For those of you who are interested in a verifiable election process by requiring a paper trail, please contact your representative about HR2239 ASAP. This bill also bans the use of undisclosed software and wireless communications. I would recommend that you tell your rep and your senators that open source voting software is the only way to make it trustworthy. There, that makes it on topic. Here Aman Batheja, here's a topic for you to sink your teeth into and put a real story about a real problem in the KC Star for a change. Open Source Software is the only way to create reliable voting machines. See Wired: "Aussies Do It Right: E-Voting" http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,61045,00.html for a good start. Here's a snip. "While critics in the United States grow more concerned each day about the insecurity of electronic voting machines, Australians designed a system two years ago that addressed and eased most of those concerns: They chose to make the software running their system completely open to public scrutiny. Although a private Australian company designed the system, it was based on specifications set by independent election officials, who posted the code on the Internet for all to see and evaluate. What's more, it was accomplished from concept to product in six months. It went through a trial run in a state election in 2001. Critics say the development process is a model for how electronic voting machines should be made in the United States. Called eVACS, or Electronic Voting and Counting System, the system was created by a company called Software Improvements to run on Linux, an open-source operating system available on the Internet." Thanks for your time, and don't forget to contact your senators and representatives, Jim Herrmann -------- Original Message -------- Subject: DECEMBER 2nd - 8th IS HR2239 WEEK!!! From: VerifiedVoting.org: Pass HR2239 Reply-To: To: 2239 DECEMBER 2nd - 8th IS HR2239 WEEK!!! One more week until the Congressional session is over (probably). One more week this year to make a huge difference. One more week to call Representatives at 1-800-839-5276 and urge support. Start today. We have 84 co-sponsors, including three Republicans. We know of at least one, maybe as many as 10 more, who have signed on but haven't shown up on the Thomas site yet. We've all had a short break, so, let's dig in one more time this year and get more Representatives on board with the goal of fair elections. Call your Representative and 4 others today. Call 2 more every day this week. Call your Senators and ask for a companion bill. Do it, do it, do it!! Thanks, ~ the VerifiedVoting.org team