Keep Electronic Voting out of NY State!

 

 

BAD -- Electronic voting (called DREs or touchscreens)

 

·        Long waiting lines -- not enough machines

·        Confusing to voters and poll workers

·        Low turn-out due to cynicism, especially after election outcomes that are obviously wrong but “that’s what the computer says”

·        Privatization of public elections – secret software -- equipment that elections staff, poll workers, voters, and observers don’t understand

·        Invisible votes – voters can’t see their own legal ballot in the computer

·        Invisible vote storage, handling, & counting – observers are shut out

·        Easy to target minority voters for “lost” votes

 

 

GOOD -- Paper Ballots/Optical Scanners (called PBOS)

 

·        Never a waiting line – scanning takes seconds

·        Irregularities/malfunctions easy to discover, understand, prove, recount

·        Paper is easy to secure -- with political will and community involvement

·        Voters mark their own easy-to-understand ballot (like a lottery ticket)

·        Observers can witness proper storage, handling, and counting

·        Costs less - 1/3 of touchscreens for initial purchase and continuing use – won’t take tax money away from community needs

·        Everyone votes on the same kind of ballot – minorities not identifiable

 

 

Get the facts!  Take a position!  Protect the vote!

 

1. Pass a resolution for PBOS (samples www.wheresthepaper.org/ny.html#OrgReso) Send it to

a.       County election commissioners, county leaders:  Choose PBOS

b.      Gov. Spitzer, state assemblymembers & senators:  Pass Assemblywoman Galef’s A5170

c.       Speaker Christine Quinn, all city council members:  Thank you for passing Res. 131

d.      Congresspeople, US Senators:  Amend HR811, ban DREs, mandate PBOS

e.       Mayor Bloomberg: Learn why e-voting is wrong, Endorse PBOS

f.        Local newspapers, community groups: inform and activate others

2. Subscribe:   New York Voting News from NYVV.org -- email  contact@NYVV.org

Daily Voting News from VotersUnite.org -- email  jgideon@votersunite.org

3. Learn the issue: briefings for leadership; training sessions for members or staff.

4. Join or contribute to the effort – honorarium to speakers, designate a lobbyist, ???

 

More info:  www.nyvv.org  www.WheresThePaper.org  www.lwvny.org  www.VotersUnite.org     4/2/07

Flyer:  www.wheresthepaper.org,  contact Teresa Hommel,  212 228-3803,  admin at wheresthepaper.org