EXCLUSIVE: AMENDMENT TO BAN/RESTRICT TOUCH-SCREEN DRES MAY BE BROUGHT TO HOLT BILL TODAY!

[BradBlog]

Source: BRAD BLOG



EXCLUSIVE: AMENDMENT TO BAN/RESTRICT TOUCH-SCREEN DRES MAY BE BROUGHT TO HOLT BILL!
The BRAD BLOG Has Confirmed That Congresswoman Susan Davis is Considering Bringing Such an Amendment This Afternoon as Rush Holt's Controversial HR 811 Goes to Rules Committee Before Introduction on House Floor...

-- By Brad Friedman from Glenwood Springs, CO

An amendment either ban or restrict the use of Direct Recording Electronic (DRE, usually touch-screen) voting systems may be added to Rep. Rush Holt's (D-NJ) Election Reform Bill by California Congresswoman Susan Davis today, The BRAD BLOG can now confirm.

After learning of the possibility early this morning, we have now confirmed with Davis' office that she is mulling such an amendment to present to the House Rules Committee which is set to meet this afternoon at 3pm ET to determine which amendments will be allowed for debate on Holt's controversial HR 811 election bill. The legislation is currently scheduled to come up for debate on the House Floor as soon as it's passed out of the Rules Committee.

The committee will decide whether or not to allow amendments to the bill at all once it's on the House floor. The BRAD BLOG has learned that the committee essentially has three options in that regard. They can move the bill forward with a "Closed Rule", meaning no amendments are allowed on the bill; a "Restricted Rule", meaning only certain amendments will be allowed for debate; or an "Open Rule" which would allow any amendment to be brought to the bill while it's on the House floor.

The phone and fax numbers for members of the Rules Committee are posted below, along with the contact information for House Leaders Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer who would be instrumental in allowing such an amendment to be brought.

At this hour, Davis' office is considering language for such an amendment, conferring with legal authorities, gauging potential support from colleagues and still mulling whether they will introduce it at all. They may be considering restrictions on DRE usage, rather than a complete ban, along the lines of what California's Secretary of State Debra Bowen implemented recently after her independent "Top-to-Bottom Review" found severe vulnerabilities in all of the states certified touch-screen voting systems....

COMPLETE DEVELOPING REPORT
PLUS CONTACT INFO FOR LEADERSHIP, RULES COMMITTEE:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5032



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Brad Friedman
Publisher/Editor, The BRAD BLOG
http://www.BradBlog.com


Read more: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5032