RichmondLiberty.org

From the Verifiable Voting Coalition of Virginia:

VAVV.org Action Alert Friday January 18, 2007

Send Letters to the following 11 legislators by Monday morning!
Action #1.
Please send letters to 3 P & E subcommittee members by Monday morning! Help keep our election count meaningful, auditable and transparent.

We have learned that our verified voting bill, SB840, introduced 2 weeks ago, needed further discussion and now is rescheduled for a vote in the Senate Privileges and Elections subcommittee on Monday.
Please call and/or email these 3 Senators if you haven't (MONDAY the 22nd). I have included a summary of the bill below the contact information for the subcommittee members. Please call (or email) them and just let them know that you and the citizens of the Great Commonwealth of Virginia expect them to ensure the safety, security, and accuracy of our election system. Ask them to vote in favor of SB840.

Thank you for your help at this time.

Sincerely,

Alice Whealin, VAVV.org volunteer, and members of the Va.Verifiable Voting Coalition

VAVV.org is a nonpartisan all volunteer organization.
Write my reply address for more information and for ML.
alicewhealin@yahioo.com

CALL BETWEEN 8AM-1PM (Friday or) MONDAY. Tell them to vote in favor of SB840 in subcommittee today.

Subcommittee Members to email and call:
1. Senator O’Brien: Phone: (804) 698-7539, Email: district39@sov.state.va.us
2. Senator Obenshain: Phone: (804) 698-7526, Email: district26@sov.state.va.us
3. Senator Puckett: Phone: (804) 698-7538, Email: district38@sov.state.va.us

Action # 2. Send 8 separate letters to these P & E committee by Tuesday morning! The following senators have not committed to voting yes to SB 840. Please ask them to patron Sen.Davis's budget amendment to fund this need for auditable elections. The savings will be more than just $. They are scheduled to meet at 4pm that afternoon to vote on this bill.
The following 8 Privileges & Elections committee members have not committed to vote YES in favor of Senate Bill 840 for auditable elections in VA:

1. Sen. Dick Saslaw district35@sov.state.va.us
(804) 698-7535
Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
2. Sen. Mary Margret Whipple district31@sov.state.va.us
(804) 698-7531 Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
3. Sen. Roscoe Reynolds district20@sov.state.va.us
(804) 698-7520 Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
4. Sen. Ben Lambert district09@sov.state.va.us (804) 698-7509
Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
5. Sen. Ken Stolle has stated he is against this bill. Please write him.
district08@sov.state.va.us
Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
6. Sen. Mark Obenshain district26@sov.state.va.us (804) 698-7526
Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
7. Sen. Jay O'Brien district39@sov.state.va.us
Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
8. Sen. Hawkins district19@sov.state.va.us (804) 698-7519
Constituent Hotline: (800) 889-0229 (Session Only)
____________________________________________

Sample letter-
Dear Senator ___________:

Currently, most Virginia jurisdictions use direct record electronic machines (DREs) to record and count voters’ choices. The DRE machines do not generate a visible record that a voter can see to verify that the machines have recorded their votes correctly. Without a paper record, they also do not permit meaningful recounts or audits. Because of this lack of accountability, many computer security experts have raised concerns about possible malicious attacks or programming errors changing the outcome of elections in ways that would be undetectable to voters and election officials. It does not have to be this way.

I urge you to support legislation, specifically S.B.840, that would require all voting machines in Virginia to be voter-verifiable and both auditable and subject to regular random audits. Some of the other bills regarding election machines this year are not going to accomplish this. Senator Devolites Davis has introduced Senate Bill 840 that would require the use of optic scan tabulators for most precincts and would require routine audits.

I believe that these simple changes will help ensure the integrity of elections in Virginia and urge support of Senate Bill 840. Please vote YES on S.B. 840.

Sincerely,


Your name
Your city, state of residence
Your phone #
________________________________________________

in the News...

Do you think you can count on your legislators to vote yes, think again.

