If you want to stop the possibility of election fraud in it's tracks in time for the 2006 elections then read on.
With the release of the Carter-Baker Report and a lot of pressure from constituents it seems there may finally be some action in congress on election reform. I'm sure DeLay's indictment is going to send Repubs scurrying for something to make them look honorable. Here's our chance. Now is the time to push them and here's how after the flip.
First a little background. VoteTrust USA has worked with Verified Voting, Common Cause, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Working Assets, and Voters Unite (The HR 550 - I Count Coalition) to organize Citizen Lobby Days first in DC in June and then in home district offices in August. After bugging my Repub congressman's office for a month I finally got him to send a staffer to meet with a bunch of us in September.
What we're trying to do is get the House to pass Rush Holt's {D-NJ) HR 550 Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act. Holt's been working on this issue for years and his bill is the only legislation that has bipartisan support and can get passed in this congress in time for next year's election. It already has far and away the most co-sponsors (157, including 8 Republicans, 148 Democrats and 1 Independent). It's a cleanly written bill that can get passed in this congress (unlike the other Dem written bills) without a lot of modification or stonewalling by Repubs.
The Repubs have a couple watered down versions, (HR 278 and HR 704) and there are two Dem bills (HR 939 and HR 533) while well meaning force states to buy unproven and in some cases nonexistent technology. The Repubs won't pass them anyway.
I received an email yesterday from Warren Stewart at VoteTrustUSA asking us to contact our House reps. Here's the key paragraph:
"With some indication that the bill (HR 550) may actually be marked up in October, there is concern that the House Administration Committee may use the recommendations of the Carter-Baker Report to weaken Holt's language. VoteTrustUSA has set up a legislative action page where concerned citizens can sign up and automatically send an email to
their Representative and to the majority and minority offices of the House Administration Committee urging them to pass HR 550 as written."
The good news is it looks like the hard work of many activists and the Carter-Baker Report has spurred some action. The bad news is there are those in congress who'd like to use the Carter-Baker Report to start from scratch or write up a whole new bill that'll most likely never pass, or at least in time for the midterms next year..
Click on this link and it'll take you to the email web tool where you can sign the letter and modify it if you like. Putting it in your own words is better than sending a form letter but please don't alter the central message which is to tell them to pass HR 550 as written. You can also print it out if you'd rather send it by mail. You can automatically email it to your congressional rep AND the members of the House Administration Committee. The signers' names will also be compiled into a physical petition, which will be delivered to the Committee. Please pass this along to as many people as you can. We need to strike while the iron is hot.
http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=VTUSA&hotissue=1
I'd like to add that we really need a companion bill in the Senate. Contact your senators and see if you can get one to introduce a bill with the same language as HR 550. This will smooth the way for it to reach Bush's desk. He'll no more use his first veto on this legislation than he'll spit on a flag drapped apple pie at high noon on the White House steps. If you want more information on all the bills or want to volunteer check out these sites:
http://www.votetrustusa.org/
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/
Thanks in advance,
Markg8