Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News WEDNESDAY, 11/23/05

[autorank]

Boss Tweed and Secretary Blackwell: Fond admiration


How about fashion expert Mr. Blackwell for Ohio Secretary of State.

Never forget the pursuit of Truth.

Only the deluded & complicit accept election results on blind faith.

Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News WEDNESDAY, 11/23/05

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

Please post Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News on this thread.

If you can:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.

2. Post stories using the "Election Fraud and Reform News Sources" listed here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x371233

3. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.

4. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.

If you want to know how post "News Banners" or other images, go here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=371233#371391



All previous daily threads are available here:
http://www.independentmediasource.com/DU_archives/du_2004erd_el_ref_fr_thr_calenders.htm

Please

"Recommend"

for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below).

[GuvWurld]

1. Kick and recommend

Can't wait to see what you've got for us today, autorank!

[autorank]

3. Election Integrity GuvWurld Style-- 11/22/05

This is how it's done...a model for all of us in local activist efforts.

http://www.guvwurld.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Humboldt Election Problems Seen In GAO Report

Last Thursday I wrote about a report released by the official Congressional watchdog body, the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO). The corporate media has mostly blacked out this story which should otherwise reveal to every American that there is no basis for confidence in the results reported from U.S. federal elections. Let's see if the Humboldt implications, and your provocations, Dear GuvWurld readers, will be enough to get some local coverage. Consider this a call to action.

Almost at the very beginning, on page 5, the GAO report says:

We also note that there is a lack of consensus on the pervasiveness of the problems, due in part to a lack of comprehensive information on what system makes and models are used in jurisdictions throughout the country.

We are being asked to believe that nationwide vote tallies are counted entirely accurately but we can't account for what type of machine recorded and counted each vote. Does this defy logic or is it just me? Also, this mention of a "lack of consensus" should be obvious. Inherent uncertainty (such as unverifiable votes) is created all the time to keep us divided about what constitutes reality. Please send me ANY examples of national consensus, if you can find one. This is the Intentionally Divided States of America.

On page 23, the authors make GuvWurld's case for media coverage:

In light of the recently demonstrated voting system problems; the differing views on how widespread these problems are; and the complexity of assuring the accuracy, integrity, confidentiality, and availability of voting systems throughout their life cycles, the security and reliability concerns raised in recent reports merit the focused attention of federal, state, and local authorities responsible for election administration.

And with a few Humboldt-related items, the focused attention of our election officials will surely warrant the focused attention of our local media:

--p.24-25: Weak system security controls

# The Humboldt County website has a memo to the Board of Supervisors dated 2/22/05. It is from Carolyn Wilson Crnich, Clerk-Recorder. It is also signed by the preparer, Lindsey McWilliams, County Elections Manager. Regarding storage of voting equipment, they wrote:

Since Public Works has unfettered access to our equipment at present, there is little reason to seek a security audit which we would undoubtedly fail.

Are security protocols inherently bad or worthless? Should audits be banned or eliminated? No, it seems we just shouldn't conduct them if we know we won't pass. Which is more easily excused, disregard for confirming the security status of election machines, or disregard for the machines' security? No apologies can be accepted for either.

# Humboldt County uses modems for data transfer (vote tallies) between the precincts and the "central tabulator." The GAO report mentioned problems with modems:

In addition, one of these reports found that it was possible to gain full control of a regional vote tabulation computer—including the ability to modify the voting software—via a modem connection.

The report referenced above is a study by the Maryland General Assembly:

By successfully directing Canvas at the GEMS modem interface, the team was able to remotely upload, download and execute files with full system administrator privileges. All that was required was a valid phone number for the GEMS server.

# Humboldt County uses GEMS which is vote counting software made by Diebold. Other problems with GEMS include:

1. GEMS contains trade-secret ("proprietary") programming kept private from election officials and the public at large.

2. While no one can explain precisely how GEMS works, it is known that GEMS operates on Microsoft's Access platform, which has long been proven to be highly unsecure by industry experts.

3. Votergate the Movie (www.votergate.tv), available for free download, contains footage from a national TV broadcast of Bev Harris instructing Howard Dean how to hack GEMS and untraceably alter vote tallies in under two minutes. Additional vulnerabilities have since been found and publicized at www.blackboxvoting.org.


--p.37: Poor version control of system software

The GAO report cites an April 2004 CA Secretary of State Staff Report on the investigation of Diebold Election Systems, Inc.:

he VSPP initiated an audit of all 17 California counties using Diebold voting systems. The audit discovered that Diebold had, in fact, installed uncertified software in all its client counties without notifying the Secretary of State as required by law, and that the software was not federally qualified in three client counties. Diebold eventually acknowledged that it had failed to notify the Secretary of State of its proposed system modifications, and that its failure to obtain certification for those modifications violated state law.

Who allowed Humboldt's voting machines to have uncertified software installed in them? Was someone in the Humboldt County elections department complicit in this crime or merely negligent? Is this person still employed by the elections department, and if so, why? Humboldt voters deserve answers and local media that will pursue accountability.

