PA: Rendell Commends Court for Allowing Electronic Voting Machines...

Counties can purchase electronic voting machines without a referendum

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G.
Rendell commended the Pennsylvania Supreme Court today for taking action that
will allow Westmoreland County, and other counties, to move ahead with plans
to buy new electronic voting machines as part of a federal requirement before
the May primary election.

"The Supreme Court today has clarified the rules that will help
Pennsylvania counties appropriately prepare for upcoming elections," Governor
Rendell said. "With this prompt decision by the court, counties can now move
forward in meeting the federal requirements under the Help America Vote Act
(HAVA) and buy new electronic voting machines."

The state Supreme Court reversed a February 13 decision by Commonwealth
Court that had prohibited Westmoreland County from buying new electronic
voting machines (Mary Beth Kuznik, et al. v. Westmoreland County Board of
Commissioners, et al., No. 18 MAP 2006).

"Though the State Supreme Court soon will issue an opinion explaining its
order, we believe that the Court's ruling validates what the commonwealth's
position has been all along," Governor Rendell said. "Federal law supersedes
any state laws that hinder the commonwealth's compliance with mandates of
federal law.
...

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-02-2006/0004312542&EDATE=

Gee, ah, thanks Ed. Imagine how awful it would have been to run an election without the new machines. :sarcasm:

So... If Rendell (D) and Santorum(R) BOTH win in November, does that prove the machines were honest after all? :shrug:

it together. If my Dem vote counts as much as a Green vote, then I'll vote Green. At least I'll get something for it: seeing looser Democrats get turned out of office.

his position on disabled citizens and Ed has helped keep draconian Medicare cuts from completely destroying the most vulnerable. And he did veto the a law that would have disenfranchised a lot of minority voters.

However...

He does seem to be pulling out all stops to get these voting machines in place and his SOS Cortez is fighting a voter verified paper trail tooth-and-nail. Forgive me for being a cynic, but I think some sort of deal was struck a long time ago.

n/t