House defeats bill funding paper ballots
- added April 20, 2008
- 22 responses
-
-
-
- Chique
- added this
-
-
- related topics
-
- News and Politics (39191)
- Politics (27563)
WASHINGTON -- The House on Tuesday rejected legislation providing federal funds to help states deciding to switch to paper ballot voting systems for the November elections.
The bill, an outgrowth of concerns over the voting machine glitches that have emerged in recent elections, would have reimbursed states that convert to paper-based voting systems or provide emergency paper ballots that would be counted as regular ballots in the event of machine failure.
The vote was 239-178 in favor of the legislation, short of the two-thirds majority needed under a special floor procedure that limited debate and barred amendments.
Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J. sponsor of the bill, said it would have represented "a real step forward in our effort to protect the accuracy, integrity and security of the November elections."
He noted that many who voted against the bill because of the cost "supported spending almost $330 million in recent years to provide election assistance in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. I would have hoped those who supported efforts to export democracy abroad would be equally committed to strengthening democracy here at home," he said.
Most Republicans voted against the measure. The White House on Tuesday also issued a statement strongly opposing it on grounds of "excessive spending." It noted that a 2002 election reform act had authorized $3 billion to help states upgrade their voting systems, and that about one-third of that money was still available.
The bill, an outgrowth of concerns over the voting machine glitches that have emerged in recent elections, would have reimbursed states that convert to paper-based voting systems or provide emergency paper ballots that would be counted as regular ballots in the event of machine failure.
The vote was 239-178 in favor of the legislation, short of the two-thirds majority needed under a special floor procedure that limited debate and barred amendments.
Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J. sponsor of the bill, said it would have represented "a real step forward in our effort to protect the accuracy, integrity and security of the November elections."
He noted that many who voted against the bill because of the cost "supported spending almost $330 million in recent years to provide election assistance in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. I would have hoped those who supported efforts to export democracy abroad would be equally committed to strengthening democracy here at home," he said.
Most Republicans voted against the measure. The White House on Tuesday also issued a statement strongly opposing it on grounds of "excessive spending." It noted that a 2002 election reform act had authorized $3 billion to help states upgrade their voting systems, and that about one-third of that money was still available.
-
We are so intent on spreading Democracy throughout the world it seems we have overlooked the most important place. America could certainly use a renewal of that important aspect of our society. We are losing our country because we won't pay to have an honest vote for ourselves. If we can't manage to have paper recountable ballots for this very important election, we may as well fold the Democracy tent right now and quit pretending. 8(
-
well i guess it would not have helped the current administration if accurate counts had been available.
why support something so trivial as honesty in politics....-
-
-
-
- somefamilylove
- 5 months ago
-
-
So, the White House complains about funding paper ballot elections due to concerns over excessive spending?!?!
I guess that Halliburton, Diebold, Blackwater, etc. don't run printing presses ;) -
Yes digitrash - they spent that $330 million on Iraq and Afganistan's election so they could have verification. Our country is so honest about these issues we don't really need verification, we should just trust the counters and the Diabold computers. Besides if there's a problem we can always count on the SCOTUS to fix things.
-
If we can't have trust in our government, and we can't. What do we have?
-
-
-
-
- Marilynn_Murray
- 5 months ago
-
-
This is just down right Orwellian scary...
Put your “representatives's” phone numbers in your Speed dial and tell call them often. How else will they know what the public is really thinking? -
Dennis Kucinich voted against it. It is even worse than we thought.
Kucinich Statement on HR 5036 Vote
Reportedly from the Congressional record
H.R. 5036 acknowledges that problems exist in our system of voting, and that without action now these problems will grow. For this reason the legislation has merit.
While H.R. 5036 includes a provision to reimburse jurisdictions that convert their paperless voting system to one that includes a paper trail, it may also include optical scan technology. I have serious concerns with optical scan technology and its susceptibility to hacks and security breaches. Recent tests and research have demonstrated the ease with which a person can manipulate the configuration files to change votes. What's more, most of the equipment necessary to accomplish this can be purchased off-the-shelf at most technology stores.
Indeed, our voting system needs improvement, but replacing one flawed technology with another will do little to garner public faith in the electoral process. Let us make comprehensive electoral system reform a priority, and let us enact a policy that ensures system integrity, system security, and that each and every vote is counted. -
I have studied election integrity quite a bit lately and I must say I agree with Dennis Kucinich. We are on the verge of developing a proper system but not there yet. We made a big mistake with the proprietary, paperless voting machines. Let's get it right the next time. There may not be a third time.
