Freedom
Strategies presents an important press release
from our friends at New Yorkers for Verified Voting:
You can download
the comparison document
here.
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
April 12, 2005
New Yorkers for
Verified Voting to Release Voting Machine Cost Comparison
Press Conference
Wednesday, April 13 at 11:00 AM in Room 130 of the Legislative Office
Building.
New Yorkers for
Verified Voting (NYVV) is releasing an analysis of the cost differences for
New York State of two different types of voting equipment currently being
considered for adoption to replace the state's lever machines. The estimate
compares the county by county cost of touch screen voting machines (DREs)
versus a system comprised of hand marked paper ballots and precinct based
optical scanners, augmented by ballot marking devices to provide accessible,
private and independent voting for voters with disabilities.
Touch screen and pushbutton style DREs have been
found to be error prone, impossible to recount, and extraordinarily
expensive. The NYVV cost estimate shows that the purchase cost of DREs
exceeds the equivalent cost of precinct based optical scan systems by over
100 million dollars.
Optical scan systems have been used successfully
in elections around the United States for over 20 years. Currently used in
nearly 30% of all the precincts in the US, the states of Arizona, Michigan,
Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia have decided to use optical scanners to
comply with the Help America Vote Act which mandates new voting machines for
New York.
● "Optical scan voting systems are a reliable,
mature, auditable and cost effective technology." said Bo Lipari, Director
of New Yorkers for Verified Voting. "It's a mistake for NY to spend over 200
million dollars on untested, unauditable, problem prone DREs, when a proven
system like optical scanners can be adopted for a fraction of the purchase
and maintenance costs." said Lipari.
● "Precinct-based optical scan voting machines
with the addition of accessible ballot marking devices will satisfy Help
America Vote Act requirements to replace lever voting machines in New York
State," said Aimee Allaud, Elections Specialist, New York State League of
Women Voters. "The League supports optical scan systems because they meet
our criteria of secure, accurate, recountable and accessible," said Ms.
Allaud.
● "The Sierra Club members who vote for
environmentally minded political candidates want to make sure that every
vote is counted. That's why the Sierra Club supports paper ballot based
optical scan voting systems - they're the most transparent, reliable,
practical way to ensure that every vote counts." Said Sarah Kogel-Smucker,
Legislative Associate from the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter.
● The New York Times in an editorial said,
"Albany should ignore lobbyists for high-priced voting machines and come out
strongly for optical-scan machines".
For detailed information on Paper Ballot/Optical
Scan voting systems please visit:
http://www.nyvv.org
CONTACT:
Bo Lipari : email:
<mailto:bolipari@nyvv.org>
You can download
the comparison document
here.
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