Progressive Democrat Issue 68: NATIONAL ACTION FOR VOTING RIGHTS

The number one threat to our democracy is the effort to replace our voting machines with ones that cannot be publicly monitored, checked and verified. Don't underestimate this threat! At best these machines mean inaccurate elections due to breakdowns, errors and glitches, some of which would never be detected. At worst, these machines are extremely vulnerable to hacking and outright fraud. All it takes for fraud to occur is for the companies that run the machines to allow fraud. And the public WOULD NEVER KNOW! Remember that these companies are run by CEOs who are solidly Republican and one of whom, the head of Diebold, said PUBLICALLY that his goal was to deliver Ohio to Bush in 2004. People suspect that these machines delivered it for Bush in Ohio in 2004 and delivered Georgia to Republicans in 2002.

There are several ongoing efforts to preserve and improve the integrity of our vote. The main things ALL states need are precinct-based verification, real paper ballots (not just receipts!), and bipartisan or non-partisan or multipartisan election boards. Partisan election boards are responsible for the inadequate recounts and unfairness in Ohio and Florida in recent elections. I personally urge you to contact your state and local politicians and your local media and demand verifiable paper ballots and non-partisan or bipartisan election boards, and OPPOSE eVote machines where the software is not accessible to the public and the elections verifiable. These are the simplest ways of putting what is needed in all states. The specific will vary from state to state. We need to be heard LOUDLY on this from coast to coast.

For state-by-state action on requiring a paper ballot (just part of what we need) please go to Verified Voting and click on your state. You can also go here for state-by-state news.

A National effort is H.R. 550, a bill introduced by Rep. Holt of New Jersey, that would help protect the integrity of our elections by requiring a voter verified paper record of every vote, requiring mandatory random hand counted audits to verify the accuracy of electronic tallies, and prohibiting the use of secret software and wireless communication devices in voting machines. Please Advocate for H.R. 550 and Voter Verified Paper Records!

Finally, help protect a Florida whistle blower who has been working to protect our elections. From Vote Trust USA:

Ion Sancho needs our help! Florida officials are attacking the courageous Leon County Supervisor of Elections for trying to protect the integrity of our vote. Last year, Supervisor Sancho authorized security tests of the Diebold voting system used in Leon County, Florida. These tests definitively proved election results could be altered without detection using only a memory card. A team of California computer scientists have sinced confirmed the Leon County tests and discovered additional severe security flaws in the Diebold system.

Instead of thanking Sancho for exposing flaws that should have been discovered by state and federal certifiers, state officials are threatening Sancho with legal action, which could include removing him from office.

Instead of hailing him as a national hero, state officials have condemned and threatened him. On top of that, the only three companies with Florida certified voting systems (Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia) have blacklisted Sancho and are refusing to sell their voting machines to Sancho, either in retribution for exposing serious security vulnerabilities in the Diebold voting system, or out of fear that he will find similar flaws in their systems.

Write to protest the mistreatment of this brave whistleblower. I personally added to each letter a note expressing my unwillingness to go to Florida as a tourist or to any conferences in Florida or to buy products that I know come from Florida (e.g. Florida Orange Juice) as long as Florida seems determined to allow election fraud. Please add your voice.