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

Wed May 9 14:22:30 CDT 2007

Dear Steve,

I took no offense at what you said and I did not mean by response to sound 
like I was snapping at you.

I have no problem with having a paper trail, I just don't want us to lose 
our access to the secret ballot in the process.
As I see it, the problem is getting machines that can mark an optically 
scanned ballot certified in all of the states where there is a paper trail 
mandated.

Even once we do get them certified, just having one per precinct is still 
going to be a pain.  If it breaks or doesn't work, getting it fixed or 
serviced may become a question of funding over time and a dodge for not 
providing the access.

David Evans, NFBF
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 9:53 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: Great News!!! - PRESS RELEASE -

> 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
>>>
>>>>###
>>>
>>>>__._,_.___
>>>
>>>
>>>>-- 
>>>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>>>Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.6.2/785 - Release Date: 5/2/2007
>>>>2:16
>>>>PM
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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