-
-
-
-
- BentFranklin
- 5 months ago
-
-
Electronic Voting = Rigged
-
-
-
-
- hyperbrand
- 5 months ago
-
-
If verifiable proof that electronic voting machines can be hacked won't get funding, what the heck will? Our democratic elections have been privatized! They have proprietary rights to our vote counts? Something smells fishy.
If it looks like a rigged election?
If it feels like a rigged election?
and the exit polls point to a rigged election?
It probably is a rigged election?
We don't know we can't prove it. It's classified? -
Of course Republicans would go against this bill. It will make it so much easier to steal the vote against Obama in the General if you have no ballot to actually hold and count. Rememeber Florida!!!!!!
Fight for our rights and proper representation. Call your representative!!!! -
What's been driving me nuts and continues to do so is that these politicians (the majority of the republicans at best, the majority of all of them at worst) don't care about a proper vote, they care about winning the elections.
If a group of people were to figure out a potentially new scheme hatched by Diabold and manipulate that scheme so the votes came out in favor of the Democratic candidate, we would at least see the Republican candidates pull a complete 180. Suddenly they would be complaining about needing recounts and how the election was not fair because there were no paper hardcopies of votes to keep record.
However, I would be quite scared if the majority of the Democratic party pulled a 180 degree turn on their position as well. Claiming, as many Republicans have, that paper hardcopies were not needed for this election and that we don't really need a recount.
Whomever the winner of the Presidential election is, we need a fair election and we need a way to be able to physically recount the votes. We don't need such things so that one party wins the White House and another looses it. We need such things because without them our Democracy will crumble to shit. Cracks have already started appearing, and they are going to get worse if the people and politicians don't stop worrying only about who wins the election and start worrying about how the election is run.-
-
-
-
- Varex_Sythe
- 5 months ago
-
-
I 'hope' by the time the election comes around in November, we are organized enough that they can't steal a landslide.
Facts don't attack candidates, it's the accountability for the facts that attacks candidates.
Fact one;, we can't have four more years of right wing leadership. Four more years like the last eight may be more than many can bare. -
This story is the scariest since George Bush was elected the second time. Voting is our only hope. Having been an IT project manager, I am one, among many, that knows how easy it is to manipulate a computer vote.
-
I live in Cuyahoga country where the 2004 elections was questioned. A judge ordered the ballots kept until litigation was complete. They were destroyed by accident against a court order.
If they destroy the evidence, are they any less guilty? No!
As we have seen the 'house' won't protect us, we need to plan to protect ourselves. -
Conniepae, you don't really think destroying ballots was an accident, do you? Wasn't there at least one documentary made about this? I know there's a feature film do out soon.
-
I used accident as a JOKE, BUT i WASN'T LAUGHING.
I -
There is a good movie called Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections. It's pretty good (but not perfect). It's hard to do a documentary on election fraud without going over the top but this movie succeeds.
Also, check out Black Box Voting. This is a responsible organization fighting for election integrity and they have a wealth of information.
Finally, Open Voting Consortium has an open source voting system that is on the verge of catching on among at least some election officials. OVC needs money and I have Paypal'ed them a few times. If you want to do something concrete for our elections this might be a good choice for you too.
There are more patriots of all parties that are very concerned about this issue than one realizes at first blush. I think we will correct this problem.
But it is important not to overreact and throw out all computers. They can be made to properly support elections just as they support all our other walks of life. We just need to rid ourselves of the current crop of really really lame designs.
http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/
www.blackboxvoting.org
http://www.openvotingconsortium.org/-
-
-
-
- BentFranklin
- 5 months ago
-
-
Whistleblower on manipulation of electronic voting machines testifies . . . if you haven't seen this it's because the media didn't cover it. No conspiracy theory here . . .
-
its almost like they WANT to create a barrier of mistrust.
-
-
-
-
- somefamilylove
- 5 months ago
-
-
Politicians don't want to create a barrier of mistrust. However, politicians are lazy and many of the people are apathetic. So really, if the people are mistrustful but apathetic, and it works for the politicians, why bother to build false trust?
-
-
-
-
- Varex_Sythe
- 5 months ago
-
-
false trust should not be possible in a representative democracy.if we did our job. little brother should be watching not big brother. but we have been spoon fed apathy and taught blind faith. to doubt our government has become tantamount to treason in our Orwellian society.
-
-
-
-
- somefamilylove
- 5 months ago
-
Login/Registration is required to add a response.
