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WASHINGTON – A House task force today dismissed Democrat Christine Jennings’ appeal of the 2006 congressional race she lost by fewer than 400 votes to Republican Vern Buchanan.
The House Administration's Election Task Force arrived at the decision after the Government Accountability Office presented a final report that outlined the results of its own independent testing of the voting machines used in Sarasota County.
That testing, conducted between Nov. 27, 2007 and Dec. 4, 2007, concluded with reasonable assurance but not absolute assurance that that the voting machines did not contribute to the large under vote in the race in Sarasota County, where as many as 18,000 voters did not record a choice in that contest.
“With reasonable assurance, the GAO has ruled out the likelihood that the voting machines used in this contest contributed to the under vote,” said Rep. Charles Gonzalez, a Democrat from Texas who is chairman of the Committee’s Task Force.
“This investigation served a critical role in fulfilling the House’s constitutional responsibility when seating members of Congress. From the beginning, this Task Force deemed it necessary to have a thorough, independent, nonpartisan review of the contested election, and that is exactly what the GAO provided,” he said.
The read a full copy of the GAO’s report, click here: http://www.gonzalez.house.gov/images/stories/documents/02082008_gao-final.pdf
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at (202) 662-7673.
The House Administration's Election Task Force arrived at the decision after the Government Accountability Office presented a final report that outlined the results of its own independent testing of the voting machines used in Sarasota County.
That testing, conducted between Nov. 27, 2007 and Dec. 4, 2007, concluded with reasonable assurance but not absolute assurance that that the voting machines did not contribute to the large under vote in the race in Sarasota County, where as many as 18,000 voters did not record a choice in that contest.
“With reasonable assurance, the GAO has ruled out the likelihood that the voting machines used in this contest contributed to the under vote,” said Rep. Charles Gonzalez, a Democrat from Texas who is chairman of the Committee’s Task Force.
“This investigation served a critical role in fulfilling the House’s constitutional responsibility when seating members of Congress. From the beginning, this Task Force deemed it necessary to have a thorough, independent, nonpartisan review of the contested election, and that is exactly what the GAO provided,” he said.
The read a full copy of the GAO’s report, click here: http://www.gonzalez.house.gov/images/stories/documents/02082008_gao-final.pdf
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at (202) 662-7673.