Verifiable Voting legislative priorities for 2009

Now that the election is over, it's time for the Verifiable Voting Coalition of Virginia (VVCVa) to set our legislative options for 2009. Please post your thoughts as responses to this blog posting!

Below is a preliminary list of items that may be on the agenda:

1. Non-partisan redistricting (guaranteed to be a good fight again this year)
2. Explicitly permit independents to be poll workers
3. No-excuse in person absentee voting (we keep trying) - maybe we should point out how many people voted absentee and how it contributed to a generally smooth election day
4. Explicit instructions on breakdowns - when emergency paper ballots are required
5. SBE authority to tell jurisdictions the minimum number of ballots they are required to have on hand.
6. SBE to gain authority to tell jurisdictions the minimum number of poll workers they need - but that is both a funding and an ability to find workers issue, so much harder to make a rule.
7. Improve the machine to voter ratio.

We're also hopeful that given the very close race in the Virginia 5th Congressional District (undecided at this writing), we'll see interest in fixing Virginia's audit and recount laws, which are among the most restrictive in the nation.

If there are specific issues that you would like to work on, also please let us know that. We always welcome help as we develop legislation and lobby legislators. We request your feedback before Friday Nov. 14 to be added in time to our coalition' discussion.

Thanks for all your work this year to write your legislators about your concerns.