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Thanks for visiting the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project website.
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The presidential election of 2000 highlighted problems with punch-card balloting systems. "Hanging chad" became a part of the American lexicon.
What the
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discussion ignored was that the Florida counties involved in the controvery had been using old, poorly designed and inadequately maintained punch card systems that were long outmoded.
Hoping to solve the problem in future elections, in 2002, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). HAVA provided approximately $3.9 billinon in Federal funding to
accomplish two main objectives:
- Replace allegedly poor punch card systems
- Provide greater accessibility for disabled voters and allow them to vote privately and independently.
State and local election officials saw HAVA as the cure for all their problems. Finally, the funds to upgrade to computerized voting systems were available without having to increase taxes on their constituents to pay for the new machines. Voting machine companies eyed the nearly $4 billion dollar pot, and the rush was on.
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But is the cure worse than the disease? Despite fifteen years of equipment refinement, reports of malfunctions and suspicious vote counts involving computerized voting systems continue to
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surface. Electronic voting
machines have proven to be insecure, unreliable and inaccurate.
Disturbing revelations have been published by computer experts who have inspected the software used in two top-selling electronic voting systems and similar concerns have been raised about others.
Elsewhere on this site we'll explore problems with electronic voting systems in greater detail.
In October 2005, the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that was highly critical of
electronic voting machines.
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This report received widespread bipartisan support among members of Congress, but very little mention in the mainstream press. Here's what Representative Henry A.Waxman said:
"The GAO report indicates that we need to get serious and act quickly to improve the security of electronic voting machines. The report makes clear that there is a lack of transparency and accountability in electronic voting systems - from the day that contracts are signed with manufacturers to the counting of electronic votes on Election Day. State and local officials are spending a great deal of money on machines without concrete proof that they are secure and reliable. American voters deserve better."
The Illinois Ballot Integrity Project strongly supports Representative Waxman's comments.
Fair, honest and transparent elections are fundamental to our democracy. We now face two critical questions:
- What problems plague computerized voting systems, and how pervasive are these problems?
- What solutions are available now and what's the potential for improvement?
The objective of the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project is to promote this discussion, raising the level of awareness among members of the public, legislators, election officials and the media.
For the IBIP Statement of Purpose and MissionStatement, Click HERE.
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The next regular open meeting will be Wednesday, May 14th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods, 1000 West North Avenue.
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Parking is available in the shopping center lot.
This is the Annual General Meeting of IBIP and will include election of a new Board of Directors and several propositions, including By Law amendment and dues assessment.
For a printable area map, click HERE.
(Maps © Copyright Google)
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