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Alaska State Legislature House and Senate Democrats |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · May 11, 2004 |
Voting Paper Trail Bill Passes
House Bill 459 helps ensure honest and accurate voting
JUNEAU - Legislators acted decisively today to ensure the integrity of Alaska elections by passing House Bill 459 by Representatives Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and John Harris (R-Valdez). The bill requires that all votes cast in Alaska on electronic voting machines be simultaneously recorded on paper in a fashion that allows the voter to check that the ballot is accurate. The bill won overwhelming support in both the House and the Senate.
"This measure is a strong step forward in preserving Alaskans' faith that elections are fair and honest," said Representative Harris.
Senator Johnny Ellis (D-Anchorage) and Representative Gara first introduced bills requiring a voter-verifiable paper record. Representative Harris, a leader in the House Majority caucus, agreed to sponsor the measure in a bid to win bipartisan approval.
"Fair elections are not a partisan matter," said Representative Gara. "I'm glad members of both parties could work together to get this bill passed."
Alaska currently uses machines that optically scan a paper ballot, automatically creating a paper trail that can be hand-counted if necessary. However, the Division of Elections has recently purchased 100 touch-screen machines intended to make voting easier for physically disabled voters. These machines do not provide a back up method of recording votes, nor any way for voters to make sure the machine recorded their votes accurately.
HB459 limits the use of touch-screen voting machines to one per precinct, except in special cases, and would mandate that by 2006, all such machines be equipped with a voter verifiable paper trail. The bill would also make the current optically scanned paper ballot system the Alaska standard.
"The current system is accepted by voters and has been a great success in making elections less costly and more efficient," said Senator Ellis.
HB459 heads now to the Governor for signature.
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 http://www.akdemocrats.org/Documents/051104_voting_paper_trail_bill_passes.pdf · Additional information: HB459 Representative Les Gara Senator Johnny Ellis |
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