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HR811 and S1487
A Chance to Make Votes Count,
Editorial, New York Times, Sept. 6, 2007
Audits ,
Cost ,
Disability ,
EAC ,
Sample Flyers/Letters ,
Internet Voting ,
Minorities ,
News ,
PFAW ,
Relevant Links
==New HR811 Clone from Sen. Bill Nelson, Nov. 5, 2007==
Bill Text
New Federal Bill in US Senate
==Managers Version of July 27, 2007==
House Paper-Trail Bill Stalled
What to do when Congress ignores you?
Materials to send to the Rules Committee and all Representatives
News Commentary on Rules Committee process
Text and notes, Managers Version of 7/27/07
Proposed Amendments to HR811
Cost of Paper Ballots, Optical Scanners
Open Letter to the House from WheresThePaper.org
Controversy
Paper ballots in the event of machine failure
YouTube--Holt answers questions on HR811
Commentary on Managers HR811
==May 8, Markup Results==
Committee Report of May 16, 2007
Please send this letter to Congressional Representatives
Why and How to Oppose to HR811
Call Congress, ask for your Representative's office,
and tell them you oppose HR811 unless it is amended to eliminate the problems.
Bill text
Comments on HR811 markup version
Mysterious disappearing section
Holt and Commitee on House Administration
News and commentary
Industry Can't Do It
Co-sponsors
==Flyer, Petition, Sample letters==
What to ask for--Eleven Problems And Solutions
Urgent Call to FAX
Petition - get it signed, send it to your Congressional Representative!
Flyer
Sample Letters to Congress to Amend HR811
Velvet Revolution: Amend HR811
==Cost==
Nancy Tobi
==News==
Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), Chair of House Admin Committee, dies
HR811: Return to paper ballots could be on horizon,
Sacramento Bee, March 23, 2007
NACo
==Relevant Links==
Mark Crispin Miller
VotersUnite
EDS Report--Machines in Use
CALL FOR OPEN HEARINGS
BAN DREs
New York City Council urges use of Paper Ballot/Optical Scanners, and tells why
NAACP
Citizens right to sue to enforce election integrity
Hearings on Voting Systems
CASE Ohio
Election Defense Alliance
Letters to Congress from Secretaries of State
==People for the American Way==
PFAW lies to support HR811. This is the worst condemnation of HR811
that has been produced. If there were true reasons to support the bill,
PFAW would not be supporting it with lies. Why are they supporting it?
Ignorance? Corruption?
Message for PFAW
To send your objections to PFAW, send email to pfaw@pfaw.org
Letters to PFAW
PFAW lies to support Holt bill HR811
PFAW on voting machines Amazingly, they don't understand the issue:
DREs shut out the community from participating in the election as
poll workers, observers, and election staff, and force everyone to
rely on "experts" to figure out if the votes were cast as intended,
and counted as cast.
PFAW discussions of HR811 are so inaccurate--have they done their homework?
Have they ever seen and tried accessible ballot-marking equipment?
They base everything on the paper trail and audits, ignoring the facts:
many voters cannot accurately verify the paper trail, and
votes on paper trails will probably NEVER be audited.
==EAC==
Hearing on EAC, Aug. 2,2007
Hearing on Certification and Standards
EAC should NOT be extended indefinitely
EAC should NOT be extended indefinitely
EAC should be abolished
The EAC's Voting Equipment Certification Program as a Ponzi Scheme,
Nancy Tobi, Democracy for New Hampshire
Halting Holt Thoughts,
Andi Novick, OpEdNews. Info on EAC begins on page 4.
Michael Shamos Testimony to EAC, Oct. 26, 2006,
on DRAFT Procedureal Manual for Voting System Testing and Certification Program.
==Audits==
Audits
Comment by Douglas A. Kellner, Co-Chair, New York State Board of Elections, on HR811 and Doug Lewis' testimony.
==Testimony==
Testimony
Election Technology Council
Doug Lewis of The Election Center, on Audits
Pam Smith of VerifiedVoting, on Audits
Ellen Theisen of VotersUnite, on EAC Failures
Avi Rubin
Coalition of
NACo and NCSL
National Association of Secretaries of States,
http://www.nass.org/
National Association of State Elections Directors
http://www.nased.org/
==Disability==
Relationship of Diebold and National Federation for the Blind,
BlackBoxVoting, June 16, 2004
Computers not needed for handicap Access
Letter from Harriotte Hurie Ranvig to Sen. Kennedy, June 27, 2007
Florida Voters Coalition and Council of the Blind
Promise of accessible voting for voters with disabilities still unfulfilled, new report finds
ACLU of Massachusetts, March 5, 2007
Blind & Disabled Voter Advocates, Groups call for Ban of DREs!,
Bradblog, March 5, 2007
Differently Enabled Call For Both Accessibility And Security,
IEET, March 17, 2007
Misinformed Advocacy Groups support DREs
Video of Jim Dickson being questioned by Rebecca Mercury, December 2003, at a NIST conference. She says that with DREs we would all be blind, and he screams "Then we'd all be equal." The exchange is brief and occurs in the Q/A questioning following Session 3, during which Dickson spoke.