--p.38: The GAO report is a mix of concerns for what could happen, and evidence of what has happened. The former illustrates the need for transparency and greater awareness while the latter is proof of the fallout for continued willful ignorance:

Nevertheless, there is evidence that some of these concerns—including weak controls and inadequate testing—have caused problems with recent elections, resulting in the loss and miscount of votes.

Since day one of the GuvWurld blog, the premise has been that our elections are held under conditions which ensure inconclusive outcomes. Clearly, when votes are lost and miscounted, as reported by the GAO, the world cannot be sure of the true results from U.S. elections. This has been demonstrated time and again, and yet we still face reticent media and apologist community members sticking up for election officials out of misplaced and misguided loyalty. It doesn't matter who you are, your friends are not more important than our Democracy.

GuvWurld readers, your call to action is to make all local media aware of the GAO report and its implications for Humboldt County; and to encourage the Board of Supervisors to consider whether our elections department is staffed by people committed to election reforms that will ensure conclusive outcomes, create a basis for confidence in the results reported, and establish accountable government representing We The People with the Consent of the Governed. This is what Democracy looks like.

Local Media Contacts:

Arcata Eye: [email protected], 707-826-7000
Eureka Reporter: [email protected], 707-476-8000
Eureka Times-Standard: [email protected], 707-441-0500
HSU Lumberjack: [email protected], 707-826-3271
Humboldt Advocate: [email protected], 707-825-9400
KHUM: [email protected], 707-786-5104
KMUD: [email protected], 707-923-2513
Life & Times of Southern Humboldt: 707-923-2824
Mainstream Media Project: [email protected], 707-826-9111
North Coast Journal: [email protected], 707-826-2000
The Independent: [email protected], 707-923-4205

Local Government:

Humboldt County Board of Supervisors: http://www.co.humboldt.ca.us/board

Jimmy Smith, District 1: [email protected], [phone]
Roger Rodoni, District 2: [email protected], [phone]
John Woolley, District 3: [email protected], [phone]
Bonnie Neely, District 4: [email protected], [phone]
Jill Geist, District 5: [email protected], [phone]

Eureka City Council: http://www.eurekawebs.com/cityhall

Peter La Vallee, Mayor: [email protected], 707-441-4172
Mary Beth Wolford, Ward 1: [email protected], 707-441-4169
Virginia Bass-Jackson. Ward 2: [email protected], 707-441-4168
Jeff Leonard, Ward 3: [email protected], 707-441-4170
Chris Kerrigan, Ward 4: [email protected], 707-441-4167
Mike Jones, Ward 5: [email protected], 707-441-4171

Arcata City Council: http://www.arcatacityhall.org/gov.html

Michael Machi, Mayor: [email protected], 707-269-0394
Dave Meserve: [email protected], 707-441-9846
Paul Pitino: [email protected], 707-522-0387
Mark Wheetley: [email protected], 707-269-0332
Harmony Groves: [email protected], 707-522-0463

# posted by GuvWurld : 2:19 PM
0 comments
Top of Page / GuvWurld Blog Home Page

[GuvWurld]

11. Two Threads For This Story...Please Keep Kicked

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2269785
That one is in GDP

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x402305
That one is right here in Election Reform

Thanks!

[autorank]

2. Nation: New Films about Election Fraud 2004

Let’s see “Votergate” shown like “F911” or, more appropriately, “The Sorrow and the Pity.” Lights, action…truth, finally.

http://www.indiewire.com/cgi-bin/siteStats/adduser_img.cgi

http://www.indiewire.com/movies/2005/11/one_vote_many_p.html

SILVERDOCS
A scene from Steve Rosenbaum's "Inside the Bubble."
One Vote, Many Perspectives: New Documentaries Investigate The Controversial 2004 Presidential Election

Documentary coverage provided by SILVERDOCS
by Jonny Leahan (November 22, 2005)


A scene from Steve Rosenbaum's "Inside the Bubbl

A year ago this month, Americans came out to vote for their president in one of the tightest races in US history, as filmmakers around the country showed up with their cameras to document the process. Now that Americans have had time to digest the results, and filmmakers have had time to edit their footage, there is a crop of new documentaries that pose very different questions about the same election - questions like "How could Kerry have lost?" and "Did those computerized machines really count your vote?"

SILVERDOCS

The latter may sound like a conspiracy theory to some, but after a look at "Votergate", which investigates shocking flaws in the new computer voting systems, it's hard not to wonder who really won the election. Directed by Russell Michaels and Simon Ardizzone, the feature documentary is still in post, but a 30-minute version is available for download at votergate.org for educational purposes. The film focuses on Diebold Election Systems, one of the three major manufacturers of voting machines and the market leader, which oddly enough is based in Ohio. Owned by a Republican who publicly stated the he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president", the company refuses to share it's software programming, citing security issues.

