Blogged from the road by Brad Friedman…
Yes, I’m still on the road. And thus I’m still unable to fully and completely cover events surrounding the dangerous provisions of the Holt Election Reform legislation (HR 811).
For the short term then, I’ll quickly point to a few notable critiques of the bill, as currently written, from the Election Integrity community.
Why Democratic-based public advocacy groups such as MoveOn, Common Cause and PFAW are supporting this bill in direct conflict with the bulk of the Election Integrity community continues to be beyond me. Perhaps worse, they are doing so via campaigns that succeed in misleading their members about the facts of the bill.
As I’ve said many times, though the Holt legislation contains many good and needed provisions, it has several serious flaws — including, perhaps most notably, a failure to ban all disenfranchising DRE/touch-screen systems — which will likely lead to this bill being seen as “HAVA 2” by 2008 if it’s passed as is.
Unlike the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA 1), the Dems will not have Republicans and the disgraced former Rep. Bob Ney to blame when the shortcomings in the bill are revealed before, during, and after the next Presidential Election.
Quickly then — before I must shuffle to the next hotel — allow me to point you to the “Essential Revisions to HR 811” as drafted by many in the Elections Integrity community and hosted by VotersUnite.org and signed by several other notable Election Integrity groups such as VoterAction.org, BlackBoxVoting.org, and many others.
As well, a blind technology expert, Noel Runyan, has today released a scientific paper, “Improving Voter Access,” documenting the failures of existing DRE/touch-screen technology (to-be-institutionalized by the Holt Bill if passed) to meet the needs of the disabilities community. The paper is released under the notable auspices of both Demos and VoterAction.org. Press release here.
Bev Harris of BlackBoxVoting.org has issued her own statement/concerns as well right here: “Beware of the Bandwagon — A concise list of problems with Holt Bill HR 811”
Just after the Holt Bill dropped, we also ran a notable Guest Blog from Demos’s Democracy Fellow and the founder of the National Voting Rights Institute, John Bonifaz, who is critical of the bill’s lack of a ban on DREs: “Why the Holt Election Reform Bill Must be Amended to Guarantee a Real Paper Ballot.”
Those are just a few of many such statements from various elements of the Election Integrity community concerning the Holt Bill as it’s currently written.
It’s simply mindblowing that so many Congress members, including Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida — who issued his own near-clone of HR811 yesterday in the Senate — along with so many Democratic-based public advocacy groups continue to ignore the concerns of the EI community, who know this issue best.
The fact that even Florida’s new Republican (and surprisingly progressive) Governor and new Secretary of State are ahead of the Democrats on this one, and are calling for DREs to be replaced by optical-scan systems (for the most part, if not during early voting or for disabled voters) should be a clear sign that something is terribly wrong here.
While everyone seems to finally understand the need for Election Reform (well, that took long enough!), the notion that any bill is better than a bill which will actually be effective is extraordinarily short-sighted. Passing a bill likely to institutionalize dysfunction and continue our Electoral Meltdowns for years to come should be the last thing that Democrats and their supporters wish to do.
Why they seem to be tripping over themselves to do it continues to be far beyond me.
If you haven’t already done so, please sign the Paper Ballot Campaign’s Open Letter to Congress demanding a paper ballot — which is actually tabulated — and a ban of DREs once and for all.
(DISCLOSURE: I was allowed by Holt’s office to participate during the drafting process of HR811 and was able to succeed in adding some improvements to some of the language, as well as encourage the addition of several important new provisions in the bill. Nonetheless, the bill, as written, still contains many dangerous loopholes as alluded to above. Next week, once home, I hope to offer a more complete and specific analysis of both the good and bad points in the legislation, which seems to be continuing to fast-track though Congress. Unfortunately.)
This is simple…
Is there a single one of the 435 Congresspeople who we would consider to be an “election reform advocate” or a member of the “Election Integrity Community?”
Simply have them propose AMENDMENTS to the bill when it comes up for vote.
Start now! Work with the staff for this congressperson (or people) to make sure the CORRECT wording of the amendments is ready. Position all the necessary organizations to SUPPORT these amendments. Start setting up members of the blogosphere to support the changes when they are proposed.