http://realex.nist.gov/votingstandards/
Accessible Voting and Paper Ballot/Ballot Marker/Optical Scan Voting Systems
==Minorities==
PRLDEF, Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc.
support for paper ballots and opposition to DREs, May, 2007.
Voting Machines' Impact on Minority Communities,
report by Teresa Hommel, March 30, 2007
Electronic Voting Machines: New, High-Tech Ways to Disenfranchise African-Americans,
VotersUnite.org, March 30, 2007
2004 and 2006 New Mexico Undervote Rates Plummet in Minority Precincts
when Paper Ballots are Used, Feb. 25, 2007
Wrong Time for an E-vote Glitch,
evidence that DREs can handle minority ballots "differently."
2 DREs accounted for 8% Hispanic and Native American undervotes,
New Mexico, 2004
Palm Beach Parallel Testing Program found lost votes on Spanish ballots,
pages 24-27, November, 2006
==Internet Voting==
Voting via the internet is insecure because the internet itself is insecure.
The security assessment of SERVE, an "experiment" of internet voting that
the Dept. of Defense was planning for 2004 was written for non-specialists,
and has a short executive summary. Although written for SERVE,
the assessment's points are general and apply to any internet voting scheme.
Open Voting Solutions has proposed a system that returns both paper ballots and matching electronic ballots from overseas and military voters, using military
mail and military communications to return votes in time for the original count
on Election Day. Their system would use Open Source software and off the shelf hardware. In their system, the mailed ballots that match the electronic ballots
would arrive in time to be used in recounts as needed. The two ballots would
reinforce security for each other, since it would be difficult to fake each
one in a way that results in an exact match of the two. The system assumes that
a recount occurs and includes a match-up of the electronic and paper ballots.
Another approach would be to provide blank ballots via the internet and then
have voted ballots returned by mail.
HR811 pre-empts states rights to determin how they will handle miliary ballots.
For example, states such as New Hampshire now refuse to accept faxed or
electronic ballots (because it violates the voter's privacy).
HR811 forces states to accept electronic ballots, pre-empting states' rights.
Olde Fashioned Legal Loopholes Allow Rigging of Hi-Tech Elections,
By Howard Stanislevic and John Washburn, January 30, 2007,
includes discussion of internet connections to voting and vote-tabulating
equipment.
==HR811==
HR 811 with 39 embedded comments by Teresa Hommel
Details on proposed amendment to ban e-ballots
Details on proposed amendment to limit the EAC
Details on proposed amendment to ban internet connections to any part of a voting system
Essential Revisions to HR 811. HR 811 has good parts, but needs amending!
Thirteen Issues With The Holt Bill,
Nancy Tobi, Democracy for New Hampshire, 3/3/07.
Amendments needed in HR811 and other bills by Kathy Dopp, uscountvotes.org, 4/5/07.
Beware of the Bandwagon -- Concise list of problems with HR811
by Bev Harris, BlackBoxVoting.org, 2/10/07
Village Independent Democrats
of New York City pass resolution to amend HR811, March 8, 2007
Eleven Problems And Solutions
NACo National Assn of Counties
Halting HR811
==S1487==
Hearing on S1487, the Ballot Integrity Act of 2007
Bill text, S1487, introduced by Senator Feinstein, 5/24/07
This bill has 25 areas of functionality, and does the wrong thing in 24.
