Wanted: Cosponsors for S.1975. Punish deceptive practices in Fed Elections

[pat_k]

From Common Cause, on violations of voters rights,

Now, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is working to eliminate this significant problem. He has introduced a bill, S. 1975, The Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2005. The bill would create a criminal penalty for deceptive practices, with penalties of up to $100,000, one year imprisonment, or both. The legislation would also require the attorney general, in conjunction with the federal Election Assistance Commission, to provide accurate election information when allegations of deceptive practices are confirmed.

We need your help to round up cosponsors for the bill. We hope to see it signed into law before the 2006 elections. Building support for this bill is a critical first step.

Please call your Senators today and urge them to cosponsor S. 1975, A bill to prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections.

This is a simple, straightforward bill, but it will face stiff opposition from many in Congress. We need your help. So does Senator Obama.

From their blog: Sen. Obama Cracks Down on Voter Suppression

Bill Status (referred to Committee on Rules and Administration - members)

[Options Remain]

1. fine should be steeper.

significantly so.

[pat_k]

11. As the most egregious crime that can be committed against We the People

Agreed! Killing a cop is a capital crime because it is considered to be a crime against the public institution of law enforcement.

Manipulating the outcome of an election is worse. It is a crime against the principle of consent, the sole moral principle on which the nation was founded. As the most egregious crime that can be committed against We the People, it ought to carry the maximum punishment allowable under law. (The would-be thieves are such cowards, we would probably find that few are willing to risk death or life imprisonment.) The notion that squeaky clean elections are an impossible goal will goes out the window when our law recognizes the magnitude of the crime.

That said, I still want to see people lobby their representatives in Congress co-sponsor these bills (Obama's in Senate, Holt's in the House).

Liberals, and Democrats in general, tend to be hesitant when it comes to accusation and punishment. (Something the right clearly revels in.) Any step that seeks to punish the perpetrators is a step in the right direction.

When you contact your representatives you can use it as an opportunity to let them know that you not only want to see them get behind these bills, you want to see much stronger legislation that dictates punishment that is in line with the magnitude of the crime.

[MH1]

2. John Kerry is currently the one and only cosponsor.

So you don't need to hound him on this. Although you may want to fax him your appreciation.

Fax #: [phone]

Or you could donate to his grassroots PAC:
http://www.keepingamericaspromise.com/candidates/

[Bill Bored]

3. OK. I haven't even read the bill yet, but the thread deserves more than 2

fucking recommendations, doesn't it?

Come on people! Is this an Election Reform forum or isn't it?

This could be a really good thing if, for example, voting machine manufacturers (or those who program them) could also be prosecuted under this law for THEIR deceptive practices! Just a thought.

But the fact that this thread is being ignored is kind of depressing.

[kster]

6. Bill ,Voting machine manufacturers ,Should

already be getting prosecuted if they aren't being arrested so far, this bill means NOTHING S.1975 along with 550 bill. You and I along with everyone else knows this is not true election reform, COME ON.

True election reform would be televised with both parties present so we can hammer out true election reform FOR ALL TO SEE.

If the debate on election reform is not televised FOR ALL TO SEE it becomes a JOKE.

[Febble]

7. Yes, I missed it

Someone like to start another one?

IMO this is how your elections are stolen.

[pauldp]

4. kicked & recommended .

oops. the thread is too old to recomend

[Bill Bored]

5. Nice try though. Maybe someone will nominate Sen. Clinton's Idiotic

FLAG BURNING BILL!

I read S 1975 and it's nothing spectacular, but every little bit helps when it comes to election reform! Maybe Hillary will stop worrying about the flag long enough to co-sponsor it.

[merh]

8. That bill isn't worth the paper it is proposed on.

when allegations of deceptive practices are confirmed.

We have allegations of deceptive practices in 2000, 2002 and 2004 and none of them have been confirmed to date.

True election reform legislation would provide that all information relative to the elections, including, but not limited to source codes, software, hardware and all other programming utilized by all local, state and federal elections officials that relate to and/or control and/or in any way effects and/or touches the receipt of votes and the tallying of votes and the storage of votes, whether same be electronically, digitally or by other means not specified, be public property and subject to inspection, verification and control by the local, state and federal election officials. Once the contract to perform the services is entered, the contractor agrees to give up all proprietary control and/or copyright claims.

Simple legislation solves all sorts of problems.

But hey, that's just me. :shrug:

[Bill Bored]

9. Well for what it's worth, Rush Holt is introducing a House version

of this bill to go along with his HR 550.

If you put them all together, you might have something.

Long time no post here, Merh. Hope you made it through Katrina OK!

[merh]

10. Hi Bill Bored!

Yes, I made it through, made it out alive - but lost everything and am trying to rebuild my life.

Life is an adventure --


I don't think any form of legislation can help that bill. It is self defeating, requires confirmation of illegal practices, well damn, that is like requiring an admission of guilt before you can charge with a crime.

I used to write proposed bills for the state legislature. In doing so, I learned that you ask for way more than you want - provide yourself room to negotiate and by the time you compromise, you get what you wanted in the first place. If you get more than you wanted, then that is lagniappe.

The politicians now don't care about passing effective legislation, everything that they write regarding election reform and campaign finance reform is written to be minimally invasive, to satisfy those that want the legislation. Instead of serving a purpose, they are just enough to say they tried. They don't want the reform.

Like I said, the only way to reform the election process is to provide for a law that requires all elements of the election process as public records and subject to public scrutiny, including the source codes and the machines. If folks like Diebold don't like it, they can get out of the election business rather than fore-sake their source codes and other precious proprietary information.

[freedomfries]

12. Hi merh!

I am really sorry to hear about what you're going through. Glad you are stil with us, as you say!
Now, if you put the anti-election repression with Rush Holt's HR 550, the most comprehensive piece of election reform legislation written, you've got something! His HR 550 now has bi-partisan sponsorship and 159 co-sponsors.
Combining the call for voter-verified paper audit records with mandated, unannounced, random audit of election results, and linking prohibition of undisclosed software and internet connection with accessibility measures, H.R. 550, if passed, would force the Diebolt, ES&S, Sequoia e-voting and vote-counting junkware out of the market.
Please sign Rush Holt's petition and write to your Rep if he/she is not on the H.R.550 co-sponsor list.
Good luck putting your life back together.

http://www.rushholt.com/petition.html

[freedomfries]

13. current 21 co-sponsors of companion House bill

H.R.4463
Title: To prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections.
Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. (introduced 12/7/2005) Cosponsors (21)
Latest Major Action: 12/7/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COSPONSORS(21)
Rep Brady, Robert A. - 12/7/2005 Rep Brown, Sherrod - 12/7/2005
Rep Carson, Julia - 12/7/2005 Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 12/7/2005
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. - 12/7/2005 Rep Hastings, Alcee L. - 12/7/2005
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila - 12/7/2005 Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. - 12/7/2005
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C. - 12/7/2005 Rep Lantos, Tom - 12/7/2005
Rep Lee, Barbara - 12/7/2005 Rep Lewis, John - 12/7/2005
Rep McGovern, James P. - 12/7/2005 Rep Michaud, Michael H. - 12/7/2005
Rep Moore, Gwen - 12/7/2005 Rep Nadler, Jerrold - 12/7/2005
Rep Owens, Major R. - 12/7/2005 Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. - 12/7/2005
Rep Scott, Robert C. - 12/7/2005 Rep Snyder, Vic - 12/7/2005
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. - 12/7/2005