Pennsylvania State Senator Charles McIlhinney, 10^th District, has introduced a PAPER BALLOT-BASED VOTING SYSTEM REIMBURSEMENT BILL, SB 1519. This bill would have the state reimburse counties for all the costs involved in obtaining a paper ballot-based voting system. More than 8,000 precincts in Pennsylvania now use externally paperless Direct Recording Electronic voting systems (DREs).  Because there is no external paper record of voters’ intended votes, there is no way to know if those votes have been registered and counted accurately by the software programming inside the electronic machines.  With a paper ballot-based system, voters mark their votes on a paper ballot either by hand or with a ballot-marking device.  That paper ballot is saved to be used to check the electronic count for meaningful recounts and audits.  We need a paper ballot-based system in Pennsylvania. State reimbursement of the costs involved will provide counties with the means to replace their DREs.

Representative Marguerite Quinn, 143^rd District, has introduced the same bill in the House, HB 2711.  PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TODAY and ask him or her to sign on as a sponsor. Our democracy depends on you!