ACTION! Election officials for sale to the highest bidder. Speak out!

[Amaryllis]

This is a very important action item. The incestuous nature of the relationship between vendors and election officials is outrageous.

http://www.votersunite.org/takeaction/alert061905.htm
From Voters Unite:

Ask your county election director a question -- will they be attending the Election Center's Annual National Conference?

This summer county, state, and national elections officials will be heading to Hollywood and Beverly Hills to enjoy four days of fun and sun sponsored, in part, by their friends at Diebold, Sequoia and ES&S. Yes, that's right. Diebold is co-sponsoring the "Welcome Reception"; ES&S is co-sponsoring the "Graduation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony" and Sequoia is co-sponsoring a Thursday evening dinner and dance.

This gathering is NOT a weekend or even a long weekend. This gathering is done during the work week while those officials are being paid by their counties or states, that is, the tax payer. So while they are on the clock, being paid by us, they will be enjoying the hospitality of the voting machine vendors who will be plying them with misinformation and free meals, snacks, and drink.

The list of speakers at this event is stunning in its absurdity. There is no one to speak the truth about voter verified paper ballots. Instead our elections officials who attend will get to hear from ousted Palm Beach Director of Elections Theresa LePore. Attendees will get to hear about "Challenged Elections and Recounts" from the King County, Washington Auditor whose county's elections were woefully mismanaged in November.

Many states have made it illegal for any elected official or employee to receive ANY gifts from vendors. Are any employees of your county elections office, or your county elections director, going to attend this corporate sponsored gathering? Send them an email asking. Let them know you think it's a conflict of interest. Include their bosses, county commissioners, and/or state elections directors, in the email so everyone knows what will be going on. Let the media know that this event is a potential ethics problem.

The schedule of events is below.

Thanks,
~ The VotersUnite.Org team
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***Tentative SCHEDULE OF EVENTS***

Tuesday, August 9, 2005

8:00-9:00 Class Registration--(Separate Registration For Classes Required)

9:00-4:30 Class #11— History I Instructor: Steve Brown, Ph.D.
Class #12—History II Instructor: Robert Montjoy, Ph.D.
Class #14—Crisis Management in Voter Registration and Elections
Instructor: Keenan Grenell, Ph.D.
Class #18—Conflict Management in Voter Registration and Elections
Instructor: Christa Slaton, Ph.D.

12:00-1:30—Lunch (Students only)

Wednesday, August 10, 2005
8:00- 11:00— Courses #11, #12, #14 and #18 Continued
1:00-5:00 Committee Meetings Others TBA
1:00-5:00 Educational Exhibit Area Open
3:00-4:00 Elections Legislative Committee
4:00-8:00 Registration Desk Open
6:00-7:30 Welcome Reception
Co-Sponsored by: Diebold Election Systems

Thursday, August 11, 2005
8:00-5:00 Registration Desk Open
8:30-9:00 Continental Breakfast
8:00-5:00 Educational Exhibit Area Open

9:00-9:30 Welcome/Announcements
*Conny McCormack,
Los Angeles County Registrar-Clerk-Recorder
*Doug Lewis, CERA,
Executive Director, The Election Center
*Ernest Hawkins,
CERA, Program Chair, The Election Center

9:30-10:30— Help America Vote Act
Guidelines for Voting System Standards
*Commissioner Ray Martinez,
Election Assistance Commission (invited)
*Someone from NIST (TBA)

10:30-11:00— Educational Exhibits/Break

11:00-12:00— Election Assistance Commission
Discussion of Projects and Activities
*Commissioner Ray Martinez,
Election Assistance Commission (invited)

12:00-12:30—National Voter Registration and Elections News
*Dick Smolka, Publisher, Election Administration Reports

12:30-2:00— No-host lunch

2:00-2:05 Ethical Dilemma Presentation
*Debra Blanton, CERA,
Chair Standards and Ethics, The Election Center

2:05-3:30 Professional Practices Presentations “and the winner is…”
*Janis Womack, CERA,
Best Practices Chair, The Election Center

3:30-4:00 Educational Exhibits/Break

4:00-4:30 Voter Registration and Elections Legislation
*Beverly Kaufman, CERA
*Ron Chaney
Co Chairs, The Election Center’s Legislative Committee

4:30-5:30 Educational Exhibits

7:00-10:00— Dinner/dance
Co-Sponsored by: Sequoia Voting Systems

Friday, August 12, 2005
8:00-3:00 Registration Desk Open
8:00-12:00—Educational Exhibit Area Open
8:30-9:00 —Continental Breakfast

9:00-10:15—Concurrent Discussion Groups
Breakout #1—Ethical Dilemma Discussion
*Debra Blanton, CERA, Chair Standards and Ethics,
The Election Center
Breakout #2—Election Reform Task Report
*Kevin Kennedy, CERA, Executive Director,
Wisconsin Board of Elections
Breakout #3—Vote Centers
*Scott Doyle, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder
Breakout #4—Challenged Elections and Recounts
*Dean Logan, CERA, King County Elections Director

10:15-10:45—Educational Exhibits/Break
10:45-12:30—Concurrent Discussion Groups
Breakout #1—State Certification Programs
*Tom Wilkey, Former Executive Director, New York State
Board of Elections
Breakout #2— Provisional Ballots
*Keith Cunningham, Allen County Director of Elections
Breakout #3—Early (Advance) Voting
*Kathy Rogers, CERA, Georgia Director of Elections
Breakout #4— Outreach
*Theresa LePore, Former Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections

12:30-2:30 — Graduation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony
Sponsored by: ES &S

2:30-4:45 Concurrent Discussion Groups
Breakout #1— Using Statewide Voter Data Bases
*Brian Mouty, Colorado HAVA Project Manager
Breakout #2— How to Become a Certified Elections
Registration Administrator (CERA)
*TBA
Breakout #3—Voter Registration “Bounty Hunters”
*Patricia Hollarn,
CERA, Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections
Breakout #4— Providing for Independent Voting for Blind Voters
and those with Disabilities
*Jill Lavine, CERA, Sacramento County Registrar of Voters