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Thanks for keeping us current on Rush Holt's initiative, Nick. I've updated Nick's links so they appear right in the text of his diary - promoted by Rosi
From today's NYTimes (emphases added):
"Electronic voting machines that do not produce a paper record of every vote cast cannot be trusted. In 2008, more than one-third of the states, including New Jersey and Texas, still did not require all votes to be recorded on paper. Representative Rush Holt has introduced a good bill that would ban paperless electronic voting in all federal elections. Congress should pass it while there is still time to get ready for 2010.
In paperless electronic voting, voters mark their choices, and when the votes have all been cast, the machine spits out the results. There is no way to be sure that a glitch or intentional vote theft - by malicious software or computer hacking - did not change the outcome. If there is a close election, there is also no way of conducting a meaningful recount.
Mr. Holt's bill would require paper ballots to be used for every vote cast in November 2010. It would help prod election officials toward the best of the currently available technologies: optical-scan voting. With optical scans, voters fill out a paper ballot that is then read by computer much like a standardized test. The votes are counted quickly and efficiently by computer, but the paper ballot remains the official vote, which can then be recounted by hand."
This is a complete no brainer folks. I urge the NJ congressional delegation, legislature, and governor Corzine to get their butts in gear and to support Holt's initiative. Support in deeds not just words. Everyone in our CD needs to co-sponsor this and anyone who doesn't deserves to pay a price when next they ask for our votes.
By the way, optical scan tech could NOW replace all our DRE's and comply with this legislation for LESS money than we are now giving away to Sequoia to replace, upgrade and maintain ancient/obsolete and insecure electronic touchscreen machines. There are no credible good reasons for NJ to be one of the last states to cling to insecure unverifiable and overpriced/expensive voting machines.
Lets all contact our legislators at every level and DEMAND that this problem be fixed ASAP!!!
Update....
Here's a list of the 7 NJ co-sponsors (there are 75 in toto) as of today:
Robert Andrews (NJ-1), Leonard Lance (NJ-7), Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2), Frank Pallone (NJ-6), Donald Payne (NJ-10), Steven Rothman (NJ-9), Albio Sires (NJ-13)
If your congressman isn't on this list please call them now. On something like this even few dozen calls from people who care can make a real difference.
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