Sample
Letters to Boards of Election
Send before February 9, 2005
Choose E S & S
Dear Board Member (Election Official, Mr./Ms ______),
I am writing to express my concern about the choice of voting
systems in this county because democracy depends on the right to
vote. I want to cast my vote, verify it and know that it will be
accurately counted. I know you share these goals or would not be
in the position you hold.
I understand that Secretary Blackwell has directed the boards
to choose between two optical scan systems, ES&S or Diebold,
by February 9th. That seems to me to be very short notice on limited
choices, but choice is better than no choice.
I read that these two firms count most of the votes in the country,
that two brothers are key figures in these companies, and that
Diebold's CEO promised to deliver Ohio to one party. Frankly, none
of that makes me feel very comfortable with either firm.
At the same time I know that ES&S has a machine that will
let sight and hearing impaired citizens vote on the same ballot
everyone else does and their CEO is not so blatantly partisan.
A number people want hand counted paper ballots. Others want computer
voting on a standard PC. Those may be good ideas, but they are
not choices we have now.
Given the choices and deadline for choosing I favor the ES&S
system.
Yours truly,
name address phone
(download the text of above letter for editing on your own computer)
Long Lines
Dear Board Member (Election Official, Mr./Ms ______),
I am writing because I had to wait hours to vote in the election.
I know there were some people who could not wait and left without
voting. That's terrible in a democracy.
I read that Secretary Blackwell told the election boards to choose
between the ES&S or Diebold optical scan machines by February
9th. I'd rather not rely on any machine but want something that
will end the long lines.
I also read there were problems in Florida with Diebold so I think
you should go with ES&S.
Sincerely,
name address phone
(download the text of above letter for editing on your own computer)
Residual Votes
Dear Board Member (Election Official, Mr./Ms ______),
I am writing about our county's voting machines. Democracy depends
on citizens voting and knowing it will be counted. I don't trust
any machine to be 100% safe but know you must make some choice
by next week.
I want paper ballots put in a plexiglass double-locked box and
counted at the polling place with observers. I also know that's
NOT one of the choices you can make now.
From a group in Cleveland I learned that residual votes in the
two counties that used precinct-level optical scanning was 0.82%
versus 1.25% residual in the 7 counties that used DREs. I also
read that ES&S has the AutoMARK machine that would let voters
with disabilities (and non-English speakers) vote on the same ballot
as everyone else. For those two reasons alone it appears the ES&S
scanner with the AutoMARK unit is a good choice.
I do not know the cost of the DRE units used in Ohio, but having
to buy two machines per polling place seems likely to be cheaper
than the number of DREs necessary for voters even if you were allowed
to make that choice.
I vote for the ES&S scanner and AutoMARK, restricted access
to any equipment and observers watching the count.
Yours truly,
name address phone
(download the text of above letter for editing on your own computer)
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