COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION
MINUTES: April 10, 2006, 1:30 PM
LEGISLATION MEMBERS: Chair: Young; Legislators: Stewart-Cousins, Rogowsky, Oros, Bronz, Burrows, Maisano, Myers
LEGISLATORS: V. Pinto
IN ATTENDANCE: CEO: B. Randolph, A. Neuman; BUDGET: J. Arnett; CA: L. Trentacoste; IT: B. Falco, A. Bidder; OFD: E. Letainer; BOL: B. Bochow, S. Bass, B. Dodds, M. Amodio; GUESTS: R. MacLaughlin, A. Dengler, A. DiGiorgi, J. Rosenzweig, S. Slade, M. Davies, B. Fumagalli, L. Doherty, K. McLoughlin, M. Tanzman, M. Schouffling, N. Coddington, M. Sinik, J. Jaidi, J. Bravo
With a quorum present, the Committee on Legislation was called to order at 1:57 p.m.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:
HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT (HAVA)
Joy Rosenzweig and Rosemary MacLaughlin League of Women Voters of Westchester introduced the issue. According the HAVA, everyone must purchase voting machines that allow for use by people with disabilities. New York State Law also requires that the machines have a verifiable paper trail and a full-face ballot. They stated that LWVW are in favor of the optical scan machines and opposed to the purchase and use of DRE machines.
Linda Doherty, Town Clerk of Eastchester, and Boo Fumagalli, Town Clerk of Bedford, spoke on behalf of the Westchester City & Town Clerk Association. Currently, a consultant is working on completing a statewide database. To their understanding, the unified database of voter registries would be completed by 2007.
Chairman Young read a statement by Commissioners LaFayette and Sunderland concerning three points:
1. On March 30th, the Board of Elections held a voting machine demonstration at the County Center. The following voting machine companies presented machines at the demonstration: ES&S, Liberty, Avante, & Sequoia.
2. The New York State Board of Elections has not finished the certification of the Voting Machine Standards, Rules, & Regulations and has not certified any voting machines for New York State.
3. Currently the State Board of Elections is working on a Draft Plan for Compliance with the help America Vote Act and Chapters 24 & 181 of the Laws of New York.
Katharine McLoughlin from Assemblywoman Sandy Galef’s Office stated that the County Election Commissioners’ statements on state-level action were accurate. She also stated that the HAVA Advisory Committee is working with the State Board of Elections to complete the plans for compliance, which her office expects to be completed by the end of May, and then expect to proceed with the certification of machines for New York State.
Melvyn Tanzman from Westchester Disabled on the Move spoke about the need for there to be a means for all people with disabilities to vote independently and privately. He stated that he perceives that there are problems of accessibility with the optical scan machines and that telephone voting cannot be deemed to be meeting accessibility requirements.
Joe Bravo from Westchester Independent Living Center stated that he would like to see the certification of a machine, but he has concerns about all of the machines that were presented at the County Center on March 30th.
There was then a general discussion, including those guests in attendance, concerning the next steps for the County, Legislators, and the Committee in contributing to meeting HAVA requirements.
(Bronz, Stewart-Cousins) move to adjourn the Committee on Legislation. Motion passed 6-0. Committee on Legislation adjourned at 2:47 p.m.
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