sunshinekathy
03-27-2009, 02:00 PM
The “Voter Confidence & Increased Accessibility Act of 2009” (VC Bill)
Please Vote "YES" to the "Holt" bill here so that PDA will officially endorse federal election reform:
http://blog.pdamerica.org/2009/03/holt-bill-yes-or-no/
BENEFICIAL FEATURES OF HOLT'S VOTER CONFIDENCE BILL
* Requires voter-marked paper ballots
-Replaces all paperless voting systems by 2010
-Requires voter-marked paper ballots at all polling locations by 2010
-Requires voter-marked paper ballot voting systems by 2016
* Gives individuals a private right of legal action to file complaints about violations
* Requires manually counting the ballots in 3, 5, or 10% of all precincts in post-election audits, allowing and giving incentives for using a more scientific alternative mechanism for conducting post-election audits that are approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
-Requires the entity conducting the audit to meet the GAO independence standard
* Unlike today’s DRE voting machines, the Voter Confidence bill requires ballot secrecy
* Makes Paper ballots the official ballot and the true and correct record of votes cast and says that in the event of damaged paper ballots the electronic tally may not be the sole basis
* Requires recounts of Federal elections to count ballots by hand
* Includes absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters in all requirements
* Requires accessible paper ballot verification for voters with disabilities
* Requires public disclosure of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) test protocols, all communications with the vendors, and to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the results of the testing
* Requires public disclosure of voting system technology (w/ a NDA) to “government entities with responsibility for the administration of voting and election-related matters”, “a party to pre- or post-election litigation challenging the result of an election or the administration or the use of the technology…”, “a person who reviews, analyzes, or reports on the technology solely for an academic, scientific, technological, or other investigation or inquiry concerning the accuracy or integrity of the technology.”
* Requires that any technology developed under its grants are non-proprietary public property, including
- a study overseen by the National Science Foundation (NSF) of accessible ballot verification for voters whose primary language is not English and for voters with disabilities
- research for development of “election-dedicated voting system software”.
* Decentralizes Power Over Elections, Giving it to Local Jurisdictions by:
- Prohibits the use of election-dedicated voting systems not certified by the State
- Requires States to reimburse local jurisdictions for costs for conforming to the requirements (Thus removing the ability of States to force all jurisdictions to purchase the same voting system)
* Prohibits wireless communications devices in voting systems
* Prohibits Internet voting
* Requires public disclosure of secure chain of custody for ballots and machines
* Prohibits conflicts of interest of Federal testing labs & establishes a process for voting system testing to meet Federal Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSGs)
* Requires the EAC to promptly notify Congress, State election officials, and the public when a testing laboratory accreditation is revoked, suspended or restored or experiences a security failure
* Funds the replacement of voting systems in non-conforming precincts
----------------------
For exact quotes from the bill and a link to the bill see:
http://electionmathematics.org/em-legislation/2009-federal/AnalysisHoltElectionAudit2009-2.pdf
The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act would provide more voting rights and more election transparency than American’s have had in US history.
Please do not be misled by the forces that oppose federal election reform. Urge Congress to increase the transparency and verifiable accuracy of US elections and to increase the . Support this critically important bill that will ensure that voters determine who takes Federal office.
Please Vote "YES" to the "Holt" bill here so that PDA will officially endorse federal election reform:
http://blog.pdamerica.org/2009/03/holt-bill-yes-or-no/
BENEFICIAL FEATURES OF HOLT'S VOTER CONFIDENCE BILL
* Requires voter-marked paper ballots
-Replaces all paperless voting systems by 2010
-Requires voter-marked paper ballots at all polling locations by 2010
-Requires voter-marked paper ballot voting systems by 2016
* Gives individuals a private right of legal action to file complaints about violations
* Requires manually counting the ballots in 3, 5, or 10% of all precincts in post-election audits, allowing and giving incentives for using a more scientific alternative mechanism for conducting post-election audits that are approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
-Requires the entity conducting the audit to meet the GAO independence standard
* Unlike today’s DRE voting machines, the Voter Confidence bill requires ballot secrecy
* Makes Paper ballots the official ballot and the true and correct record of votes cast and says that in the event of damaged paper ballots the electronic tally may not be the sole basis
* Requires recounts of Federal elections to count ballots by hand
* Includes absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters in all requirements
* Requires accessible paper ballot verification for voters with disabilities
* Requires public disclosure of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) test protocols, all communications with the vendors, and to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the results of the testing
* Requires public disclosure of voting system technology (w/ a NDA) to “government entities with responsibility for the administration of voting and election-related matters”, “a party to pre- or post-election litigation challenging the result of an election or the administration or the use of the technology…”, “a person who reviews, analyzes, or reports on the technology solely for an academic, scientific, technological, or other investigation or inquiry concerning the accuracy or integrity of the technology.”
* Requires that any technology developed under its grants are non-proprietary public property, including
- a study overseen by the National Science Foundation (NSF) of accessible ballot verification for voters whose primary language is not English and for voters with disabilities
- research for development of “election-dedicated voting system software”.
* Decentralizes Power Over Elections, Giving it to Local Jurisdictions by:
- Prohibits the use of election-dedicated voting systems not certified by the State
- Requires States to reimburse local jurisdictions for costs for conforming to the requirements (Thus removing the ability of States to force all jurisdictions to purchase the same voting system)
* Prohibits wireless communications devices in voting systems
* Prohibits Internet voting
* Requires public disclosure of secure chain of custody for ballots and machines
* Prohibits conflicts of interest of Federal testing labs & establishes a process for voting system testing to meet Federal Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSGs)
* Requires the EAC to promptly notify Congress, State election officials, and the public when a testing laboratory accreditation is revoked, suspended or restored or experiences a security failure
* Funds the replacement of voting systems in non-conforming precincts
----------------------
For exact quotes from the bill and a link to the bill see:
http://electionmathematics.org/em-legislation/2009-federal/AnalysisHoltElectionAudit2009-2.pdf
The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act would provide more voting rights and more election transparency than American’s have had in US history.
Please do not be misled by the forces that oppose federal election reform. Urge Congress to increase the transparency and verifiable accuracy of US elections and to increase the . Support this critically important bill that will ensure that voters determine who takes Federal office.