Please call your two US Senators and ask them NOT to sponsor these
bills. Please send them these two files:
Model letters to Sponsors
Model letters to Non-sponsors
Comments by Ellen Theisen of VotersUnite
Comment by Kathy Dopp
Comment by VerifiedVotingFoundation.org
Current sponsors, July 6, 2007
==Other Bills==
Holt Bill to Count Provisional Ballots
HR2360,
introduced by Rep. Ehlers, May 17, 2007
One-Page Concept Proposal for Federal Election Reform Legislation,
Kathy Dopp, National Election Data Archive, 3/28/07
Election security through citizen-controlled precincts would disappear with national Vote by Mail. There is documented election theft by Vote by Mail. If the government would illegally spy on its own citizens, or persecute people for their political beliefs, then Vote by Mail would open more possibilities, because Vote by Mail requires signature verification or some sort of identification system. While HR-811 would allow centralization of power under the EAC, another form of centralized power will occur under:
Senator Hillary Clinton's new bill
Federal Legislation on Voting Machines
S804/HR1381
HR6414 of 2006
==Representatives==
House Rules Committee, members and fax numbers
House Leadership:
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH)
Members of the Committee on House Administration
Rep. Juanita Millender-Macdonald (D-CA-37) was Chairwoman until she
passed away 4/22/07.
==Senators==
Committee on Rules and Administration
Committee Chair
Democrats (10, including the Chair)
Ranking Member
Republicans (9 including the Ranking Member)
==Hearings==
Hearing on S1487, the Ballot Integrity Act of 2007
HR811-Managers-Version ,
HR811-Markup ,
HR811-as-introduced ,
VotersUnite.org on HR811
S1487
Sen. Bill Nelson's new bill
Hearings ,
Testimony ,
Representatives ,
Senators ,
Other Bills
Text of new bill S.2295
Sen. Bill Nelson introduces Holt-lookalike but bans DREs as of 2012,
Nov. 1, 2007
Holt Applauds Senators Nelson, Whitehouse for Introducing Companion to his Voting Bill,
Nov. 1, 2007
Nelson and Whitehouse Introduce Bill That Would Prohibit DREs in 2012,
Warren Stewart, Verified Voting, Nov. 1, 2007
House Paper-Trail Bill Stalled for Now, Roll Call, Sept. 20, 2007
House Democratic Leaders Face Tricky Path to Passage of Election Bill,
Congressional Quarterly, CQ Politics.com, Sept. 17, 2007
Will House Leaders Duck Debate on Electronic Voting Compromise?,
Sept. 17, 2007
Democratic Leadership Still 'Out of Touch' on DREs and Holt Bill,
BradBlog, Sept . 17, 2007
Weekly Leader scheduled HR811 floor vote for week of Sept. 14
Send more faxes, make more calls, send more emails!
Talk to your neighbors, tell them about the issue, help them get active!
Contact Congress---ban DREs! Don't pass this bill as is!
Sample letters to fax
Flyer for Congressional Representatives
Tell MoveOn NO!
Microsoft 811
Town meeting, transcript with comments, re Microsoft 811, July 2007
by Mary Ann Gould, host of "Voice of Voters"
House Rules Committee: members, fax numbers
FYI, the Rules Committee has three ways to move a bill forward:
"Closed Rule" (no amendments allowed on the bill),
"Restricted Rule" (only certain amendments will be allowed on the floor for debate),
or "Open Rule" (any amendment can be brought to the bill on the House floor).
Controversy Arises Over Election Reform,
Forbes, Sept. 6, 2007
A Chance to Make Votes Count, New York Times endorses DRE ban.
Editorial, New York Times, Sept. 6, 2007
Securing (Or Not) Your Right to Vote,
Newsweek asks why more electeds aren't defending our elections.
Steven Levy, Newsweek, Sept. 10, 2007
Dems' split over House voting rules spurs chortles from GOP,
The Hill, Sept. 7, 2007
Rules Democrats Revolt On Electronic Voting Bill,
CBS News, The Politico, Sept. 6, 2007
Amendment to Ban/Restrict Touch-screen DREs may be Brought to Holt Bill!,
BradBlog, Sept. 5, 2007
Reps. Hinchey and Lee Now Joined as Co-sponsors of DRE Ban!,
"Endorsers include MoveOn.org, Verified Voting, and VoteTrustUSA. Notably (and embarrassingly) absent in their endorsement is People for the American Way (PFAW), which prefers DREs to paper-based systems, and Common Cause, which seems to follow whatever PFAW wants to do, apparently."
BradBlog, Sept. 7, 2007
Rules Committee Meltdown: Democrats Implode, Express lack of Confidence
in Their Leaders' "Voter Confidence" Bill,
Republican Leader John Boehner makes fun of Democrats and democratic process,
Sept. 6, 2007
Sorting Out Election Reform--Will House Democrats Seize the Opportunity Before Them?, Bob Bancroft, on Bradblog, Sept. 10, 2007
PDF
HTML created by activists
HTML version, changes from Markup version noted, election-reform.org
Fundamental Requirements of HR811 from Rep. Holt's office, Aug. 2007
Analysis of HR811 supporting the bill, by Kathy Dopp, Sept. 3, 2007
Rep. Susan Davis's amendment to HR811 to restrict Use of DREs,
Sept. 5, 2007
Unfunded Mandate Amendment would shift deadlines to 2010
New York Amendment would allow use of lever machines till 2010
Congressional Budget Office assessment of costs,
Sept. 7, 2007
We regret we must oppose this bill, Sept. 4, 2007
Does this language in HR811 require DREs?
