The Laesch campaign is showing its leadership yet again, this time on election integrity. This is an incredibly important issue for Illinois' 14 th Congressional District in particular. Kane County uses touch-screen voting machines and encompasses a full half of the district's voting population.
You may have heard of the Rush Holt bill to protect election integrity. The "Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008" will help election authorities using e-voting to convert to paper ballots, offer emergency paper ballots or convert audits by hand counts. John is the first to step out in front of this fight and provide a way for you to let your Senators and Representatives know that you want to ensure your vote is counted properly on election day.
There are plenty more issues in the 14th CD than just the touch-screen machines in Kane County. DuPage County, the western edge of which lies in the 14th, has its share of problems:
DuPage County has a unique history of precipitously destroying its election records (pdf). Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued the county a recent admonishment based on this history.
DuPage County also refused to open its election records to the DuPage Chapter of the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project back in 2004. DuPage County claimed that the records had already been destroyed,even though it was within the 22 month time frame, though the State's Attorney later ruled that this was not illegal.
This issue should transcend party lines. This is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue... it is a (small d) democratic issue: It is about protecting one of the very cornerstones this country is built upon; your right to vote and to make your voice heard.
1,142 counties across the nation use machines with no paper trail. In the 14th CD alone, over half of the voters cast their votes on paperless touch-screen machines. The Rush Holt bill could have a significant impact on our election, not only for Congress, but even for which Presidential delegates are sent to the convention, and obviously for the outcomes of any number of local offices.
This is potentially the most critical issue of 2008. How can we have health care reform and get out of the war in Iraq when we can't even be sure our votes are being properly counted? It has already been revealed that these machines are not reliable in New Hampshire, and similar machines are used in the 14 th CD and in other places throughout the country. We can do something about this now, before any more elections are stolen.
Click here to go to John's website and make your voice heard. You can send your words not only to your Representatives and Senators, but also to your nearest local paper, all by filling in one simple form. Make your voice heard. Let the country know that you want your vote counted.
If you'd like to help John in this effort, you can contribute here.
Thanks for your time,
Kristen Lash
Blog Team Coordinator
John Laesch for US Congress
http://www.john08.com