Things You Should Know!  Why purchase new voting machines by January 2006?    Congress passed the Help Americans Vote Act (HAVA) into law after the 2000 “hanging chad”     election.  Vendors of these expensive machines and matching federal tax dollars are justifying     the local purchase of electronic machines which are open to vote fraud and corruption.  The     federal monies are only available until January 2006 when HAVA law becomes enforceable.     Systems that produce a paper ballot can be fitted to meet new requirements.  Deadlines should     never be used to justify purchasing machines that put our elections at risk and violate other     federal laws!  Given understanding of the law, lack of reliability/security, cost of purchase and     maintenance, potential for mass disenfranchisement, and clear alternatives – we the people     MUST defend our vote!  Get informed and get active.  More information at:     www.MOHonestElections.org.  Help Americans Vote Act (HAVA) and Voting Systems Requirements   HAVA requires voting systems provide: ·         second chance voting * ·         disability and other language access ·         audit trail * ·         reliability – minimum “voting systems error rate” *+   HAVA DOES NOT: mandate purchase of electronic machines or replacement of current voting systems require that disability access machines be used for all voters require we spend tax payer monies on machines that threaten democratic elections   * Paper voting systems meet HAVA criteria; compliance with disability requirement could be met   with changes in ballots OR with placement of one special voting machine per precinct.  + Electronic voting systems CANNOT guarantee our votes are being counted correctly,    certification process is flawed, and an auditing program to catch fraud would require recount of    paper ballots!