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Trenton,
NJ -- The New Jersey Voting Machine Examination
Committee has scheduled public hearings
beginning Tuesday, July 24, to examine the
proposed voter-verified paper record systems
for the Sequoia and Avante voting machines
currently in use in 20 of the state’s
21 counties. Under state law, electronic
voting machines must include voter verified
paper record systems by January 1, 2008.
The
voter verified paper record systems have
been independently tested by computer experts
at the New Jersey Institute of Technology,
who were contracted in an unprecedented
step by the Attorney General to test the
systems for compliance with specific state
criteria.
“The
confidence in the integrity of election
results is fundamental to our democratic
process,’’ Attorney General
Anne Milgram said. “It is vital that
the voting equipment used in our elections
work properly and record accurate votes.’’
The examination committee hearings will
be held at the New Jersey National Guard
Armory at 151 Eggert Crossing Road in Lawrenceville.
The hearings are scheduled to run through
Friday, July 27 to allow time for testimony
on three of the machines currently in use
in New Jersey: the Sequoia AVC Advantage,
the Sequoia AVC Edge and the Avante Vote-Trakker.
The fourth day is being held open if additional
time is required to complete the hearings.
The
hearings will feature reports from NJIT
scientists on the results of their testing
of the voter verified paper record systems
and presentations by voting machine vendors.
There will be electronic voting machines
outfitted with paper record systems available
for public demonstration.
The Attorney General and the committee welcome
testimony from the public. Those wishing
to testify can sign up in advance at the
Division of Elections website at www.njelections.org
or they can register at the door by 9 a.m.
on the day of the hearing.
Copies
of the NJIT reports are also available
on the division’s website.
At
the conclusion of the hearings, the three
members of the Voting Machine Examination
Committee – Richard Woodbridge, John
Fleming and Daryl Mahoney -- will prepare
a report for Attorney General Milgram.
State legislation passed in 2005 requires
that all electronic voting machines produce
individual permanent paper records for each
vote cast. The paper record will be the
“ballot of record’’ in
the event of recounts.
Direct electronic voting machines with voter-verified
paper record systems must include printers
and a display unit that will allow voters
to view their votes before recording their
electronic ballots. No vote will be recorded
until the paper record is viewed and approved
by the voter. If a voter rejects the contents
of the paper record, he or she may recast
a ballot up to two additional times.
The paper records are stored securely in
the machine. Voters do not leave the voting
booths with copies of their votes, and the
paper records will not identify voters.
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