However, when a grandmother named Bev Harris who was curious about the new machines did a Google search, she was directed to the company's website, where she found unsecured files stored from the past six years, and promptly downloaded them. When Harris showed the data to top computer scientists and security experts, they were stunned. "I teach a lot of graduate level computer security courses at the Florida Institute of Technology," says Dr. Herbert Thompson in the film, "and if someone submitted the Diebold Gems server version that Bev showed to me... they would fail."

"Votergate" contains some remarkable statistics, largely uncontested by experts, including the episode when one voting machine took 2,747 votes for Kerry and switched them to Gephardt in 2004, the time that 144,000 votes were counted in Indiana - in a county of 19,000 voters, and the incident when a Diebold machine subtracted 16,022 votes from Al Gore in Florida 2000. What is perhaps most alarming is that many of the machines were allowed to be designed and implemented without any backup paper ballot capacity or any way to verify the results, so that when election law which allows for a recount is invoked, there is no way to actually recount the votes, since the computer just spits out the same totals each time.

Because of the lack of verification available, no one will ever know if Kerry would have won if it weren't for the computerized voting machines, but to many observers he seemed to run such a poor campaign he might have lost no matter what. Steve Rosenbaum's "Inside the Bubble" looks not at computer error, but human error, as the viewer is granted access to a world very few people have ever been privy to - John Kerry's inner circle. Much like the programming code of the Diebold machines, it's easy to see why his "bubble" of five trusted advisers was kept so secret, and it wasn't because of security issues. The people Kerry surrounded himself with were by many accounts quite similar to Bush's unqualified frat boy cronies, and this film seems to support that notion - which would explain why Kerry refuses to watch it, stating, "I think I know what happens."

One wonders why the filmmakers were granted such intimate access if they were potentially going to be so vehemently against the finished product. "Getting access is always the difficult part in any documentary," Rosenbaum told indieWIRE. "But in politics, as in lots of things, people want to tell their story. Once the campaign knew the film wasn't going to come out before the election, everyone mellowed out and pretty much let us shoot as much as we wanted to." The results are definitely compelling, enough so that conservative television hosts from Tucker Carlson to Sean Hannity have jumped on the story, showing clips from the as-yet-unreleased documentary as well as interviewing the filmmaker.

Rosenbaum is happy to see the film getting such attention, but is unimpressed with the campaign's reaction. "Calling the film boring before anyone had seen a frame makes the campaign look like they're trying to hide something," he says, "which I think was strange. They agreed to let us make the film. The ending isn't what we wanted, and once the campaign had lost, asking questions about why is certainly fair. James Carville has said the Democrats have no narrative. I think the film supports his diagnosis - now we need a cure."

Another new documentary, with the working title "Ohio: An American Vote", is said to look at the 2004 election from a more journalistic perspective, according to a recent article in the New York Times. Directed by James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, the filmmakers sent 15 camera crews across Ohio to document the last few days of the presidential race, and the results are said to confirm what Rosenbaum captured in his own cameras - that the Bush campaign was helmed by masters of the political game, and Kerry's people just couldn't meet the challenge.

There are likely several more films in the works on this very subject, and in the months to come it will become more clear if audiences want to relive the horror of 2004, but given the appetite for political films of late it seems likely they will. " 'Fahrenheit' kind of opened the door to films that could be overtly political," says Rosenbaum. "George Bush is an excellent villain. John Kerry had a great sound track. It was a classic good versus evil story, and it seemed pretty clear that it wasn't going to have a happy ending."


( posted on Nov 22, 2005 at 06:35PM | filed under Documentary, Lead Story, Trends )

[autorank]

4. OH: 14 Voting Machines Left in Open Air at University of Toledo

Don’t they know that the machines don’t like the cold, wind, and rain. How inconsiderate. How will Diebold program them to switch votes if they’re rusty. What the heck, forget the machines altogether. Ohio should just announce the Republican’s desired results without any voting, tabulation, etc. Just get down to it…

13 ABC

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=3652177

Election Board Internal Investigation

November 20, 2005 - The Lucas County Board of Elections is now calling for an internal investigation into what went wrong on election night. That announcement came during a thank you breakfast for its volunteers Saturday.

Even two weeks after the election more problems continue to surface. Recently 14 voting machines were found out in the open at the University of Toledo.

The board also dealt with controversy surrounding this breakfast after it shelled out nearly $10,000 to put a full page advertisement in the Toledo Blade. They later admitted it was a poor way of advertising the event.

As the Board of Elections announced its investigation the NAACP wanted to find out what happened on Election Day as well. Dozens of voters from the community attended a public hearing Saturday afternoon conducted by the NAACP. One precinct judge had concerns about training poll workers and having enough time to test the new touch screen voting machines.

