HR 811 Factsheets to Study and Share

Download, read, and circulate these 1- and 2-page briefings on the false promises and dangerous deceptions of the "Increased Voter Confidence and Voting Accessibility Act" otherwise known as HR 811.

Why the Election Assisatance Commission Must Be Abolished [1] by Nancy Tobi

These issue factsheets created by and published at

Participate in Protecting Our Democracy!

Help Amend HR 811 to prohibit "electronic ballots."

This page lists a variety of materials you can use, and actions you can
take, to work toward informing Congress and others of the reasons why
electronic ballots must be prohibited in the United States -- NOW.

These materials are aimed at amending
Congressman Rush Holt's bill ("Voter Confidence and Increased
Accessibility Act of 2007") to ban electronic ballots.

General Informationfor Congress and Others [3]

Electronic Voting Does Not Serve the Disabilities Community [4]

Electronic Voting Machines Disenfranchise Minority Voters [5]

Take Action Now!
	Email Congress to tell them the Holt bill (HR 811) must be amended to ban DREs [6] Electronic voting machines (DRE) are a failed technology that disenfranchises the very taxpayers who pay for them.
	Call Congress to Ban Electronic Ballots. Let us know who you called. [7] This page lists all the House Members and their phone numbers. We're putting stars by the ones that you let us know you've called.
	Endorse our proposed amendments to HR 811 [8] Urge Congress to require real paper ballots, marked by voters or by non-tabulating ballot-marking devices.
General Information for Congress and Others
	A Call for an Amendment to HR 811 to Prohibit Unverifiable “Electronic Ballots” [9] 10-page combination of several handouts on this page, with an annotated Table of Contents.
	Why the Urgent Need to Ban Electronic Ballots? [10] A bullet list of the many reasons why DREs constitute a new and subtle form of high tech voter suppression. Links to supporting information are included, along with brief excerpts. Printable pdf without links and excerpts [11]
	Election Reform in a High-Tech World [12] - Handout A 2-page standalone explanation of why electronic ballots (electrical charges inside a computer) cannot be safeguarded the way paper ballots can, and how prohibiting the use of electronic ballots will solve practical election problems.
	The Impact of an HR 811 Amendment to Ban Electronic Ballots [13] A one-page list detailing the practical implications of such an amendment - what the amendment will and will not do. Printable pdf handout [14]
	A Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail - Not a Reliable Back Up [15] One-page summarizing some evidence of past failures of voter-verifiable paper audit trails to provide a reliable indication of voter intent.
	Pictorial Handout [16] An illustration of the most important benefit of amending Congressman Holt’s election reform bill to prohibit the use of electronic ballots: rather than counting unverified electronic ballots, voter-verified paper ballots would be counted for the initial tally rather than set aside to be possibly checked only in audits and recounts.
Electronic Voting Does Not Serve the Disabilities Community
	Americans with Disabilities Call for Election Systems Featuring Both Accessibility and Security [17] A statement written by Mr. Noel Runyan, a blind accessibility expert, calling for voting systems that use only paper ballots. As of March 28, signatories include 34 leaders in the disabilities community and more signatures are added every day.
	Pictorial Handout [18] An illustration of the fact that accessibility for people with disabilities can be achieved without the use of electronic ballot systems.
Electronic Voting Machines Disenfranchise Minority Voters
	2004 and 2006 New Mexico Canvass Data Shows Undervote Rates Plummet in Minority Precincts When Paper Ballots are Used [19] A report showing that the undervote rate in minority precincts decreased by as much as 85% when the state switched from electronic ballot systems to paper ballots.
	Electronic Voting Machines: New, High-Tech Ways to Disenfranchise African-Americans [20] 2-pages of evidence that DREs are disproportionately disenfranchising African-American voters.

Links:
[1] http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/files/WhyTheEACMustBeAbolished.pdf
[2] http://www.votersunite.org/info/HR811AmendmentResources.asp
[3] http://www.votersunite.org/info/HR811AmendmentResources.asp#general
[4] http://www.votersunite.org/info/HR811AmendmentResources.asp#disabilities
[5] http://www.votersunite.org/info/HR811AmendmentResources.asp#minorities
[6] http://capwiz.com/pdamerica/issues/alert/?alertid=9406781&type=CO
[7] http://www.votersunite.org/takeaction/ban-e-ballots.asp
[8] http://www.votersunite.org/info/HR811EssentialRevisions.htm
[9] http://www.votersunite.org/info/InfoPacket-BanningE-ballots.pdf
[10] http://www.votersunite.org/info/2007ElectionReform.asp
[11] http://www.votersunite.org/info/2007ElectionReform.pdf
[12] http://www.votersunite.org/info/ElectionReformInHi-TechWorld.pdf
[13] http://www.votersunite.org/info/BanE-ballotAmendmentImpact.asp
[14] http://www.votersunite.org/info/BanE-ballotAmendmentImpact.pdf
[15] http://www.votersunite.org/info/vvpatNotReliableBackup.pdf
[16] http://www.votersunite.org/info/amendHR811orNot.asp
[17] http://www.voteraction.org/Accessible_AND_Secure_Voting.htm
[18] http://www.votersunite.org/info/amendHR811orNot.asp#accessible
[19] http://www.votersunite.org/info/NM_UVbyBallotTypeandEthnicity.pdf
[20] http://www.votersunite.org/info/E-ballotsDisenfranchiseAfricanAmericans.pdf