Election machine bidders chosen

[funkybutt]

La. seeks to buy 5,000 of them

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1108020327277580.xml

BATON ROUGE -- Three of eight companies vying for a contract to provide the state with about $47 million in election machines are qualified for the job and will be asked to submit bids, aides to Secretary of State Fox McKeithen said Wednesday.

McKeithen said the three companies that met all 11 pages of state specifications are: Advanced Voting Solutions of Frisco, Texas; Elections Systems and Software of Omaha, Neb.; and Sequoia Voting Systems of Oakland, Calif.

Jennifer Marusak, McKeithen's director of intergovernmental relations, said the three certified companies will demonstrate operation of their machines for the public, lawmakers, parish boards of elections supervisors and local officials across the state starting Monday at the Atrium Hotel in Monroe...

The five companies McKeithen said did not meet state criteria are: Liberty Elections Systems of Albany, N.Y.; Populex of West Dundee, Ill.; Accupoll of Tustin, Calif.; Hart Intercivic of Austin, Texas; and Diebold Elections System of North Canton, Ohio.

[AnnInLa]

1. What do we know about the 3 companies chosen?

Do any offer receipts?

Will any Dems attend the demonstrations in Monroe?

[funkybutt]

2. I really don't know

There will be "demonstrations" of the voting machines in:
Monroe, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette (times,dates and locations listed in linked article.

I STRONGLY encourage anyone who can to attend one of these demonstrations to do so. I'll try to make the one Tuesday in NOLA.

[AnnInLa]

3. I'll try to attend the one in Lafayette

on the 25th. It would help me if, when you attend your demo, you take copious notes and send any pertinent questions/comments, so I'll be prepared. In fact, do you have any resources or websites that would be helpful for someone who has only a rudimentary knowledge of what we are supposed to be looking for?

[funkybutt]

4. I posted that question in GD and nobody responded

:(

I don't have any knowledge of the voting machines. I wonder if photographs will be allowed.

[AnnInLa]

5. Yeah, I tried GD too, got one response

Guess we are on our own...it wouldn't hurt to try for photos, all they can say is, "no."

[JaneDoughnut]

11. www.LaCounts.org

This site is woefully incomplete, but it is where we are trying to gather all the needed info related to election reform in Louisiana. Please have a look and make any suggestions.

www.LaCounts.org

[Swamp Rat]

8. Tues. February 15th?

Where in New Orleans?

[funkybutt]

9. Yes SwampRat

"demonstrations will be Tuesday in New Orleans at the Astor Crown Plaza Hotel from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m"

I'm going to try to attend that one, breifly some time around 10 oclock, but I won't be albe to stay long. It'd be great if another DUer from NOLA would check it out too.

[AnnInLa]

6. "Hacker Hysteria"

This is from the Washington Times, yuck, but it identifies what we are likely to hear from the companies as why their machines are secure...if we raise the normal questions re security.



http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040510-094329-3822r.htm

Another site which has links to major articles re possibility of voting machine fraud.

http://home.earthlink.net/~acisney2/id19.html

Damn, am taking a semester off from teaching (on a medical sabbatical) and have all this homework to do. Oh well.

[AnnInLa]

7. Maggie, just as important as learning

how these new machines technically operate, is learning how the companies operate with our LA legislators. It is so probable that these companies have already made their sweetheart deals with legislators, and the one who sweethearted (?) the most has already been chosen---making these demonstrations mainly a farce. I found this exerpt, talking about North Carolina:

"The only people supporting this bill are the voters. Election officials are either indifferent or hostile. Members of the NC State Board of Election are VERY hostile, especially to a provision requiring a code of ethics be implemented covering relations with vendors. The election director for Guilford Co. and champion of BBV vendors , George Gilbert, was furious the bill passed. The BBV vendors will be be pulling out the stops and spreading money as needed "wining and dining" key legislators.

Up until this point, I was willing to give state and county election officials the benefit of a doubt as to being earnest, but misinformed. However, their actions during these hearings have proven to me that a number of these officials are quite disingenuous about their concerns for accurate elections. And before anyone jumps to conclusions, I don't see their behavior as being motivated by money or partisan politics, but by their arrogant attitude toward voters and their refusal to let anyone tell them how to run their little fiefdoms.

i>Yes folks, it is just that petty."

Me: A Code of Ethics covering relations with vendors would be an awesome first step to ensuring fair elections, don't ya think? However, since election fraud was not really an issue in Louisiana, don't know if the issue would get much traction. It is a question I intend to ask tho, I think.

[funkybutt]

10. I attended today's demonstrations

I don't have much time to talk about it, but I took photos and got brochures from all three vendors. I'll get this information scanned and posted as soon as possible.