Action Alert

In the 2000 and 2004 general elections, voters in Florida, Ohio and other states were caught up in electoral debacles that led to major problems on Election Day and voter distrust of our election system today.

Butterfly ballots, hanging chads and long lines of people being shut out at the polls have undermined confidence that our votes will be fairly and accurately counted.

And despite all the talk and promises of voting reform and improvements, major election issues remain unaddressed, and voters continue to question the integrity of our elections.

The latest problem is the electronic voting machines which were supposed to be part of the solution. These machines leave NO paper record of our votes! They provide no permanent documentation that could prove that votes are being counted accurately. In the world's greatest democracy - a democracy that in recent years has been plagued by faulty elections that undermine voter trust - this is just unacceptable.

Take action! Click here to call on Governor Bush and Governor Taft to require verified voting in the critical states of Florida and Ohio!

The bottom line is this: We should demand that states using electronic voting machines use only machines that provide voters with a paper receipt -- so that they can verify their vote. This crucial change would improve confidence in our elections and help assure that every vote is counted.

And the first steps need to be taken in Florida and Ohio, where so many votes appear to have been mishandled in recent elections. The integrity of the Ohio and Florida election systems is not just an issue for the voters of those states. It is an issue for all voters everywhere because - as was the case in 2000 and 2004 - voters in these states could again determine the outcome of future presidential elections, as well as which party wins control of Congress in 2006!

That's why every American has an interest in making sure that all votes in these states - as well as in every other state - are counted fairly and accurately.

Will you join me in calling on Governor Jeb Bush of Florida and Governor Bob Taft of Ohio to set an example for all states by requiring that any electronic voting machines used in their states provide voters a paper receipt.

Click here to send a letter to Governor Bush and Governor Taft to ask them to require a paper receipt for every vote cast on election day

Voting problems could happen again this November, when an estimated 40% of American voters will use an electronic voting machine to cast their ballot, receiving no paper record of ever having done so.

Diebold - the company that has cornered the market on electronic voting machines - has, to say the least, a questionable track record on voting security. This situation must be addressed.

Every ballot should be counted exactly the way each voter intended it to be. And to get things moving in the right direction, Americans should ask Florida and Ohio to be at the forefront of a national effort to assure proper verification of elections.

Send a letter to Governor Bush of Florida and Governor Taft of Ohio to urge them to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that every vote counts!

U.S. voter turnout is already notoriously low, partly because Americans lack confidence in the voting process. We have to make sure that those who turn out on Election Day have their voices heard -- it's not just the democratic way, it's the only way to increase and inspire voter confidence.

And once you have taken action, please forward this message on to your friends and family so that they can send a message of their own. If you have relatives in Florida or Ohio, I encourage you to make a special plea: ask them to pass this message on to their neighbors so that voters in those states have every opportunity to express their views.