BBV Indiana update- Sen. Lugar's response

[LynzM]

I wrote to Sen. Lugar last week and asked him to support S.1980 and do everything in his power to ensure voter-verified paper trails, etc., for November. Don't have the original email; it's at work, sorry :(

Anyway, here is his response:

"Dear Ms. Morahn:

Thank you for contacting me.

I appreciate knowing of your interest in the integrity of our elections and the reliability of the machines we use to cast our ballots.

On April 11, 2002, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act with my support by a vote of 99-1. This legislation establishes grant programs to help states replace voting equipment and make improvements in election administration. Technology and the Internet have brought many new opportunities for citizens to be informed and participating members of our democracy. Some states have explored the idea of facilitating voting through the use of Internet technology.

While technology holds some potential to help the system, I agree with you that any changes involving advanced technological means must include appropriate high security measures to prevent vote fraud. For this reason I have been supportive of measures in the Senate that would ensure that local and state governments would receive the full amount of funding authorized by the statute so as to ensure states are able to procure the most secure electoral machines.

S. 1980, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003, proposes that a paper copy be made so that a permanent paper record is created for the purposes of a re-count. The legislation also calls for upgrading the entire electioneering system by the November 2004 general election. While I support this goal, I am uncertain as to whether it is practically feasible to require states and other local governments to modernize all of their equipment in time for the November election. Even if additional money were allocated, there are still a number of questions on how such a system would work. For instance, important consideration must be given to how such a system would create a paper record. Would voters be given receipts? What information would a receipt provide? Would a voter be able to verify their vote? Is the technology available to support such a system? How would a state convert their current system to comply with the mandated guidelines? What are the costs? I believe that most of these questions can be worked out as this bill is considered through the Senate Rules Committee and moved onto the Senate Floor. I will be closely following the progress of this issue.

Thank you, again, for contacting me and sharing your insights.

Sincerely,



Richard G. Lugar
United States Senator"



Thoughts, suggestions, ideas for writing back? I'm encouraged by his apparent knowledge and return questions, suggesting it's something he's paying attention and considering the repercussions of rushing it through, and the aspects that need to be worked out. I'm concerned that all those questions, however, will prevent action between now and November that is necessary. I'd rather see us using ALL paper ballots, frankly, than any electronic machines without paper backup...

[Liberal Gramma]

1. Here's the letter I sent to our Secy of State

To: [e-mail]
Subject: BBV



My first vote using the touchscreen voting machines will be to vote you out of office. I am outraged that you would sell out the citizens of Washington with this unreliable and untrustworthy piece of equipment.





(Feel free to use this if you think it might help)

[Andy_Stephenson]

8. I hope you'll be touching my name

on the screen in Sept.

www.andystephenson.com

[Liberal Gramma]

12. If you're a Democrat you can count on it!

[Atman]

2. What a bullsh*t response

IOW, "Yup, we know the election is going to be a catastrophe, but what can we do?" I'd ask him just that..."What the hell is the plan for when -- not if but when -- the election goes into the crapper?" Does anyone know what happens in the states that require mandatory recounts for close elections? Do they all just change their laws to say "no recounts needed anymore?" Ask if ANY measures are being taken to secure the nation when the rioting starts after another razor-thin margin goes Bush's way and must be decided by the courts. Ask him if ANY of his buddies thought this through at all.

Then when for your next bullshit form letter.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Answers

"For instance, important consideration must be given to how such a system would create a paper record. Would voters be given receipts?"


No, they leave paper ballots at the polling place. No receipts.


"What information would a receipt provide?"


They leave paper ballots at the polling place. No receipts.

"Would a voter be able to verify their vote?"


Yes. "The Voter Confidence Act", S. 1980, and "The Record Act," S.2313, both require that the voter be able to verify the paper ballot.


"Is the technology available to support such a system?"


Yes, companies whose machines don't currenlty provide voter-verified paper-ballots are capable of upgrading and would profit from an upgrade orders.

The Vote-Trakker from Avante has a voter-verifiable paper ballot.

Also, precincts can use other voting technologies, including optical-scan ballots.


"How would a state convert their current system to comply with the mandated guidelines?"



Order an upgrade, or switch to optical scan ballots.


"What are the costs?"


Negligible compared with many other Senate bills.

[BevHarris]

5. Thank you, Eric J.

You'd think at least our legislators would be slightly -- just slightly -- clued in by now. But they keep coming up with the same olf talking points.

Bev

[Eric J in MN]

11. The point of The Voter Confidence Act is for the voter to verify

The point of The Voter Confidence Act is for the voter to verify the paper ballots, so I was suprised by this question from Lugar:

"Would a voter be able to verify their vote?"

[Andy_Stephenson]

9. You have come so far Eric!

I am truly proud of you!

[AP]

4. Tell him you'll photocopy paper ballots and pass them out at precincts and

you'll get some friends together to count them afterwards and you'll do it for free if money's a problem.

Tell him that you just want to make sure votes are counted and the procedure can be audited.

Ask him why taxpayers are paying private companies to do anything less.

[LynzM]

6. Thanks guys, knew someone would have particulars!

Eric, thanks for that info, I will be sure to write back to him. Bev, thanks for checking in!

And thanks for the suggestion about photocopying ballots...

It boggles my mind that there is no verifiable backup system in place. I work in computer/database stuff, and a major rule of any system is that it must have backups!! It's unbelievable the garbage we are being sold right now :(

[OneBlueSky]

7. in other words . . . "Forget it!" . . .

won't happen in time for this election . . . which means BushCo can program the results any way they wish, with no possiblity of getting caught or any repercussions of any kind . . . think they might jump at the opportunity? . . .

[Selwynn]

10. This is why I don't write my congressmen.

I used to, all the time. But I never got anything back but bullshit answer like this one.

[rman]

13. "Is the technology available?" - see ATM machines

"What are the costs?" - a fraction of the total cost of the current system; it's just adding a small thermal printer, those things can go many years without any servicing. again, see ATM machines.