From MoveOn.org: URGENT! ASK CONGRESS TO SUPPORT ELECTION REFORM BILLS...

[tommcintyre]

URGENT! ASK CONGRESS TO SUPPORT ELECTION REFORM BILLS—BEFORE STATES BUY MORE BAD VOTING MACHINES

From MoveOn.org:
Several great bills have just been introduced in Congress to repair the embarrassing flaws in our election system -- from electronic voting machines to long lines to partisan election officials. Everyone's waiting to see if this new legislation will pick up speed or fall victim to partisan bickering. If we act right now, we can give these bills the early momentum they need.
There's no time to lose: In the coming months, states are poised to buy a billion dollars worth of unreliable electronic voting machines without paper trails.
Can you speed election repairs by signing this new petition?
http://www.moveonpac.org/repairthevote/

<Info from the site:>
Repair the Vote

Doubt about the integrity of the electoral process undermines our democracy. To restore confidence in our vote, sign this petition to Congress demanding immediate electoral reform. Our goal is to deliver 200,000 signatures to Senators and Representatives when they return from their Presidents' Day recess. Our petition is:

"Congress must support electoral reforms such as guaranteeing paper receipts for electronic voting machines, providing remedies for long lines, and prohibiting partisan election officials."

<I know it says "paper receipts" (not "ballots"). Fortunately they are gathering signatures to encourage the legislation - NOT writing the bills. ;)

I hope they sent this out to their two+ million mailing list!>
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<From Liberty Belle's: "Action Alerts: Week of Feb. 20-26, 2005: DU these, please!" (posted Sat Feb-26-05) >
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1624830

[Freedom_from_Chains]

1. The thing that bothers me with these voting measures

and the time involved in them, is that they are all predicated on the idea that there will be an election in 08. Something I see as, at the minimum, a variable.

[garybeck]

4. that's not the real problem with the bills

the real problem is they don't call for a paper ballot, they only call for a paper record. there's a huge difference. and a paper record will do nothing to restore our democracy. in fact it will only ensure the use of more DRE machines and welcome Jeb Bush and/or Chuck Hagel to the whitehouse for 8 more years.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Done!! n/t

[Andy_Stephenson]

3. Move on needs to get behind

Ballots before I can support their efforts.

If it does not say paper ballot it is not a paper ballot they are pushing for.

Claim the language. Make it ours. Ask for what you want!

[demodonkey]

5. We want BALLOTS not "receipts" -- we must use the power of words.

MoveOn of all groups should know this.

I personally won't sign anything asking for a "receipt", no matter who it is for. The word Receipt implies voters taking something out of the polling place which I can not EVER condone. Could lead to vote selling and abusive practices such as employers requiring employee to show by their "receipt" that they voted a certain way or lose their job. Illegal yes, but VERY likely possible if there are "receipts" coming out of polling places.

I want a paper BALLOT. If it comes out of a machine I want it to be a Voter-Verified Paper Ballot. Nothing more, nothing less.