Protection from Election Fraud (old version)

Submitted by Bill Crosier on March 3, 2006 - 4:06pm. ::

Note: This is an old resolution that has been superceded by a new one on voting reform.

Whereas computerized voting equipment is inherently subject to programming error, equipment malfunction, and malicious tampering; and

Whereas many voting experts are advocating voting equipment provide an individual paper voter-verifiable audit trail, by which we mean a permanent record of each vote that can be checked for accuracy by the voter both before and after the vote is cast and which is difficult to alter after it has been checked; and

And Whereas many of the electronic voting machines being purchased by election authorities in Texas do not satisfy this requirement; and

Be it resolved that voting machines should not be purchased or used unless they provide an individual paper voter-verifiable audit trail; and

Be it resolved that when such machines are already in use, they should be replaced or modified to provide an individual paper voter-verifiable audit trail; and

Be it therefore resolved that providing an individual paper voter-verifiable audit trail should be one of the essential requirements for certification of new voting systems and election procedures mandate that the individual paper audit trail be the vote of record in the event of a recount.