Your comments are needed quickly to
Preserve Election Integrity
Send your Comments to the Governor and Secretary of State
David Danner, Governor’s representative on election issues
360-902-4180
david.danner@ofm.wa.gov
Secretary of State, Sam Reed
360-902-0630 or 800-448-4881 ;
800-422-8683 TDD/TTY
elections@secstate.wa.gov
Deadline to receive comments: Friday, June 27 – write/call today!
Message to Governor Gary Locke:
“Please do not sign onto the Help America Vote Act Spending Plan for Washington State, unless (1) the new touch screen voting machines are required to print out a physical ballot for the voter to verify; and (2) all new voting machines can handle modern voting systems, such as the instant runoff voting system Vancouver wants to use.
The physical ballot from touch screens can remain behind a glass screen or other device, so voters don’t walk away with the ballot.
Without these basic safeguards, voters will lose trust in the validity of vote counts, and millions of dollars will have to be spent on new equipment or expensive retrofits in the near future.
The technology already exists to have a voter-verifiable paper audit trail, and to count any modern voting system. Vendors have offered this technology inexpensively, when asked as part of original purchases of touch screens.
The Governor has the power to insist on putting these requirements in the state’s HAVA spending plan. The spending plan is invalid, under the terms of the Help America Vote Act, unless the Governor signs it. So, the buck stops with Governor Locke. I hope he makes his decision in favor of voting integrity and technological flexibility.”
Be sure to include your name and contact info with this message.
Message to Secretary of State Sam Reed:
“I would like to comment on the Draft HAVA Spending Plan, and for my comments to be included in the public record.
Please include in the HAVA Spending Plan a requirement for new touch screen voting machines to print out a paper ballot, for the voter to verify. This paper ballot can remain behind a glass screen or other device, so voters don’t walk away with it, and deposited in a ballot box for purposes of recounts and audits.
If we do not have a voter-verifiable paper audit trail, the public will lose confidence in the integrity of our elections. That will likely lead to millions more dollars being spent in the near future on more new equipment, or expensive retrofits.
Please also include a requirement that all new voting machines be able to handle modern voting systems, such as the instant runoff voting system Vancouver is seeking to use. Vendors will guarantee compatibility with instant runoff voting, and other modern ways of voting, inexpensively and contractually, if asked up front. The purchase of voting machines should not be used as a way to close off options on election systems.”
Be sure to include your contact information.
For more information, contact: Coalition for Instant Runoff Voting in Washington, at 206-977-0450