United national coalition for voting reform forming now

[Carolab]

This was posted a few days ago in another forum. I thought it deserved a repost here, for all who haven't seen it.
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I am sorry to have been so quiet for the last week. I wanted to give you a report that may brighten this otherwise dark day for America!

We have been working to have all the election investigative and reform groups come together in a large United coalition similar to United for Peace and Justice. It is happening quite quickly, It will be called USE- United For Secure Elections, we do not have our own website yet, we are working off www.votersunite.org !

It seems that there is another large coalition of citizens activist groups forming called the IPPN. We are trying to merge these 2 groups and will be giving you further reports. If it all works out then the operating principles will be very close to the UFPJ, where every group has their autonomy but also acts in cooperation too!

One of the major goals of this United For Secure Elections is the continued investigations of the fraud, further legal actions and election reform. We are trying to hammer out a unified voting system for all federal elections. This is a difficult task, everyone has very strong opinions about this.

What many of us are leaning towards is Paper Ballots and Hand Counts at the precinct level as recommended by Lynn Landes and the National Ballot Integrity Project.

Since this is a Democracy, I would like your views on this subject and I will be hand tallying them myself so PLEASE keep the e-mails short and to the point!!!

Please review the draft doc above and www.ballotintegrity.org , www.Openvotingconsortium.org and any other sites you have found on voting systems and send me an e-mail with your top 3 thoughts about the subject. I have read almost everything I can find on the computer so you do not have to tell me about anything in detail. If there is a link you want me to go to then just include the URL. If you have an attachment that is not well publicized but well researched and well written then send it. Please, if your e-mails are too wordy I will have to just delete it! I am trying to be Democratic about this process so please do not disrespect my time or my e-mail box! Concisely tell me your top 3 thoughts!!!!!

There is 1 organization who is doing valuable work and you may not have heard of them, www.uscountvotes.org , they are documenting this election and investigating it precinct by precinct across the country. This National Data Base is going to be extremely helpful to us both legislatively and in legal cases. If you can donate some money or time; if you are a lawyer or a statistician, then please do so, it will really help, they have paypal at the site!!!

In Solidarity For Real Democracy Here in America
Dr. Lora Chamberlain
Progressive Democrats of Illinois
[e-mail]

[meganmonkey]

1. Oooh la la....

I need to read up on this!

Thanks for posting!

[Stevepol]

2. We have to have voter-verified paper ballots and audits for every

election. That's for starters. I actually see nothing wrong with the DREs IF THERE IS A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER BALLOT TO USE FOR AUDITS AND RECOUNTS and IF AUDITS ARE REQUIRED!!!!! Actually, the touchscreen printer can print out a ballot that will be more readable and fairer than if the election is done by paper only. The good voting machines (Avante, e.g.) can actually almost eliminate over- and under-votes, and the others can be converted to print out the ballots. BUT THERE HAVE TO BE AUDITS FOR EVERY ELECTION. And these audits have to be fairly administered. That could be an acceptable compromise but there have to be LAWS requiring audits and recounts. A state must allow for a recount if the evidence from audits OR exit polling indicates that need. And the cost of such shd be covered by the state and/or the voting machine companies. If the machines provide tallies that agree with the legitimate exit polls AND the audits, then no expense would be incurred by the companies but by the plaintiffs. ATM machines are almost 100% accurate because they are subject to audits and criminal prosecution for embezzlement with bank examiners checking every dotted i and crossed t.

Laws could be so written. A paper ballot w/o machines would be just as good, though I doubt that would be possible at the moment.

[Carolab]

3. Please send your comments to Dr. Chamberlain. Thanks. n/t.

[Wilms]

4. Send them to Conyers, too!

Thanks.

<http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/contact.html>

[zalinda]

6. A paper receipt is deceptive

You have to have checks and balances. There has to be some way that your paper receipt can be checked on-line or with a phone call. Ordinary citizens must be able to check the accuracy of their vote in order to keep the election machine makers honest.

zalinda

[yurbud]

8. hand count paper receipts

either all or a substantion portion at random

[StephanieMarie]

5. kick

[BigBearJohn]

7. I'm IN. This is FANTASTIC!!! Thanks for posting. HOORAY!

Onwards and forward!!! Stand by.
I feel a major change coming.....
ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE!!!????

[Carolab]

10. Be sure and CHECK OUT their TEST BALLOT!

http://gyaku.pair.com/~vote/ballot2.html

It's great. You click to enter your choice and your ballot is printed out for hand counting.

[corbett]

9. Kick!

They started their efforts well before 1/6/2005.