DU CALL TO ACTION: State voting reform efforts

[truhavoc]

I NEED YOUR HELP:

I am starting details on a ballot initiative here in Ohio for reform of our voting system/methods, and I need some help with the research. I would be extremely greatful for any information towards the following:

1.) What is the actual cost of a paper trail for all voting machines? I need links and as offical links as possible.

2.) What are the reasons that people refuse to implement necessary reforms (paper trail, ect)?

3.) Every state that allows direct initiatives for amending their state constitution, if you know the petition requirement please list that.

4.) Finally and most importantly, I need volunteers in Central Ohio first to help this get off the ground as a grassroots effort. I will be more forthcoming with my plans by early next week. I am waiting for some coorespondence to come back from an expert that I know.

Please feel free to PM me if you are willing to volunteer, hopefully if our efforts are successful in Central OH we will extend across the state and eventually to all other states with a direct initiative process.

The following states all have a direct initiative process:

AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, IL, MA, MI, MS, MO, MN, NE, NV, OH, OK, OR, SD

Anyone from those states we need your help.

[NVMojo]

1. truhavoc, NV used paper trails and guess what, I called our local

Democratic Central Committee the morning after E-Day to call for a recount in five counties by the State Democratic Party and they made the call and were told it wasn't necessary. Legally, the State Party can do that but didn't see fit. Of course, they are part of the Senator Harry Reid entourage and for some reason, that is who probably felt it wasn't necessary in Nevada.

Nevada was one of the states with closely related exit poll numbers and actual voting numbers, right? How do we know those exit polls in Nevada were honest.

Also, to change the constitution in Nevada, it requires a couple of votes by the people as I recall and it doesn't happen too often...

[truhavoc]

2. Here are the rules for NV

10% of the entire population that voted in the general election, so according to what is listed on CNN, 82,187 signatures would be needed to put ANY issue directly on the ballot for approval as a constitutional amendment via direct initiative.

I am not familiar about what happened in NV, but you said that NV does require a paper trail? Is this required state-wide? If so I would love to have the text in the law that requires this...it could be useful in other states. What evidence do you have of any wrong doings within the state?

[NVMojo]

8. truhavoc, I will do some research for you on that ...

the only evidence I have is suspicions because I know Rove was assisted by the State and County Republican Parties in orchestrating their campaign for Bush to get elected. Rove is from Reno and our SOS, Governor and AG are all Republican as well as many other accommodating state offices. Bush only won in Nevada by 2%.

Paper trails were required by the Secretary of State in October when he announced that he was mandating all counties to have Sequoia machines with paper trails. This was funded with grant money from HAVA (Help America Vote Act) statewide. His announcement was made a couple of a weeks after top state officials who were all repukes, repuke party officials and Rove and Bush met at the Best Western Airport Hotel across from the Reno Airport sometime in October/November.

Sequoia story:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Dec-11-Thu-2003/news/22774601.html

US Senator John Ensign (R) was barely defeated by US Senator Harry Reid a few years ago for his seat, less than 500 votes. So he was the instigator on forcing printers on Nevada's e-machines.

Here is the link to the State HAVA plan:

http://sos.state.nv.us/nvelection/elect_reform/timetable.htm

Here is the SOS of Nevada's pr brochure on it:

http://sos.state.nv.us/publications/hava.htm NOTE, on the Nevada HAVA committee, I only see 3 dems.

If you go to this link, http://secretaryofstate.biz/nvelection/index.htm and then click on HAVA links, there is the federal and state legislation in pdf format for you to read.

For some reason, under Election Summary http://nvresults.nv.gov/ElectionSummary.htm It states it is "Unofficial"

[truhavoc]

11. Thank you very much!!

for all the comments and links you have offered so far! I will look into this and see if any of it helps me further my efforts!

[tommcintyre]

3. Hopefully EVOTING FRAUD RESOURCE CENTER pages will help

Try these:

http://www.independentmediasource.com/evotingfraud_websites.htm

http://www.independentmediasource.com/evotingfraud_things_you_can_do.htm

CASE Ohio is listed, plus many other state contacts

du post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=28512&mesg_id=28512

Please send me suggested links, etc as you learn more.

[NVMojo]

5. here's an interesting question to amend the NV constitution this time

http://www.washingtondispatch.com/spectrum/archives/000717.html

Amendment to the Nevada Constitution Assembly Joint Resolution No. 3 of the 71st Session
CONDENSATION (ballot question)
Shall the Nevada Constitution be amended to change the provision that prohibits an "idiot or insane person" from voting to refer instead to "a person who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent, unless restored to legal capacity" and to repeal a provision relating to the election of United States Senators by the Legislature that was made obsolete by the adoption of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution?

It passed statewide but not in my county, Elko County, where Cheney pissed on us with this visit in August. My county still wants mentally incompetent people to be called "idiots."

[truhavoc]

4. kick

I don't want this thread to die...we all need to be active and help actual changes that will change the tides.

My idea here is to make the repugs come out against this and then attempt to win on that in 06! Do you really think the public would be AGAINST a paper trail??

[NMDemDist2]

6. kick, we have paper ballots here in Maricopa AZ not sure about the rest

of the state....

[truhavoc]

7. Here is what I am looking for

Is a paper receipt for all forms of voting, including paper ballots. It struck me on tuesday when my mother in law who voted in her first election (immigrant from India) was upset when she didn't get something showing who she voted for, like she did in India. If India can do it, there is no reason that the US can not! The paper receipt solves most of the problems we saw in FL in 2000 and would solve the problems we are having this election with the opti-scans and touch screens.

[NVMojo]

9. that is a good point cuz even in Nevada, we didn't get take home

the receipt. I got a little reciept with a number that said I voted but the printer for the Sequoia machine was encased with a clear glass or plastic cover where I could see how I just voted as it printed but it stayed on a roll.

[truhavoc]

10. That is much better than most of us have!

I would be very thankful...but I don't feel that it goes far enough. There are a number of efforts we can start to reform the elections process, all to make everything more free from corruption. I feel it is in EVERYONE's best interest to not have every election contested on fears of fraud.