[nfb-talk] Fw: Great News!!! - PRESS RELEASE -

Tue May 8 21:53:19 CDT 2007

Sorry I apparently ruffled your feathers.  I was pretty certain you were involved in voter issues, but it sounded to me as 
though you didn't think there was a very accessible alternative for paper ballots.  I do understand that it will be a royal 
pain and that a bunch of money will be spent because the laws changed.  That is frustrating.

On Tue, 8 May 2007 13:00:56 -0500, David Evans wrote:

>Dear Steve,

>I am well aware of what HAVA provides for.
>I served an appointment to the Governor's Select Task Force on Voting Access 
>after the 2000 elections as well as an appointment to the Florida HAVA State 
>Planning Committee for 2 years.
>My own county of Palm Beach has DRE's, but now , with the change in the 
>State Law to ensure a paper trail, all of the 67 counties are going to have 
>to re-think their approach to access.
>The Auto Mark or Mark Sense, which ever you call it seems to be the only way 
>that we can have the access and make the ballots homogenious with the 
>ballots of the sighted.
>Ballots printed in any other format will be noticeable different from each 
>other.
>We will have the push the State and the machines manufacturers to get them 
>certified in the state for use.
>Certification is the two million dollar nut that has to be cracked.
>It cost that much per state to get the machines certified for use.

>David Evans, NFBF
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 9:59 AM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Great News!!! - PRESS RELEASE -

