EFF organizes e-voting "lobby days" in DC this week

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: EFF Blogs Evoting: Transparent Lobbying Meets Transparent Voting
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 15:38:47 -0700
From: Cindy Cohn <cindy () eff org>
To: declan () well com, Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
CC: Donna Wentworth <donna () eff org>, Matt Zimmerman <mattz () eff org>, 
    Cory Doctorow <doctorow () craphound com>


Hi guys,

I thought your readers might be interested in what we're up to on the 
EFF Deep Links blog today and tomorrow. We're blogging the "lobby day" 
efforts of over 200 volunteers from over 25 states who have gathered in 
DC to lobby for HR 550, the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility 
Act. This is Rush Holt's bill and it's the "gold standard" of the 
various evoting bills on Capitol Hill right now.

We've asked the volunteers to tell us what happens, as it happens. EFF's 
evoting attorney Matt Zimmerman is posting updates to the blog 
throughout the blitz, so that folks concerned about evoting nationwide 
can see how it's going and identify lawmakers doing the right thing, as 
well as who still needs some education.

Below is the first post, from Wednesday,, but there are several more up 
already at: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/

Cindy

Transparent Lobbying Meets Transparent Voting

Feel like your democracy is a bit opaque these days? Beginning tomorrow, 
EFF will help shed a little light in two interconnected ways. On 
Thursday and Friday, June 9th and 10th, EFF will provide a series of 
weblog reports of a two-day lobbying effort by a coalition of activist 
groups fighting for transparent, auditable electronic voting.

The lobbying blitz is aimed at supporting HR 550, the Voter Confidence 
and Increased Accessibility Act. This law would require electronic 
voting systems used in federal elections to generate a paper trail that 
could be verified by voters prior to their votes being cast (for more 
information, check out EFF's action alert). The coalition includes 
Common Cause, VerifiedVoting.org, VoteTrustUSA, Voters United, Rock the 
Vote, Working Assets, and other election-reform advocates.

More than 200 citizen activists from 25 states have signed up for the 
blitz and have already set up over 80 meetings with their 
representatives. On Friday, the coalition will hold a press conference 
with the bill's sponsor, Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ), to report on 
the event's progress. EFF intends to provide feedback from activists, 
Congressional staffers, and event coordinators to bring the public into 
the process as much as possible.
********************************************************
Cindy Cohn Cindy () eff org
Legal Director www.eff.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation
454 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 436-9333 x108
(415) 436-9993 (fax)
_______________________________________________
Politech mailing list
Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)