Supporting Resolution 131 to be voted out of the Governmental Operations Committee for a vote by the City Council
I am happy to express my appreciation for
this hearing you are conducting.
I am Pamella Farley, Professor Emerita of
Brooklyn College, CUNY.
I advocate that we use voter-marked paper ballots rather than computer-marked electronic ballots.
First, there is a difference between a
paper trail which is used to spot-check electronic ballots and tallies, and a
voter-marked paper ballot which can be REcounted.
Second, we know from failures of electronic
voting machines already in use around our country that these machines are not
adequate. We have evidence
already. Standards were not established
when these machines were designed and manufactured and purchased. Certification
is not properly carried out.
It now appears that the Election Assistance
Commission waited until after the November, 2006, election to let the public
know that the Ciber testing laboratory may have failed to enforce even what
federal standards exist. This is the lab that has certified approximately 70%
of the voting systems in this country, and that New York State hired to evaluate
equipment for New York State certification.
The list of problems with the present
set-up is too long for one person to recount, so I would ask you to heed the
voices of people who say we have too many doubts and we need to preserve a
first-hand voter-marked paper ballot to preserve our democratic rights to a
fair voting process.
In the Netherlands electronic voting
machines were removed from use in elections because they wanted to avoid even
the appearance of using equipment whose radio waves might be interfered
with. They didn’t think anyone was
interfering; but they didn’t want to lose popular confidence in the electoral
process by using equipment the public had doubts about.
We shouldn’t either. Please pass Resolution
131 out of committee.