>> David,
>>
>> What is the "Mark Sense" voting machine?  We used the "AutoMark" machine 
>> here in Minnesota to mark paper ballots and it worked reasonably well.  It 
>> can also
>> be used by blind and sighted voters who wish to do so.  I believe we are 
>> going to see shifts like this in a number of states, and I think we need 
>> to be careful not to
>> get caught up in the paper versus paperless debate.  If states decide to 
>> switch, we don't want to be left out, but there will likely be some bumps 
>> in the road, and
>> we're going to have to gauge the intentions of states to some degree.  For 
>> example, if we are the only group to use a voting machine that does not 
>> use a paper
>> ballot, that will also compromise our secret ballot even though it might 
>> be accessible.  We could end up fighting for and spending money on 
>> something that is not all
>> that meaningful.  On the other hand, if a state demonstrates a complete 
>> unwillingness to deal with accessible voting, we can't let that stand. 
>> Also remember that
>> HAVA doesn't govern state and local elections.  They may be effected by 
>> separate laws and each state may differ.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Steve Jacobson
>>
>> On Fri, 4 May 2007 09:30:33 -0500, David Evans wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Dear All,
>>
>>>This is both great , but also dangerous for the Blind.
>>>We must now push for the "Mark Sense" voting machine system to be 
>>>certified
>>>for use in the State of Florida as it is the only known system capable of
>>>being used in marking paper ballots that both the sighted and the Blind 
>>>can
>>>use.
>>>This means that all DRE , touch screen machines, that are now accessible 
>>>to
>>>the Blind, will be banned and phased out for use in voting.
>>>The Mark Sense machine is not currently certified by our State and it will
>>>take effort to get it certified by next year.
>>>I do not plan to be disenfranchised by the Florida State Legislature and
>>>lose my access to the secret ballot.
>>>I will sue the State if I have to to preserve my constitutional right  to
>>>that secret ballot.
>>>We have been the last group to get it and now that I have had it, I don't
>>>plan on giving it up.
>>
>>
>>>David Evans, NFBF
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
>>>To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:42 PM
>>>Subject: [nfb-talk] Fw: Great News!!! - PRESS RELEASE -
>>
>>
>>>This is interesting. I hope we don't get left behind.
>>
>>>Sherri
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>From: "alan dicey" <adicey at bellsouth.net>
>>>To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
>>>Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:57 PM
>>>Subject: Great News!!! - PRESS RELEASE -
>>
>>
>>>PRESS RELEASE
>>
>>>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3 May 2007
>>
>>>Contact:
>>
>>>Susan Pynchon, Cell: 386-804-3131
>>
>>>Pamela Haengel, Cell: 727-244-9064
>>
>>>Kindra Muntz, Cell: 941-266-8278
>>
>>>Dan McCrea, Cell: 305-984-2900
>>
>>>FLORIDA MOVES to paper ballots!
>>
>>>Florida Voters Coalition congratulates governor crist and the florida
>>>legislature for ending PAPERLESS voting.
>>
>>>TALLAHASSEE: In a historic vote, the Florida House today unanimously 
>>>passed
>>>CS/HB 537, already passed in the Senate, that provides almost all voters
>>>paper
>>>ballots in time for the 2008 Presidential election, and bans paperless 
>>>DREs
>>>outright by 2012. The bill now goes to the Governor where he's sure to 
>>>sign
>>>it since it's his initiative.
>>
>>>Counties will have the option to pitch DREs immediately and provide ballot
>>>marking devices for voters with disabilities. "FVC urges all 67 counties 
>>>to
>>>convert
>>>to uniform paper ballot systems without delay and leave no voter behind
>>>voting on failed electronic voting machines," said FVC Co-Founder, Dan
>>>McCrea.
>>
>>>The bill is funded with $27.9 million in HAVA funds and there's plenty 
>>>more
>>>money in that account should more be needed next year. Counties will get
>>>help
>>>from the state to purchase optical scan equipment to count the paper
>>>ballots; ballot-on-demand equipment to ease paper congestion problems in
>>>Early Voting;
>>>and ballot marking devices to serve the disabled.
>>
>>>While there was talk earlier in the legislative session about retrofitting
>>>printers to failed touchscreen DREs, that talk faded as legislators saw it
>>>would
>>>be throwing good money after bad. Additionally, they are sure to have
>>>understood that currently available "VVPAT" printers would not comply with
>>>proposed
>>>federal legislation which, if passed, will supersede Florida law. (Federal
>>>bill HR 811, sponsored by Rep. Rush Holt, currently has 212 bi-partisan
>>>co-sponsors
>>>in Congress.)
>>
>>>The Florida bill also contains new audit provisions essential to the
>>>security of paper ballot voting systems. There was agreement among
>>>legislators that
>>>the new audit provisions will need further tweaking next year before
>>>becoming effective in July 2008. For now, the language requires that after
>>>every election,
>>>at least 1% and not more than 2% of randomly selected precincts be audited
>>>by hand-counting the paper ballots in one randomly selected race. The 
>>>audit
>>>will take place after certification and be reported 3 days before the
>>>contest period ends.
>>
>>>"FVC supports 'statistically significant' audits that would yield a far
>>>greater confidence level in election results and should be reported before
>>>certification.
>>>FVC will be working with state and local election officials in the coming
>>>year to strengthen Florida audit language," said another FVC Co-Founder,
>>>Kindra
>>>Muntz, who led the successful charter amendment campaign in Sarasota 
>>>County
>>>that requires both voter verified paper ballots and mandatory random 
>>>audits
>>>in all elections.
>>
>>>"We thank Governor Crist and the Florida Legislature for their vision and
>>>diligence in improving Florida voting systems," said FVC Co-Founder, Susan
>>>Pynchon,
>>>"and for working together in a bi-partisan, bicameral effort. The eyes of
>>>the nation have been and still are on Florida elections - and Florida
>>>finally
>>>got it right! We can now say Florida is leading the nation in election
>>>reform."
>>
>>>In addition to the Governor and the Legislature deserving praise, FVC 
>>>thanks
>>>the two dozen co-signers to our 2007 Position Paper on Voting Systems, who
>>>are listed below, and who worked very hard together at local, state, and
>>>national levels on many different aspects of advocating for this
>>>legislation.
>>>Thanks to Senator Bill Nelson and other members of Congress who also 
>>>helped
>>>at the national level. We also thank the Florida League of Woman Voters 
>>>and
>>>the Florida Council of the Blind for their vital assistance.  Special 
>>>thanks
>>>to Warren Stewart, Policy Director for VoteTrustUSA; Ion Sancho, Leon 
>>>County
>>>Supervisor of Elections; Howard Simon, Executive Director of ACLU of
>>>Florida; and Pamela Smith, President of Verified Voting for their 
>>>invaluable
>>>contributions
>>>to this effort.  Additional thanks go to Sam Bell, Doug Bell and Rebecca
>>>Sager for their extensive assistance on the ground in Tallahassee. And
>>>finally,
>>>FVC thanks the thousands of volunteers and citizens who cared enough about
>>>Florida's elections to help rally support, send messages to the Governor 
>>>and
>>>Legislature, talk to the media, and make their voices heard. "This was a
>>>good day for democracy," said FVC Co-Founder Pamela Haengel.
>>
>>>National Organizations - Alphabetical by Organization
>>
>>>List of 6 items
>>>. Ralph Miller, Executive Director,
>>>Latinos for America
>>>. Megan Matson, Director,
>>>Mainstreet Moms
>>>. Pamela Smith, President,
>>>VerifiedVoting.org
>>>. Dan McCrea, Florida State Director,
>>>Voter Action
>>>. John Gideon, Executive Director,
>>>VotersUnite.org
>>>. Joan Krawitz, Executive Director,
>>>VoteTrustUSA
>>>list end
>>
>>>State of Florida Organizations - Alphabetical by Organization
>>
>>>List of 15 items
>>>. Howard Simon, Executive Director,
>>> ACLU of Florida
>>>. Jeannette D. Wynn, President,
>>>Florida Council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
>>>Employees (AFSCME)
>>>. Cynthia Hall, President,
>>>Florida AFL-CIO
>>>. Ellen Brodsky, Executive Director,
>>>Broward Election Reform Coalition
>>>(BERC)
>>>. Susan Pynchon, Executive Director,
>>>Florida Fair Elections Coalition
>>>(FFEC)
>>>. Ion Sancho, Supervisor of Elections,
>>>Leon County Department of Elections
>>>. Trevor Harvey, President,
>>>Sarasota County Branch, NAACP
>>>. Susan Van Houten, Co-Founder, Palm Beach Coalition for Election Reform
>>>. Brad Ashwell,
>>>Florida Public Interest Research Group
>>>(PIRG)
>>>. Kindra Muntz, President,
>>>Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections
>>>(SAFE)
>>>. Sevell C. Brown III, Florida State President,
>>>Southern Christian Leadership Conference
>>>. Jim Pillow, Political Coordinator -
>>>Teamsters Local 385 Orlando
>>>. Fred Seidl, Coordinator,
>>>Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, Florida
>>>. Gene Jones,
>>>Florida Veterans for Common Sense
>>>. Pamela Haengel, President,
>>>Voting Integrity Alliance of Tampa Bay
>>>(VIA Tampa Bay)
>>>list end
>>
>>>###
>>
>>>__._,_.___
>>
>>
>>>-- 
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>>>2:16
>>>PM
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>

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