IF you are going to bother going to their dance (i.e. taking part in the drafting process) then PLAY THE FRIGGING GAME THE WAY THEY PLAY IT. Don’t BITCH about it and waste our time — GET IT DONE!!!
We don’t have to stop the Holt Bill, we only have to CORRECT and IMPROVE it. If we didn’t have control over the house, it would be hard (Ney impossible) but we DO, so it should be a cakewalk.
Stop whining and start winning.
Charlie L
Portland, OR
P.S. And if we do not have ONE member of congress who is prepared to offer the necessary amendments and who listens to Brad Friedman (one of the two or three most knowledgeable and prominent bloggers on this issue) on matters of electoral integrity, then we do NOT have the house at all — the corporate party has it solid, and we are doomed.
Thank you for the update Brad. From someone who has seen your work and efforts over the last 2 years, i find it painfully obvious what needs to be done. Contrary to expert opinion, the correct question you ask is why do these people support an inferior bill that doesn’t correct the recently privatized system of electronic vote counting in secrecy without a paper ballot trail? It is my view that these people are fcking robots. There interests are NOT the interests of WE THE PEOPLE BUT TO MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATE INTERESTs that ultimately own the REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRATIC PARTY and do not care to fix the system.
Yo Brad! Even for those who are not hell-bent on dumping the DREaded DREs, this bill has SERIOUS flaws!
See: http://www.democraticundergroun...03×467768
And ask yourself what would Andy Stephenson do?
Charlie #1, I believe we have one, Robert Wexler D-Boca, Fla. He appears to ‘get it’ from what little there is in the media about him.
There’s no way these incumbent pricks are going to give up their lock on power. They’ve convinced themselves that they are the only ones that know how to run the country and they intend to stay there. Congress is the mob that rules, but they only believe in rules for us.
We can’t catch ourselves holding our heads any longer, wondering why both parties can’t understand the simplest concepts imaginable.
We’re going to have to find a way to count our own damn votes, Clint Curtis style, or does Florida have a new law which prevents people from signing affidavits. We’ve got to find a way to convince people that the whole thing is a sham and have them vote outside of the system entirely while our friendly politicians drive truckloads of OUR money to Diebold’s door for their virtual voting playact.
Maybe I don’t know how Washington works, or maybe I know all too well how it works!
You decide.
(Slightly off topic, but on topic below)
I hear this thing about Air America in Sacramento going off the air in two weeks, to change to another friggin ESPN sports now (their station they can do what they want.) Anyway, a local station ch 13 (glad they covered it) went around asking people if they knew what Air America was. Like nobody knew it was there! Nobody knew what it was, or ever even heard of it.
There’s the problem. We just can’t get the damn word out. It’s too bad we couldn’t legally hijack the EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. Put EAS to a real practical use. I have been pretty busy lately, but I want to put up another freeway blog sign. Has anyone done this besides me, I got like zero feedback on this.
anyway . .
I endorsed the Revisions to HR 811.
I sent a email/letter to Doris Matsui.
What about all the others?
http://www.house.gov/house/Memb...State.shtml#ca
(That’s just MY state)
Anyone know where we can send out a message to ALL congress at one single time? It’s like the government is hidden from the friggin people, unless the really know how to get there and have the technology to do it.
Who’s going to tell them if NOBODY can figure it out?!
Things are stacked against us. The Congressman from a different district does NOT want to hear from outside of his own. This is crap. How do the Lobiests do it?
Brad, consider a self standing thread on just
“Essential Revisions to HR 811”
Maybe it’s pointless.
Maybe we’ve lost the United States.
(I hate to say that)
This makes my head hurt.
At least get folks brainstorming on it.
It’s too quiet around here!
I also tracked down the moveon.org feedback form and hit them with a reply about HR 811.
I knew this bill was going to be a nightmare.
Charlie L #1
Spot on, right on, and well said. As far back as 1988 this article and this report, show that activists and government officials have known precisely of the electronic voting machine issues and dangers.
Yet we are worse off than we were twenty years ago. Maybe because what was warned could happen did happen. That is stolen elections.
One person still certifies the machines no matter how many ITA companies claim to do the certification (The Lone Tester). Super Shawn.
It is time to join the process and propose amendments and submit amendments to the committee in the House. To testify. To work with both parties to get it done.
