5462
Fred W. Thiele Jr.
518-455-5997