Amend the Holt Bill

Progressive Democrats of America has an Action Alert on their website where you can write a letter to your Congresscritter telling them you want amendments and changes to the Holt Bill that will ban DRE technology and require paper ballots.

As I've mentioned before, there are lots of reasons to like the Holt bill (HR 811), but it further entrenches the faulty DRE-type voting machines into the election system, AND it does't draw a clear distinction between a paper trail vs a paper ballot. Those are serious defects in the bill as it currently stands. A big enough "but" to keep me from enthusiastically endorsing the bill or signing the petetions being circulated about the issue by MoveOn and PFAW. I would strong support the Holt bill if it were amended as suggested in this PDA Action Alert. Once again, yay for PDA. They consistantly get it right.

These issues are also why Maxine Waters is withdrawing her co-sponsorship of the bill.

And since I've not mentioned it in a few days, here's a reminder to sign the petition asking Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State, to investigate election practicies in San Diego that are outlined in this complaint.

The complaint reports on the violations of the certification requirements under state and federal law, the failure to properly test the machines pursuant to official procedures, the policy of undermining the right to vote on paper ballots, and the disregard of basic auditing principles in conducting the required one percent manual tally. - Ken Simpkins

All good reasons for the Secretary of State to take a closer look at the process.