U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release September 29, 2006		CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852
Sen. Salazar Works to Provide Emergency Funds to Counties for Costs of Paper Ballots WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator announced today his efforts to pass a bill which would provide funds to counties who decide to use paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines. Recently, multiple news stories have pointed out fallibilities in electronic voting machines. Just this week it was reported that the voting equipment that caused problems in Denver's primary elections last month was purchased secondhand from Chicago after that city's well-publicized election issues. “Those counties that feel they need to switch from electronic voting machines to a paper ballot system should have the funds to support that,” said Senator Salazar. “Voters need to know their votes are safe and accurate. However, the cost of switching from electronic machines believed to be exact to paper ballots should not be what stands between an accurate and an inaccurate vote.” The bill, S. 3943, would amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to reimburse counties if they decide to use contingency paper ballots for costs incurred in preparing, producing, and using contingency paper ballots in the November 7, 2006, Federal general election. It was introduced this week by Senator Barbara Boxer (CA). Senator Salazar is a co-sponsor of that measure. # # #