Barack Obama's Transition Team is calling for public input on what direction the US should go in.

1. Go to http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision and let the President-Elect know what the people want and need from our government.

2. Please forward this email to everyone you know. [Click the "E-mail This Page" link at the foot of this article].

If they hear from millions of us, it will make a difference!

EDA Communications group member Dale Axelrod (originator of the Paper Ballot Platform Plank) presents this recommendation:

Support Legislation for PAPER BALLOTS

Since we've recently had elections with very slim margins, no undocumented totals should be relied upon in presidential or congressional voting. All across the country, instances of paperless, electronic touch-screen (DRE’s) voting machines’ losing, misdirecting, or miscounting large numbers of votes has been well-documented. In the interest of ensuring auditable and trustworthy election results:

PLEASE support immediate passage of ELECTION REFORM legislation requiring that paper ballots replace paperless, touch-screen voting systems in time for the November 2010 congressional elections.

Trust in elections is central to trust in government. Only with a tangible, paper ballot can voters have confidence that there is something to count.

Complete Details with Live Links at: http://www.paperballot.info/

The PLAN

Complete Details with Live Links at: http://www.paperballot.info/

* Downloadable PDF Flyer
* Intro by Dale Axelrod
* Paper Ballot Plank Contacts and Links
* Press Release
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Update Aug. 18, 2008

Limited Success -- Step One

Our multipartisan Paper Ballot Platform Plank strategy, while successful in having our resolution's language adopted and reported by a number of the Obama campaign's "Listening to America" platform meetings, did not fully achieve our goal.

The Democratic party platform drafting committee (for whatever reason) didn't get it exactly right---and the platform contains only general language, as follows:

"We will call for a national standard for voting that includes voter-verified paper ballots."
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We would have liked to have seen added to the end of this sentence, "as the ballots of record."
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With these words the Democratic platform would clearly specifiy this central election integrity tenet---that the paper (not touch-screen) ballots are what must be counted.

Mission impossible?

The Democratic Draft Platform was amended and adopted by the Platform Committee on August 9, without any delegate offering a friendly amendment clarifying our issue---and it now goes to the Convention for adoption without any chance of changes.

However, despite this missed opportunity, we can still TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION:

1---PUSH the Obama campaign to interpret the platform language as implying that voter-verified paper ballots only have meaning if they are the ballots of record.

2---PUSH to have our preferred language (or conforming concept) adopted as a plank in the Republican party platform. Submissions to their online drafting process (link: http://www.gopplatform2008.com/rpc_faq.aspx ) will be reviewed starting on Tuesday, August 26th:

3---If successful in both or either of these efforts, WAGE an URGENT campaign to PUSH Congress to reconsider and fast-track Rush Holt's bill H.R. 5036, Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008.*

Please let me know about your thoughts on, and multipartisan resources for all of these proposed actions.

For our democracy,

Dale Axelrod

*H.R. 5036 would establish funds to reimburse to certain jurisdictions for the costs of implementing paper voting systems for the November 2008 elections. It would also establish funds to reimburse jurisdictions for the costs of conducting post-election audits as described in the bill.

CLICK HERE to download and distribute the Paper Ballot Platform Plank Flyer

CONTACTS and LINKS:

For more information on this MULTI-PARTISAN appeal TO DEMAND transparent election standards:

Campaign Updates: http://www.PaperBallot.info

Press and General Queries 510.233.2144 or e-mail Info[at]ElectionDefenseAlliance[dot]org

Link to Republican Party Platform online drafting process. Click to submit suggestions: http://www.gopplatform2008.com/rpc_faq.aspx