WESTMORELAND
COUNTY VOTERS SUE FOR RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR VOTING SYSTEM
January 6 -- Ten Westmoreland
County Voters, along with State Senator Jim Ferlo, filed suit
in Westmoreland County Court today based on the failure of Wetmoreland
County to hold a referendum allowing voters to decide whether
or not to accept new electronic voting machines. The Pennsylvania
Constitution and and the PA Election Code provide that electors
have the right to make this decision at the ballot box prior
to moving to electronic voting.
In addition to Senator Ferlo,
who represents part of Westmoreland County, plaintiffs include
other elected officials and regular voters of four political
parties. The citizens are being represented by attorney Charles
Pascal, Jr. of Leechburg PA.
Majority Inspector of Elections
Marybeth Kuznik, a plaintiff, said that it is important the voters
receive the protections guaranteed them by the Pennsylvania Constitution.
"The citizens should have the right to choose how we vote
in our state. We need the most open, auditable, and acccurate
voting sytems, or our democracy is done for."
The Westmoreland County Commisioners
voted unanimously at their December 29 meeting to buy paperless
iVotronic touchscreen machines from The ES&S company of Nebraska
using funds that include money provided by the Help America Vote
Act. County solicitors stated that they believe that the four
year-old federal Help America Vote Act has the power to override
the Pennsylvania State Constitution, and were told to ignore
the referendum requirement by the Pennsylvania Department of
State. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning
January 11 at 9 AM.
READ COMPLAINT HERE
http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/westmoreland/s_411247.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06007/634104.stm