Ballot Access News: US Congressman John Conyers Introduces Bill on Election Voting

"Earlier this year, [U.S. Representative] John Conyers (Democrat-Michigan) introduced HR 108. All of these points only relate to federal elections. The bill would outlaw vote-counting machines that have no audit trail; it would provide that provisional ballots are not invalid just because they were cast in the wrong precinct; it would require all states to permit election-day registration; and it would require all states to permit early voting, in the period starting 15 days before election day."

The entire article, with commenting, is at http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/03/04/congressman-john-conyers-introduces-bill-on-voting-procedures/ 

BILL HR 108 SUMMARY AS OF:
1/5/2011--Introduced.
Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2011 - Amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 with respect to: (1) use of a national federal write-in absentee ballot; (2) verified ballots; (3) preservation of voting records; (4) requirements for counting provisional ballots; (5) minimum required voting systems and poll workers in polling places; (6) standards for establishing the minimum required voting systems and poll workers; (7) election day registration; (8) removal from voter registration list; (9) early voting; (10) voting systems and voter registration; (11) Internet registration; (12) voter identification; (13) election administration requirements; (14) required use of publicly available open source software in voting machines; (15) standards for conducting recounts; and (16) standards for prohibiting conflicts of interest of entities involved in manufacture, distribution, or other activities relating to voting machines.

Amends the Revised Statutes to prohibit false statements, including those about public endorsements, intended to mislead voters in federal elections. Creates a private right of action for preventive relief against such false statements. Authorizes the Attorney General to communicate to the public corrections to materially false information if state or local election officials have not taken prompt and adequate steps to do so.

Amends the federal criminal code to: (1) increase the penalty for voter intimidation; and (2) prohibit voter caging and challenges based on certain evidence. Defines "voter caging document" as: (1) a nonforwardable document that is returned to the sender or a third party as undelivered or undeliverable despite an attempt to deliver it to the address of a registered voter or applicant; or (2) any document with instructions to an addressee that the document be returned to a sender or third party but is not so returned, despite an attempt to deliver it to the address of a registered voter, unless at least two federal election cycles have passed since the date of the attempted delivery.

States that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense, unless such individual is serving a felony sentence in a correctional institution or facility at the time of the election.

Treats election day in the same manner as a legal public holiday for purposes of federal employment.

Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress and the President on the impact of such treatment on voter participation.

Expresses the sense of Congress that private employers in the United States should give their employees a day off on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2012 and each even-numbered year thereafter to enable them to cast votes in the elections held on that day.

NOTE: Bill Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution [has latest committee information]:

The Subcommittee on the Constitution shall have jurisdiction over the following subject matters: constitutional amendments, constitutional rights, Federal civil rights, ethics
in government, tort liability, including medical malpractice and product liability, legal reform generally, other appropriate matters as referred by the Chairman, and relevant
oversight.

112th Congress Subcommittee on the Constitution

H2-362 Ford H.O.B.
Telephone: 202-225-2825

Mr. Franks [Republican], Chairman / Mr. Pence [Republican], Vice-Chairman

Mr. Chabot	Mr. Nadler
Mr. Forbes	Mr. Quigley
Mr. King	Mr. Conyers
Mr. Jordan	Mr. Scott

Americans: How to contact your own U.S. Representative concerning bill HR 108. 


Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

U.S. Election Assistance Commission: EAC Standards Board Meeting--Day Two

"First up on day two was a discussion about the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act. We heard from election officials in Delaware, Washington and West Virginia. Officials from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) talked about their responsibilities under the MOVE Act.
Visit our Military and Overseas Voters section to learn more about EAC’s role under the MOVE Act and what we are doing to help these voters, including the Military Heroes Initiative, Pilot Program Guidelines and the most comprehensive research about ballot request and return rates.
The last panel of the day was Journalists and Election Officials: Working Together on Behalf of America’s Voters. Journalists and election officials discussed gathering and reporting results, post-election activities and shared goals. They exchanged practical information about challenges and how to achieve their shared goal of delivering election results to the public."

The entire article, without commenting, is posted under "Meetings and Events" at http://www.eac.gov/blogs/default.aspx?cid=2


The EAC Standards Board – made up of election officials from every state and U.S. territory – met in Oklahoma City on Feb. 24th and 25th.  See All Things Reform's earlier post for information on Day 1's activities.

U.S. Election Assistance Commission: EAC Standards Board Meeting—Day One

"Hello from Oklahoma City! The EAC Standards Board – made up of election officials from every state and U.S. territory – is meeting here Feb. 24 and 25. This morning's big topic was Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products and how they impact the quality and functionality of voting systems.This afternoon we discussed cost savings in elections. Election officials from D.C., Georgia, Minnesota and Texas shared cost savings initiatives, including:
• Use of technology to reduce phone calls, emails
• Web sites that feature pertinent, frequently requested info & tools like polling place locators
• Online look-ups for voter registration status & absentee ballots status
• Document management systems for ballots to reduce shipping costs
• Webcast trainings
Visit the Standards Board meeting page to view all the day’s presentations, including COTS and cost savings in elections. Tomorrow we’ll discuss military and overseas voting and delivering accurate election information to the public. More to come…"

The entire article, without commenting availability, is at http://www.eac.gov/blogs/

You can watch a webcast of EAC’s recent COTS roundtable.