How will you know if your vote is properly counted?
Rep. Holt responded to the concern from election specialists and computer security experts about the integrity of future elections by introducing THE VOTER CONFIDENCE AND INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY ACT OF 2003.
In the 2002 election, brand new computer voting systems used in Florida LOST over 100,000 votes due to a software error. Errors and irregularities were also reported in New Jersey, Missouri, Georgia, Texas and at least 10 other states. Widespread speculation about politically connected private company suppliers of these machines having sole access to the software programming has been in the news since the 2000 elections.
"We cannot afford nor can we permit another major assault on the integrity of the American electoral process" said Rep. Rush Holt.
"Voting should not be an act of blind faith. It should be an act of record, but current law does nothing to protect the integrity of our elections against computer malfunction, computer hackers, or any other potential irregularities."
Last October, Congress passed the HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT (HAVA), ground-breaking election reform legislation that is currently helping states replace antiquated and unreliable voting systems. HAVA, however is fueling a rush by states and localities to purchase computer-voting systems that suffer from a serious flaw; Voters and election officials have no way of knowing whether the computers are counting votes properly. Hundreds of nationally renowned computer scientists consider a voter-verified paper trail to be a critical safeguard for the accuracy, integrity and security of computer-assisted elections.
THE VOTER CONFIDENCE AND INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY ACT OF 2003 would require all voting machines to produce an actual paper record by 2004 that voters can view to check the accuracy of their votes and that election officials can use to verify votes in the event of a computer malfunction, hacking or other irregularity and requires mandatory surprise recounts in a portion of both domestic and overseas jurisdictions.
"A recount requires that there be a reliable record to check," said Holt. "We can and should do this in time for the 2004 federal election."
Pease show your support of this legislation by signing this petition, Sharing it with your friends, and urging your representatives to support bill H.R. 2239.
