Citizens 1, Microsoft 0 - New Yorkers win Round One in fight for source code protections
By Bo Lipari, New Yorkers for Verified Voting
We are happy to report that due to a huge outpouring of calls from citizens, and three intense days and nights working the Capitol halls by New Yorkers for Verified Voting and the League of Women Voters/NY, New York States' voting machine laws were not weakened or tampered with in any way. The biggest concern was that lobbyists for the voting machine vendors could sneak in a back door amendment drafted by Microsoft attorneys that would effectively gut the source code review protections provided in our current law. Neither that amendment nor any other proposals being pushed by voting machine vendor lobbyists made it into any of thousand bills passed in this last crazy week of the session. The citizens of New York State stood up to these powerful private interests and won.
A rapid response of citizens to this threat to our essential protections resulted in over 3000 calls to legislators in just over two days. This huge outpouring from the public averted the threat of a stealth amendment slipping into law unnoticed, as so often happens in this last hectic week in Albany. Every legislator I talked to over the last three days was impressed by the volume of calls and the passionate reaction, and promised they would watch the bills carefully for back door changes, adding their eyes to ours. They reaffirmed their commitment to keeping New York's voting machine laws among the strongest in the nation, and in the end, they came through. The public's response to this threat has kept our representatives vigilant and committed to keeping New York State's voting machine laws among the strongest in the nation.
We need to keep vigilant, but today, let's celebrate. Congratulations friends, we did it!