Required for 2008, and the paper or plastic option is retained after that.
Holt explains that audits make everything OK
Microsoft 811
Paper or Vapor?
Federalized Elections
Don't Let This Happen To You, flyer for Congresspeople,
from
http://campaignscientific.com/Downloads/DontLetThisHappenToYou.pdf,
undated
Groups Opposing HR811, Sept. 13, 2007
Back to Common Sense Voting, undated
ResponseToNACoConcerns, Sept. 19, 2007
11 state and local organizations reject Holt Bill, Sept. 18, 2007.
These organizations are all supported by corporate members,
including voting machine vendors who don't want their DREs to
be auditable.
Crunch Time for E-voting Reform,
supporting HR811,
by Matt Zimmerman of EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), Sept. 4, 2007.
Microsoft 811 - Safety For Voting Machine Vendors,
Scoop, Sept. 4 2007, Opinion: Michael Collins
Letter to Representatives from NY State from Common Cause, VerifiedVoting.org
and VoteTrustUSA to support HR811
Statement re: Managers Amendment, VerifiedVoting.org, Aug. 1, 2007
HR 811: Separating Truth From Fiction in E-voting Reform,
supporting HR811,
by Matt Zimmerman of EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), June 13, 2007.
This is an important statement of reasons to support HR811,
especially due to the fact that many states still have paperless DREs.
However, the main benefits that he lists
(requiring VVPAT, audits, and software disclosure)
are ways to lessen the dangers of using DREs.
VVPAT would be unnecessary if DREs were not used to
record, cast, store, handle, and count our votes.
With voter-marked paper ballots and optical scanners,
audits and software disclosure are less important because
people can examine and count the ballots, and
run test decks to determine if the scanner is working,
but audits and disclosure are still essential.
MoveOn and HR811 The Holt Bill,
opposing HR811, by Nancy Tobi, DFNH, Sept. 2, 2007
MoveOn and HR811 (the Holt Bill),
by Nancy Tobi, Sept. 2, 2007
Humor (Faux Analysis)
opposing HR811, by Nancy Tobi
The Holt Bill, H.R. 811, and the MoveOn.org "poll"
by Jerry Berkman, Sept. 4, 2007
Support for HR811 by Kathy Dopp
Time Running Out For Voting Reform, New York Times, July 31, 2007
National Assn of Counties Action against HR811, as of Sept. 12, 2007
Report 110-154, May 16, 2007
Letter, May 17, 2007
BradBlog
Mark Crispin Miller
Barbara Simons analyses Mark Crispin Miller's article
Vicky Karp
PDA
Crippling Cost of HR 811 Leaves States Exposed and Defenseless,
Nancy Tobi, July 19, 2007
202-224-3121
800-828-0498 (temporary free number)
800-614-2803 (temporary free number)
Rep. Lofgren's Substitute Bill (includes Capuano amendment)
Bill with embedded comments.
Amendments are needed for 14 problem areas
Full text of HR811 as approved by the Committee
Version that is missing paragraph 13 which requires emergency paper ballots for when DREs fail.
Rep. Holt's Press Release of 5/23/97
Rep. Holt's List of Changes, etc.
Rep. Holt's FAQ on HR811
Rep. Holt's Voting info
Committee on House Administration Press Release
BradBlog,
July 9, 2007
Peace Team,
May 23, 2007
E-Voting Threatens Election Integrity,
American.com, by Timothy B. Lee,
adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, May 23, 2007
Nancy Tobi, Let the Debate Begin,
May 28, 2007
Election Deception: The Truth about H.R. 811 Being
Fast-Tracked Through Congress! Only You can Stop it! ,
Abbe Waldman DeLozier and Vickie Karp, May, 2007.
