if we don't head off paperless voting, this coup d'etat may be complete.

[Guest guest]

These paperless computerized voting machines have

already been used to rig some local and state

elections, now they are to be used in national

elections. It is so hard for me to believe that US

politics have sunk so low.. F.

 

" ...if we don't head off paperless voting, " wrote Nina

Utne a few days ago, " this coup d'etat may be

complete. "

 

Our democracy is in crucial danger from voting

machines that leave no paper trail and no chance of a

recount.

Molly Ivins recently said that paperless voting

machines " ...as they stand are an open invitation to

voter fraud. " Last July a team of computer scientists

from John Hopkins and Rice universities studied the

widely-used Diebold machines and concluded they are " a

threat to democracy. " California Secretary of State

Kevin Shelley revoked Diebold's certification for the

use of the machines in California, after Diebold

installed software without permission in some

California machines. The chairman and CEO of Diebold,

Walden O'Dell promised in a fund-raising letter

written in 2003 to deliver Ohio's " ...electoral votes

to the President. "

 

This is not a partisan issue (although I am partisan

about the election!). The Voter Confidence Acts

(House bill 2239 and Senate bill 1980), identical

bills currently stalled in committees, would compel a

paper trail for every vote cast electronically in

November 2004. Write or call your representatives

about these bills: a vote is too precious to waste.

All the details you need are on the VerifiedVoting.org

website:

 

http://www.verifiedvoting.org/fair_elections.asp

 

To find out What's Happening in Your State? go to:

http://www.verifiedvoting.org/states.asp

and follow the pull-down menu. You'll find the

position of your senators and representatives on these

crucial bills, and links to email them directly. I've

included sample messages below you can use if you

like. Please follow through if any of this message

triggers alarm for you too (unease will suffice!).

 

 

 

Dear Senator __________,

Please support Senate bill 1980 in any way you can.

Without a mandated paper trail, paperless voting

machines have the potential to leave us completely

unable to recount this November's crucial Presidential

election. Please do everything possible to make sure

our precious democratic process is protected.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

 

Dear Congressman/woman ___________,

Please support HR2239 in any way you can. Without a

mandated paper trail, paperless voting machines have

the potential to leave us completely unable to recount

this November's crucial Presidential election. Please

do everything possible to make sure our precious

democratic process is protected.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,