Concern about Conyers/Dodd election bill:

Why doesn't this bill ban undisclosed software, as does Russ Holt's HR 550? It seems to leave out the most important thing--private--and indeed partisan Bushite--corporations controlling vote tabulation with "TRADE SECRET," PROPRIETARY programming code. That this outrageously non-transparent feature is COMBINED with virtually no audit/recount controls makes it much worse, of course. But the "trade secret" programming must be addressed first as utterly unacceptable. I don't trust Dodd at all. I'm thinking this bill might be a 'Trojan horse." And I don't like federalized anything, under the Bush junta--this bill has federalized absentee ballots (how will they be counted?).

This bill--to be introduced soon by Conyers/Dodd--needs to be fully vetted, and we need to ask Conyers some questions about it. Will he combine it with HR 550?

Sign the petition (Russ Holt, HR 550, great bill-has 169 sponsors). http://www.rushholt.com/petition.html

------------------------------

PRESS RELEASE Congressman John Conyers, Jr.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 26, 2005
DODD AND CONYERS INTRODUCING
COMPREHENSIVE ELECTION REFORM LEGISLATION

Washington, D.C. - Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Ranking Member on the Senate Rules Committee, and Rep. John Conyers, Jr, (D-MI), Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, announced that they will be working together in seeking changes to our nation’s elections system this Congress. Dodd introduced S. 17, the Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005 (“VOTER Act”) Monday, and Conyers will introduce a House companion version based in significant part on the Senate bill shortly.

Among other things, their legislation will provide for a nationwide federal write in/absentee ballot; require states to provide for a voter verified ballot; insure that provisional ballots cast anywhere in a state are counted; eliminate disparities in the allocation of voting machines and poll workers; mandate early voting and election day registration procedures; and protect against improper purging of registration lists in federal elections.

“It is imperative that we have elections that count every vote of every eligible voter,” declared Dodd and Conyers. “A provisional ballot cast anywhere in the state of Ohio should count just as it does in the state of Iowa. There is no reason that voters in inner city areas should be forced to wait in lengthy lines, while their counterparts in the suburbs are able to vote immediately. If voters in Oregon can vote early, why can’t voters in Michigan, and if citizens in Idaho enjoy same day registration, why can’t voters in Florida?”

“Our elections are the very foundation of our democracy. We’ve made great strides in repairing cracks in that foundation, but clearly we still need to do more to strengthen and reinforce each American’s right to vote and have that vote counted,” said Dodd. “This measure can hopefully act as the democratic mortar to anchor one of our nation’s most precious rights and ensure that all voters are treated equally on election day.”

Conyers stated “Our nation has just endured the second consecutive presidential election which came down to a single state, and that state – Ohio – was riddled with irregularities and the appearance of partisan manipulation. If there is any issue that is central to our democracy, it is insuring that eligible voters are freely able to participate in our elections. I intend to do everything I can to insure that this issue does not go away until we have a set of uniform and nondiscriminatory rules that respects all of our citizens’ right to vote.”

In 2001, in the wake of the myriad problems that surfaced in Florida and around the nation in the presidential election, Sen. Dodd and Rep. Conyers jointly introduced election reform legislation that ultimately passed into law as the Help America Vote Act.”

http://www.johnconyers.campaignoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={BD0FBB2E-BAE6-4A15-9517-E9E135D8F0C7}

January 26, 2005

The Conyers/Dodd Bill is from early last year.

We raked it over the coals at that time, begging Conyers to drop Dodd. One of Conyers staffers even joined us in the discussion and heard us out.

Dodd is pro-DRE. Might even be anti-VVPAT. The AAPD has his ear. But it's been a long year, and things in CT have been less than warm toward DRE's and Dodd's affinity for them.

None of the Fed Bills will go anywhere until 2007 when the Dems take control.

I didn't check the date closely enough. Duhhhh!

remember) that discussion.