Talk:Help America Vote Act

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Some have questioned its usefulness as it is understood to mandate electronic voting systems

What exactly does it mean? Does it or doesn't it mandate electronic systems? --NeuronExMachina 01:00, 8 Sep 2004 (UTC)

This article is a mess and heavily POV. 70.168.12.53 23:01, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

Have a look at http://www.seconnecticut.com/elections.htm and feel free to incorporate any of it.

No. What HAVA does is attempt to phase out the use of antiquated voting systems, such as punch card and lever devices, by providing large block grants to states to purchase newer voting technologies, such as optical scan units or DREs. Nowhere are electronic systems mandated, other than one DRE with speech capacity per polling place for use by people with disabilities. Because of confusion and political concern over voting systems, problems have occurred both in appropriations for the grants, and with individual states not meeting the mandated deadlines for procedural reviews and grant applications. DREs were to have been installed no later than January 1, 2006.

HAVA also created the Federal Elections Commission and several subsidiary boards which have the power to create Federal voting standards, inclucing voting system standards. Because of certain fears voiced during Conference, no Federal standard is mandatory, though several states agreed to use them for their own ease.

One can hypothesize a law suit over HAVA implementation in the leadup to 2008, particularly if states continue to balk. Unfortunately, most of the confusion stems from the legal enforcement mechanisms of the bill, which were largely stripped during Conference.

The article as it stands is a mess: both POV and factually errant. I'll turn my attention to it in a couple weeks time when I am able.--Mrdarcey 05:54, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

In the meantime, I've added a link to the American Association of People with Disabilities (disclosure: I'm a former employee) page on HAVA and voting systems implementation.--Mrdarcey 06:13, 5 May 2006 (UTC)