HR 2239 - Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003

I had recently written to my US Representative, Dennis Moore (D-KS) to express my concern over the possible shortcomings - including susceptibility to fraud and other tampering - that some of the new computerized voting machines posses. He responded with information on a bill now in the House Committee on Administration, called the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003.

He decribes the Act as follows:

...the bill would

1. require all voting systems to produce a voter-verified paper record for use in manual audits and recounts;


2. ban the use of undisclosed software and wireless communications devices in voting systems;


3. require all voting systems to meet these requirements in time for the general election in November 2004;


4. requires that electronic voting systems be provided for persons with disabilities by January 1, 2006; and


5. require mandatory surprise recounts in 0.5% of domestic jurisdictions and 0.5% of overseas jurisdictions

Please write your congressmen and women to support HR 2239 and ask that the do whatever they can to help get it out of committee and onto the floor for passage. If you're not sure who your Representative is or how to contact them, just plug your zip code into the nifty little "Contact Congress" box over on the sidebar that ate Cincinnatti (just click the link - its faster than scrolling *g*) and let them know what you think!

9/11/03 6:00pm - Update from Yuda posted to the comments section at Skeptical Notion:

I have it on good authority that this bill won't make it out of the Committee on House Administration. At present, they have not scheduled a hearing on it.

Comittee Members:

-Republican Members

Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-OH) Chairman
Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI)
Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL)
Rep. John Linder (R-GA)
Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-NY)

Democratic Members

Rep. John B. Larson (D-CT) Ranking Member
Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA)
Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA)

So these are the guys to hammer about it, first. 6-3 is a tough ratio to overcome.