Vote paper trail gains support

[Cookie wookie]

By CARLOS CAMPOS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/08/05

It's probably a question of when — not whether — Georgia's 24,000 electronic voting machines will produce a paper record of a voter's ballot.

Two lawmakers, one in the House and one in the Senate, have introduced legislation requiring that the machines be outfitted with a voter-verified paper audit trail.

The paper record, produced by a printer, would allow voters to review the selections they make on the machine's touch screen before casting a final ballot. The paper record would drop into a locked box, so voters would not be able to take it with them.

Supports of the paper record say it's necessary to make certain the machines are accurately recording votes and to quell concerns that they could be rigged to manipulate elections.

Secretary of State Cathy Cox has resisted adding a paper trail, arguing that no federal technical standards for such a system exist. She also says hard-copy records have been a source of election fraud for decades.

Last year, Cox successfully beat back legislative efforts to outfit the machines with printers. But the drumbeat for a paper trail is growing louder.

more >
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/legis05/0305/08legvoting.html

[Melodybe]

1. surprise the repub SoS doesn't want a paper trail.

keep up the fight DUers :kick:

[Andy_Stephenson]

3. Ummmm Cathy Cox

She is a Democrat.

[Cookie wookie]

4. Cathy Cox is a Democrat!!

We've been fighting the Democratic leadership here to get our paper ballot for HER DREs.

Bearden's bill is here: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/search/hb580.htm

The model for what the bill should look like, and what we've been fighting for is here:
http://www.voterchoice.org/

Scroll to mid page, left side: The Vote Count Protection Act.

[Bill Bored]

6. CW, your proposed legislation calls for precinct hand counts of the VVPBs

but the bill in the Assembly does not.

Was it your intent to dispense with machine counting altogether and just use the machines as vote-casting devices? It doesn't look like this is going to happen. If not, you should try to get some mandatory random auditing of the paper ballots in the bill.

Interested in your comments.

[Cookie wookie]

11. The Georgia Vote Count Protection Act

calls for a comparison of the electronic totals with the precinct hand counts, with the hand counts being the official ballot and trumping the electronic count where there are discrepancies.

Yes, the Bearden bill is missing most of what we want. We worked to get him to introduce our legislation as a substitute bill, but he declined to do so. We still have committees to present our arguments for what we want added to his bill or others that may still be introduced, or so we've heard.

[In Truth We Trust]

2. Paper ballots NOW!!!! Hand counts Now!!!!!

[bardgal]

5. EXACTLY!!!!!! Paper receipts are just a distraction! They validate E-Vote>

And E-VOTING SHOULD BE BANNED!!!Bottom line is e-voting in the easiest way to perpetuate frud on a MASSIVE SCALE!

NO PAPER TRAIL for E-VOTE - NO E-VOTING PERIOD

[msongs]

7. once again here is our paper ballot proposal for California......

spread the word, the paper ballot is the OFFICIAL ballot that is counted, the machines are just a convenience IF we still have to have them:

www.msongs.com/vvpb.htm

BTW went to the link on the thread and registration is required, so will figure out how to email our idea to the writer, Carlos Campos.

I have talked by phone with the Georgia people who expected that the politicians will try to alter and gut their proposal...and so it is happening. HOWEVER now that the whole idea is getting publicity, time is at hand to promote the original intent.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/liberaltshirts.htm
Riverside CA

[Bill Bored]

8. I want to know the moment any of this legislation actually passes!

Being a techie, I never would have thought of NOT using or improving a technology that is already bought and paid for. That's just not what engineers do! That said, I think it's brilliant!

I've been staying up nights thinking of ways to make the process more secure once the paper becomes available as the VVPB itself is only half the battle. This would involve engineering improvements, etc. and this has been frustrating because I don't think legislators have the expertise required to put this into law.

Random auditing of the voter-verified paper would also work if it's done correctly and without delay. But just counting the printed voter-verified paper, like a REAL ballot is equivalent to a 100% audit! I'd say go for it; it's the ultimate sledge hammer approach!

But I fear you will find opposition from a number of sources, especially the BOEs! I hope I'm wrong though.

Of course Diebold and friends will make just as much money supplying DREs and such that no one will actually use, so they shouldn't care. It's the reputation of those who bought this crap in the first place that will suffer and this is where you will find the most opposition, IMHO.

Good luck though and please keep us informed!

[skywalker_5]

9. too late

we'll never recover from 8 years of Bush.

[msongs]

10. nature is blessed with ecosystems that recovered from worse...

heal the bay!


Msongs
www.msongs.com/liberaltshirts.htm