Officials say the Board of Elections is willing to work with the community to fix any voting problems. :rofl:

[autorank]

5. SD: Souix Get Touch Screens--End Need of State for Voter Suppression

Maybe someone can answer the question: Is disenfranchisement through the old “spoiled” ballots ruse being replaced by “programmable” voting machines?

http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/13235532.htm

Madison, Sioux Falls voters first to try touch-screen voting

Associated Press

MADISON, S.D. - Touch-screen voting machines will be in use for the first time in South Dakota when voters in Madison and Sioux Falls go to the polls for municipal elections next spring, Secretary of State Chris Nelson said.

Those elections are April 11.

By the June primary, the machines are expected to be in use statewide, said Nelson.

"We wanted to use a couple of municipal elections in South Dakota to get our feet wet, so to speak," Nelson said. "We want to learn how voters respond to them, how election workers respond to them before we go statewide in June."

The state received federal money to buy touch-screen voting machines as part of the Help America Vote Act. The law is designed to accommodate disabled voters who have needed a second person in the booth to help with marking a paper ballot.

South Dakota will distribute 658 of the touch-screen machines to polling places statewide. Each unit costs $5,275.

Touch-screen voting will be offered as an option, said Nelson. Voters can still use the paper ballot system if they prefer.

If the machine is used, a ballot is inserted and voting information appears on a touch-screen monitor. When a voter specifies a choice, the machine automatically fills in the corresponding oval.

[autorank]

6. MI: Detroit Election Challenged—Recount Requested

MI: Detroit Election Challenged—Recount Requested
Given the questions about the head of Detroit elections, this recount might be explosive. We’ll watch.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/politics/5384817/detail.html?rss=det&psp=news

ClickOnDetroit.com

Hendrix Requests Recount In Detroit Mayoral Election
Supporters Encourage Recount With Ballot Issues

POSTED: 4:50 pm EST November 22, 2005
UPDATED: 7:23 pm EST November 22, 2005

DETROIT -- Freman Hendrix has requested a recount of the Nov. 8 mayoral election in Detroit.

Hendrix (pictured, right) conceded to incumbent Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick the day after the election.

Thousands of supporters encouraged Hendrix to request a recount because of voting and ballot-counting issues including reports of broken seals and transmission line malfunctions, Local 4 reported.

"It may be tempting for some to dismiss this as a complaint of a sore loser, on the contrary," said Hendrix. "I am well prepared to move on with my life. But there has been enough evidence since Nov. 8 to raise legitimate questions about how the election was conducted and how the ballots were counted."

Hendrix said he does not believe there was fraud, but said there appeared to be "discrepancies."

The Election Board of Canvassers was expected to certify the election Tuesday. Hendrix said his decision came in the time frame allowed by law for candidates to request a recount.

Hendrix said he believed the recount process would performed in a timely manner.

"My position here is about the city of Detroit. It's about the integrity of the vote," said Hendrix.

Hendrix said there appears to be a division in the city that "has to be put behind us."

Kilpatrick campaign chairman David Baker-Lewis responded to news of the recount saying, "This is not a close election."

[autorank]

7. Philippines: Election Official Fixer for "Pres" Arroys Re-Animates Self

The famous “Garci” who took a call from now President Arroyo asking him to fix the election when she was running behind in early tallies has miraculously re-appeared. He’s not willing to tell how he didn’t fix the election. Will he tell us where he took a power? Is it the real Garci or Memorex? The Philippines opposition party is fighting the highly questionable election with everything it has. This story won’t die.



http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200511230401.htm

Garci back, ready to tell all

The Philippine Star 11/23/2005

Former election official Virgilio Garcillano has returned to the country and is willing to tell all about poll fraud allegations hounding President Arroyo, ABS-CBN News Channel reported yesterday.

Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives renewed an order for Garcillano’s arrest to compel him to shed light on the electoral fraud allegations.

Garcillano disappeared from public view in July after the opposition released audiotapes purportedly of Mrs. Arroyo’s wiretapped phone conversations with the former election official discussing ways to manipulate the outcome of the presidential election last year.

ANC reporter Ricky Carandang met with Garcillano’s wife, Grace, at an undisclosed location in Mindanao after meeting at ABS-CBN’s office in Cagayan de Oro.

Grace Garcillano said she and her husband returned home last week from an undisclosed country.

Mrs. Garcillano said her husband is willing to come forward and shed light on the poll fraud allegations against the President on condition that all his wiretapped conversations with other politicians are made public.

She added her husband spoke with many politicians during the May 2004 polls, including several from the opposition.

Garcillano’s wife added that her husband was wondering why only his phone conversations with a woman who sounded like Mrs. Arroyo were made public.

Grace Garcillano said her husband told her that he actually received more phone calls from opposition politicians during last year’s elections, including a "persistent lady caller" whom she did not identify.

