Sunday, April 10, 2005

Nashville Newpaper coverage of Conference this Weekend

Tennessean.com - Printer-Friendly Version: "


Saturday, 04/09/05
Nashville conference discusses problems in electronic voting
By LAURA LUXOR
For The Tennessean

Election reform advocates have gathered in Nashville this weekend to discuss problems with electronic balloting that occurred in last year's presidential election.
Citizens, researchers, activists and elected officials said yesterday that the balloting system and the electronic voting machines could have intimidated voters who didn't understand the voting process, from whom they were voting for to what precinct they were supposed to vote in.
More than 20 states experienced problems with electronic voting machines. These officials believe this affected the election's outcome.
The National Reform Conference � with representatives from 26 states and more than 60 organizations � will continue to discuss this issue at 8:30 a.m. today at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, 2708 Jefferson St.
''Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything,'' said conference organizer Bernie Ellis, quoting Joseph Stalin, a former Russian dictator.
This conference brings together as many as six political parties: Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green Party, Constitution and Independent.
Ellis said he was happy ''to bring party members together even when we are arguing about partisanship, but in the end remembering what unites us.''
After the 2004 presidential election, several states reported election discrepancies.
Representatives from five of these states � Ohio, Florida, New Mexico, Washington and North Carolina � will give detailed reports today about informal post-election investigations of election fraud.
Sharona Merel from New Hampshire, a member of the National Ballot Integ"

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