Wexler: Crist Makes Paper Trail Proposal Even Better
Florida Governor Testifies Before Congress

(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) endorsed Governor Charlie Crist’s (R-FL) proposal to all but eliminate the use of electronic voting machines in Florida elections.  Gov. Crist announced his plan Friday while testifying before a hearing of the House Committee on Administration’s Subcommittee on Elections. 

Crist, who was introduced by Wexler at the hearing, announced that Florida, under his plan, would require early voting sites to have ‘print on demand’ machines for optical scan ballots.  An earlier version of Crist’s paper trail proposal retained the use of printer-retro-fitted DREs at the cost $10 million.  The ‘print on demand’ machines, with a total price tag of $5 million, drop the total cost of the Governor’s paper trail proposal from $32.5 million to $28 million and allow people who take advantage of early voting to vote on real paper ballots then read by optical scan machines used on Election Day. 

“The short and disastrous era of electronic voting machines in Florida has come to an end,” said Wexler.  “Charlie Crist is leading the way in Florida, and I hope that his proposal can serve as a model for the nation.  Under the Governor’s plan, early voters will now cast their votes on a paper ballot – just like those people who chose to vote on Election Day.  Governor Crist’s plan will provide greater uniformity and reliability to Florida’s elections process.  With the ‘print on demand’ machines for early voting, each and every Floridian can be sure that their vote is counted, and if necessary recounted, with a real paper trail as required by Florida law.”

The ‘print on demand’ machines can print out optical scan ballots from multiple jurisdictions, thereby allowing individuals from multiple election precincts to vote early at one central location.  Under Governor Crist’s proposal, electronic voting machines would only be used for blind and disabled voters. 

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Congressman Wexler is Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee and a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Judiciary Committee; and he also sits on the Financial Services Committee.

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