While their analysis may be true, as taken literally, it's deceptive for its misleading by omission. As my hours of discussions with PFAW's Executive Director Ralph Neas and others involved in lobbying for the Holt bill at the organization confirm, they know full well that there are non-DRE devices available which offer the exact same advantages for "voters with disabilities" without the many dangers posed by DREs. Nonetheless, they purposely continue to conflate and confuse the issue publicly and, I would argue, opportunistically in hopes of lobbying for the bill as written to allow for the continued use of the DREs which they've stated that they prefer to paper-based systems (for reasons that they have failed to satisfactorily identify to me or anyone else that I know of.)
* * *So while I've asked privately for many months, I now ask publicly for Holt supporters to let us know of a single name of a Congress member who currently supports the Holt bill as is, yet who would suddenly vote against the bill if it included such an amendment to ban DRE voting systems with or without a so-called "paper trail" printout.
If we could learn the names of these purported pro-DRE Congress members, perhaps we might be able to make certain that such members are well informed about less dangerous and truly voter-verifiable alternatives which have the additional advantage of complying with the rule of law under HAVA.
Until then, however, I keep waiting. And marveling at how many well-intentioned, well-educated Election Integrity advocates --- fighting, ironically enough for transparency and verifiability in elections --- are willing to accept, on faith, a talking point from the bill's author and most powerful proponent (PFAW), without even bothering to get transparent, verifiable information on the #1 talking point concerning why a DRE ban could not succeed in Congress.
So, anybody? Any names? Just one? I'm waiting...
* * *While you're waiting, feel free to study the graphic below to understand how no human being can ever verify a vote as cast and counted on the DRE systems allowed for continued use by the Holt bill. Then pass it on. Democracy may well depend on it.
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Originally posted at The BRAD BLOGBrad Friedman is an investigative journalist, blogger, proprietor of The BRAD BLOG, and an authority on issues related to American election integrity.
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