CALL on CONGRESS for Open, Public Debate.
 
Read “Call for Open, Public Debate on HR 811” by Nancy Tobi at http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/call_for_open_public_debate_on_hr_811

The Holt Bill has been amended and is once again being “fast-tracked” through Congress.

Election integrity activists and public interest groups fall on both sides of the debate on this  controversial bill.  Some say this is the best we can get. Others say we must do better – for the sake of election integrity and the fate of our democracy. State election administrators and Attorneys General oppose it.  A floor vote could come any time.

The Election Defense Alliance has sent out an Action Alert once again saying: WE MUST DO BETTER THAN HR 811 which promises “increased voter confidence” but actually perpetuates secret vote-counting and invites, rather than prevents systemic corruption of our elections. It also hands centralized control of federal elections to four White House appointees.

 Read EDA’s “Five Point Proposal for Election Reform” at http://www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org/five_point_proposal

The Alliance for Democracy calls on its members and all other concerned citizens alarmed at contested results and evidence of fraud since 2000 to call, write, fax or email their US Representative and Senator. Ask them not to “Fast Track” this bill. Ask for a full and public debate to take place. Call 1-800-828-0498 to contact your representative in Washington, D.C., or go to  http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/  for additional contact information.

HR 811 as amended would:
* allow the use of a paper trail. We need a real paper ballot.
* allow the continued use of some voting machines that do not have voter-marked paper ballots until 2010. Voter-marked paper ballots should be mandated for use in 2008.
* allow the continued use of DRE “touch screen” computerized voting machines. The Election Defense Alliance endorses a Federal buyout from states of all touch-screen voting equipment.
* allow the voting machine code to be treated as a “trade secret,” thus preventing inspection by independent experts. We need no secret vote counting, no secret records, no secret contracts, and no trade secrecy in our public elections.
* not provide adequate funding to implement the required audits, record storage, and new technology. For instance, this bill requires text conversion technology in every polling place. The expense for this alone would be in excess of $1.2 billion and burden states.  Three should be no unfunded mandates that states can not budget.
* provide no means to enforce election laws that are being routinely violated. Violations must be prosecuted.
*hand centralized control of federal elections to four White House appointees who would have the power to: approve which electronic machines to use in our elections, decide who counts the votes and how votes are counted, and how recounts are conducted and outcomes decided.  Voting technology and process should not be controlled by four White House appointees.