An urgent call-in project for NY State voters:
New York State has HAVA funds to spend, and is on the verge of choosing a voting machine system. Please help make sure that we don't end up stuck with the infamous no-paper-trail, "black box" computerized voting machines run by Diebold, ES&S and other partisan Republican corporate entities by participating in the call-in project described below the fold. It will take no more than 30 minutes total and could make the difference in whether we have an honest, reliable voting system in 2006.
Let's not wait til it's too late-we may not get another chance to save the vote in NY State!
NY Kossacks, your calls can make a BIG difference in whether we end up with paper ballot/precinct-based optical scan machines or the hackable, untrustworthy, more expensive, harder-to-operate electronic machines that have been so heavily lobbied for in Albany.
URGENT ALERT: Phone callers needed!
Stop New York State from buying untrustworthy electronic voting machine systems!
In the next 2 weeks, our state legislature will probably pass legislation to buy new voting machines for all future elections.
Manufacturers of electronic touchscreen (DRE) voting machines have been lobbying our legislators heavily. Their machines are manufactured by such corporations as Diebold and ES&S, and rely on secret software that they refuse to make available for scrutiny by independent experts. They have resisted providing a paper record of each vote until forced to do so, making impossible a check of their accuracy or a meaningful recount. These machines are unreliable, vulnerable to hacking and vote count manipulation, and more expensive than alternate more reliable systems.
The DFNYC Judiciary Committee, after consulting with people from verifiedvoting.org and wheresthepaper.org, wants to make sure that New York State's legislature rejects touchscreen voting machines in favor of the paper ballot/precinct-based optical scan system. These systems are cheaper, more trustworthy, less hackable, easier to operate and maintain, and create a permanent record of the vote - the paper ballot. We will also push for a uniform, statewide paper ballot/optical-scan voting system.
We need volunteers to call just 12 key people in the Legislature, plus Governor Pataki. This effort should take each volunteer no more than 20-30 minutes.
People calling now say it's really easy, as the office staffs are used to the calls, know what they're about, and are just counting up the messages pro and con. No one has been anything but courteous (as we should be of course).
DFNYC - NYS Voting Machine Call-in Project: Instructions
We have a list of 12 key people for you to call, with contact info below. You should also contact your own state senator and assemblyperson.
New York City residents (only) can go to nypirg.org and click on "who represents me?" (left hand side) You'll be asked for your address and zip code. Then out pops a list with your reps.
Upstate NY residents can use the following links. To get their contact info, go to:
For state senator
For assemblyperson
(If you don't know your senate/assembly district and your zip code has more than one rep, you can look them up by address at the following link and click on address, fill it in, and select your state senator or assemblyperson.)
Please add these to the list below. Let us know here whether you made all 14 calls. It shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes. A small price to pay for saving the world!
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First, here's your telephone script:
Hello, my name is __and I want to send a message to the senator/assemblyman/governor.
[You'll be asked to give your address, or your zip code.]
My message is that I want New York State to reject electronic touchscreen voting machines. I want us to use paper ballots with a precinct-based optical scan system. These systems are cheaper, more trustworthy, less hackable, and easier to operate and maintain. I also want to see us have a statewide uniform system, rather than deciding it by municipality or county. They usually won't have the technical expertise to determine what type of system is most reliable and secure, and they cold easily be swayed by the heavy lobbying pressure engaged in by the electronic touch screen manufacturers.
Finally, here's the list:
Senator John Flanagan, Chair of Elections Comm, and also on the HAVA Conference Comm) (518) 455-2071
Sen. Kemp Hannon (R) 6th Dist. (518) 455-2200
Sen. Mary Lou Rath (R) 60th Dist. (518) 455-3161
Sen. Thomas P. Morahan (R) 38th Dist. (518) 455-3261
Sen. Bill Larkin (R) 39th Dist. (518) 455-2770
Sen. Maltese (R) 15th Dist. (518) 455-3281
Sen. Maziarz (R) 62nd Dist. (518) 455-2024
Sen. Spano (R) 35th Dist. (518) 455-2231
Sen. Martin Dilan (D) 17th Dist. (518) 455-2177
Also, call the following (these 3 are key decision-makers):
Sen. Joseph Bruno (R) 43rd Dist (518) 455-3191
Assemblyman Sheldon Silver (D) 64th AD (518) 455- 3791
Governor George Pataki (R) (518) 474-8390
That's it. Go for it! (Remember: This is a critical moment--make your calls ASAP!).
Thank you for all that you do--
The Judiciary Issues Committee at Democracy For New York City (an offshoot of Howard Dean's DFA)