The 2014 Elections Are Important
The person who becomes Governor in 2014...
Pennsylvania's electronic voting machines are now all at least nine years old (or older.) They are aging computers that are near the end of their expected useful lifespan. As these machines grow older, we can expect more and more trouble on Election Day. Pennsylvania is rapidly reaching the point where we have to replace our current voting systems or our elections will be in danger.
We must hope and expect that the person who is elected Governor in 2014 will oversee the beginning of the replacement process for Pennsylvania's aging voting systems over the next few years. Those elected to the General Assembly in 2014 need to take up this issue as well. And in 2015 we will be electing County Commissioners who must pay attention to their aging voting machines, and should be making plans to replace them.
It is crucially important that in 2014 we elect a Governor, Lt. Governor, and General Assembly who are aware that our current voting systems need replacement and who believe in verifiable elections. Replacement of Pennsylvania's aging voting machines needs to become a priority before we have a major problem or failure with electronic voting, with thousands of votes or even a whole election becoming lost.
As citizens we must make sure that every 2014 candidate running knows the urgency of this need and that they take seriously the threat that aging voting machines and unverifable elections pose to our democracy.
Pennsylvania voters deserve modern, verifiable voting systems that are in top shape for every election. For the next round of voting machines, all of Pennsylvania needs to join over 70% of other states and purchase up-to-date systems using voter-marked, voter-verified paper ballots that can be meaningfully audited and recounted. Because without fair and accurate counting of the votes, our elections mean nothing.
So What Candidates Care About Old Voting Machines?
Mr. Wolf indicated on a questionnaire to Common Cause-PA that he favors all new voting machines to produce a paper ballot that can be confirmed by the voter as accurate and recounted if necessary. Candidates in the Lt. Governor's race spoke about this issue at the Progressive Summit debate in March. Democratic candidates Mark Smith, Brad Koplinski, and Mark Critz all spoke at length about our aging and unverifiable electronic voting machines as a serious concern in Pennsylvania and they all recognized the need for replacement soon.
We do know Gov. Corbett and Lt. Governor Cawley are aware of the voting machine problem. But so far this administration has spent millions of taxpayer dollars to promote Voter ID and fight citizens in lawsuits instead of figuring out a plan to replace the state's aging voting machines.
Due to Pennsylvania's restrictive ballot access laws, no candidate of a minor party or independent candidate was able to get enough signatures to run for Governor or Lt. Governor.
We need concerned voters from all over the state to contact candidates in their PA House and Senate races, and inform them of the need for new voting systems and verifiable elections!