The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) was signed into law in Oct. 2002. Amongst other things HAVA required the formation of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and provided some mandates, in Title III of the law, for federal elections including some standards for voting systems. Those standards include, but are not limited to, accessibility for voters with disabilities and accuracy in the vote count. Testing by experts in accessibility has shown that none of the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE, usually touch-screen) voting systems presently in use meet the requirements for accessibility for disabled voters. Failures in testing and vote counting in real elections have also proven that, at times, the voting systems presently being used across the country do not meet the federally mandated requirements for accuracy.
So what guidance has been provided by the EAC to the states with regards to Title III? Well, actually none. In fact even though voting systems presently in use do not meet federal law the EAC is just now getting around to issuing guidance to state and local election officials and, according to the draft of the plan ‘featured’ below, it is going to take another two years before the EAC can complete the guidance.
Why can’t they just tell the vendors and the states that the law is clear and, if they fail to follow that law, violations will be referred to the DoJ? The fact that the vendors misrepresent their products as being accessible is a clear violation of the law. It is time they are held responsible and it doesn’t take two years of studying Title III of HAVA to make that clear….
- Featured: National: US EAC Draft Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years: 2009 through 2014
http://www.eac.gov/News/docs/strategic-plan-draft-12-2-cover-changed-nov-to-dec/ - National: Election Reform and the Right to Vote: Part I
http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/news.html?AID=1382 - National: Fix The Voting System Now
The New Republic: The Election May Be Over, But The Problem Is Far From Gone
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/04/opinion/main4648642.shtml - CA: Riverside County — Opinion – Registrar rallied to count votes
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20081204/OPINION01/812030393/1026/NEWS12 - CO: Colorado Election Reform Commission, Dec. 2, 2008
http://www.democraticwing.org/?q=node/121 - GA: Appeals court hears argument on voter ID
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/12/04/voterid.html - MN: Opinion – Not Every Vote Counts
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/opinion/04seife.html - MN: U.S. Senate recount results by county
http://ww2.startribune.com/news/metro/elections/returns/2008/recount/msenco.html - MN: Franken Camp Claims To Be Winning Recount
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/12/03/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4646075.shtml - MN: Franken pulls closer, but Coleman leads in Minn.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMpTmr96V5hKIfyHT4Av4jsVQgrQD94REBA80 - MN: More Missing Ballots in Coleman-Franken Race; Recount Extended
http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/539-more-missing-ballots-in-coleman-franken-race-recount-extended.html - OH: Senate pursues quick action on election reform
Bill would do what Brunner’s summit warned against: rush changes into law
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/02/electionsummit.html?sid=101 - OH: GOP move to alter Ohio voting law in lame-duck session sparks criticism
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081204/NEWS09/812040369 - OH: Ohio Election Summit starts to evaluate the 2008 election
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/ - OK: Bill requiring photo ID is a bad idea … once again
http://www.enidnews.com/opinion/local_story_338225701.html?keyword=secondarystory - PA: Clarion County – County LWV hears concerns about electronic voting
http://www2.theclarionnews.com/General_News/75887.shtml - VT: Officials recount towns at random
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20081204/NEWS02/812040392/1003/NEWS02 - WA: Coffee and Politics hosts secretary of state
Sam Reed spoke about improving the ballot system, illegal voting and other election issues.
http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/27202 - WV: Ireland sticks by voting machines
http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200812030762
**”Daily Voting News” is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in “Daily Voting News” may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**
Sorry John for the individual use of space, but NO on the jeb-more pnac-thing!
And then there’s marvin-the-s&lboy.
God help US!
And when is the whole famdamnily movin to Paraguay?
…to sit atop one of the biggest aquifers in South America! Water the new oil.
Just so you know…I don’t hate people, just their behavior.
…so I go on record for PROSECUTION damn it for federal violations of our election systems!