FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lulu Friesdat, Executive Director Lu...@SMARTelections.us
PRESS RELEASE H.R. 1 Passes the
House - A Big Step Forward for Election Security Areas of interest: Election Security, Voting Technology, Disability Rights
New York City - March 4, 2021 -- Yesterday, the United State House of Representatives passed The For the People Act, (H.R. 1). The bill is a visionary, once-in-a-generation effort to improve the functionality, fairness, and security of U.S. elections. It will address multiple, systemic, ongoing problems in our elections. We fully support its passage. It will now move on to the U.S. Senate for
consderation. "Beyond the big ticket items that have received the most attention, less well-known parts of the bill have the ability to vastly improve our election security, especially if they are slightly improved." says Lulu Friesdat, Executive Director of SMART Elections. She adds, "It's critically important to remember that what brought on the January 6th insurrection was the belief that the results were wrong. For that reason, it is as important that voters and candidates have confidence in our election results - as it is that the results be accurate. Some key provisions in H.R. 1 can help accomplish that." The focus of the bill has been primarily on its important reforms to protect voting rights, end gerrymandering, get dark money out of politics, and increase transparency and accountability in our government. But here are some provisions that are notable and necessary to improve election security. - Durable Hand-Marked Paper Ballots Must Be Available - H.R. 1 requires that all voters have the option to mark their ballot by hand. This simple, non-technical provision, is the action that security experts recommend, more than any other, to help ensure our elections are secure and accurate. Having a durable paper record of the vote helps guarantee that we can verify that all votes are counted accurately, even if voting machines are hacked, or fail to count correctly. (This provision could be improved by making sure that hand-marked paper ballots are available at all in-person voting locations, so that the requirement cannot be side-stepped by offering a paper ballot through the mail.)
- Resources for States to Improve Security - H.R. 1 offers states resources to purchase voting systems that comply with its rules. Many states are cash-strapped, especially now, during the pandemic. H.R. 1 makes grants available to states, as long as they buy systems that meet the requirements in the bill.
- Risk-Limiting Audits - H.R. 1 takes steps to encourage states to conduct robust audits to ensure that vote counts are correct. (These requirements could also be strengthened).
Expansions in the rights of voters with disabilities. - Accessibility requirements - H.R. 1 includes a requirement that voters who need to be
able to vote without touching the ballot can do so privately and independently.
SMART Elections has prepared a position paper on how these provisions can be strengthened even further. We believe that some of the suggested changes are urgent. As a non-partisan project SMART Elections understands that there are painful battles being fought right now on the rules that govern our elections. A quote from Abolitionist Minister Theodore Parker may help us through. "I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways ... And from
what I see I am sure it bends toward justice." (Later summarized eloquently by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.). We applaud every step forward in our long journey toward inclusion and fairness in our democracy. This is a big one.
About SMART Elections
SMART Elections is a nonpartisan project dedicated to elevating the issue of election reform to an urgent national priority. We are collaborating to make U.S. elections more secure, accessible, accurate, and fair. To learn more, visit https://smartelections.us. |