Film produced by www.bereelproductions.com
Mark Crispin Miller, The Holt bill is a poison pill,
May 22, 2007
David Griscom supports HR811 markup, May 24, 2007
Kathy Dopp supports HR811 markup, May 16, 2007
Kathy Dopp's facts on HR811, May 23, 2007
New York Times editorial supporting Holt Bill, May 16, 2007
VoteTrustUSA on the amended Holt Bill
Holt Bill Clears Committee as Republican Amendments Shot Down,
Republican-oriented reporting from Electionline, May 10, 2007
Congress Takes One Step Forward on Verifiable Voting,
Truthout, May 10, 2007
House waters down e-voting code disclosure rules,
Ars Technica, May 10, 2007
PFAW Press Release
Election Defense Alliance position
PFAW lies to support HR811. This is the worst condemnation of HR811
that has been produced. If there were true reasons to support the bill,
PFAW would not be supporting it with lies. Why are they supporting it?
Ignorance? Corruption?
Election Technology Council says they cannot develop and implement
any new products in time for 2010.
Co-sponsors matter to get the bill before a committee.
Once the bill has gone through the committee process, as HR811 has,
the number of co-sponsors doesn't mean anything.
That's why the names of the original co-sponsors have never been
changed on the list.
html ,
Word doc,
WheresThePaper.org, April 20, 2007
Urgent Call to FAX, Nancy Tobi, Democracy for New Hampshire
Amend HR811 -- petition
HR811 flyer - New York City Congresspeople listed on back -- replace our list with your own!
Amend HR811 by Progressive Democrats of America
Amend or kill HR811 by WheresThePaper.org
Kill or Amend HR811 by Kathy Dopp, March 28, 2007
Ask Congress to Amend HR811 April 5, 2007
Crippling Cost of HR 811 Leaves States Exposed and Defenseless, Nancy Tobi, July 18, 2007
HR811: A Technoelection Dream with a Crippling Cost --
Big ticket items unaccounted for in the HR811 technoelection bill.
By Nancy Tobi, July 13, 2007
Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald dies, Aide Says.
The Hill, April 22, 2007
Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Calif.) has been diagnosed with cancer.
She will take a leave of absence from Congress until May 25.
Rep. Millender-McDonald is chairwoman of the House Administration Committee
where HR811 is under consideration.
The Hill, April 18, 2007
Election officials predict chaos, protest reform bill
The Hill, April 12, s2007
Exposé: Holt bill was revised by Microsoft, Diebold and ES&S
By Mark Crispin Miller, July 11, 2007
VotersUnite.org Resources on HR811
Accessible Interface Doesn't Mean Electronic Ballots
Election Reform in a High-Tech World
VVPAT is not a reliable backup
Details on proposed amendment to ban e-ballots
Details on proposed amendment to limit the EAC
October, 2006.
Open Letter to Congress--hold open hearings before voting on election reform, March 20, 2007
Election Integrity Leaders Say Electronic Ballot Decision Rightfully
Belongs to the People, Not Only Congress, Press Release, Mar. 22, 2007
Why? 27 pages of DRE failures,
Electronic Voting: a Failed Experiment, VotersUnite.org, March 8, 2007
John Edwards says 'yes' to nationwide ban on DREs!,
Bradblog, Mar. 3, 2007.
Avi Rubin's written testimony,
March 7, 2007.
Avi Rubin says DREs should not be used, from his blog of March 7, 2007:
"Finally, I was asked if I thought that a DRE with a paper trail was an adequate voting system. I replied that when I first studied the Diebold DRE in 2003, I felt that a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) provided enough assurance. But, I continued, after four years of studying the issue, I now believe that a DRE with a VVPAT is not a reasonable voting system. The only system that I know of that achieves software independence as defined by NIST, is economically viable and readily available is paper ballots with ballot marking machines for accessibility and precinct optical scanners for counting - coupled with random audits. That is how we should be conducting elections in the US, in my opinion."
Avi Rubin, reported by VoteTrustUSA
Resolution 131-Apassed unanimously March 14, 2007
more info on Res. 131
Expanded Election Reform Legislation introduced,
statement supporting S804/HR1381.
Pending Election Reform in Congress Doesn't Give Citizens Right to Sue,
By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. Posted April 13, 2007.
Committee on House Administration has Ambitious Agenda, Feb. 16, 2007.
Testimony on March 15, 20, and 23 posted at VoteTrustUSA
Elections Subcommittee of House Administration Cmte, March 23, 2007
Comment by Douglas A. Kellner, Co-Chair, New York State Board of Elections, on HR811 and Doug Lewis' testimony.
Doug Lewis Testimony to House Administration Committee, March 20, 2007
See analysis below
Position paper, March 27, 2007.
Organization website
CONGRESS: HR 811 Unsafe for Democracy! Amend or End!
Letters posted on NASS website. NASS itself has not taken a position.
