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Committee on House Administration

Republican Office * Vernon J. Ehlers, Ranking Member

Press Releases:: July 17, 2007

Voting Machine Vendors Warn Congress About H.R. 811’s Dangerous and Unrealistic Timeframes

The Electronic Technology Council Warn Congress About Unrealistic Timetables Included in The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007 (H.R. 811)

Today, Vernon Ehlers, (R-MI), Ranking Republican for the Committee on House Administration, received a letter from the Electronic Technology Council (ETC) expressing concern with the unrealistic timetables included in the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007 (H.R. 811).

In the letter, the Council stressed the need for Congress to provide more realistic timetables for vendors and states to successfully implement the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) requirements in H.R. 811. “These provisions constitute new product development and, as such, would need 54 months for proper research, development and implementation.” As currently written, H.R. 811 would give states a mere 16 months to fully comply, a timeframe that could have catastrophic effects on the outcome of the 2008 Presidential elections.

In addition to the unrealistic timetables, the ETC also cited additional problems with H.R. 811 including lack of accountability for disclosure agreements, overly prescriptive auditing requirements, and the unnecessary elimination of reel-to-reel printers as part of a VVPAT component. The Council also provided a thorough analysis highlighting their concerns with H.R. 811, and a detailed explanation of the 54 month development timetable.

The ETC is a trade association that represents voting machine vendors that produce over 90% of voting systems employed in the United States.

For more information, please contact the Committee press office at (202) 225-8281.