KYG Updates Blog

Election Reform Resolution

Walla Walla County

By Jeff L.

WHEREAS, Every time the city, county, state, or nation elects a new official based on popular vote, voters must cast a ballot; and
WHEREAS, There are often mistakes on the behalf of the voter or those administering the polling place; and
WHEREAS, These mistakes have the potential to change the outcome of an election, such as the fiasco in Florida during the 2000 presidential election; and
WHEREAS, There are several methods of voting at the pulling place such as lever machines, optical scans, direct response electronic voting machines (DREs), and punch cards; and
WHEREAS, The Help America Vote Act of 2002: eliminates the use of punch card voting, requires a voting machine that is accessible to those with disabilities (such as the visually impaired), requires the ability of a voter to privately change their ballot or correct any errors in it before the ballot is cast, and requires notification for voters who have overvoted for a position; and
WHEREAS, DREs have proven susceptible to error or fraud in some instances; and
WHEREAS, DREs have proven effective in alerting voters of overvoting as well as in aiding the visually impaired, or those who have a hard time with the English language, in the voting process; and
WHEREAS, Recounting electronic votes is impossible without having the votes on a piece of paper;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that in order to insure the integrity of our polling places, the validity of our elections, and to comply with the Help America Vote Act, all polling places shall contain at least one DRE with a voter-verified paper trail, with all other machines being optical scanners.

Submitted by: Bethany W.