[autorank]

8. Ars Technica: They’re on to election fraud! The end is near.

This is the ‘leet site for the ‘best and brightest’ of the younger generation of computer fanatics. Let them “look” into things. It will be revealing.



http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20030812-2655.html

Spiraling problems for electronic voting

8/12/2003 2:54:05 PM, by Ken "Caesar" Fisher

It's hardly surprising given recent election trends that interest in "more reliable" voting methods is on the rise, and some people are turning to purely electronic (paperless) voting methods. But fears over such computerized systems are on the rise, too. If we're going to transition to an electronic voting system, who should see the source code? There's at least two concerns here: one is the open source argument, which stipulates that the code would be more secure, and hence more trustworthy, if many eyes could look over it. The other is more Machiavellian: if the source stays closed, how can the public be sure that the code isn't riggable by the Powers That Be™? In a fortunate twist of fate, the source code for the system that powers Diebold Election Systems' voting machines was leaked out onto the 'net. In a report issued at the end of July, a number of security analysts judged (PDF) that the code was in fact not secure, and using it was not a wise idea. These systems had already been used in several states, including Georgia's state-wide elections in 2002.

“Our analysis shows that this voting system is far below even the most minimal security standards applicable in other contexts. We highlight several issues including unauthorized privilege escalation, incorrect use of cryptography, vulnerabilities to network threats, and poor software development processes. For example, common voters, without any insider privileges, can cast unlimited votes without being detected by any mechanisms within the voting terminal. Furthermore, we show that even the most serious of our outsider attacks could have been discovered without the source code. In the face of such attacks, the usual worries about insider threats are not the only concerns; outsiders can do the damage. That said, we demonstrate that the insider threat is also quite considerable. We conclude that, as a society, we must carefully consider the risks inherent in electronic voting, as it places our very democracy at risk.”
http://avirubin.com/vote.pdf

The problem has prompted some states to review their use of such technologies. Maryland had planned to purchase US $55.6 million worth of the machines, but last week the governor ordered a review of the system's reliability. Virginia is now looking into the matter as well. It's a curious conundrum: should the government require that all such voting software be open source, or should the government be in charge of the project itself? Will open sourcing such technologies stifle innovation by removing competitive edge? Is going paperless even a good idea to begin with? This isn't just an American problem, either. Electronic voting machines are used in several countries, and as technology marches on, we can probably expect that number to grow. Thanks to Chief for prodding me enough to finally write this situation up.

[autorank]

9. OH: Questioning the Columbus Dispatch Polls versus The Results

OH: Questioning the Columbus Dispatch Polls versus The Results
Oh sure, the Columbus Dispatch, famous for polling accuracy, was 20% off on the Ohio special elections.

Democracy Breakin': Ohio's Electric Boogaloo

By Blogged by Brad
Nov 19, 2005, 17:26


More on Ohio's Staggeringly Impossible '05 Results
The Corporate Media Continues to Not Care, But a Rightwing Blogger Finally Does...

The Corporate Mainstream Media may not give a damn about our democracy. Neither might the bulk of our politicians on both the Left and Right side of the aisle. But...

The Corporate Mainstream Media may not give a damn about our democracy. Neither might the bulk of our politicians on both the Left and Right side of the aisle. But clearly the citizens do, and even one rightwing blogger who has recently seen at least some of the light...

The response to our article on the "staggeringly impossible" results of last week's election in Ohio on several Election Reform initiatives which would have struck deep into the heart of far-right Republican Ohio Sec. of State J. Kenneth Blackwell has been notable to say the least.

We felt the report was notable enough that we decided to cross-post it both at BRAD BLOG and at HuffPo, where -- though it was never added to the front page as a "featured blog" -- it has already received an extraordinary 93 comments as of this posting.

To give you an idea of what that story documented, here are the numbers from just one of the four Election Reform initiatives which all ended up failing by numbers which defy reasonable explanation when compared to the historically accurate Columbus Dispatch poll, completed and published just days before the Election in the Buckeye state:

ISSUE 3 (Revise campaign contribution limits)
PRE-POLLING: 61% Yes, 25% No, 14% Undecided
FINAL RESULT: 33% Yes, 66% No

<snip>

Fact: The Dispatch has always used a mailed-in ballot poll. It was completed on Thursday Nov. 3, just prior to Election Day. The Dispatch poll is so accurate at least two academic studies have been published in Public Opinion Quarterly (POQ). The first paper documents that the Dispatch mail-in poll between 1980-1984 was far more accurate than telephone polling. The study showed the Dispatch error rate at only 1.6 percentage points versus phone error rates of 5%. A companion study published in POQ in 2000 dealt specifically with the question of statewide referenda. A quote from the study: "The average error for the Dispatch forecast of these referenda was 5.4 percentage points, compared to 7.2 percentage points for the telephone surveys."

[autorank]

10. The Answer to the Question of Ohio's Strange Special Electoin.

OH: Could this be the reason the Blackwell won the special elections?
Just asking? What a coincidence, but then again I’m a “coincidence theorist”—all these coincidences add up to a big fat conspniracy.

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4081186

44 Counties Using Touch-Screen Voting Machines This Time
Nov 8, 2005, 06:10 AM

COLUMBUS -- Voters in 44 counties will use touch-screen machines for the first time in Tuesday's election, and veteran poll workers are anticipating some confusion. Complicating matters is a ballot featuring five lengthy statewide measures. The potential for confusion prompted Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell to ask volunteers not to enforce a rule that limits voters to five minutes in the booth.

