Progressive Democrat Issue 37: VERIFIED VOTING ACTION: (from the VerifiedVoting.org newsletter):

This is your chance to be involved with the reform of our voting system. And remember, if WE are not involved, you can be sure Diebold will.

COMMENT ON EAC VOLUNTARY VOTING SYSTEM GUIDELINES

On June 24, 2005, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) released Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) for public comment. The VVSG update the 2002 Voting System Standards as required by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). If adopted, the guidelines will become effective in October 2006.

Although the guidelines are "voluntary," they will become the de facto nationwide standard for voting technology. It's crucial that the public provide feedback on how the U.S. government and most states will regulate voting systems for many years to come.

The deadline for posting comments falls within 90 days of the date the guidelines were published, or by September 21, 2005.

We look forward to your participation in this process bringing us a step closer towards a fully accessible and voter-verifiable election.

Feel free to comment on any part of the guidelines. We will be reviewing everyone's comments in preparing our official comments to the EAC.

We encourage you to visit the VVSG section of our blog and post your comments.

And for those who live in San Francisco:

FALL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Are you a student living in or traveling to the San Francisco Bay Area with an interest in helping make democracy work? If so, we'd like to hear from you!

Currently, Verified Voting is ramping up a fall internship program for students with an interest in voting, elections, computer science, policy, or activism. Apply your efforts to important election reform projects at a critical time when your country is facing election reform decisions. Help us ensure that every vote counts in the next election and gain new skills at the same time.

Click here for more information and to apply.