Thanks! Voting Integrity Needs Your Call or E-Mail Now!

Update:  Most of the provisions are now included in an amendment by Reps Caruso and Urban,  House LCO Amendment #6141 to S.B. 444.  

Update: If you have not done so already, please contact your Connecticut House Representative.

Thanks for your calls and e-mails. H.B. 5888 passed the Planning and Development Committee with unanamous support of the members present, with some good words in support by Chairman Feltman. The only reservations were expressed around the 100% ballot printing provisions and the mandatory privacy spaces — both of which we believe will be improved in an amendment to be offered shortly. Now on to the full House.

Have you contacted your Representative yet?

Is Your Senator Or Representative on the Planning and Development Committee?

Please call or e-mail and request they vote for H.B. 5888, “An Act Concerning Revisions To The Optical Scan Voting System”.

The Planning and Development Committee will be making a decision tomorrow, Friday 5/2, then the bill will be before the full House.

S02 – Coleman, Eric D. Co-Chair
006 – Feltman, Art Co-Chair
S05 – Harris, Jonathan A. Vice Chair
127 – Hennessy, Jack F. Vice Chair
S34 – Fasano, Leonard A. Ranking Member
052 – Bacchiochi, Penny Ranking Member
014 – Aman, William Member
128 – Ayala, Andres Member
086 – Candelora, Vincent J. Member
134 – Christiano, Tom F. Member
132 – Drew, Thomas J. Member
094 – Dyson, William R. Member
146 – Fox, Gerald M. Member
090 – Fritz, Mary G. Member
104 – Gentile, Linda M Member
066 – Miner, Craig A. Member
141 – Ryan, John J. Member
088 – Sharkey, Brendan Member
109 – Taborsak, Joseph J Member
063 – Wilber, George M. Member

See below:

• How to contact members of the Committee or your Representative
• Sample Call or E-mail
• Background
• Highlights of H.B. 5888

NOW ITS UP TO YOU – WE CANNOT WAIT FOR VOTING INTEGRITY !!!

How Contact Your State Representative or Committee Member

You can find Commitee members, their e-mail and web site (which has their phone) at:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/MemberList.asp?comm_code=PD&doc_type=

All representatives at: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/hlist.asp

If not you can use this page to find your House and Senates Districts on a map and then click the map to get contract information: http://www.cga.ct.gov/maps/Townlist.asp

Sample Call or E-Mail

Email:

Dear Senator/Representative XXXXX,

I urge you to support H.B. 5888.

This bill will provide important steps to increase voting integrity for Connecticut by improving the integrity of optical scan programming and the integrity and effectiveness of the post-election audits necessary for confidence that our votes are counted accurately and the voters’ intentions are realized.

With billion dollar budgets in Hartford, trillions spent in Washington, and significant decisions made at every level of government, we cannot afford any risk or doubt about the integrity of our elections.

Thank you,
(name)
(address)

Call or Voice Mail:

Representative XXXXX, this is (name) on (street and town), you can reach me at (phone number). I am calling to urge you to support H.B. 5888. This bill will provide important steps to increase voting integrity for Connecticut by improving the integrity of optical scan programming and the integrity and effectiveness of the post-election audits necessary for confidence that our votes are counted accurately and the voters’ intentions are realized.

With billion dollar budgets in Hartford, trillions spent in Washington, and significant decisions made at every level of government, we cannot afford any risk or doubt about the integrity of our elections.

Thank you,

Background

You and CTVotersCount.org have been a critical factor in demonstrating the need for stronger post-election audits in Connecticut:

• We petitioned the Secretary of the State and Legislature: http://www.CTVotersCount.org/CTVCData/PetitionECCT2008.pdf
• We participated in the Audit Coalition, demonstrating audit law deficiencies: http://www.CTElectionAudit.org
• The legislature held public hearings and we participated in those hearings: https://www.ctvoterscount.org/?s=testimony
• The Government Administration and Elections Committee (GAE) proposed H.B. 5888
• We worked with the GAE and the Secretary of the State’s Office and other advocates to improve H.B. 5888
• The GAE and Appropriations Committee recommended H.B. 5888, it was on the House Calendar, and is now before the Planning and Development Committee.

H.B. 5888 will mean one large step forward with an Independent Audit Board, along with several additional steps which will help prevent errors and strengthen the effectiveness and integrity of the post election audits.

NOW ITS UP TO YOU – LET YOUR REPRESENTIVE KNOW ELECTION INTEGRITY IS IMPORTANT TO YOU !!!

Highlights of H.B. 5888

(This summary is based on the latest version of H.B. 5888 which is not yet available, which includes several improvements over the latest version online)

An Independent Audit Board which will be responsible for planning and executing post-election audits. The Board will make recommendations to the legislature to improve the law in 2009 and begin responsibility of audits in 2010.

100% of memory cards will be subject to independent testing within Connecticut before shipment to registrars, beginning in 2009.

Beginning this year, the chain of custody of ballots, optical scanners, and memory cards has been extended and clarified. They must be kept under seal until no longer needed for recounts, audits, and audit investigations. When not in secure facilities, ballots must be under the control of two election officials at all times.

Beginning this year, random race drawings must be public, three days notice must be given for random drawings and post-election audit counting, and absentee ballots must be included in the audit.

Other provisions include additional voter privacy, additional election official training, stronger enforcement authorization for the Secretary of the State’s Office and the Election Enforcement Commission, along with minimum levels for ballot printing.

$250,000 in critical funding is provided to the Independent Audit Board to develop their plan and recommendations this year – a small price to pay when we consider the trillion dollar decisions made in Washington, the billions spent each year in Harford, along with the critical decisions made by our elected officials.