URGENT MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR:
Resolution to Require Paper Trail on ALL Electronic Voting Machines

Especially in the wake of Florida, 2004, voters have become increasingly and dangerously suspicious of electronic voting systems which do not permit a meaningful manual recount of reported totals of votes cast. The skepticism about the reliability and integrity of paperless electronic voting systems is alarming in Harris County and potentially lethal to the most important institution of democracy - participation by voters in the electoral process. If people are not 100% confident that the reported results of an election accurately reflect what actually happened at the polling places on election day, they will no longer participate in the process, and that development would mark the end of democracy as we know it.

Fortunately, there is a simple antidote for much of the distrust of the paperless electronic voting systems which is so rampant today - attaching a simple paper printer to each voting machine so that a voter can see - in printed form - exactly how the equipment recorded his or her vote and a permanent written record exists which can be audited, recounted, or otherwise reviewed to be sure the electronically reported results are an honest tally of votes actually cast.

The Democratic Party needs to speak out loud and clear demanding such voter-verifiable capabilities for all electronic voting machines. Our democracy may depend on it. We have an opportunity to do so Tuesday night:

I urge all Democrats to go to your precinct conventions Tuesday night and introduce and vote for a resolution urgently demanding paper trails on all electronic voting machines. There is a bill pending in congress (H.R. 2239) which would require this on a nationwide basis. Democrats should show their support for that legislation as well and a resolution at the precinct convention would be an excellent way to express that sentiment.

This is vital and important.

Here is a sample resolution you can use at your precinct convention to oppose paperless electronic voting systems, demand voter-verifiable paper trails, and support H.R. 2239. I hope you will all offer this, or a similar, resolution at your precinct conventions.

And attend!

RESOLUTION CONCERNING PAPER TRAILS FOR ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES

The absolute confidence of the electorate in the integrity and accuracy of voting systems being indispensable to preservation of democracy,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party urgently calls upon all members of Congress immediately to pass H.R. 2239, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003, requiring all voting systems to produce a voter-verifiable paper record of all votes cast on that machine or equipment, in time for use in the November 2004 general election.

Gerry Birnberg
Chair, Harris County Democratic Party
March 16, 2004

Archive of Gerry Birnberg's Messages

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