Transparent Voting: support SB05-198 by Tuesday

[Neal McBurnett <neal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Please contact your state senators in support of SB05-198 and
the recommendations of Coloradans for Voting Integrity (CFVI).

A major voting reform bill is before the Senate that needs your
attention.

Over the last several months members of CFVI together with Common
Cause and other organizations have been working with Colorado
legislators to refine and amend existing state laws, to make the
election process more open and transparent, and to introduce new
legislation that will assure the integrity of electronic voting
machines.

On Tuesday, March 22, an important bill will be heard in the Senator
Local Government Committee that addresses many of the concerns of
CFVI. The Gordon / Madden bill (SB05-198), while it does not provide
for everything that CFVI would like, does make landmark strides in the
right direction. In its current form the bill will write into law
these major achievements:

1. Every voting machine will be required to produce a VOTER- VERIFIED
PERMANENT PAPER RECORD, recording every choice for every race and
issue the elector voted on;

2. Statewide audits of 2% of the vote will be mandated for every
primary and general election.

3. Audits of the election will be manual counts of the VOTER- VERIFIED
PERMANENT PAPER RECORDs.

4. Existing laws that prohibit manual counts will be repealed.

5. These laws are to go into effect in all elections after January 1,
2006. (This date is important as some wish to push it to 2008).

To that end, we urge you to contact state senators of the local
government committee or your state senator in support of the above
measures and the recommendations of the legislative committee of
Coloradoans for Voting Integrity. Urge them to support SB05-198 as it
meets the above 5 requirements.

You can view the publicized bill on the state website:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/

Senate Local Government Committee:

Deanna Hanna, Chair 303-866-4857 <deanna.hanna.senate@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Peter Groff, Vice-Chair 303-866-4864 <peter.groff.senate@xxxxxxxxxx>
Bob Bacon, 303-866-4841 <bob.bacon.senate@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Lewis Entz, 303-866-4871 <lewis.entz.senate@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Ed Jones, 303-866-6364 <ed.jones.senate@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Ken Kester, 303-866-4877 <ken.kester.senate@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Lois Tochtrop, 303-866-4863 <lois.tochtrop.senate@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Background: Colorado currently is in the dark ages for election law.
We have the ability to remedy that, and put ourselves in the forefront
of election reform.  The proposed legislation is some of the best
currently on the table which has the best chance of passing.  The
hearing on 3/21 is the first step.  It will then go to the Senate
floor, then back to committee in the house, and then it will be heard
again in the legislature.

Sincerely,

Robert McGrath
Director CFVI.

Laurie Bretz
Acting Director CFVI.