Res. No. 1737
Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to pass and the President to sign into law an amendment to the Help America Vote Act which would allow the use of lever machines in federal elections.
By Council Members Greenfield, Comrie, Gentile, Koo, Mendez, Rose, Wills and Ulrich
Whereas, In 2002, then President George W. Bush signed the Help America Vote Act ("HAVA") into law, which was intended to correct many of the voting irregularities and problems that occurred during the 2000 general election; and
Whereas, In particular, much of the concern was directed towards the problems associated with the presidential election recount in Florida and the use of a punched card voting system; and
Whereas, Among the HAVA provisions is a requirement that voting machines used in federal elections include a permanent paper record of votes cast for the purposes of conducting audits and recounts; and
Whereas, This provision prevents the use of lever voting machines in federal elections, which had been in use in New York since the turn of the 20th century until 2010, and was not among the voting systems that caused problems during the Florida recount; and
Whereas, Since the introduction of optical scan voting machines, many voters have complained that the accompanying paper ballot is confusing and too difficult to read, and that the optical machines jam frequently, do not provide enough privacy, and generally increase confusion, thereby disenfranchising voters; and
Whereas, In addition, the optical scan voting system is more costly and administratively burdensome to operate than lever machines; and
Whereas, For these reasons, many voters and officials have expressed a preference to return to the lever machine voting system; now therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass and the President to sign into law an amendment to the Help America Vote Act which would allow the use of lever machines in federal elections.
AM
3/27/13
LS4272