Check the new WhoseFlorida for updates
LWV Ethics & Accountability: Voting issues (Miami-Dade)A. League of Women Voters participation in efforts to ensure a successful election in November
The League of Women Voters is
participating in coalition with a number of other organizations in the
community in efforts to ensure a successful election in November.
One step advocated by the coalition and taken yesterday by the Board of
County Commissioners was to invite the Center for Democracy or another
qualified organization to send observers to the elections.
However, the coalition is advocating a number of other steps, including:
1. Distribution in
advance of the elections, and posting at the polls, of a statement of
the rights of the voter, prepared by the League and the American Civil
Liberties Union.
2. Extension of voting
hours to 9:00 p.m., as well as opening polling places on the Saturday
prior to election day.
3. Ensuring that
alternative means of voting, such as paper ballots, are available as a
backup to the machines.
If you have suggestions that
you would like the League to support, please contact Bobbie Brinegar,
League president, at 305-445-8118.
B. Unitarian
Universalist forum on the election
Perspectives from the Polls:
What Went Wrong with the Election, and How Do We Fix It? A Free
Community Forum---All Invited 7:00 PM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2002 at The
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, 7701 SW 76th Avenue(South
of Sunset Drive just east of the Palmetto)
A panel of experts and
volunteer poll workers will share their experiences and insights on the
recent election fiasco. Come and hear these untold stories!!!
Voters and poll workers are especially welcome to contribute their
observations on what went wrong. Especially welcome are government
officials who want to hear firsthand, from the grass roots, where
changes are needed!!!
Presented by the Social
Concerns Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation. For
more information, call Irv Loibman at 305 652-9311 or e-mail: loib11@yahoo.com
C. League of Women
Voters advocacy for election reform at the federal level.
Note: Had Congress
and the President adopted the reforms advocated by the League, the worst
of the harm done by our recent primary would have been prevented.
September 26, 2002 LWVUS
Urgent Lobby Request #107-27
CRITICAL
ISSUES STILL UNRESOLVED CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ON ELECTION
REFORM
Negotiations over the shape of
election reform legislation are reaching the critical issues, with
adjournment deadlines and the fall elections fast approaching. The
recent snafus in the Florida primary election have added new impetus to
achieve a final bill, but key League concerns still hang in the balance.
Even though you have done so
before, please contact your members of Congress, particularly your
Senators, and urge them to support election reform legislation that
includes enforceable federal requirements and that does not roll back
existing protections for voting rights.
Conference committee
negotiators are looking to their respective leaders in the House and
Senate, and those leaders in turn are responsive to the rank and file.
So it is time to push all members of Congress to speak up for a strong
election reform bill.
This month, members of the
LWVUS National Lobby Corps have been working the House. Now, a
push in the Senate is also needed, so please be sure to lobby your
Senators as well as members of the House of Representatives.
1. Please contact your
members of Congress NOW. Tell them that election reform
legislation must include enforceable federal requirements and must not
roll back existing protections for voting rights. Emphasize that:
* Enforcement is
critical. * Protections against discrimination must be maintained.
2. E-mail can be sent
directly to your Senators and/or Representative through the League's
Legislative Action Center on the LWV website. Phone calls can be
made through the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121 or
202-225-3121.
3. Please also send this
e-mail alert to other concerned citizens -- your grassroots network,
your friends and co-workers.
Already, the American people
have had to wait too long for Congress to begin to fix the nationwide
problems exposed by the 2000 election. Now, with Florida again
experiencing problems in the 2002 primary, the need for federal action
is even more apparent.
The House passed an election
reform bill last December, and the Senate acted in April. Since
that time, conferees from each house have been working to resolve the
differences between the two bills. These have been difficult
negotiations, and progress has been slow.
The League believes that clear
and effective national requirements are needed in three key areas.
First, voting systems standards will protect against high voting machine
error rates and enhance access for persons with disabilities.
These standards also will assure that voters can verify and correct
their ballots, as well as be notified of overvotes. Second, a
national requirement should assure that voters can receive provisional
ballots. This fail-safe system means that if a voter's name is not
found on the registration list at the polls, or if other problems occur,
the voter can still cast a ballot that will be counted if the voter's
eligibility is confirmed. Third, statewide computerized voter
registration lists should be required. This facilitates removal of
duplicate registrations across jurisdictions, provides greater assurance
that names will be on the rolls, and streamlines administration while
combating possible fraud.
To be effective, however,
national requirements must be enforceable. To ensure that basic
protections are fulfilled, enforcement mechanisms must be part of the
federal legislation.
It is also vitally important
that existing protections against discrimination and erroneous purging
of voters not be turned back. Disturbingly, House conferees made an
offer in July that would undermine the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the
1993 National Voter Registration Act while reinstating the discredited
practice of purging eligible voters if they choose not to vote.
America deserves an election
system that will protect the most basic and precious right of all
citizens in a democracy the right to vote. Each citizen's right
to vote, and to have that vote fairly counted, is at stake.
If you have any questions
about this alert please contact Betsy Lawson at blawson@lwv.org
. ... posted 9/27/02
News Clips(news clips have not been kept updated - check archives) Miami-Dade OKs independent election
monitors-- MIAMI · Hoping to reassure voters and the nation that local officials are capable of properly running the polls on Election Day, Miami- Dade County commissioners voted Thursday to bring in an independent, non- partisan group to monitor the Nov. 5 elections.-- info: email info@whoseflorida.com
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