ISSUES & FORUMS

Election Reform:

Contact Paul Lockard or 309-736-0765 or
Kent Wolzen or 563-332-0381

Support VOICE Today!

As you know we have put out many calls to action on *VOICE - Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections*. The passage of *VOICE - SF 553* , in the state of Iowa would have a *HUGE* impact on every issue across the spectrum - the passage of this bill would give the people of Iowa an unprecedented opportunity to take back control of our legislature from the special interest groups that have too often dominated the outcome of policy. There are MANY reasons to pass VOICE - passage of this bill would free-up our legislators from the all consuming cycle of fundraising so they can spend more time working on the actual issues that affect their constituents, and citizens would have more faith in the system and the legislators that represent them. Legislators would no longer be beholden to the special interests that help get them elected. In other states where similar bills were passed, they are seeing a big increase in people running for office than ever before and in Arizona voter turnout has increased by as much as 20%. The passage of VOICE is a win-win for everyone involved.

The VOICE bill, SF 553, is in an Appropriations sub-committee comprised of Rep. Dave Jacoby (D-chair), Rep. Jo Oldson (D) and Rep. Dwayne Alons (R). It will come up for a vote in that committee either Tuesday (3/27) or Wednesday (3/28). If passed, it then goes to the full committee and becomes "funnel-proof." That means the likelihood for debate on the floor of the House increases. However, we learned on Friday that the Appropriations sub-committee plans to "kill" the bill, at the request of leadership.

VOICE has overwhelming support from citizens and community leaders - we need to remind leadership that *people matter more, money matters less*.

*Appropriations Sub-Committee*

Rep. Dave Jacoby (D)
House District 30 -- Johnson County
David.Jacoby@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: 319-358-8538
House Switchboard:* *(515) 281-3221

Rep. Jo Oldson (D)
House District 61 -- Polk County
Jo.Oldson@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: 515-255-2805
House Switchboard:* *(515) 281-3221

Rep. Dwayne Alons (R)
House District 4 -- Sioux County
Dwayne.Alons@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: 712-439-2479

*Speaker of the House
*Rep. Pat Murphy (D)
House District 28 - Dubuque County
Pat.Murphy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (563) 582-5922
House Telephone: (515) 281-5566

*House Majority Leader*
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D)
House District 67 - Polk County
Kevin.McCarthy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (515) 953-5221
House Telephone: (515) 281-7497
(PLEASE THANK HIM FOR HIS SUPPORT!)

*Senate Majority Leader*
Senator Mike Gronstal (D)
Senate District 50 -- Pottawattamie
michael.gronstal@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (712) 328-2808
Business Telephone: (515) 281-3901

MORE ABOUT VOICE:

What is Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE)?
Voter-Owned Elections is a voluntary system for state elections where candidates can choose to run using public funding instead of constantly fundraising and accepting monies from power groups hoping to wield their influence. It provides qualifying candidates - those who collect a set amount of signatures and $5 donations from within their district - with a set amount of money from a public source if they promise to refuse money from all other sources.

Why it's better.
People in politics will tell you that they spend too much time seeking funds when they'd rather be getting things done. Democrat, Republican, or Independent, the current election funding system and escalating campaign budgets trap candidates in a need to constantly fundraise. VOICE would eliminate the need to fundraise and let elected officials focus more on the job at hand.

Less about the money.
It's no surprise that most people feel that money has too much of an influence in current politics. VOICE opens up the door to reduce that influence and restores a needed balance to our political system.

It's already working in other states.
Arizona, Connecticut and Maine are three states where voter-owned clean elections have been in place and working for several years. The success of the system has been touted by candidates and voters across the political spectrum.

The Voter-Owned System:

• Is voluntary & nonpartisan.
• Provides an alternative to the current system’s reliance on special interest money and wealthy contributors.
• Offers candidates who choose to run “voter-owned” a limited but competitive amount of money.
• Frees candidates from the money chase so that they can spend time discussing the issues with constituents and developing relationships with voters.

Why does Iowa need Voter-Owned Elections?

• To restore the principle of “one person, one vote” to elections.
• To reduce the influence of special interest money and wealthy contributors on candidates, elections, and lawmaking.
• To free candidates from the money chase so they can concentrate on issues and spend time with constituents.
• To give qualified people an equal opportunity to run for office - returning our democracy to the hands of a citizen legislature.
• To reduce the escalating cost of running for office.
• To restore public confidence in our government and elections.
• To restore meaning to voting and political activism.

Please sign on to show your support:

The Presidential Funding Act of 2007 link
Representatives Marty Meehan (D-MA), Christopher Shays (R-CT) and David Price (D-NC) recently introduced the Presidential Funding Act of 2007 (H.R.776), legislation to fix the presidential public funding system. Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) has also introduced companion legislation in the Senate (S.436) to fix the system.

