Resolution Related to Program Requiring a Voter-Verifiable Paper Ballot or Paper Record with Electronic Voting Systems

passed on June 12, 2006 in national convention

Whereas:

Some LWVs have had difficulty applying the SARA Resolution (Secure, Accurate, Recountable and Accessible) passed at the last Convention, and

Whereas:

Paperless electronic voting systems are not inherently secure, can malfunction, and do not provide a recountable audit trail,

Therefore be it resolved that:

The position on the Citizens' Right to Vote be interpreted to affirm that LWVUS supports only voting systems that are designed so that:

a) they employ a voter-verifiable paper ballot or other paper record, said paper being the official record of the voter's intent; and

b) the voters can verify, either by eye or with the aid of suitable devices for those who have impaired vision, that the paper ballot/record accurately reflects his or her intent; and

c) such verification takes place while the voter is still in the process of voting; and

d) the paper ballot/record is used for audits and recounts; and

e) the vote totals can be verified by an independent hand count of the paper ballot/record; and

f) routine audits of the paper ballot/record in randomly selected precincts can be conducted in every election, and the results published by the jurisdiction.