Over a year ago Sen. Whipple submitted a vvpt bill for VAVV.org but then voted no against our bill for an audit trail, saying a study should be done first.
the Senator was on the VA Technical Subcommittee Panel that year that examined this very issue extensively.....with plenty of expert security computer scientists' testimonies about the flaws of dre's.
In the Saturday's town meeting on Jan. 13 Sen. Whipple claimed not to know much about SB 840 accdg. to Mr. Benton of the Falls Church News Press,.
Sen. Whipple met with coalition members on lobby day and still would not make a commitment to vote for auditable elections. The Senator told us that it depends on $ available. Some of our legislators think that voters should continue to guess if our votes are being counted, in order to not have to pay for our votes to be reliably counted? Sen. Whipple may possibly vote yes. Please write her and the other senators listed to let them know you believe they should.

see article...Falls Church News Press,
By Nicholas F. Benton
Thursday, 18 January 2007
VA: Election ‘Paper Trail’ Push Gains Steam in Richmond
http://www.fcnp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=761&Itemid=33
"A spokesman from the Verifiable Voting Coalition of Virginia queried Scott and State Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple about their views of the pending new legislation at Saturday’s meeting. Both said they were not completely familiar with the bills, S.B. 840 and H.B. 2707." in the

___________________________________________________________________________

If you have any extra time...
call or send Thank you letter for being the co-patron of SB 840 to
Senator Creigh Deeds:
(804) 698-7525, Email: district25@sov.state.va.us
Senator Deeds obviously understands what's at stake.

____________________________________________________________________________
Bill Summary SB 840 for Secure & Verifiable Elections in Virginia
The Verifiable Voting Coalition of Virginia supports SB 840. This legislation requires Virginia localities to use optical scan voting machines to provide a paper ballot that has been verified by the voter, and requires audits of a random sample of machines during canvasses and recounts. With this legislation, Virginians can have confidence in the accuracy and security of our elections.

Why we need this bill: Currently, most Virginians vote on Direct Record Electronic (DRE) election machines that do not provide a paper record or other independent means of verifying that the machine is accurately recording the voter’s intentions. Without this paper record, machines cannot be audited for accuracy after an election, and there can be no meaningful recount in the event of a close or disputed election. DREs provide no means to detect or remedy programming errors or fraudulent software that evades pre-election testing.

Bill Provisions
Optical scan voting machines: The centerpiece of the legislation is the requirement that all jurisdictions use paper ballots read by optical scan tabulators, retaining an exemption for very small counties. This proven, reliable and economical technology is already in use in several Virginia counties including: Chesterfield, Hanover, Loudoun and Stafford. Voters mark paper ballots and feed them through the scanner (tabulator). The tabulator checks the ballot, and gives the voter a chance to correct undervotes or overvotes. The paper ballots provide a robust paper trail without the complications and risks of adding printers to existing DREs.

Assistance for disabled voters: The bill provides for ballot-marking devices to assist voters with disabilities in preparing and verifying paper ballots on their own. Such devices are already in use in Virginia and are required by the federal Help America Vote Act.

Ban on wireless communications: Wireless communication is a serious security risk that far outweighs any minor convenience it provides election officials. This bill bans such devices.

Post-election audits during canvasses and recounts: Audits are a critical step in ensuring the integrity of elections. The bill requires post-election random audits during canvasses of two or five percent of machines based upon population. Machines are audited by comparing a hand count of the paper ballots with the machine totals to check the machine accuracy. In recounts, an additional three percent of machines would be audited. If significant discrepancies are detected, the paper ballots become the ballots of record.

In 2002, post-election audits detected a software error in Wayne County, NC that changed the result of the election. Because Wayne County used optical scan tabulators, the error was detected and remedied. Now North Carolina requires paper trails and audits for all elections.

The Verifiable Voting Coalition of Virginia includes:
Virginia League of Women Voters
Virginia Libertarian Party
Virginia Verified Voting
Common Cause
New Electoral Reform Alliance for VA
Virginia Organizing Project
Southern Coalition for Secured Voting.