To do the same thing that has failed for twenty years is not a winning tactic.
And by the way, the House is only the half of it at best. The senate will have to approve of all of it too. So pick the senator and begin a meaningful dialogue.
Shall I suggest the senator and house member to focus on? That is, the relevant committe chair persons? Shall I send them a copy of the report I cited above?
Ok, since you asked :), here is a link to a place where we can watch it unfold.
The latest is “Referred to the House Committee on House Administration“. Here is a link to that committee. The website still has 109th congress info on it and needs to be updated to the 110th. Coming … hey they are in the early stages of the 110th congress.
BTW that committee and its chairwoman is busy working on the contested elections in Florida at the moment.
There is another consideration beyond the House bill HR 811 and the Senate bill (S ???), and that is the Supreme Court.
Has it changed from being politically active while at the same time hypocritically demanding “strict constructionism” (which means neoCon ideology)?
Note what one law professor says:
(Law Professor Lazarus).
As I said above, Charley L in post #1 points out the fruitlessness of a McDonald’s type activism that bitches for a few minutes at the beginning of a cycle, then caves in a temper tantrum if the biotch does not get each and everything demanded.
We need a philosophy and activism that will stay the correct course and likewise change course where merited.
There are major enemies of freedom and democracy, proven by decades of corruption as the links in post number 8 above show. Same ole same ole for these past decades.
Now pull up the socks, wipe the snot off the nose, wash the face, and get serious about presenting good, robust, and problem solving amendments to the House and Senate committees doing the legislation.
And don’t start out with “Your fucking bill sucks”.
One virtue of paper ballots that appears to overlooked,
is that it allows people to vote FASTER. A common problem
in previous elections was of waiting in line for hours
because of having too few voting machines, sometimes because
machines broke down. At a voting site, if there are only
2 working machines, only 2 people can vote at one time.
With paper ballots, a DOZEN people or more could vote at
one time. The only limit is physical space, and paper
ballots can’t break down. Shorter wait times would translate
into more people being able to vote. The implications of this should be obvious.
Brad,
This info is so vital. Is there any way you can get this post of yours re HR 811 cross-posted at Rep. Conyers blog ( http://johnconyers.com/blog )! He has been a mighty ally of yours on this election integrity issue and he’s outspoken and courageous. Lots of added exposure over there and a sure link to ACTION on the house floor I would think.
I completely agree with post #1 (Charlie L). It is the nature of politicians that they only move on an issue when pushed from the outside. I strongly suggest asking Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) for help with the needed amendments. She is in high House Democratic leadership and I believe has the ear of Speaker Pelosi. She is a forceful advocate, and has been progressive on this issue in the past. She has also publicly apologized for her earlier refusal to believe that the 2004 Presidential election could have been stolen.
Alright I just removed my endorsement.
Well, I looked at this again. I don’t want ANY network
connectivity at all.
Let me make my position clear right now.
No electronics, unless strictly used to help the disabled PRINT a paper
ballot.
No digitized data, unless strictly used for a backup and not the
REAL COUNT.
No networks, no telco, no lan’s or wan’s or wireless.
So, I guess yes, remove my endorsement.
For all we know AT&T could fuck with the TWISTED PAIR for the modem. You don’t know.
Plus I want these ELECTRONIC machines that count — gone 100%.
I make my stand on this. And you know what, if you all want to support Holt’s bill with all the reforms, fine, we’ll agree to DISAGREE.
Fuck HOLT.
I have had it with this shit.
I know physics, electronics, networking.
We already can’t vote.
So fuck it.
There’s this notion of a general strike. When your elected representatives decide they don’t have to listen to the great unwashed, the great unwashed can shut the motherfcker down. When Bush/Cheney decide they can attack Iran without the okay from us, SHUT IT DOWN. Don’t buy anything, don’t go to work, or school, JUST SHUT IT DOWN. When the Senate and the House refuses to let us vote the way we want to, SHUT IT DOWN. When you finally get tired of reading angry essays, SHUT IT DOWN. That’s the only power we have, that if we’re not allowed to be citizens, then we stop being citizens on purpose. There’s got to be some way of getting through to these meatheads that business as usual doesn’t cut it anymore.