This legislation will make public funding a viable option for any presidential hopeful. The Just $6 campaign has announced their support of the legislation. Please show your support for this legislation. The public funding levels included in this bill are sufficient for a publicly funded candidate to get his or her message out to the voters, and sufficient for a publicly funded candidate to run a competitive race against any candidate who opts to use unlimited private money.

If passed, the legislation would take effect on January 1, 2009 and be effective for presidential elections following the 2008 election.

On February 27th, Just $6 will be hosting a panel discussion to discuss:

• The impact of money on our political system,
• The different approaches to solving the problem including ethics reform, and
• Regulation of lobbying activity and public funding of elections.

The event will feature Senator Warren G. Rudman, former U.S. Senator from New Hampshire, as he speaks for the first time about why he now supports public funding of federal elections. Also on the panel are Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, John Rauh, founder and president of Americans for Campaign Reform, and Michael Waldman, director of the Brennan Center for Justice.

Past Campaigns/Initiatives:

MoveOn Members Look for Paper Trail
As you read this, a hundred MoveOn members from across the country are in Washington, D.C., lobbying Congress for voting machines we can trust. They have traveled thousands of miles to demand that every voting machine in the nation keep paper records so voters can feel confident our elections are accurate.

Congress should know they represent millions of Americans in every state and every county who want voter-verified paper records of every vote. Congressman Jim Nussle, who represents you in the House, hasn't signed onto this crucial legislation to protect our votes.

Please call Rep. Nussle and ask him to co-sponsor H.R. 550 to require a paper record of every vote.

Congressman Jim Nussle
Phone: 202-225-2911 or 800-426-8073

In the 2004 election, touch-screen voting machines (without paper records) lost thousands of votes in North Carolina and wrongly added thousands of Bush votes to initial results in Ohio.

The need for voter-verified paper records has been confirmed by the Carter-Baker election reform commission and the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office.

Paper records would allow true recounts and vote auditing to guarantee accurate, secure elections. With help from MoveOn members, more than half of the states have passed paper record requirements in the last year.

Thanks to ongoing public pressure, H.R. 550 already has 168 bipartisan co-sponsors, but more support is necessary. Since MoveOn members and others are meeting with members of Congress today, this is the perfect moment to call. Your phone call will remind Rep. Nussle that today's visitors represent millions more.

Congressman Jim Nussle
Phone: 202-225-2911 or 800-426-8073

Then, track the impact we're having together by clicking here.

Sources:

1. "N.C. House Approves New Voting Machine Restrictions," Associated Press, August 11, 2005

2. "Voting machine error gives Bush 3,893 extra votes in Ohio," Associated Press, November 5, 2004

3. "Carter-Baker Commission Releases Final Report: Endorses Voter-Verified Paper Records," Verified Voting Foundation, September 19, 2005

4. "GAO report raises concerns about electronic voting security and reliability," Verified Voting Foundation, October 21, 2005

Paperless Voting Machines to be Installed

The following is a letter sent to Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver by Maureen McCue MD, PhD, Coordinator Iowa Chapter, Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Dear Secretary Culver,

I am very concerned that Iowa may not make paper verification of electronic voting machines available to voters and I'm even more concerned about how this will adversely impact our democracy, our already poor voter turnout and diminishing faith in our electoral system. I turn to you for your help and advice.

During the HAVA meeting in Cedar Rapids, March 28th it was announced that the Iowa Senate had unanimously voted for voter verified paper trails to the electronic voting machines being installed in Iowa. At the time I and, I'm sure, many in the audience, felt this was a done deal: that Iowans would be able to verify that their voting machine had correctly captured their intended vote. I've since learned that the companion bill did not make it through the House to the General Assembly and that this issue of great concern to so many Iowans will die soon without approval. Without a vote in the House for voter verification on paper, Iowa will install paperless machines at which point change to paper verification will not be possible.

Going with a system that does not verify each and every person's vote is a very critical mistake. I understand that those opposed to paper raise issues of cost, waste of paper, and the difficulties of training all the precincts in their use and maintenance. While these are not trivial issues, they are not sufficient reasons to risk loosing even more faith in our electoral process.

I've learned some legislators believe there is only one option for a voting machine with a paper printer option and it is too expensive. But, from comments made at your meeting I understood that several companies including one called Micro Vote, ES &S, as well as Diebold and Sequoia were being considered for use in Iowa.

Democracy is not easy or cheap (look how much we spend on the military that supposedly protects our rights and freedoms, especially or freedom to vote). If we don't urge our representatives to vote on this issue in favor of voter verified paper trails, we essentially give up our right to verifiable elections. This is a very dangerous and steep, slippery slope to the end of democracy as we understand it. I know you are as concerned as I am that our voting system works for all our citizens. At the very least, let's make sure that every vote cast counts - accurately. The time to reclaim our democracy is today! Please be certain that this issue is not allowed to die. Please tell me what I can do and what you will do to verify that our votes are recorded as intended.

Maureen McCue MD, PhD
Coordinator, Iowa Chapter
Physicians for Social Responsibility