Senate President Miller is blocking SB 713 paper audit bill

Written by: Robert Lanza on Mar 22, 2006 8:54 PM EST

Linked to groups: Democracy for Montgomery County

All: TrueVoteMD has heard from State Senators both Democrat and Republican that Senate President Mike Miller is personally blocking SB 713, the Paper Audit Trail bill. We are trying to generate a lot of telephone calls and letters to his office asking him to change his position and to support SB 713, with the provision that the State of Maryland lease optical scan machines for the upcoming 2006 primary and general elections, i,e., Senator Miller should support the exact language of HB 244, as amended, that passed the House of Delegates 137-0. Senate President Miller's contact information is below.

You should be aware that Senator Miller's former aide now works for Diebold, and that Diebold's lobbyists are mounting a full court press in Annapolis to try to save their multi million dollar contract. Unfortunately, Diebold has NOTHING to offer for the 2006 primary and general elections that will provide a paper audit trail and allow EVERY vote to be audited and recounted. Saving Diebold's contract means that your vote may not be recorded, or counted, accurately.

We are also hearing that Senator Hollinger is still not clear on the fact that leasing optical scan machines and using paper ballots is the ONLY way to establish a paper audit trail for ALL of the votes cast in the upcoming 2006 primary and general elections. The half-meaures that have been proposed that continue to use Diebold equipment in the 2006 elections are not going to protect your vote. So please call Senator Miller and Senator Hollinger and tell them that you want ALL of the votes cast protected in 2006, and tell them that despite the State Board of Election's assertions to the contrary, paper audit trail CAN be implemented in time for the 2006 elections.

And if you happen to meet Mayor O'Malley or County Executive Duncan on the campaign trail, you might want to mention to them that Senator Miller is blocking the bill that would ensure that the votes cast for THEM in the upcoming primary election will be auditible and recountable.

The legislative session has only a few weeks left. Senator Miller can either listen to Diebold's lobbyists and block SB 713, or he can listen to his constituents, and to the unanimous vote in the House of Delegates, and pass SB 713. But Senator Miller needs to hear from A LOT of people, from all over the state, if he is going to change his position.

Thanks all...

Robert Lanza
www.TrueVoteMD.org


THOMAS V. MIKE MILLER, JR., President of Senate
Democrat, District 27, Calvert & Prince George's Counties

State House, H-107 Annapolis, MD 21401 - 1991 (410) 841-3700, (301) 858-3700 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3700 (toll free) e-mail: thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us fax: (410) 841-3910, (301) 858-3910
8808 Old Branch Ave., Clinton, MD 20735 (301) 868-6931; fax: (301) 856-4029

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Location: Montgomery County, MD 20850