| Releases
& Statements
FFor Release: Tuesday,
January 23, 2007
Contact: Frank Sobrino, Press Secretary
O: (212) 669-4193
Statement
by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum
for New York City Board of Elections Hearing
I want to thank the Board of Elections
and Commissioner Ravitz for holding this public hearing.
As the City’s Public Advocate
and as a member of the Voters’ Assistance Commission, I
am disappointed by the State’s failure to ensure that the
promises made in the Help America Vote Act come to fruition.
Regrettably, New York State’s
slow implementation has led us to where we are today. HAVA passed
in 2002, but it took a federal Department of Justice order for
the State to accommodate persons with disabilities this past election
cycle, and to finally compel the State to go forward with replacing
the machines.
While the City’s Board of Elections
has done an admirable job given the constraints, we should all
be ashamed that our state is the last one in the country implementing
this federal law.
Now, with new questions emerging about
Ciber Inc.’s ability to evaluate new voting machines, our
deadline to select these machines by March 7 is fast approaching.
The slow decision-making process by the State has led us down
a road where we stand to lose millions in federal dollars. The
State Board of Elections’ inability to have machines certified
in a timely manner has harmed our city’s ability to make
decisions in the most prudent fashion.
Let me be clear – this decision
will impact the outcome of every single election from the time
these machines are installed.
We cannot disenfranchise the poor,
the elderly, the disabled, minorities, or those with language
barriers. The wrong choice will have the potential to disproportionately
affect those groups and dramatically reduce the trust all New
Yorkers have placed in us as elected and appointed officials.
We must select the machines with the
best chance of truly capturing every vote cast, protecting the
integrity and security of our votes and preserving the fundamental
right to vote.
We must select the best technology
available – the precinct-based paper ballot optical scanners.
It is abundantly clear that the touch-screen voting machines –
the Direct Recording Electronic machines – should not be
used in our city.
My friends at New York University’s
Brennan Center, the League of Women Voters, the New York Public
Interest Research Group and New Yorkers for Verified Voting all
have shown in their diligent research that undercounting is greatly
reduced by optical scanners. The evidence clearly shows that DREs
cost more and fail to count a much larger percentage of votes
than optical scanners.
Voters have to know that their votes
are verifiable and can be independently validated. Only optical
scan machines can accomplish this goal and leave a vital paper
trail.
The price tag is also a major concern.
DREs are prohibitively expensive. Furthermore many more DREs would
be required to service voters, especially at peak voting times.
If DREs are selected, the ratio of people per voting machine must
be lowered to ensure that all people can get a chance to vote,
and not be turned off, or turned away, because of long lines.
The ratio may be as low as 150 people per DRE, with one lever
machine replaced by three DREs. Optical scanners allow many more
voters to simultaneously vote in private booths, and have their
votes processed and would likely prevent a voting bottleneck,
long wait times, and long lines.
It is not just the machines we select,
but the quality and quantity of the training of our poll workers,
the training and informational materials that the BOE prepares,
and our collective effort to disseminate public information that
will ensure a proper transfer from the old outdated lever machines
to the next generation of voting machines. I look forward to working
with all of you to accomplish this vital goal.
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