Paperless electronic voting machines will be used once again this fall, and already during the primaries they failed. In Maryland crowds of legal voters were turned away from the polls when the machines couldn't be started1.
There's a simple safeguard - have enough paper ballots on hand so the election can go forward even if the machines let us down again. Obvious, right? Senators Boxer (D-CA) and Dodd (D-CT) have introduced a last-minute bill which would provide money to any state that is willing to print up the paper ballots. It's cheap, it's easy, and there's no reason not to do it. But time is short.
Tell your Senator to support the emergency paper ballot bill.
The election is in weeks, and Congress adjourns in days -- Send a message now and tell the Senate to protect our votes.
Then, forward this message on to your friends, so they can sign on too. Don't wait.
Matt Holland
TrueMajorityACTION Online Director
1 - The Sentinel
2 - New York Times, 26 September 2006
3 - New York Times, 24 September 2006
Here's the message we'll send your Senators (click here to edit the message):
I know there is a lot to do in the final days of the Congressional session, but I strongly urge you to work to support the Boxer-Dodd emergency legislation for paper ballots. I know that when the voting machines couldn't be started in Maryland earlier this month, voters were turned away from the polls.
That's the worst thing that can happen in a democratic election, and it's outrageous to let it happen simply because someone didn't print enough backup ballots. You're still in session for a few more days. Please put them to good use in protecting our votes with this common-sense solution.
Dan Ashby
E-mail: ca.voteraction@sbcglobal.net
The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which all other rights are protected.
To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery. . . Thomas Paine
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