Dear Mrs. Curtis:

> Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your concerns. I

> value the input I get from people back home in Wisconsin, and would like

> to take this opportunity to address your concerns.

> The 2000 and 2004 presidential elections raised several concerns

> about current voting technologies and voting irregularities. It showed

> all Americans that our voting system needs to be updated and modernized.

> I share your concerns regarding the need for secure and legitimate voting

> systems in our Country.

> As you know, S. 450, the Count Every Vote Act was introduced by

> Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on February 17, 2005. This legislation

> amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to reaffirm the right of

> each American to have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote

> counted.

> The Count Every Vote Act would require a voter verified paper ballot

> for every vote cast on an electronic voting machine and ensure access to

> voter verification for citizens, including language minority voters and

> voters with disabilities. Additionally, this bill sets uniforms standards

> for provisional ballots reassuring that every vote cast by a qualified

> voter be treated equally.

> The Count Every Vote Act designates Election Day as a federal holiday

> to encourage more citizens to exercise their right to vote. Furthermore

> the bill enacts "no-excuse" absentee voting, a practice already in place

> in 26 states including Wisconsin, and creates new uniform voter

> registration and identification allowing states to register citizens to

> vote on Election Day. Additional reforms including measures to increase

> security for electronic voting machines, restoring voting rights to felons

> who have repaid their debt to society and the creation of harsh punishment

> for those who participate in deceptive election practices would create

> additional changes to the electoral system.

> The Count Every Vote Act has been referred to the Committee on Rules

> and Administration, of which I am not a member. As a long time advocate

> of election reform please be assured, I will keep your thoughts in mind as

> this legislation is brought before the full Senate.

> Again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate knowing your

> thoughts on this important issue.

> Sincerely,

> Herb Kohl