Poll workers and 400 service technicians have been trained on operating the new machines, and Blackwell posted a practice program online so voters will know what to expect. But some poll workers worry that technical problems could come easily and old habits could die hard.

"I think there'll be mass confusion," said longtime poll worker Lee Walters of Lancaster. Election workers point to states that have successfully navigated their first touch-screen elections but acknowledge that Ohio's election will be the largest test of the system, which allows voters to check a printout before submitting their ballots.

The machines, made by North Canton-based Diebold Inc., have been thoroughly tested over the last four months, said Blackwell spokesman Carlo LoParo. Diebold spokesman David Bear said similar systems have done well in other states. But paper ballots will be on hand just in case, LoParo said.

[Wilms]

12. CA: Report on SoS Hearing on Certification of Diebold's TSx voting system

Report on SoS Hearing on Certification of Diebold's TSx voting system

Kim Alexander's Weblog

Monday, November 21, 2005

snip

The Secretary of State has disbanded the Voting Systems and Procedures Panel, which caused much confusion in the days and weeks leading up to today's hearing. Many people wondered who from the Secretary of State's office would attend the hearing if not members of the Voting Systems and Procedures Panel? It turned out that today's hearing was chaired by Bruce McDannold, acting chief of the secretary of state's new Office of Voting System Technology Assessment, as well as senior staff from the legal, executive and legislative divisions. Also on today's hearing panel was Steve Freeman, the state's voting systems consultant.

snip

Many of the people who spoke at the hearing were there to oppose the certification for one of two reasons: either they opposed Diebold because of its poor track record in California elections as well in other states; or they opposed certification of electronic voting systems generally.

snip

Much of today’s testimony also focused on the procedures the Secretary of State is following for convening public hearings and certifying voting equipment. Many activists were frustrated that they were not aware the VSPP had been disbanded, or that this public hearing had been called. To alleviate these problems in the future, the Secretary of State’s office is now allowing people to sign up on their web site to automatically receive notices of future hearings via email.

Activists were also frustrated that there was no give-and-take between the panel and those providing testimony. Many people who spoke had questions and wanted answers that were not provided by the panel. Hopefully in the future the Secretary of State will establish a way to answer public questions in a public forum. I did ask one person on the panel after the hearing what people should do if they have questions about voting systems, and the response was that they should contact Bruce McDannold, whose email address is [email protected] .

snip/more

http://calvoter.org/news/blog/2005_11_01_blogarchive.html#113262386591682430


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x402317

[Wilms]

13. CA: E-vote critics: Reject 'improved' machines

E-vote critics: Reject 'improved' machines

Detractors claim Diebold's system still flawed, vulnerable to hackers, inaccessible to disabled

By Ian Hoffman

snip

"The places where there are known vulnerabilities in this system should raise a yellow flag before we certify this system," said state Sen. Debra Bowen, a Marina del Rey Democrat expected to challenge Secretary of State Bruce McPherson as the state's chief elections officer.

snip

Electronic touch screens have brought disabled voters to the brink of casting their ballots privately, without assistance, by offering an audio version of the electronic ballot and various means of marking their choices. But Diebold's latest touch screen lacks a key tool, a sip-and-puff device for physically disabled voters, and it is designed in a way that makes it hard for visually impaired voters to initiate the voting machine, Favuzzi said.

The machine has a printer and rolls of cash register-style thermal paper for producing paper trails, or printed records of ballots that voters can double-check for accuracy and elections officials can use for recounts. But visually impaired voters can't read the printouts, and they are not given such independent verification.

"We actually expect to have access to the verification process," Favuzzi told state elections officials Monday. "We are interested in having accessible voting machines, and this one does not really seem to fit."

snip/more

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3241238

[Wilms]

14. CA: Voting machines draw fire at hearing

Voting machines draw fire at hearing

Greg Kane

Record Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, Nov 22, 2005

SACRAMENTO -- Touchscreen voting machines that San Joaquin County officials hope to use in June's primary election drew heavy criticism during a 41/21/2-hour hearing Monday near the state Capitol.

County Registrar of Voters Deborah Hench was the only person to support Diebold's TSx equipment out of more than 50 who spoke to a panel of Secretary of State Bruce McPherson's staff. More than 1,600 of the controversial machines are sitting in a Stockton warehouse because the state decertified them last year after the vote-counters experienced problems in other counties.

snip

San Joaquin County has paid Diebold $858,000 of the $5.7 million purchase price agreed upon in 2002. The county has the right to return the equipment if it remains uncertified, Hench said.

snip

Critics of the equipment took turns asking that the state remain using paper ballots, which they believe are less vulnerable to tampering. Jim March, a Sacramento-based activist, called Diebold "ethically challenged" and said the company plans to keep the public from viewing election results because of trade secrets involved with the system's software.

snip/more

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051122/NEWS01/511220337/1001

[Wilms]

15. CA SoS Accepting Public Comment on the Diebold TSx

The California Secretary of State's office will accept public comment on the certification of the Diebold TSx touchscreen voting machine until next week.

