We at Common Cause think there is a good chance of passing H.R. 811 (The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007, introduced by Rep. Holt) and getting it signed into law. This is no small thing.

Do we need technology that makes it possible for language minority voters to cast a ballot in their own language? Yes. Do we need technology that makes it possible for disabled voters to vote independently? Yes. But those voters need to know, too, that their votes will be counted in an audit or recount. They deserve the same protection as all other voters.

While we don't champion DREs, we're not convinced of the accuracy or security of optical scanners, either. Rather than focus on specific technology, Common Cause finds it more useful to zero in on the principles that should drive the choice of technology, such as the use of paper ballots that voters produce or can easily verify, the ability to conduct mandatory random audits using different counting methods such as tabulator and hand-count, the ability to conduct meaningful recounts in close races, and accessibility for use by people with different needs.

If we focus on those principles, then it's clear that H.R. 811 is a step in the right direction.

If you're a student of the history of elections as I am, you know that our nation's election system has been fraught with problems for its entire history (and even before--George Washington bought votes for his House of Burgesses race with casks of rum). Today, our election system is a huge complicated operation with millions of moving parts--think of all those town clerks and volunteer poll workers.

H.R. 811 will significantly improve the security of that system.