Paper Trails – the Holy Grail for Voters’ Basic Rights!

Working right up to the 11th hour of the session, volunteers with WV Citizens for HAVA (Help America Vote Act) won West Virginians important voter protections this year.

HB 2950 is awaiting the Governor’s signature as we go to press. Manchin claimed to be behind requiring a paper trail when he was Secretary of State, so surely he will sign the law. Thanks to volunteer Hedda Haning, for explaining what this omnibus addition to WV election law includes:

1) The requirement for a voter-verified paper ballot on all touch screen vote counting machines (DREs), and an extensive description of its required characteristics;

2) A random recount requirement for all counties, including those using DREs;

3) In the case of any inconsistencies greater than 1 percent or where the outcome would change, all ballots will be counted and the paper ballot is the ballot of record;

4) Enabling legislation for a ballot marking device, a computer interface that completes an optical scan ballot for disabled voters, thus fulfilling federal voting law requirements for persons with disabilities;

5) Enabling legislation for a precinct scanning device so that optical scan ballots can be checked before they are deposited to prevent overvotes and protect against undervotes.

Hedda notes that there are many, many people to thank for this great victory for the democratic process. “We were definitely mightier together than apart,” she says.

She singles out many people, including many volunteers; several members of the legislature; the highly supportive Secretary of State, Betty Ireland; WV Citizen Action Group’s Julie Archer, who did daily legwork and phone calls to move the bill along; and Robert Kibrick, a volunteer with www.verifiedvoting.org, who presented a scholarly and convincing discussion of the issue of computerized voting to a legislative committee. Hedda suggests a donation to the non-profit group could help them with their efforts in other states.

This incredible work by grassroots volunteers illustrates that civic participation is where the rubber meets the road: Sustained, positive social and environmental change only comes about through active community involvement.