WEXLER JOINS GOVERNOR CRIST AS HISTORIC PAPER TRAIL BILL IS SIGNED INTO LAW
Bipartisan collaboration on elections reform a triumph for all Florida voters

(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) joined Governor Charlie Crist (R-FL) as he signed into law bipartisan legislation guaranteeing a verifiable paper trail for all Florida elections.

“Today is an example of how government is supposed to work, without partisanship and political advantage,” said Congressman Wexler.  “I am proud to stand with Governor Crist whose bipartisan effort along with that of the Florida legislature guarantees our State’s election system is a model for the nation.  One person, one vote – guaranteed – with a paper record to prove it.”

Governor Crist has cited Congressman Wexler as instrumental in the development and passage of Florida’s paper trail legislation.  The new law requires a paper vote cast with optical scan machines for all of Florida’s counties and “print on demand” machines that allow Floridians who take advantage of early voting to cast their vote on real paper ballots and then have them read by optical scan machines on Election Day.

This bill’s enactment follows years of advocacy by Congressman Wexler at both the State and Federal levels to ensure that every vote cast can be counted and if necessary recounted as required by Florida law.   He brought both state and federal lawsuits arguing that Florida is not in compliance with state law, the Bush v. Gore ruling and the equal protection clause of the US Constitution. Currently, 15 counties use touch-screen voting machines that lack verifiable paper records and cannot be recounted in the event of a close election.  Today’s signing of Florida’s paper trail proposal into law signals a new era of security and accountability in the administration of the state’s elections.

Currently in Congress, Wexler is a lead sponsor of federal legislation to guarantee a paper trail for all US elections.   The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act requires a verifiable paper trail for every vote in federal elections, improves public transparency, and provides special auditing measures for close races.

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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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