Oxendine Remarks on GA Supreme Voting Machine‏

With all due respect and appreciation for the Supreme Court of Georgia, I am deeply disappointed in the decision today to reject the challenge to touch-screen electronic voting machines.

Like many Georgians, I am concerned about the integrity of the voting process. Outside of one's faith, an argument can be made that the right to vote is the most sacred secular right a free person enjoys.

Certainly Justice George Carley is correct when he observes that no balloting system is perfect. No reasonable person would argue that premise. However, Justice Carley in citing the 2000 presidential election as an example validates the point that a verifiable backup system is needed.

With deep respect, many Georgians will suggest, and I agree, that the 2000 presidential election demonstrates the exact need for a backup paper system to establish the integrity of the voting process. Consider this: without a verifiable backup system for each individual vote, how can the American people have confidence in the electoral process?

I assure Georgia that if I have the honor to serve as Governor, our state will have a system for voting which provides a verifiable backup system to address any legitimate questions that might arise after an imperfect voting process.

I do not mean to suggest that our high court was wrong on a strictly legal basis. Rather, my point is that the state has an obligation to provide an absolute, verifiable, and trusted system for counting votes, especially when there is a problem or crisis. Many reasonable Georgians have appeared at countless meetings with state officials to express their concern. Instead of listening to the people, working with the people, and trying to find a verifiable paper-based backup system, certain state officials decided to go to court.

I promise Georgia that an Oxendine Administration will not go to court. Instead, we will work together as a state and find a common sense solution to this important issue.

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John Oxendine

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