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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 23, 2007 |
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Contact: Matt Dennis
202-225-5801 (office) |
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Majority of House Supports Verifiable Elections
Holt Legislation Would Require Voter-Verified Paper Ballots, Routine Random Audits
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Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced that the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (H.R. 811), landmark legislation requiring electronic voting machines to produce a voter-verified paper ballot and routine random audits, has the support of a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Voting is the very foundation of our democracy,” said Holt. “I am pleased that a majority of the House of Representatives recognizes that without a voter-verified paper ballot, the results of our elections will always be uncertain.”
The bill is the product of cooperation and compromise between Rep. Holt, other Members of Congress, voting rights activists, election officials, and many more. Responding to concerns raised by state and county election officials, H.R. 811 provides for more flexibility in the timeline for implementation, and authorizes more federal funds to help pay for the transition. Responding to concerns raised by software manufacturers, the new bill provides for greater intellectual property protection of voting software. The bill expands privacy and independence gains achieved by voters with disabilities in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002.
There are only 6 states that would have to completely overhaul their voting systems in time for the November 2008 election. A dozen more would have to make changes in some counties. The rest were proactive and either are already compliant or have an extra two and a half years to make any necessary upgrades.
“This legislation is necessary, sensible, and practicable,” said Holt. “All states can and should have verifiable voting systems by 2008.”
The legislation is bipartisan with 20 Republican cosponsors. Republican governors in Maryland, Florida, and elsewhere have acted on a state level to require verifiability of elections.
"Our democracy only works if we believe that it does,” said Holt. I hope and expect that Congress will move quickly to pass this legislation so that all voters can be confident that their votes are counted as cast."
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