ANSWER: YOU WONıT
Rep. Rush Holt Introduces Legislation to
Require All Voting Machines To Produce A Voter-Verified Paper Trail
Washington, DC Rep. Rush Holt today responded to the growing chorus of
concern from election reform specialists and computer security experts about the
integrity of future elections by introducing reform legislation, The Voter
Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003. The measure would
require all voting machines to produce an actual paper record by 2004 that
voters can view to check the accuracy of their votes and that election officials
can use to verify votes in the event of a computer malfunction, hacking, or
other irregularity. Experts often refer to this paper record as a
³voter-verified paper trail.²
³We cannot afford nor can we permit another major assault on the integrity of
the American electoral process,² said Rep. Rush Holt. ³Imagine itıs Election
Day 2004. You enter your local polling place and go to cast your vote on a brand
new ³touch screen² voting machine. The screen says your vote has been counted.
As you exit the voting booth, however, you begin to wonder. How do I know if
the machine actually recorded my vote? The fact is, you donıt.²
Last October, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA),
groundbreaking election reform legislation that is currently helping states
throughout the country replace antiquated and unreliable punch card and
butterfly ballot voting systems. HAVA, however, is having an unintended
consequence. It is fueling a rush by states and localities to purchase
computer-voting systems that suffer from a serious flaw; voters and election
officials have no way of knowing whether the computers are counting votes
properly. Hundreds of nationally renowned computer scientists, including
internationally renowned expert David Dill of Stanford University, consider a
voter-verified paper trial to be a critical safeguard for the accuracy,
integrity and security of computer-assisted elections.
³Voting should not be an act of blind faith. It should be an act of record,²
said Rep Rush Holt. ³But current law does nothing to protect the integrity of
our elections against computer malfunction, computer hackers, or any other
potential irregularities.²
There have already been several examples of computer error in elections. In the
2002 election, brand new computer voting systems used in Florida lost over
100,000 votes due to a software error. Errors and irregularities were also
reported in New Jersey, Missouri, Georgia, Texas, and at least 10 other states.
³A recount requires that there be a reliable record to check,² said Holt.
³Without an actual paper record that each voter can confidentially inspect,
faulty or hacked computer systems will simply spit out the same faulty or hacked
result. Every vote in every election matters. We can and should do this in time
for the 2004 federal election.²
Key provisions of The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of
2003 include:
1) Requires all voting systems to produce a voter-verified paper record
for use in manual audits and recounts. For those using the increasingly
popular ATM-like ³DRE²(Direct Recording Electronic) machines, this requirement
means the DRE would print a receipt that each voter would verify as accurate and
deposit into a lockbox for later use in a recount. States would have until
November 2003 to request additional funds to meet this requirement.
2) Bans the use of undisclosed software and wireless communications
devices in voting systems.
3) Requires all voting systems to meet these requirements in time for
the general election in November 2004. Jurisdictions that feel their new
computer systems may not be able to meet this deadline may use an existing paper
system as an interim measure (at federal expense) in the November 2004 election.
4) Requires that electronic voting system be provided for persons with
disabilities by January 1, 2006 -- one year earlier than currently required by
HAVA. Like the voting machines for non-disabled voters, those used by
disabled voters must also provide a mechanism for voter-verification, though not
necessarily a paper trail. Jurisdictions unable to meet this requirement by the
deadline must give disabled voters the option to use the interim paper system
with the assistance of an aide of their choosing.
5) Requires mandatory surprise recounts in 0.5% of domestic
jurisdictions and 0.5% of overseas jurisdictions.
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