A paper trail that can't be accurately verified by many voters, and might be 3% to 10% recounted, can't substitute for a ballot that voters can mark directly and which will be used for the initial election tallies.
Letter, why vvpat and audits can't replace a real ballot, April 13, 2007
Response to their email with falsehoods, April 14, 2007
Letter by NCvoter: don't twist the facts! Stop supporting DREs!
Protesting PFAW support of DREs
Letter from Marge Acosta, Long Island, NY, April 12, 2007
PFAW continues to Mislead, and use Brad Friedman's name to support their agenda,
Bradblog, April 11, 2007.
PFAW Misleads Americans on Holt Bill and My Position on It,
Bradblog, April 9, 2007.
Statement by CHA Chair Robert A. Brady on Oversight Hearing on the EAC
Press Release
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Jon Greenbaum, Director, Testimony
Field Hearing in New York City, May 7, 2007,
held by the House of Representatives
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives.
The EAC Gopher Bash,
by Nancy Tobi, April 14, 2007
GAO Report: All Levels of Government Need to Address E-Voting Challenges,
Highlights of GA0-07-576T
EAC has failed its mission,
Testimony of Ellen Theisen on EAC performance, March 13, 2007
EAC: political, secretive, unresponsive to citizen concerns, protective of vendor and ITA interests.
It should not be given more duties or extended life unless it is
restructured and brought under public control.
WhyTheEACMustBeAbolished.pdf,
Nancy Tobi, Democracy for New Hampshire, March 20, 2007
Testimony of Pamela Smith, President, VerifiedVoting.org
Before the Committee on House Administration,
Subcommittee on Elections U.S. House of Representatives
March 20, 2007
Olde Fashioned Legal Loopholes Allow Rigging of Hi-Tech Elections,
By Howard Stanislevic and John Washburn, January 30, 2007
Brennan Center Thoughts on Mandatory Audits,
although this document supports a tiered audit approach,
it uses only "margin of victory" as the trigger for audit size,
without considering the number of votes cast
(see Kathy Dopp's "Critical changes are needed to Holt HR811," page 3).
Howard Stanislevic blog on audits.
Doug Lewis Testimony to House Administration Committee, March 20, 2007
For organizations like PFAW which say DREs are ok because we can
audit them, Doug Lewis' testimony should warn them that they are pushing for
reliance on something that will be resisted and in many cases not happen.
Doug Lewis' 8-page testimony gives 16 reasons why audits should not be done
and HR811 should not be passed. Consider, as you read his testimony or the
notes below, whether "election professionals" will
obey the law
if it requires audits that they don't want to do.
1. HR811 calls for audits, but this will lengthen the time to close an election,
and add significantly to the cost of elections. Almost 70% of states
do not audit their evoting equipment in the way HR811 would mandate.
2. What is an audit? Should you audit as a matter of comman practice,
when questions are raised, or when there is a close election?
a. Canvass Audits. Many election officials believe that they are auditing
when they canvass the vote (compare the number of voters to the number
of ballots, and cross-check their various reports to make sure the numbers
were recorded accurately.
This is always done, and open to public observation.
b. Recounts as audits. When a contested election causes the ballots to be
handled and the votes counted again, this is triggered only by a small margin
of victory or a court. This would not be an ongoing regular cost.
c. Audits of Voting Equipment, to reach a confidence level. This can
be done once for all races, or only for a selection of races.
Humans can't count as accurately as machines, and hand counts cause
many problems.
d. Audits by outside agencies, such as HR811 calls for.
This is HR811's worst idea. Live ballots should not be turned over to
anyone. Only electon officials know how to protect ballots, and how to
handle problems with ballots. Election officials don't want to be
responsible for ballots that have not remained in their possession.
Will election officials retain control of the ballots when outside
auditors access them? Who will pay for the outside auditors?
Only election officials are neutral and not partisan.
Outside audits have potential to drag elections past reasonableness,
and could cause a Presidential election to end up before the Supreme Court
again, going beyond the time when the Electoral College must meet.
3. If HR811 mandates audits, it should let the states determine how they
will audit.
4. HR811's requirements would be a nightmare because:
--the election would never end,
--voters need and want to know the results,
--election officials would have to do more than one audit,
--voters would think votes were being manipulated because audits take time
--candidates want immediate results
5. "When anything gets too complicated, it breaks more often."
The law should require "confidence" but not "audits."
6. DREs can't be audited argument:
So far every jurisdiction that has tried human recounts of paper
records produced by DREs found it took longer to complete than any other
form of voting. It is difficult and a slow, grinding process.
