This letter writing campaign has ended, but the danger remains. On 8/2/23, the NY State Board of Elections approved an "All-inOne" voting machine called The ExpressVote XL. It encodes the vote in a barcode. Experts say that using barcodes to count votes makes it “impossible for the voter to verify who they voted for.” Read more about the ExpressVote XL below, or on our website.

*****

New York elections are at a dangerous crossroads. A new  voting machine called the ExpressVote XL has been submitted for use in New York state. Experts call it a "bad" voting machine that could radically change the way we vote. They say it will undermine security and confidence, while increasing wait times and costs.

The ExpressVote XL is an ATM-style touchscreen system that does not allow voters to use a pen and paper to vote. The ballots look completely different from pen and paper ballots. NY statutes do not allow ballots that look different to be used at the same polling place, so, no pen and paper voting will be permitted wherever the ExpressVote XL is used. This could include every single polling place in any county that uses it. New York City Board of Elections already asked for permission to use it.

NY elections could determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives in 2024, and how we vote matters.

Remarkably, civil rights leaders, conservative advocates and security experts all agree it is best that we reject the ExpressVote XL. New York has been a leader in election security and this is no time to change that. Yet the approval process is moving forward rapidly, and the New York State Board of Elections could vote any day on whether to approve the voting machine for New York.

The vendor ES&S has fought hard to have the ExpressVote XL approved in New York. The voting machine is estimated to be selling for 10,000 per machine, around double the cost of current systems. ES&S stands to make massive profits from its sale. A representative of their lobbying firm has even engaged in behavior that is possibly illegal.

You can quickly and easily send a letter immediately to New York election commissioners and key staff, as well as representatives at the New York City Board of Elections, and the Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives. You'll let them know you want them to reject the ExpressVote XL.

If you prefer to write a more personal letter, there is a template to do that here. But the most important thing is to send a letter quickly.

Thank you so much!