Tuesday, April 12, 2011

From Tennessee Citizen Action (TCA)

TN Voter Confidence Act News - Another Delay Proposed

I just received the following from TCA:

            Tennessee Voter Confidence Act
             Once Again Under Attack
Dear Dee,

Once again, the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act (TVCA) is under attack.

As you may remember, the TVCA is a bill that in 2008 was passed 92-3 in the State House and unanimously in the State Senate, and was to be implemented in 2010. In 2010, the General Assembly voted to delay implementation until 2012. This year, the bills introduced will either repeal it completely (SB1805 and HB0414) or delay it indefinitely (SB1203 and HB0386). Read more about the TVCA below.

SB1805 and SB1203 are scheduled to be heard in Senate State & Local Government Committee on Tuesday, 4/12, at 10:30 am in room LP 12.

HB0414 is scheduled to be heard in House State & Local subcommittee on Wednesday, 4/13, at 3:30 in room LP 30.

HB0386 is scheduled in House Finance subcommittee on Wednesday, 4/13, at 11:00 am in room LP 29.

Contact info for the committees is listed on the right. Please call and email each member and urge them to keep the TVCA intact and on track for 2012 implementation.


Message to Legislators About TVCA:
  • With the TVCA, Tennesseans will vote on paper ballots that will be counted by optical scan machines.
  • Paper ballots reassure us that our votes are being counted accurately.
  • Paper ballots can be audited or recounted - votes on the machines we use now cannot.
  • Because the electronic touch-screen electronic machines we use to vote on now only store votes electronically, votes cannot be independently recounted or audited.
  • Votes cast on electronic touch-screen electronic voting machines are also vulnerable to software glitches and computer malfunctions.
  • Governmental entities and private corporations are routinely audited regardless of whether problems are suspected. With so much at stake, the same should be true for elections.
  • The ongoing operational costs for elections for the TVCA will be lower. A recent study [pdf] demonstrated that Florida counties that used electronic touch-screen machines had average operating costs each year that were three to 5 times higher than Florida counties that used Optical Scan machines and paper ballots.
Senate State & Local Government Committee

Chairman Ken Yager, (615) 741-1449
Vice Chairman Jim Tracy, (615) 741-1066
Secretary Lowe Finney, (615) 741-1810
Senator Stacey Campfield, (615) 741-1766
Senator Mike Faulk, (615) 741-2061
Senator Thelma Harper, (615) 741-2453
Senator Joe Haynes, (615) 741-6679
Senator Bill Ketron, (615) 741-6853
Senator Mark Norris, (615) 741-1967


House State & Local Government Subcommittee

Chairman Bob Ramsey, 615-741-3560
Vice-Chair Ryan Haynes, 615-741-2264
Rep. Tommie Brown, 615-741-4374
Rep. Jim Cobb, 615-741-1450
Rep. Gerald McCormick, 615-741-2548
Rep. Larry Miller, 615-741-4453
Rep. Curry Todd, 615-741-1866
Rep. Rep. Mike Turner, 615-741-3229
Rep. Kent Williams, 615-741-7450

House Finance Subcommittee

Chairman Michael Harrison, (615) 741-7480
Vice-Chair Curtis Johnson, (615) 741-4341
Rep Kevin Brooks, (615) 741-1350
Rep. Lois DeBerry, (615) 741-3830
Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, (615) 741-2134
Rep. Judd Matheny, (615) 741-7448
Rep. Gerald McCormick, 615) 741-2548
Rep. Steve McDaniel, (615) 741-0750
Rep. Jimmy Naifeh, (615) 741-3774
Rep. Gary Odom, (615) 741-4410
Rep. Dennis Roach, (615) 741-2534
Rep. Charles Sargent, (615) 741-6808
Rep. Harry Tindell, (615) 741-2031
Rep. Johnny Shaw, (615) 741-4538


Tennessee Citizen Action works in the public interest as Tennessee's premier consumer rights organization. Our mission is to work tirelessly to improve the overall health, well-being, and quality of life for all people who live and work in Tennessee.

For more info go to www.tnca.org or send an email to info@tnca.org.

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