1 Support the Voter Confidence Act

The right to vote is our most sacred and fundamental right as US citizens. We urge support for the [Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act, HR 2239].

We are alarmed at the way that states and counties around the nation are being forced by Congress to rush into the use of risky new technology to count our votes. The rush is due to deadlines in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

Unfortunately, as of November 2003, the Congress has not yet even appointed members to the HAVA Election Assistance Commission. And the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is responsible under HAVA for helping set standards for voting equipment, hasn't even had their first public meeting on the topic. No standards based on any federal recommendations will be in place before the 2004 national elections, yet the Congress requires Boulder County and others to get new machines before then. This is highly irresponsible. The deadlines and funding incentives must be extended.

HAVA is also misguided in encouraging the elimination of paper ballots. Computerized voting equipment is inherently subject to programming error, equipment malfunction, and malicious tampering. It is therefore crucial that voting equipment provide a voter-verifiable paper ballot - a permanent record of each vote that can be checked for accuracy by the voter before the vote is submitted, is difficult or impossible to alter after it has been checked, and can be recounted when necessary.

Furthermore, current voting machines have been shown to be deeply flawed and insecure in studies by Johns Hopkins University faculty, by contractors for the State of Maryland, and by others. The existing software code inspections did not catch these serious problems. There is evidence that the companies making the machines have not followed the legal requirements, and have political biases. In order for voters to have confidence in the system, the software for voting machines must be fully disclosed to election officials, researchers, political parties, and anyone who may question their validity and security. In Australia the Evacs voting system, first used in 2001, is based completely on publicly disclosed softare, and enables citizens with various disabilities to cast their vote privately.

HR 2239, the Voter Confidence Act, extends deadlines and funding, requires a paper trail, bans the use of undisclosed software, and . requires mandatory surprise recounts in 0.5% of jurisdictions. Please urge Congress to strengthen and support it.

(Written by Neal McBurnett.)