{news} Fw: forum on voter-verified paper ballots 7 p.m. Wed. West Hartford

[Charlie Pillsbury]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Andy Sauer, Executive Director, Connecticut Common Cause 
To: Charles Pillsbury 
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 9:01 PM
Subject: Join us for a forum on voter-verified paper ballots


Dear Charles,

As Connecticut moves closer to selecting the next generation of voting machines, democracy advocates have been stressing to state legislators the importance of maintaining the integrity of the state's electoral process.  As recent events around the country have demonstrated, voting technology is not infallible.  To ensure that new electronic machines accurately count the voters' selections, Connecticut Common Cause and our allies have been working with state legislators to ensure that any new voting technology purchased will be equipped with a voter-verified paper ballot (VVPB). 

To address concerns and questions from our members and other citizens, Connecticut Common Cause will be participating in "Leave No Voter Behind!," a public forum on electronic voting in Connecticut, at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the West Hartford Town Hall Auditorium, 50 South Main Street.

This event will be a unique opportunity to discuss the intricacies of the VVPB issue, address misinformation and inaccuracies, and discuss strategies for ensuring the passage of VVPB legislation.  Speaking at the forum will be: 

  a.. Rep. Andy Fleischmann, D-West Hartford
  b.. Andy Sauer, Common Cause Connecticut
  c.. Mike Fischer, Computer Science Department, Yale University
  d.. A representative from Connecticut Citizen Action Group
  e.. Mary Stanton, Executive Vice President of the Registrars of Voters Association of Connecticut
Connecticut Common Cause has been an outspoken advocate for Senate Bill 55, "An Act Promoting Voting System Accuracy, Integrity and Security Through Voter-Verified Paper Records."  The legislation guarantees a voter-verified paper ballot in all new voting technology purchased in Connecticut.  Under the legislation, when voters using electronic voting machines to cast their vote, a paper "receipt" would be printed out, verified by the voter and stored in a secure box.  In the event of a recount, the votes on paper ballots would be recounted, not the "total" displayed on a computer screen.  

To read Senate Bill 55, click here.

There are those who argue that during an age where computers dominate a myriad of critical functions, we should trust machines to accurately record the people's votes.  As the Common Cause report "Voting 2004: Report from the Voters" details, too many questions about electronic voting machines remain unanswered.  Without voter-verified paper ballots, the answers to those questions will remain a mystery. 

To read the Common Cause report "Voting 2004: Report from the Voters," click here.

Connecticut is poised to purchase the first round of electronic voting equipment this year.  Without a state law requiring the Secretary of the State to purchase voting machines with voter-verified paper ballots, Connecticut voters will have no assurances or guarantees that the vote they cast will be counted accurately.  We hope you will be able to attend this important event this week.  If you have any questions, feel free to call us at (860) 549-1220 or e-mail us at common.cause at snet.net.



As always, thank you for your continued support for Common Cause.

Sincerely,

Andy Sauer,
Executive Director
Connecticut Common Cause

Support Common Cause Connecticut





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