It's a Conspiracy, Part 7 Zillion

A friend emails:
___________________

i was just looking at the online version of the help america vote
act. it's posted at
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/hava/HAVA_2002.html. i had read that
the language was modified (in conference?) to remove the audit trail
requirements that were originally in the bill; actually, based on
what i'm reading elsewhere (see, e.g.,
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/HAVA/faqs.shtml), this audit
trail requirement just hasn't yet taken effect (though it will in
January 2006--there doesn't seem to be any further provision for
waivers). of course, if the paper records are invisible to voters,
you could still have votes being wrongly recorded (regardless of what
a touch-screen "verification screen" said), but this audit trail
requirement still seems like a good thing.

here's the section in question:

SEC. 301. VOTING SYSTEMS STANDARDS.

(a) Requirements.--Each voting system used in an election for
Federal office shall meet the following requirements:

(2) Audit capacity.--
(A) In general.--The voting system shall produce a record with
an audit capacity for such system.
(B) Manual audit capacity.--
(i) The voting system shall produce a permanent paper
record with a manual audit capacity for such system.
(ii) The voting system shall provide the voter with an
opportunity to change the ballot or correct any error before the
permanent paper record is produced.
(iii) The paper record produced under subparagraph (A)
shall be available as an official record for any recount conducted
with respect to any election in which the system is used.

by the way, it doesn't seem to have gotten any attention, but there
was more testimony at the ohio hearings on monday about possible gop
recount shenanigans; see http://bradblogtoo.blogspot.com/ for details.