[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

FW: Verified Voting: Let's not miss this golden opportunity!



See below

------------------------
Al Kolwicz
CAMBER - Citizens for Accurate Mail Ballot Election Results
2867 Tincup Circle    Boulder, CO 80305
303-494-1540
AlKolwicz@xxxxxxxxx 
www.users.qwest.net/~alkolwicz 

-----Original Message-----
From: VerifiedVoting-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:VerifiedVoting-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
VerifiedVoting.org Newsletter
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 3:16 PM
To: verifiedvoting@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: 'verifiedvoting.org'
Subject: Verified Voting: Let's not miss this golden opportunity!

For SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE information, see the bottom of this e-mail.
------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Since we began this campaign, VerifiedVoting.org has found it important to
capture new information about those who are interested in this issue.  This
information includes State, Congressional District, volunteer preferences
and so on.  This information is becoming more and more important - please
update your record today.
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/endorserupdate.asp
------------------------------------------------

We are writing to you because your endorsement information indicates either
you want to help a lot in the fight for verifiable voting or you want to
receive lots of email about the issues.

We need your help to publicize an electronic voting disaster that occurred
last week in Broward County, Florida. This event proves the unreliability of
electronic voting machines and the need for a paper trail. Publicizing this
event is an opportunity to make it clear that this need is undeniable.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

In a special election for the State House District 91 seat, ES&S electronic
voting machines showed a total of 134 undervotes - that is, 134 ballots in
which voters did not select a candidate in the single-race election. In this
single-race election, all candidates were Republicans. The winner, Ellyn
Bogdanoff, received 12 more votes than the runner-up.

Florida law requires a manual recount of invalid votes when the winning
margin is less than one-quarter of one percent, which it is in this case.
However, it is impossible for election officials to comply with Florida law
because the 134 invalid votes were cast on electronic voting machines, and
there is no record of the voter's original votes.

"Secretary of State Glenda Hood told local election supervisors that they
had the option to print out a paper report from each voting machine in which
a flawed vote had been registered. That report, however, does not link the
gaffe to a specific vote, but merely verifies that a voter during the day
failed to select a candidate. It would be useless in determining if a vote
should be changed."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pcofficial10jan10,0,471
697.story?coll=sfla-news-palm
and http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/7655457.htm

Last July, Representative Robert Wexler (D-FL) warned Ms. Hood of the
potential problem, and has issues a press release pointing out that "Florida
State House Election Proves Need For Paper Trail".
http://www.wexler.house.gov/press_releases/Jan_09_04.htm. He also wrote a
scathing response to a Sun Sentinel article entitled "Don't Require Paper
Ballots" unfortunately published the day before the disastrous election.

The Sun Sentinel article is here:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorial/sfl-edittspaperjan05,0,52
66365.story?coll=sfla-news-editorial

Wexler's response is here:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-pbmail793jan10,0,158700
4.story

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO

This is an opportunity and we must not lose it. Please do these things:

1) Call your local newspaper, other newspapers, television stations, radio
stations. Tell them about this event. Urge them to do a story about it. With
many calls to the same media, they may take it on.

2) Call your Senators and Representatives and tell their staff about this
event. Let them know that the problems with electronic voting are not just
technologists's theories. They are a proven fact. And they may just be the
tip of the iceberg of many more undetected problems. Urge them to co-sponsor
H.R.2239/S.1980.


---------------------------------------------------------
You received this email because you are subscribed to the VerifiedVoting.org
mailing list.  
---------------------------------------------------------

To UNSUBSCRIBE to this list, go to
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/endorserupdate.asp
and change your preferences accordingly.

To SUBSCRIBE to this list, go to
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/endorse_checkmail.asp  

If you have trouble subscribing or unsubscribing, just reply to this
message.

---------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Since we began this campaign, VerifiedVoting.org has found it important to
capture new information about those who are interested in this issue.  This
information includes State, Congressional District, volunteer preferences
and so on.  

It would help us greatly if you would go to
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/endorserupdate.asp and update your record.
--------------------------------------------------