The solution would be to automate the recount of the VVPAT (ie, avoid
hand-to-eye recounts).
7. Computers are honest and accurate argument (quoted verbatim here):
"We tend to forget why we moved to voting equipment. It is more accurate.
It is more difficult to manipulate--despite the allegations to the
contrary. It counts faster. Machines make fewer errors, humans make many."
Note that he does not say "electronic voting equipment." This statement
MAY be true for mechanical lever voting machines, designed in the 1890s,
but it is not true of computerized voting machines, which are simple
to manipulate for anyone who can click a mouse, and the accuracy of
which has never been demonstrated by audit of any election whatsoever.
8. HR811 has unrealistic timetables, and changing takes more time.
9. Security of voting systems should be accomplished not by audits but
by having the EAC and HIST develop methods.
10. HR811 would force 27 states to scrap their DREs, and "we're told"
that nothing currently manufactured as a DRE can comply.
11. Early in-person voting and Vote Centers (aka Super Precincts)
cannot be done without DREs. (He never heard of Ballot-on-Demand systems).
12. Our elections are fine as is, and voters have confidence now.
13. You Congresspeople got elected, so the system obviously works.
14. We should avoid too much change on top of the changes we already
are working on: statewide voter registration databases, provisional
voting processes, accessible voting for the disabled, centralization
of administration at the state level.
15. HAVA made local jurisdictions pay increased costs for elections
for the foreseeable future, nearly a billion per election cycle,
far more than the $300 million authorized by HR811.
16. Congress should not specify changes, practices, implementation,
and deadlines. Congress should just require "fairness, transparency,
auditability, security and what it wants the process to do for voters."
Let the state figure out how to accomplish it. Congress should not
assume that it knows more about administering elections than
state and local election professionals, who make it work even when
some groups and individuals vilify their efforts and dedication.
Testimony on March 15, 20, and 23 posted at VoteTrustUSA
Position Paper, undated, appears to be from February, 2007
Voting Machine Companies to Congress-ALL YOUR VOTES BELONG TO US,
by Joyce McCloy, OpEdNews, March 29, 2007:
Amending HAVA will hurt voting machine companies,
audits will provide an inconvenient truth,
and banning the toilet-paper-roll-vvpat will leave us with unsold inventory.
Doug Lewis Testimony to House Administration Committee, March 20, 2007
analysis
Testimony of Pamela Smith, President, VerifiedVoting.org
Before the Committee on House Administration,
Subcommittee on Elections U.S. House of Representatives
March 20, 2007
EAC has failed its mission,
Testimony of Ellen Theisen on EAC performance, March 13, 2007
Avi Rubin's written testimony,
March 7, 2007.
Council of State Governments
National Association of Counties
National Association of Secretaries of State
National Conference of State Legislatures
Letter on Legislative Principles, March 16, 2007
NASS collection of letters and testimonies to Congress
NASS summary, testimony, House Admin Committee, March 23, 2007
Natl Assn of Counties and Natl Conference of State Legislatures
urge Congress to oppose federal election reform, March 19, 2007
Handicapped Access to Mark-Sense Ballots,
Douglas W. Jones, U. of Iowa, patented design for non-computerized
device for voters with disabilities to mark and verify a paper ballot.
Strategic Alliance formed, May 16, 2007
Press release, from VoterAction.org
Report, by Noel Runyan, Feb. 14, 2007,
published by VoterAction.org and Demos
AAPD is a longtime proponent of paperless electronic voting,
and have accepted donations from vendors.
NDRN
CCD
NYVV on accessibility, April 13, 2006
Press Release.
Voting Machine Mess-up,
Paper trail showed the machine missed votes in Spanish.Aug. 14-15, 2004.
==Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007==
Graphic--HR 811 with and without an amendment to ban DREs
Impact of an HR 811 Amendment to Ban Electronic Ballots, VotersUnite
Critical changes are needed by Kathy Dopp, uscountvotes.org, 2/9/07.
html ,
Word doc,
WheresThePaper.org, April 16, 2007
NACo Says Voter Confidence Bill Will Destroy Confidence, March 27, 2007.
Also, Ray Feikert, commissioner, Holmes County, Ohio, said that HAVA
has doubled and tripled the costs of running elections in counties across the country.
Halting Holt Thoughts, includes details on EAC,
OpEdNews, March 22, 2007
Action Alert! Amend HR811--contact your members of Congress ASAP, OpEdNews
Alliance for Democracy opposes HR811 unless it is amended
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, July 25, 2007, testimony
Recorded audio coverage in segments
Recorded audio coverage--one big MP3 file 43MB
Question: Does Senator Hagel still own part of ES&S? Is it a conflict of
interest for him to participate in writing election reform legislation
after he was a stakeholder in the company?
