Contact your State Rep: Verifiable Paper Trails

[CornField]

The next session convenes on Jan. 9, 2006. Please contact your Representative sometime between now and then.

If you are unsure of who your representative is: http://www4.legis.state.ia.us/find-leg/

Keep in mind that the November elections may change a few things in Des Moines. IMO, the information I'm about to share would make very good question to ask the candidates.

During the last session, the Iowa Senate passed verified audit trails unanimously. This was supported by the Governor, the Secretary of State, the League of Women Voters, the AARP, and the Des Moines Register, among others. Vilsack has stated he would veto any elections legislation that didn't contain verified audit trails.

In spite of the unanimous Senate support, Iowa House leadership refused to allow a vote. The Iowa House and Iowa State Association of County Auditors (ISACA) joined forces to block legislative action in the House. The legislation was killed without a vote and with no accountablity of our elected officials (either the 99 county auditors or the 100 Reps). The two groups continued to be allied to prevent any action in the upcoming legislature.

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Why this is so very important:

In May of this year Secretary of State Chet Culver made public the intentions of county officials, showing that nearly half of Iowa's counties will purchase touchscreen voting machings as part of statewide efforts to upgrade voting machines and make election system improvements as required by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

47 counties are likely to purchase touch-screen voting machines, known as Direct Recording Devices (DREs). That widespread use, Culver said, reinforces the position he and Governor Vilsack have taken as they’ve urged legislators to pass an elections bill that includes a requirement for a voter verified paper trail with touch-screen voting machines.

[haroldgiowa]

1. Send to all of Iowa Senate

senate@ crystal-link.net

The above address sends your email to all the senate.

[pstans]

2. Sounds like the House is where the effort should be focused on

pite of the unanimous Senate support, Iowa House leadership refused to allow a vote. The Iowa House and Iowa State Association of County Auditors (ISACA) joined forces to block legislative action in the House.


Send emails and letters to your House Rep.

[CornField]

3. Correct -- the Senate unanimously passed the legislation

It was stonewalled in the House and that's where we should focus our efforts.

[justgamma]

4. This seems like a no-brainer

Can anybody tell me the reasons the pugs give for not wanting a paper trail? I just can't see a legitimate excuse for not supporting this.

Who is the Iowa leadership?

[CornField]

5. House Speaker = Christopher Rants (R-Sioux City)