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Fifteen States and District of Columbia Likely to Lose Accessible Voting in 2008

On Tuesday, May 8th the House Committee on Administration will mark up the Holt paper trail legislation that amends HAVA. The Holt paper trail bill (H.R. 811) has a substitute amendment. As written this substitute amendment prohibits the use of touchscreen systems in 15 states* plus the District of Columbia in next year’s November Presidential election. The substitute amendment mandates that paper ballots that are individually cut, not reel-to-reel, must be used in federal elections. States that use DREs with a reel-to-reel paper trail will be able to use their touchscreens in 2008 but not in 2010.

The voters, including those with disabilities, must be able to review the paper ballot before casting a vote. Currently there is not a voting system on the market that meets these standards. Furthermore the major manufacturers of voting systems report that they have not begun research and development of machines that meet these new standards.

Congressman Robert Brady is the new chairperson of the House Committee on Administration. Contact his office: 206 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 telephone 202.225.4731 fax 202.225.0088 and thank him for his past support of accessible voting. Urge him to keep accessible voting in place until there is equipment available that makes the paper trail vote accessible.

*DE, DC, FL, GA, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WY.

April 26, 2007

The Honorable Robert A. Brady
206 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Brady:

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is the nation's largest cross-disability membership organization. Our mission is to increase the political and economic power of the more than 50 million children and adults living with disabilities in the United States.

AAPD opposes passage of H.R. 811 Voter Confidence and Increase Accessibility Act in its current form. This bill, as written, does not adhere to the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requirement that voting systems be accessible to voters with disabilities "in a manner that provides the same opportunity for access and participation (including privacy and independence) as for other voters."

AAPD supports voting systems that are accessible, secure, accurate, and recountable. In order for AAPD to support H.R. 811, it would require delaying the implementation date to 2014 and appropriating at least $1 billion for research, development, testing and purchasing of accessible paper-based voting systems. A 2014 implementation date is realistic based on the experience of voting equipment manufacturers and election officials. It takes years to develop new system standards and test protocols, design and beta test equipment, certify and purchase equipment, and train election officials and poll workers.

H.R. 811 as written would amend HAVA by making a number of major changes to the nation's election systems. It requires all changes to be in place for the primaries in next year's presidential election. If enacted into law, H.R. 811 will require that all polling places use equipment in the 2008 presidential race that can produce an accessible, voter-verifiable paper ballot. When this bill's paper ballot requirement is coupled with the access requirements of HAVA, it will require election officials to purchase technology that does not currently exist.

Reliable estimates to develop, deploy, and certify this technology range from five to ten years. In addition, H.R. 811 requires the federal government to study how best to make its voter-verifiable paper ballot accessible to voters with a wide range of disabilities, and this important study. In the absence of these findings, how can election officials move forward with a 2008 deadline for accessible paper ballots?

HAVA's requirement that all polling places have at least one accessible voting machine by 2006 has resulted in significant improvements in voting access since the 2002 elections. AAPD does not want to see the nation move backwards on accessible voting technology. We therefore urge you to vote no on the passage of H.R. 811 and protect the rights of people with disabilities to vote privately and independently.

Your thoughtful consideration of this critical issue and fundamental right – voting – is appreciated.

Respectfully,
Andrew J. Imparato
President and CEO