[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20730]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 VOTING INTEGRITY AND VERIFICATION ACT

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I would like to take a few moments to 
comment on S. 2437, the Voting Integrity and Verification Act, VIVA, 
which prevents any vote in the upcoming election from being cast 
inaccurately by allowing voters to check their ballots on paper to 
ensure accuracy. The paper trail required with this bill would serve as 
a safety net if an electronic malfunction happens to occur.
  American voters are skeptical coming into the 2004 election after the 
much debated recounts that took place in the 2000 election, and in 
order to put the voters at ease, we must make our voting technology 
better and keep every vote on record. I have heard from several 
Montanans who say they want the security to view an individual paper 
version of the ballot before it is cast and counted. They also want to 
know they have the opportunity to correct errors that are discovered on 
the individual paper version of the ballot that this bill will provide. 
I join Senator Ensign and Senator Reid in urging all of my colleagues 
to vote in favor of the Voting Integrity and Verification Act of 2004 
to ensure that votes are accurately cast in the upcoming election.

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