Dear Secretary Cortes,

 

Concerning HAVA compliance, you have a great opportunity to lead. Why not go for it?

 

The collapse of our democratic values is seen everywhere. Increasingly we experience government at all levels that will not provide what the citizens clearly want, whether it be universal single payer health care, a change in Iraq policy, or a verifiable voting system. Government simply ignores the will of the people in favor of pleasing small, unelected but moneyed special interests.

 

Now it is even customary that senior government officials called to explain their conduct before Congress are extended the courtesy of testifying but not under oath. Why? So that they can lie with impunity. I guess government has learned well from the Clinton impeachment.

 

From an article in our local paper we in Bucks County will surely be forced to vote on machines that are demonstrably unreliable, incapable of allowing for recounts, and where there will be no real audit of the vote count. Allowing verifiable paper ballots could solve these problems. But no, we the voters and citizens of Pennsylvania will be denied that to which we are entitled.

 

All over Pennsylvania, County Commissioners are being forced to make hasty decisions constrained by limited options due to delays in state-run certification of equipment and by your mysterious rejection of the verified paper ballot or ‘paper trail.’ The result will be wasted money and an election system devoid of credibility. Our government, state and federal, has failed us - again.

 

It is your responsibility to protect Pennsylvania's voting process. The purpose of HAVA was to improve the integrity and accuracy of elections. If HAVA needs to be clarified or amended to achieve this goal then that is clearly for what you should advocate and fight.

 

I ask you to lend your support to Representative Fitzpatrick’s recent proposal to delay the implementation of the HAVA deadline. And too, give us verified paper ballots.

 

It shouldn’t be so painful. It makes sense to do the right thing. Why not?

 

Yours sincerely,

Michael J. Doyle

Riegelsville