Congresswoman Tubbs Jones Joins Rep. Conyers in Introducing Voting Reform

[Kevin Spidel]

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones Joins Rep. Conyers in Introducing Voting Reform Legislation
Friday February 4, 2:51 pm ET


WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones joined Rep. John Conyers in introducing the Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act, or the VOTER Act of 2005.
"I am pleased to join with Rep. Conyers as we continue our efforts to ensure that every American is afforded their Constitutional right to vote," stated Rep. Tubbs Jones. This legislation seeks to combat the tremendous voting irregularities that plagued both the 2000 and 2004 elections. If in fact we see it is our obligation to secure democracy around the world, to monitor and oversee free and fair elections in other countries, most recently in Iraq, then we must ensure, protect and guarantee the right to vote right here at home."

Provisions of the legislation would:

- Provide for a uniform Federal write-in/absentee ballot;
- Require states to provide for a verifiable audit trail; ensure that
provisional ballots cast anywhere in a state are counted;
- Eliminate disparities in the allocation of voting machines and poll
workers among a state's precincts;
- Mandate early voting and election day registration procedures;
- Protect against improper purging of registration lists in federal
elections;
- Provide for a study regarding making election day a public holiday;
ease voter registration requirements; allow voter identification by
written affidavit; study eliminating partisan election officials from
administering federal elections; enhance training for election
officials;
- Require the use of publicly available open source software in voting
machines;
- Provide uniform standards for vote recounts;
- Prohibit voting machine companies from engaging in political
activities;
- Enhance legal protections against voter intimidation and threats.


This legislation is supported by the NAACP, the NAACP Voter Fund, the Progressive Democrats of America, the UAW, the Black Leadership Forum, Rainbow Push, and the National Voting Rights Institute. The legislation will be the House counterpart to S. 17, legislation introduced in the Senate by Senator Chris Dodd on behalf of the Senate Democratic Leadership.

[BeFree]

1. Well,

If we are going to have to live with e-voting, this bill makes it a bit easier to swallow, eh?

As with all legislation, the devil is in the enforcement, and the crooks will do everything they can to sneak away with the election again. And again.

I see such bills as a beginning for the safety of election 2008. But for 2006, give me paper, or give me death.

[gkhouston]

2. Okay, how many bills does this make now?

I am hopelessly confused... and starting to wonder if that was an objective for some of these people. (Not Conyers.)

[Zan_of_Texas]

3. WTF?

Nat'l Ballot Integrity Project says the Dodd bill is for the birds.

Says it provides for entities getting electronic machinery, and that the paper isn't required until 2009, and the electronic stuff bought for the next 4 years is grandfathered in.

NO CORPORATIONS TABULATING OUR VOTES dammit. I don't care if their source code is open or closed, secret or posted on billboards.

[Zan_of_Texas]

4. Furthermore....

This is not like arguing for a spending bill. They want $140 million. We want $200 million. So split the diff and go for $160 or something.

Not at all.

I am a really easy person to get along with, but

THIS IS NOT ABOUT COMPROMISE, or splitting the difference.

This is like continuing to fly off a cliff of nontransparent, insecure elections. Or not.

[teddyk23]

5. Conyers op-ed on voting reform

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/fixing_americas_broken_elections.php

Fixing America's Broken Elections
Rep. John Conyers, Jr.
February 08, 2005


TomPaine.com has featured multiple perspectives about the problems in the 2004 election The debate over what exactly went wrong and who was to blame is far from over. But where every writer appearing onTomPaine.com agrees is that the deeply dysfunctional U.S. electoral system disenfranchises hundreds or thousands of voters every election cycle. Conyers' new bill aims to right thse wrongs and restore legitimacy to one of democracy's most sacred rituals.

John Conyers, Jr. is a United States Congressman representing Michigan's 14th district.

The election debacles in Florida's 2000 presidential election and Ohio's 2004 election clearly demonstrate that our nation still has a long way to go in the continuing fight for electoral justice. Our nation cannot withstand deficiencies in machines and procedures that foster legitimate questions about the validity of the election outcome. Our democracy is at risk, and the time is now to move forward with election reform legislation. ......

[bear425]

6. Hi Teddy, thanks for posting this op-ed from Rep. Conyers

I'm working with a group in South Florida to elicit reform and I'm in the process of compiling resources for our next meeting.

With so much legislation going forth, it's getting very confusing to decide which is the best bill. What do you think of this one? I heard that Ensign's bill was better because it provides for paper ballots before 2006. As I mentioned before, I'm getting very confused.

BTW, I am good friends with Sandy S. from The Cape - remember her?

edit: shorten Sandy's last name for anonymity,

d'oh. :dunce: