Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) has now filed a U.S. House version of the Emergency Paper Ballot legislation introduced yesterday by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) in the Senate.
Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) joined the Senate legislation as co-sponsors late last evening.
Additionally, Kerry and Feingold both have now co-sponsored and introduced a new “Sense of the Senate Resolution” calling on States around the country to act immediately to put back-up plans in place to have “Emergency Paper Ballots” at the polling places this November to avoid voters being turned away when voting machines fail to work. Thousands, so far this year, have been turned away in one state primary after another due to machine malfunction or unavailability.
The language in the Holt bill filed in the House late last night is identical to the bill filed by Boxer, except that it notes, explicitly, that the “contigency paper ballots” the Federal government will reimburse states for are to be counted as regular ballots — not as provisional ballots which often go completely uncounted, and must be vetted first to determine a voter’s registration status.
Feingold and Kerry issued a press release today (posted in full at the end of this article) calling on Congress to act immediately in the face of what they describe as “a national disgrace,” in reference to voters being turned away at the polling place for lack of voting system on which to vote.
Holt’s bill, which can be downloaded here [PDF], differs from the Senate bill by stating that jurisdictions who wish to reimbursed by the Federal government for such contingency paper ballots must treat “each such contingency paper ballot cast by a voter as a regular ballot cast in the election and counts it accordingly, and does not treat it as a provisional ballot.”
Kerry and Feingold, who are now co-sponsors of the Boxer/Dodd Senate bill filed yesterday, also issued a non-binding “Sense of the Senate” resolution this morning. Pamela Leavy originally reported the news earlier today at Democratic Daily.
In a press release issued earlier along with that resolution today, Feingold said, “We cannot allow the American people to lose faith in the most fundamental aspect of our democratic system the right to vote.”
He added, “Some of the problems we saw this year, like voters in Maryland being told to come back later because the machines weren’t working, are simply unacceptable. A back-up plan as simple as having emergency paper ballots on hand is essential to preventing election day disasters.”
Kerry, who has been criticized for not taking enough action to ensure that votes were counted accurately, or at all, in Ohio after the 2004 Presidential Election, had even stronger words, calling the lack of action by Congress and the White House on these matters, “a disgrace” and a “national scandal”.
“It’s a disgrace that a Congress and an Administration which talks about exporting democracy around the world ignores the challenges of our own democracy right here at home,” says Kerry in this morning’s news release. “We have seen American citizens disenfranchised in our elections for the simple reason that no effective back up system was in place. That’s a national scandal.”
Kerry called for “emergency action” and points to the recent meltdown in Maryland’s September 12th primary election, which resulted in the Republican Governor there, calling for a similar measure to scrap the machines, and allow all voters in the state to use paper ballots this November.
“[H]ere we are, 42 days away from another election,” Kerry said, “and Congress has again dragged its feet even after we mobilized 35,000 citizens to demand a hearing for our Count Every Vote Act, even after what we saw just this month in Montgomery County [Maryland]. We need emergency action now. That is why I am co-sponsoring the Dodd-Boxer legislation to provide emergency paper ballots and that is why Russ Feingold and I are introducing our resolution today demanding election day back-up plans.”
“We have a duty to ensure that no citizen will be denied the right to vote in 2006,” Kerry concluded.
The BRAD BLOG began the call for Emergency Paper Ballot legislation just over a week ago.
The SoS Project has set up a page where citizens can contact Congress Members to demand they pass this legislation in the few days left before breaking for the Election Recess.
We urge citizens to use this link and contact Congress immediately.
The full text of the Feingold/Kerry press release follows…
Contact:
Zach Lowe (Feingold) – (202) 224-8657
Liz Richardson (Kerry) - (202) 224-2742
FEINGOLD, KERRY INTRODUCE RESOLUTION URGING BACKUP PLANS FOR VOTING MACHINES
Difficulties with Recent Primary Elections Highlight Need for Back-Up Systems Like Paper Ballots
Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Kerry (D-MA) have introduced a resolution calling on state and local governments to have back-up systems in place on election day to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote is able to. The Senators’ Sense of the Senate resolution notes the difficulties that voters in many states have experienced with new voting technology and urges states to do whatever is necessary to ensure that voters are actually able to cast a vote on November 7, 2006, including providing emergency paper ballots in the event of a voting machine failure.
“We cannot allow the American people to lose faith in the most fundamental aspect of our democratic system the right to vote,” Feingold said. “Some of the problems we saw this year, like voters in Maryland being told to come back later because the machines weren’t working, are simply unacceptable. A back-up plan as simple as having emergency paper ballots on hand is essential to preventing election day disasters.”
Kerry said, “It’s a disgrace that a Congress and an Administration which talks about exporting democracy around the world ignores the challenges of our own democracy right here at home. We have seen American citizens disenfranchised in our elections for the simple reason that no effective back up system was in place. That’s a national scandal. But here we are, 42 days away from another election, and Congress has again dragged its feet even after we mobilized 35,000 citizens to demand a hearing for our Count Every Vote Act, even after what we saw just this month in Montgomery County. We need emergency action now. That is why I am co-sponsoring the Dodd-Boxer legislation to provide emergency paper ballots and that is why Russ Feingold and I are introducing our resolution today demanding election day back-up plans. We have a duty to ensure that no citizen will be denied the right to vote in 2006.”
Feingold and Kerry are also co-sponsoring legislation with Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) to help states make paper ballots available in case of election day problems with electronic voting machines. Feingold and Kerry introduced the resolution ahead of Congress’ adjournment for the 2006 elections. With the problems some voters have already experienced during primary elections this year, the senators believe the Senate should be on record supporting state efforts to be prepared in the event of problems on Election Day. Earlier this month, problems with new voting technology were reported in a number of primaries around the country.
A copy of the resolution can be found here:
http://feingold.senate.gov/FeingoldKerry_Sense_of_the_Senate.pdf
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Freedumb is on the march!
KNow what I mean?!
http://spp.gov
I know my domestic enemies.
DO YOU?
They’re either gonna do the paper ballots or they ain’t if they ain’t then it’s like I said. It’s up to us to restore peace against the domestic terrorism. If that means a call to weapons, then that is what it means.
Go ahead bush microwave me some more. It keeps me and my cats warm at night.
Brad
Fantastic, you obviously didn’t waste your time at the Dem convention or wherever else your travels took you.
I’d like to re-write this dog crap.
See if y0u can figure out where I edited it?
The SACXTRA is meant to:
* Coordinate our security efforts to better protect U.S. citizens from ***DOMESTIC*** terrorist threats and transnational crime and promote the safe and efficient movement of legitimate people and goods;
* Expand economic opportunity for all our people by making our businesses more competitive in the global marketplace, cutting red tape, and providing consumers with safe, and innovative products; and
* Enhance our common efforts to combat infectious diseases, develop responses to man-made (hella sic) or natural disasters to enhance our citizens’ quality of life, protect our people and our environment, and improve consumer safety.
The SPP benefits the American people in many ways, and much progress has already been made. For example (see http://www.spp.gov for more information):
{Ed Note: Rest of comment deleted. Please do not copy and paste complete articles here. Thanks! -BF}
All the PHIL comments are OT.
IF we get our votes counted and get a Dem majority in either house, we can slow this crap down.
We have to keep our head in the game and concentrate on the battles that matter.
Where the hell is our House of Representatives version of this legislation? We can’t do anything without passage in BOTH houses.
The beauty of this bill is that it could amount to a national referendum on e-voting versus paper-and-pencil voting. OK, set up all the Diebolds you want, but also offer a paper option, and let’s see how the citizenry decides. Plus, after the “final counts” are all in, we can compare Diebold-versus-paper percentages! Yee haw!
Is there a number for the HR yet?
I’d like to call my congressman’s staff and see if he is going to co-sponsor.
OK. HR 6187. I found it. And SB 3943 on the Senate side.
On to prod Mr. Blumenauer’s staff.
I’m sorry.
My bad.
THANKS (To the Moderators) FOR KEEPING ME IN CHECK. (and actually protecting my ass)
I tend to really let things fly when I am pissed off.
And let it be clear I am pissed off.
I did hit Boxer’s staffers on this issue both email (I think twice via email maybe three times now…) and on 202-225-3121 (The DC switchboard) Boxer District 5, let them know to fasttrack Let America Vote Act.
I guess the 415-403-011 mailbox is filled up, and the Toll Free 866/888-808-0065 has been shut off. Due to the “other issues (cough Habius Corpus cough)” going on right now.
AGAIN, I am Sorry I went off topic.
I know what’s happening today (September 28th 2006, SB 3930) is bypassing everything I ever swore an oath to protect. Although this post wasn’t on this day, my actions today were. (Okay I am probably OT again.)
Each day is a new day.
LOVE to the moderators
~phil