To submit a comment,

Visit http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vs.htm

Call [phone] or

Email http://[e-mail]

Source:

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051122/NEWS01/511220337/1001

Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x402401

[texpatriot2004]

16. Thank for this thread and for keeping this information fresh. n.t

[freedomfries]

17. Kick and kudos for a very informative thread

:) :D :) :D :) :D :) ;) :-) ;-)

[IndyOp]

18. MO: US Sues Missouri Over Voters in 2004 Election

The U.S. Justice Department has sued Missouri, a swing state won easily by President George W. Bush, for voting violations in the 2004 election, including registering more people to vote in some counties than their entire voting-age population. The complaint, filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, said 29 Missouri counties and election jurisdictions had more people registered to vote than there actually were people of voting age living in those areas. One Missouri county, for instance, showed voter registrations that amounted to more than 150 percent of the true voting-age population in that county.

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan acknowledged the voting irregularities in the 2004 federal election but said in a statement that the Justice Department's decision to file suit was costly and unjustified as the state was working to correct its voters rolls.
``Clearly, a problem exists. It defies common sense that we would have more registered voters than people of voting age in any Missouri county,'' said Carnahan. ``The Secretary of State's office and the Department of Justice share the same goal of ensuring fair and accurate elections.''

The lawsuit also alleges that some voters were removed from registration lists without notification, in violation of the law, while some ineligible voters were not removed. Missouri was considered among a number of potential swing states in the 2004 election, but ended up with 53 percent voting for Bush and 46 percent going to challenger John Kerry.

<http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-election-missouri-lawsuit.html>

[IndyOp]

19. CEPN's CA Diebold Hearing Report (11/21/05)

CALIFORNIA ELECTION PROTECTION NETWORK
A non-partisan organization of over 25 groups across California
coming together to achieve their mutual election integrity goals


Diebold in CA: Machinations Behind Closed Doors

November 21, 2005.

Sacramento. Today was an exhilarating day in Sacramento. Deja vu of the last Diebold hearing, this new attempt to certify Diebold wares once again raised the near-unanimous ire of concerned citizens. The passion and dedication of the people attending was palpable. To witness more than 125 citizens, journeying great distances--on short notice and on a short holiday week--who all came together to defend the integrity of our democratic processes, was to witness the real "Patriot Act."

Without the dedication and vigilance of these activists, other concerned citizens would never have known that behind closed doors, the machinery of the Secretary of State’s office was in high gear ready to certify Diebold.

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x402426>

[Wilms]

20. Diebold in CA: Machinations Behind Closed Doors

Diebold in CA: Machinations Behind Closed Doors

November 21, 2005.

Sacramento. Today was an exhilarating day in Sacramento. Deja vu of the last Diebold hearing, this new attempt to certify Diebold wares once again raised the near-unanimous ire of concerned citizens. The passion and dedication of the people attending was palpable. To witness more than 125 citizens, journeying great distances – on short notice and on a short holiday week – who all came together to defend the integrity of our democratic processes, was to witness the real "Patriot Act."

snip/a lot more

http://www.califelectprotect.net/home.html

Thanks to Einsteinia

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x402426

[Algorem]

21. OH-Some kind of article about the Dispatch poll results,RON,Free Press...

http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2811 (4th thing down)

SOMETIMES A LOSS IS JUST A LOSS … A few days before the November 8 election, the historically reliable Columbus Dispatch mail-in poll predicted mixed results for supporters of the election reform-themed ballot issues 2 through 5. The poll showed 2 and 3 winning by 25 percentage points, and 4 and 5 losing by narrow margins.

But when all the votes were counted, all four measures had gone down in epic fashion: 2 and 3 were defeated by more than 25 points, and 4 and 5 by almost 30. Some — like Bob Fritakas and Harvey Wasserman of the Columbus-based Free Press — immediately started crying foul.

At first glance, they seem to have a point. How could the fates of the four ballot issues contrast so starkly with the Dispatch forecast, especially when Issue 1, which had bipartisan support, won with 54 percent — only 1 point more than the Dispatch poll had forecast. The inconsistencies were a “statistical impossibility,” Fritakas and Wasserman concluded. The only explanation: “an astonishing display of electronic manipulation.” (Touchscreen machines made by Diebold were used in 41 counties.)

But few others are taking up the call...

[rumpel]

22. California Schedules Conference on Voting Systems Testing (11/28&29)

California Schedules Conference on Voting Systems Testing
Nov 23, 2005 By News Staff

The California Secretary of State's Office has scheduled an invitation-only conference on Nov. 28 and 29 in Sacramento. The agenda includes participation by officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Association of State Election Directors, the state of California, the private sector, universities and non-profits. The conference will be hosted by Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, and moderated by Chairman of the Voting Modernization Board, John A. Pérez.

