Anti Paper Forces Push for Paperless Systems in NC

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

The threat of paperless verification systems is now rearing its head
once again in North Carolina.

Last year, it was the VoteHERE device being pushed by Guilford County NC Election Director
George Gilbert, anti paper activist.
http://www.blackboxvoting.com/s9/index.php?/archives/8-...

Gilbert led a lobbying effort against our verified voting law since 2004.
He organized other election officials and county commissioners against us.
http://www.ncvoter.net/guilford.html

This year, Gilbert tries a fresh approach - the Ted Selker audio verification
system.

Friday, December 15, 2006 Printers failed on voting machines

"...Gilbert says the problems with paper argue for a move to other backup technology,
such as a system that uses sound to independently record a voter's choice...."
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2...

Famous/Infamous Ted Selker is promoting an audio verification system.

The NC State Board of Elections LOVES

Ted Selker, aka "Mr. Gadget"

Last year the NC State Board of Elections got a pilot program
for independent verification to be tested in volunteer counties,
slipped into our law in 05, as a test.

The test of alternative or paperless verification systems,
aka the "Rube Goldberg Voting System" -



didn't happen for many reasons. (Thankfully).

We still have many obstacles:

Election officials who love paperless voting, who respect the Election Center,
the EAC, and election officials like Linda Lamone. These entities,
have never seen a bad idea for Elections that they didn't just love.

And they are the Fox in the Henhouse

If we do not make paperless voting ILLEGAL across the US,
then we will lose our ground, even the states that have
VVPB laws.

NIST, when recommending "software independent" (SI) systems, didn't say PAPER.
IF they meant that voting systems must have a voter verified paper BALLOT,
they would have said so.

Instead, NIST left the door open to paperless verification systems.

[annabanana]

1. Why does George Gilbert hate America?

What does he have against honest elections?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. his middle name is prophetic

It's George Nixon Gilbert.

[longship]

2. Paper trail?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. our state gave choice of "trail" or OS/ballot

and 77 counties chose paper ballot optical scan,
and 23 counties chose toilet paper touchscreens.

We did what we could to ban the TP touchscreens,
and Rebecca Mercuri had them convinced, but the election
directors said it would "stifle innovation".

So Gilbert hoped all along the paper printers would fail,
he provided no voter education to verify the printout,
and then he said "oh the paper trail doesn't work"

and again for the second time he proposes another
paperless verification scheme, which our SBOE also likes.

[troubleinwinter]

7. "trail" or ballot

[troubleinwinter]

8. "stifle innovation"????

The job of our elections officials is not "innovation", but accurate, reliable, verifiable elections.

"innovation"??! JEEEEZ!?!!

[diva77]

9. don't some of 'em have a 2nd trail inside?

[KoKo]

3. Thanks! Kick!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. we're calling it the "Rube Gilbert" machine now

Our activists have changed the name of the DRE with
audio verification to the Rube Gilbert machine instead
of Rube Goldberg machine.




AT one time, we had a newspaper calling him the
Six Million Dollar Man

Here is excerpt, but the link is now dead:

08/23/2005 High Point Enterprise

Editorial: Voting machines can cost Guilford taxpayers less

We hear that in some quarters, a few folks have jokingly referred to Guilford County Elections Director George Gilbert as the "Six million dollar man."

The moniker came about because of Gilbert's estimate that new touch-screen voting machines needed in time for the May 2006 primaries will cost the county about $6 million. New machines are needed in order to comply with a new state statute that requires the use during elections of paper ballots or electronic equipment that can produce a paper trail for possible audits after elections...

... An optical scan voting system provides the integrity of a paper ballot at a cost lower than a touch-screen. Good sense says buy it.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15079980&BRD=...