Genevieve Cervera

Testimony before the Commissioners

of the Board of Elections in the City of New York

I am pleased to be here today to speak before you. Thank you for holding this hearing.

I urge you to select paper ballots and optical scanners for New York’s new election equipment.

There are too many unanswered questions about computerized voting, and we would be wise to avoid spending our money for equipment that has not proven itself to be trustworthy and reliable.

From secret software to unexplained “glitches” electronic voting has created doubts and irregularities, lawsuits and disrespect for our elections and our elected government.

We would be safer with paper ballots marked directly by voters.

Every warehouse has to protect its inventory. Every bank has to protect its paper money. I believe that paper ballots can be protected, and I urge you to confer with warehouse and banking experts to devise procedures and methods for protecting paper ballots.

Computers are another story. No one has built a computer that cannot be compromised. From insider tampering to innocent errors, we will never know where the next mysterious “glitch” came from. We will have the same chaos that other jurisdictions have had.

Please do not consider DRE direct recording electronic voting machines for New York. Please select the simplest possible voting equipment, paper ballots and optical scanners, with accessible ballot marking devices for voters who need assistance.