A vendor panel includes Alfie Charles of Sequoia Voting Systems; Ian Piper of Diebold, Ken Carbullido of ES&S; and Michelle Shafer of Hart Intercivic

In a related press release, Black Box Voting, a non-profit non-partisan election watchdog group, today announced that it had been invited by the Secretary of State to attempt to hack a Diebold voting system on Nov. 30. The release takes exception to some of the testing procedures, saying that the machines were to be selected by the vendor, rather than testing a random sample used in the last election.

http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/97374

[rumpel]

23. DeKalb County:Election issues remain unresolved

http://www.times-journal.com/report.lasso?wcd=4867

Election issues remain unresolved

By Kelly Townsend
The Times-Journal

Published November 23, 2005

Time is running out for the DeKalb County Commission to get new election machines in place, DeKalb County Commission President Sid Holcomb said Tuesday.

During an earlier November meeting, Holcomb said the federal government is requiring the county have paper trails with its election machines. DeKalb’s current voting machines do not have a paper trail.

The commission had asked for a year’s extension, but County Administrator Matt Sharp said Tuesday the county has received no word on the request. He also said the county is moving forward under the assumption the extension won’t happen.

snip

Sharp said Secretary of State Nancy Worley has originally said the state would pay for machines that hold 2,400 registered voters. That would force DeKalb to trim its number of voting machines from 83 to 15.

snip

Holcomb said one option is to close polling sites, limiting the number of machines needed from 83 to 68. He did not hint at which sites would be closed.

”That has the board of registers in a tight spot, because they would need to let these people know that their voting place has changed,” Holcomb said.

The commission will meet again Dec. 6 in the DeKalb County Activities Building in Fort Payne.

[Algorem]

24. OH-State Dem party chairman quits,takes a county board of elections job

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/topstories/index.ssf?/base/news-21/1132778643153210.xml&storylist=

11/23/2005, 3:35 p.m. ET
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party quit on Wednesday after three years, having failed to turn the party around from its long winless streak in statewide races.

Denny White replaced David Leland as party chairman in 2002. In that year's election Republicans swept statewide races, including the re-election of Gov. Bob Taft, and watched the GOP take one of only two statewide seats Democrats held after Ohio Supreme Court Justice Francis Sweeney retired.

That left Justice Alice Robie Resnick as the lone Democratic statewide officeholder. She is up for re-election next year but has not decided whether to run. The party has won only two statewide elections — Sweeney and Resnick — since 1994...

White said the party had accomplished much by updating computer systems and putting more workers in the field...

http://www.ohiodems.org


"...The Ohio Democratic Party is a national embarrassment. Its chair, Denny White, was not long ago a Republican, and will soon be one again, once the party is fully disemboweled, a job very close to done..."

- Tuesday, October 18, 2005-"Why Can't the Left Face the Stolen Elections of 2004 & 2008?" by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1018-22.htm



Ohio Democrats face uncertainty-Party chief may quit, news reports say
Thursday, October 13, 2005

http://www.cleveland.com/politics/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/ispol/1129203127295290.xml&coll=2

-- Despite concerns over White's stewardship, many party leaders say that an early departure would be too disruptive and shift attention and resources away from the investment and ethics scandals that continue to dog statehouse Republicans and offer hope to long-suffering Democrats...

His possible successors include Montgomery County Democratic Chairman Dennis Lieberman and former U.S. Rep. Dennis Eckart, a Cleveland lawyer and former head of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. Eckart, who said he has tired of watching his party lose, will seek the post even if White runs again. Lieberman said he "will be patient and see what Denny has in mind."...

White also took a shot at Eckart, saying, "Last time I heard, he was raising money for Republicans." He listed former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman of Cincinnati as one of the beneficiaries of Eckart's efforts...

White also denied reports that he tried to create a job opening for himself by suggesting that deputy director Mike Hackett retire sooner than planned from the Franklin County Board of Elections. Hackett declined to comment, but two county officials quoted Hackett as saying that White asked him to leave before his expected retirement in March...

[MelissaB]

25. BradBlog: Ohio's Bob Ney Appears to be in Big Trouble...

Ohio's Bob Ney Appears to be in Big Trouble...

The congressman man who ran sham hearings in House Administration Committee on last year's Ohio Election mess (the ones that exposed the insidious ACVR hucksters ), was recently subpeonead by the DoJ where he is said to be under investigation on of an ongoing probe, looks to be in big big trouble in the wake of the .

Jesse of Stakeholder has a round-up of today's headlines http://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/003953.html on the apparently-soon-to-be-indicted U.S. Congressman Bob Ney (R-OH). Here's what Jesse's found just today at a quick glance:



"Plea Deal Ties Ney to Second Tribe"

"Rep. Bob Ney is poster boy in bribe probe"

"Ney's Troubles Are Mounting"

Blogged by Brad on 11/23/2005 @ 4:00pm PT...


Link: http://www.bradblog.com/

Discussion: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5443831