Progressive Democrat Issue 59: NYC/State VOTING ISSUES

I am continuing this campaign because this is the MAIN FOCUS of the progressive movement in NY State right now. Why? Because this issue is CRITICAL for fair and open elections in NY State.

From Democracy for NYC:

New York is About to Purchase Voting Machines -Take Action Today!

"PB/OS" (paper ballots with precinct-based optical scanners) is the safest, most reliable and most cost-effective choice for a voting system in NY State. And yet, the state Board of Elections has recently taken two outrageous steps against this system:

- Allowing the vendors NOT to submit optical scanners, effectively taking away the PB/OS option, and

- Jump-starting certification testing on an incomplete DRE machine (no paper ballot)


TAKE ACTION TODAY -WRITE TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS!

Mail or fax a letter to the State Board of Elections demanding that they (1) require vendors to submit NYS full face ballot compatible optical scanners for certification and (2) stop planned testing of the incomplete and illegal Liberty DRE machine. Remind the Board that they work for us, not the voting machine vendors.

Don't let the voting machine vendors decide what machines we vote on. Please write the State Board of Elections today.

By mail: NYS Board of Elections, 40 Steuben Street, Albany, NY 12207-2108

By fax: 518-486-4068

By e-mail: ldaghlian@elections.state.ny.us

Please address your letter to:

Peter Kosinski, Co-Executive Director
Stanley Zalen, Co-Executive Director
Neil W. Kelleher, Chair
Evelyn J. Aquila, Commissioner
Helena Moses Donohue, Commissioner


Important Update in NYC

The Board of Election held a hearing on the certification of voting machines in NYC on December 20. Only the machines certified by the Board of Elections can be purchased for use in New York elections. At the hearing, Council Member Bill Perkins advised that the next day he would be joined by Charles Barron, Robert Jackson and Hiram Monserrate to introduce a resolution urging the New York State Board of Elections to promptly certify paper ballots with precinct based/optical scan voting systems for procurement by the local Board of Elections. The resolution also calls for the New York City Board of Elections to select a PB/OS as the next generation voting technology for the city.

Read Bill Perkins' testimony.

Since the 2005 session has ended, the resolution needs to be re-introduced. If this resolution passes it could effectively make PB/OS the choice for New York by capitalizing on NYC's buying power, but the first step is to get in reintroduced. Since Bill Perkins was term-limited, Charles Barron would be the new lead sponsor for this resolution.

Democracy for NYC supports this resolution. We will keep you updated in the coming weeks on how you can help in our efforts to make PB/OS the choice for NYC.


Go HERE for a sample letter and more info.

As a side note, I want to point out that DFNYC's position has been misrepresented online. I found this from News Copy New York:

The Daily Gotham pointed out that New York City groups like Democracy for NYC don't want "unreliable and expensive" voting machines.

No. They want those good ol' mechanical voting machines that have "fixed" more elections than Americans will never know -- and that require expensive maintenance.

This is, as you can see from the DFNYC message above, a complete misrepresentation. DFNYC has NOT called of the mechanical voting machines to be retained. They are calling for the PB/OS machines. A note to News Copy New York: Get your facts straight.