Follow the flip.

I attended the most recent citizen lobbying for H.R. 550 last week. I believe that what the bill does right makes it our best hope for election refom: it prohibits undosclosed software, conflicts of interest in machine testing, and prohibits wireless or other communication devices (see the text of 550).  I also agree with those who believe that the 2% audit provision needs work.  

To begin, I think we can establish that it is safe to call for amendments to HR 550 without endangering the bill. Other ER posters have, rightly, trumpeted, Holt's recent open letter to critics of 550.  Here is what he wrote about amendments:

I have been concerned that if election reform activists call for changes, the bill's prospects could diminish.  Holt's statement is reasurance that calling for committee markup and then amendments is not going to hurt anything. He's talking here about the sample sixe, but the same principle should apply to other audit amendments.

Follow the flip.