Open-Source Paper Ballots Voting System funding passes SF Budget Committee!

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Fact Sheet on our state budget proposal for matching funds.

Open-Source Voting endorsers
In the past few months we've been telling you about our effort with our coalition partners to get San Francisco to fund publicly owned Open-Source Paper Ballot Voting Systems that will be more secure and transparent than proprietary voting systems from corporate vendors.  Thousands of you across the state responded by signing, calling, volunteering, and attending hearings and rallies — thank you! 

Great news!  Under the leadership of San Francisco Board of Supervisors President and Budget Chair Malia Cohen, San Francisco's Budget Committee approved nearly $1.3 million in funding for an Open Source Paper Ballot Voting System over the next two years, on top of the $300,000 that was alrady allocated — enough so that development can begin without delay!

This is a huge step towards replacing the insecure and secret software that now counts votes, and it's thanks  to the leadership of Supervisor Cohen.  Supervisor Cohen was the first San Francisco city official to support the San Francisco Elections Commission request for funding to start developing an open-source voting system, and as Chair of the Supervisors Budget Committee has come through to secure funding!

Supervisors Jeff Sheehy and Catherine Stefani also spoke in support of funding for the open-source voting project in the Budget Committee, with Supervisors Sandra Lee Fewer and Norman Yee also voting Yes!

Thanks also go to Mayor-elect London Breed, who worked with Budget Chair Cohen to secure the funding.  As she said, "For elections to be fair, they must be secure and transparent" , and she'll "continue to work to get funds to fully develop the system — an investment that will dramatically reduce our costs in future elections."

The next step will be that for the Board of Supervisors to vote on the full budget plan and then send it to Mayor-elect London Breed.

Please build momentum by "Liking" the Clean Money Coalition for Open-Source Paper Ballot Voting on Facebook and sharing its posts!


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After any county develops and certifies an Open-Source Paper Ballot Voting System, every county in California can use and extend it for free.  So it will not only protect voting integrity by replacing secret and inherently insecure proprietary software from corporate vendors, it will also save counties and the state hundreds of millions in licensing fees.  In fact, the whole nation will be able to use and build on it.  Once again, California can lead the way!

This is why our campaign to get San Francisco to fund Open Source was supported by 29 local, state, and national groups whose cosponsorship of our Clean Money Open-Source Voting campaign kickoff in May and other actions made a big difference.  Thanks to them all, including:
Californians for Disability Rights • California Association of Voting Officials • California Common Cause • Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley • District 6 South Beach Democratic Club • Endangered Habitats League • FairVote California • Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club • Indivisible SF • MOVI, Money Out Voters In • Older Women’s League • Open Source Election Technology Foundation (OSET) • Open Source Initiative (OSI) • People Demanding Action • Potrero Hill Democratic Club • Progressive Democrats of America • Richmond District Democratic Club • San Francisco Berniecrats • San Francisco for Democracy • San Francisco Latino Democratic Club • San Francisco Green Party • SF Tech Dems • San Mateo County Democracy for America • United America • United Democratic Club • Verified Voting • Voting Rights Task Force • Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club.

Now we must make sure that the full Board of Supervisors votes to keep the Open-Source Voting funding in the budget so that San Francisco can start building the system right away.  Nothing is more important to our democracy than the security and transparency of our elections.

Please build momentum by "Liking" the Clean Money Coalition for Open-Source Paper Ballot Voting on Facebook and sharing its posts!


Like Open-Source Paper Ballot Voting on Facebook NOW!

Not on Facebook, or want to do more?  Follow California Clean Money on Twitter.


Thank you for standing with the California Clean Money Action Fund in the fight for fair elections.  Please stay tuned for more ways you can help bring about election integrity through publicly owned, Open-Source Paper Ballot Voting systems — and other ways to fight Big Money in politics.

Together, we will create a democracy that is truly of, by, and for the people.

Trent Lange
President, California Clean Money Action Fund

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