Comment on upcoming hearing by Mary Ann Gould
Statement
submitted by Teresa Hommel of WheresThePaper.org
for the official record of the July 25, 2007, hearing on S1487
by the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee.
Senator Feinstein's Press Release
S1487 with Comments embedded in the bill text by Teresa Hommel
S1487--What does it do? Why is it Wrong? What to do about it!
Takes you step by step through the bill, by Teresa Hommel
NYVV
Letter to Sen. Clinton (HTML format)
Short Letter to Sen. Clinton (MS-Word format)
Short Letter to Sen. Clinton (RTF format)
NYVV
Letter to Sen. Schumer (HTML format)
Short Letter to Sen. Schumer (MS-Word format)
Short Letter to Sen. Schumer (RTF format)
21 Amendment Suggestions by Kathy Dopp
Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] - 6/27/2007
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 6/11/2007
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 5/24/2007
Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] - 5/24/2007
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] - 5/24/2007
Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] - 5/24/2007
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] - 5/24/2007
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] - 5/24/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 5/24/2007
Sen Obama, Barack [IL] - 5/24/2007
Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] - 5/24/2007
Press Release, Nov. 9, 2007
House Republican statement on Ehlers bill
HR281, Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act, would allow voters to vote by mail for any reason.
here, but note it is posted on the website of LCCR, long-time
proponent of paperless electronic voting.
FederalElectionReform.com
Who is Supporting/Opposing Current Election Reform Legislation?,
OpEdNews, by Kathy Dopp, March 25, 2007
Count Every Vote Act
introduced by Senator Hillary Clinton (NY) and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH), S804/HR1381 builds on the Help America Vote Act
to further protect voting rights and improve administration of Federal
elections. The bill would
establish a national Federal write-in absentee ballot;
require same-day registration in all 50 states;
allow voters to verify their vote prior to casting a ballot
either through written, pictorial, audio or electronic verification;
ban internet connections to Election Mgmt System servers;
make the VVPAT the ballot of record for all audits and recounts in federal
elections.
Bill would enable citizens to observe elections
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
http://speaker.house.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-4965
Fax: (202) 225-4188
http://www.majorityleader.gov/
Phone: (202) 225-4131
Fax: (202) 225-4300
http://republicanleader.house.gov/
Phone: (202)225-4000
Fax: (202)225-5117
Democrats, Fax Number 202-225-7664
Rep. Robert A. Brady (D-PA 1st), CHAIRMAN,
. . Phone: (202) 225-4731
. . Fax: (202) 225-0088
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA 16th)
. . Phone: (202) 225-3072
. . Fax: (202) 225-3336
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA 8th)
. . Phone: (202) 225-5111
. . Fax: (202) 225-9322
Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez (D-TX 20th)
. . Phone: (202) 225-3236
. . Fax: (202) 225-1915
Rep. Susan A. Davis (D-CA 53rd)
. . Phone: (202) 225-2040
. . Fax: (202) 225-2948
Republicans, Fax Number 202-225-9957
Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI 3rd) RANKING MEMBER
. . Phone: (202) 225-3831
. . Fax: (202) 225-5144
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA 3rd)
. . Phone: (202) 225-5716
. . Fax: (202) 226-1298
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA 22nd)
. . Phone: (202) 225-2915
. . Fax: (202) 225-2908
Address: 305 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-6352 Fax: (202) 228-2401
Website:
http://rules.senate.gov
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (DEM-CA)
Sen. Christopher Dodd (DEM-CT)
Sen. Robert Byrd (DEM-WV)
Sen. Daniel Inouye (DEM-HI)
Sen. Charles Schumer (DEM-NY)
Sen. Richard Durbin (DEM-IL)
Sen. Ben Nelson (DEM-NE)
Sen. Harry Reid (DEM-NV)
Sen. Patty Murray (DEM-WA)
Sen. Mark Pryor (DEM-AR)
Sen. Robert Bennett (REP-UT)
Sen. Ted Stevens (REP-AK)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (REP-KY)
Sen. Thad Cochran (REP-MS)
Sen. Trent Lott (REP-MS)
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (REP-GA)
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (REP-TX)
Sen. Chuck Hagel (REP-NE)
Sen. Lamar Alexander (REP-TN)
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, July 25, 2007, testimony
Recorded audio coverage in segments
Recorded audio coverage--one big MP3 file 43MB