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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)