Forum on Voting Machines in Philadelphia - Sept 7

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Forum on Voting Machines to be held in Philadelphia
http://www.ecotalk.org/ForumPressRelease.htm

Philadelphia, PA -- A forum on "Voting Machines: A Threat To Democracy?" will be held Sunday, September 7, from 2-5 pm at the Ethical Society, in Philadelphia, PA.

Voting machines and the private companies that sell and service them control the casting and counting of votes in over 98% of all elections in the United States, and in many countries around the world. Concerns about the security and integrity of elections are mounting among computer experts, politicians, and citizens. Most forums on this subject have concentrated on technical issues only. The following distinguished panel of experts will address the technical, constitutional, and political aspects of voting by machine.

Panelists:

Dr. Rebecca Mercuri is a leading expert in voting machine security and standards. She is an independent consultant, expert witness, and the owner of Notable Software, Inc. in Princeton, NJ. She is also affiliated with Bryn Mawr College and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. www.NotableSoftware.com

Marc Rotenberg is Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Center (EPIC) in Washington, DC. He filed an amicus brief in Greidinger v. Davis, one of the leading cases on voting integrity and voter privacy. Marc teaches information privacy law at Georgetown University Law Center and has testified before Congress on many issues, including access to information, encryption policy, computer security, and communications privacy. http://www.epic.org/epic/staff/rotenberg/

Ina Howard is a producer, writer and researcher with Greg Palast, BBC Newsnight reporter and author of "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy". Ina is a former U.S. Director of Media Tenor International, a global media monitor based in Germany. She has also worked with Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), Mediachannel.org, the Global Information Network, and the Disinformation Company. ina@gregpalast.com

Lynn Landes is a freelance journalist who has specialized in voting issues for the past year. Her articles appear in several online news outlets and in print publications. Lynn has worked for the BBC, WDVR in New Jersey, and DUTV in Philadelphia, PA. www.EcoTalk.org

* Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) has introduced legislation HR 2239 "The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003" to require all voting machines to produce a voter-verified paper trail. Information about HR 2239 and a representative from Congressman Holt's Office will be on hand at the Forum.

For more information and reservations: Lynn Landes / lynnlandes@earthlink.net / www.EcoTalk.org (handicap access will be available)

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