In one of the most extraordinary exchanges in an extraordinary hearing yesterday, Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY, pictured at right) made a strong case for requiring voter verified paper records and mandatory manual audits of those paper records. During his five minute questioning period Rep. Bohlert said, “Let me get right to the heart of another question, and its brought up in the commentary in Dr. [David] Wagner’s excellent testimony and the recommendations are to mandate voter verified paper records and mandatory manual audits. Sounds pretty good to me.”

He continued, “Come sit in the Congress of the United States and hear some of our colleagues tell us repeatedly ‘we don’t want government mandates, this is wrong, and we don’t need paper trails’ and you got some of the vendors that are saying the same thing ‘we don’t need paper trails’. I think we need something that auditable, that we can check to make sure that things worked the way they were intended to work. So I grant you we need a little more time. but what about all these paper trail recommendations?”

Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer (R, pictured at left) responding to Rep. Boehlert question of whether she supported a voter verified paper record requirement answered enthusiastically, “Absolutely Chairman Boehlert, without a doubt. Recognizing the reality of the situation we are in today, the option for us was to do even better than the audit trail, but to do the actual paper ballots because the environment we are in right now today gave us the greatest level of security. But even there, Minnesota chose to do a source code review, to do post election audits as well, because we want to wrap the whole system.”

Rep. Boehlert then began a straw poll of the witnesses turning next to EAC Commissioner and former Colorado Secretary of State Donetta Davidson, asking “Well Secretary Kiffmeyer is for a paper trail, Dr. Wagner we know you’re for it, because you recommended it, Ms. Davidson – yes or no?

Commissioner Davidson, also a Republican, replied “I was Secretary (of State) in Colorado when we passed paper trail, and we have an audit of that paper trail with the machine. So, I can only speak as myself – I’m not speaking as the agency. Just so that you know where I really came from.”

Dr. Jeffrey's personal opinion about voter verified paper ballots and mandatory random manual audits remains in question.  Rep. Boehlert's clearly supports them. The bigger question that remains is why his office continues to insist that Rep. Boehlert will not co-sponsor legislation that would require voter verified paper ballots and mandatory random manual audits.