You're invited to public comment on HOLT BILL

The new HOLT BILL has been released.

Some of it sounds great -- but then, there's that little matter of the
billion-dollar unfunded mandate hidden on page 8. Because the bill is
complex, it is hard to be accurate when commenting on it as a whole.

The bill incorporates dozens of issues. Some are good, some are a bit
horrifying. NOW is the time to examine it and voice your opinions. This
is the first chance citizens have had to look at the new bill in detail
-- it is vastly different than the previous one -- and this is the
first chance to comment on what you want to keep and what you want to dump.

Scroll through the list of issues in the Holt Bill below. Each contains
a link to the page or so of text in the bill and the specific issue,
along with a public comment section. We look forward to seeing "We, the
People" represented in the debate.

Let's get the details right on the front end, this time, so we don't
have to change things later because we happened to overlook them in our
excitement about paper trails.

Copy of the bill: http://www.blackboxvoting.org/HOLT_2-5-07.pdf

Master list of comment topics:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46591.html

Pg.1 Lines 1-5 -- Section 1: Holt Bill description: "Voter Confidence
and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007"
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46599.html

Pg. 2-3 -- Section 2(a) (1) "2A": Ballot verification and audit
capacity - General provisions
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46600.html

Pg. 3-5 -- Section 2(a) (1) "2B": Manual audit capacity and audit
capacity; Ballot storage
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46601.html

Pg. 5 -- Section 2(a) (1) "2C": Special rule for military and overseas
voters
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46602.html

Pg. 5-6 -- Section 2(a) (1) "2D": Disputes when paper ballots
compromised
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46603.html

Pg. 6-7 -- Section 2(a) (2) & (3): Conforming Amendments
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46604.html

Pg. 7-8 -- Section 2(b) (1): Ballot verification for persons with
disabilities
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46605.html

Pg. 8-10 -- Section 2(b) (2): Accessible verification mechanisms: Study
and testing
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46606.html

Pg. 10 -- Section 2(b) (3): Clarification of accessibility standards
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46607.html

Pg. 10-11 -- Section 2(c) (1) "7": Election official instruction
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46608.html

Pg. 11 -- Section 2(c) (1) "8": Notice to voters
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46612.html

Pg. 12 -- Section 2(c) (1) "9": Prohibit undisclosed software
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46613.html

Pg 12 -- Section 2(c) (1) "10": Prohibit wireless
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46614.html

Pg. 12 -- Section 2(c) (1) "11": Prohibit some Internet connections
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46615.html

Pg. 13-15 -- Section 2(c) (1) "12": Security standards
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46616.html

Pg. 15-16 -- Section 2(c) (1) "13": Ballot durability / readability
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46617.html

Pg. 16-18 Section 2(c) (1) "14": No turning away voters
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46618.html

Pg. 18-19 -- Section 2(c) (2A) "3A": Test labs - conflict of interest
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46619.html

Pg. 2 -- Section 2(c) (2A) "3B": Public access to test results
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46620.html

Pg. 20-22 -- Section 2(c) (2A) "4": Payments to labs
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46621.html

Pg. 22-23 -- Section 2(c) (2A) "5": Dissemination of add'l info
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46622.html

Pg. 23-24 -- Section 2(c) (2B): Conforming amendments
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46593.html

Pg. 24 -- Section 2(c) (2C): Deadline for standards, escrow acct.
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46624.html

Pg. 24-25 -- Section 2(c) (3): States not currently using paper ballots
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46625.html

Pg. 25-27 -- Section 2(d) (2): Revised formula for allocations of funds
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46627.html

Pg. 27-30 -- Section 2(d) (3-7): State funding details
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46628.html

Pg. 30-31 -- Section 3: HAVA enforcement
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46629.html

Pg. 31-32 -- Section 4: Extension of the EAC
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46630.html

Pg. 32-35 -- Section 5(a) (321): Election audit boards
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46631.html

Pg. 35-37 -- Section 5(a) (322): Number of ballots counted in audit
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46632.html

Pg. 37-40 -- Section 5(a) (323): Audit process
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46633.html

Pg. 40-41 -- Section 5(a) (324): Selection of audit precincts
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46634.html

Pg. 41-43 -- Section 5(a) (325): Publication of audit results
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46635.html

Pg. 43-44 -- Section 5(a) (326): Payments to states for audits
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46636.html

Pg. 45 -- Section 5(a) (327): Exceptions for states w. automatic
recounts
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46637.html

Pg. 45 -- Section 5(a) (328): Effective date for audits
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46638.html

Pg. 45-46 -- Section 5(b): Enforcement under HAVA
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46639.html

Pg. 46 -- Section 5(c): Clerical amendment
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46640.html

Pg. 46 -- Section 6: Repeal of EAC exemption
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46641.html

Pg. 47 -- Section 7: Effective date
Text of bill and comment section:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/46591/46642.html

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Government is the servant of the people, and not the master of them.
The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants
the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not
good for them to know. We insist on remaining informed so that we may
retain control over the instruments of government we have created.

* * * * *

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