VA voters--please help re: electonic voting legislation

[spooky3]

This message was forwarded to me--I'll post it in the state forum too. The writer gave me permission to post in its entirety.

" Dear Friends,

Please read the following when you have a few minutes. Please forward this message to other VA voters today. Nonpartisan support is greatly needed now.

VA's elected state officials won't be doing anything unless they hear from their constituents now. We really need them to act now on this important step that will greatly affect the voting integrity in VA.

Pressing drafts of legislation that will greatly affect accountable voting procedures in VA is due to be voted on shortly in the next session of the VA Committee on Rules which returns to session on Jan. 12, 2005. It is vital that the elected officials on the Committee hear lots of support for these drafts in process before that date. Legislation will go before both the House Delegates and State Senators calling for legitimate computer expertise to be considered before making any more voting equipment purchases for the state.

As you know, there is a growing number of electronic voting machines coming into use in Virginia that do not have a voter verifiable paper auditing system. A paper auditing system is important in order to conduct independent recounts of elections and assure that electronic voting machines are accountable to the public. Using an electronic voting machine with a paper auditing system is like using an ATM without the bank being accountable for recording it for you properly.

In Virginia, in order for a company to sell their electronic voting machine system to localities, the systems must first be approved by the Virginia Board of Elections. Then a single 'Independent' Testing Agent must certify the systems’ hardware and software before deployment. The certification process and final reports are withheld from the public to preserve industry trade secrets.

In response to increasing concern about our voting systems, the Virginia General Assembly has agreed recently to House Joint Resolution 174 to establish a joint subcommittee to study the certification process for voting equipment and matters related to the performance and proper deployment of voting equipment.

However, HR 174 fails to require computer security experts to be among the subcommittee’s membership. The people presently making decisions on these committees do not have any expert knowledge of security systems. Some may even be naive enough to think it is not necessary.

Consequently, a Virginia voting group community volunteer for verifiedvoting.org, with other volunteers, has prepared an additional Resolution that will be submitted before the Virginia Senate that would require the VA Study Commission to include expert witnesses with computer security expertise in their membership. Delegate Del Hugo has submitteded a similar draft legislation for the House Delegates Rules committee. Both need our support in the form of letters or calls to officials.

Please see the attached draft of the Senate Resolution for text. The House draft will call for a similar measure but asks for one outside computer expert who will become a voting member. (Delegate Del Hugo's draft is not included.)

These Resolutions will be voted on by the House and Senate shortly after they return to session on Jan. 12, 2005. Our local representatives need to hear from us that we care about these voting issues a.s.a.p..

Please take the time to write or call the following representatives to let them know you want them to sponsor legislation calling for unbiased, scientific expert advice for voting equipment selection. Tell them to support technology that provides a voter verified audit trail and mandatory recounts during elections for true democratic voting to be preserved.

Thank you,

Alice Whealin

[e-mail] Please write if you have any questions re. this matter.

Please see below info. to help find your legislators and see attachment





Please find your VA State Senator and House Delegate of the Committee on Rules below:

Click on name Va State Senator member names listed on link below and for phone #’s and address info:

http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$%2Bfor%2BWMembers...






Norment, Thomas K., Jr. -Chair

Rules Membership:



Colgan; Saslaw; Wampler; Chichester; Stosch; Quayle; Hawkins; Stolle; Hanger; Williams; Houck; Potts; Whipple; Martin; and Mims.

House Delegate Members of the Committee on Rules

Click on Names on the link below for address and email links and alternate phone #’s listing :

http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?Ope...

Howell (of Stafford) (Chairman), Putney, Callahan, Parrish, Hargrove, McDonnell, Wardrup, Griffith (Vice chairman), Drake, Kilgore, Jones (of Suffolk), Councill, Hall, Joannou, Spruill, Abbitt



Howell, W.J. (Chairman) - 28th - republican - 540 371 1612

Putney, Lacey (male? female?) - 19th - independent - 540 586 0080

Callahan - 34th district - Republican - 703 356 1925

Parrish - 50th - republican 703 367 0505

Hargrove - 55th - republican - 804 550 4000

McDonnell 84th - republican - 757 552 6010

Wardrup - 83rd - republican - 757 490 8383

Griffith - 8th - republican - 540 389 4498

Drake, Thelma 87th district - republican - 757 588 8787

Kilgore, 1st - republican - 276 386 7701

Jones, S.C. 76th - republican - 757 483 6242

Councill 75th district - democrat - 757 562 4283

Hall - 69th - democrat - 804 897 5900

Joannou - 79th - democrat - 757 399 1700

Spruill - 77th - democrat - 757 545 2573

Abbitt 59th District - Independent - 434 352 2880

www.verifiedvoting.org is also a good site for concerns re. voting technology news"