[LINK] Fwd: Important decision on voting machines

[Jan Whitaker]

The US situation:


>Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:13:20 -0700
>From: "Noah T. Winer, MoveOn.org Political 
>Action" <moveon-help at list.moveon.org>
>To: "Jan Whitaker" <jwhit at janwhitaker.com>
>Subject: Important decision on voting machines
>
>Dear MoveOn member,
>
>With time running out to secure our voting 
>machines before the 2008 election, Democratic 
>leaders have negotiated a compromise version of 
>Rep. Rush Holt's paper ballots bill, H.R. 811.
>
>It's not ideal, but we need to decide if we'll 
>support it anyway. On the one hand, the 
>compromise is imperfect. On the other, it's our 
>only chance to make significant national progress before the 2008 election.
>
>Read more about the compromise below, then let 
>us know if you think MoveOn should support the 
>current version of the Holt bill:
>
><http://pol.moveon.org/thanks.html?id=11157-7221053-UpogtJ&t=1>Yes, 
>we should support the bill.
>
><http://pol.moveon.org/thanks.html?id=11157-7221053-UpogtJ&t=2>No, 
>we should not support the bill.
>
><http://pol.moveon.org/thanks.html?id=11157-7221053-UpogtJ&t=3>Not 
>sure if we should support the bill.
>
>The Holt paper ballots bill has met with strong 
>concern from many disability rights groups 
>because electronic voting machines offered many 
>people with disabilities their first opportunity 
>ever to vote independently. Some technology does 
>exist to make paper ballots accessible, but not 
>all disability groups feel it's adequate.
>
>The compromise Holt bill requires all electronic 
>voting machines to include paper trails by 2008, 
>but it allows the use of cash register-style 
>printers that are not great for reliable 
>voter-verification. Some counties will also be 
>allowed to buy new electronic voting machines.
>
>By 2012, the bill would ban these more 
>error-prone paper trails and require durable 
>paper ballots instead. The bill would not ban 
>electronic voting machines altogether, but it 
>would make the durable paper ballots the vote of 
>record and would require manual audits to ensure accurate counts.
>
>The compromise bill is supported by Common 
>Cause, the Brennan Center for Justice, and 
>People for the American Way­some of the leading 
>groups we've worked with for years to secure 
>voting machines. There are other groups who have 
>long opposed the Holt bill because it doesn't ban electronic voting machines.
>
>MoveOn is a member-directed organization, so we 
>have to make this tough call together. Should 
>MoveOn support the latest version of the Holt bill?
>
><http://pol.moveon.org/thanks.html?id=11157-7221053-UpogtJ&t=4>Yes, 
>we should support the bill.
>
><http://pol.moveon.org/thanks.html?id=11157-7221053-UpogtJ&t=5>No, 
>we should not support the bill.
>
><http://pol.moveon.org/thanks.html?id=11157-7221053-UpogtJ&t=6>Not 
>sure if we should support the bill.
>
>Thanks for all you do.
>
>–Noah, Ilyse, Justin, Carrie, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
>   Saturday, September 1st, 2007
>
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Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
personal: http://www.janwhitaker.com/personal/
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Writing Lesson #54:
Learn to love revision. Think of it as polishing 
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'Seed planting is often the most important step. 
Without the seed, there is no plant.' - JW, April 2005
_ __________________ _