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Whether every vote counts in November lies in the stroke of the Governor's pen. We are counting on Governor Corzine to veto the Legislature's latest attempt to delay the installation of voter verified paper ballots. We need your help to make sure the Governor gets the message: the people of New Jersey don't want our votes lost in unreliable machines. Contact Governor Corzine now to ask him to veto S1381, the Legislature's latest attempt to delay the use of accountable machines in New Jersey, in the interest of our voting rights. Justice delayed is justice denied.
Right now, Governor Corzine has the power to decide whether to finally demand accountability in our voting machines so that every vote is counted in November. We want him to veto S1381 and thereby require that New Jersey use voting machines that we can rely on. Not having voter verified paper ballots means not having an important system for recount, which would have a devastating effect in a close election.
Instead of using paper ballots with optical scanners -- the cheaper, easier and more accurate option -- the Attorney General and Legislature have chosen more expensive touch-screen machines that have been called the worst in the country. The machines do not automatically produce a voter verified paper ballot, so the machines need to be retrofitted with expensive printers.
That's like buying a car without an engine. We say: Scrap the whole thing, before it's too late. There is a better solution. Replace our machines with paper ballots and optical scanners now, when it matters most, rather than tacking printers onto defective machines later, when the elections are over. Tell the governor not to put the cart before the horse: veto the delays of voter verified paper ballots and push for the use of paper ballots with optical scanners now.
There were serious questions in February about whether votes were lost in the poorly rated Sequoia voting machines. We don't want the same doubts to resurface in November. Call or write Governor Corzine today to make sure the voters in New Jersey can exercise their right to vote this fall. Our rights and our future hang in the balance.
Take Action!
Call Governor Corzine's office today at (609) 292-6000 to tell him to veto the delay of accountable voting machines in New Jersey. You can also e-mail him at http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html. You can use the sample letter below to get you started.
Sample Letter
Dear Governor Corzine:
I am writing to urge you to veto S. 1381, a bill the Legislature passed to extend the deadline for voter verified paper ballots until January 1, 2009. The delay would compromise the integrity of votes cast across the state of New Jersey. I want to vote in November knowing my vote will matter, not wondering whether my voice was heard.
The Sequoia touch screen voting machines currently in place are faulty to begin with. The February primaries were plagued with questions over how many votes were truly counted -- questions that have gone unanswered because Sequoia refused to allow investigations into what happened. The Legislature and Attorney General want to keep the same error-ridden system and tack on printers, saying the printout will be an accurate record. But it's common sense: tax payers should not be paying huge sums of money to stick printers onto broken machines that won't be ready until after the votes have been counted.
As a voter and a tax payer, I demand the sensible and less expensive alternative: paper ballots to be read by optical scan machines. The optical scan machines are less prone to mistakes, and the paper ballots are a ready-made solution if New Jersey participates in a recount. The November election should be a close race, making paper ballots even more crucial. But the closeness of the race should not matter. To protect everyone's right to vote, everyone's vote must be rightfully counted.
You have the power to decide whether our votes should be counted or whether our votes should remain in doubt. I urge you to side with the voters of New Jersey and veto the Legislature's delays that will jeopardize our right to vote. Your veto secures our votes, and our votes secure democracy.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State and ZIP
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