Cols Dispatch: VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE

[mod mom]

Vote of no confidence
A long-awaited review of Ohio's election systems finds 'critical security failures.' The secretary of state wants to start over with new systems, a pricey option.
Saturday, December 15, 2007 3:10 AM
BY MARK NIQUETTE
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Reacting to a study that concluded all voting systems used in Ohio have "critical security failures," Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner yesterday proposed changing how Ohioans vote, where they vote and how their votes are counted.

Brunner wants the state to replace the electronic touch-screens used in 57 of Ohio's 88 counties, as well as the optical-scan systems used in the other counties, with a system using a paper ballot scanned at a central location such as a county elections board.

She also wants to eliminate voting in neighborhood precincts in favor of setting up large "vote centers," where voters from five to 10 precincts would cast their ballots -- and voting would start 15 days before an election.

All of the proposed changes stem from a $1.9 million, top-to-bottom review of Ohio's voting systems this fall using academic and corporate computer experts to address voter concerns about the security and reliability of the machines.

Ohio already has spent more than $100 million in federal money since 2004 to replace its punch cards and other older voting systems, and it's not clear how the Republican-controlled legislature will view the proposals from Brunner, a Democrat.

-snip

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/12/15/everest.ART_ART_12-15-07_A1_PT8PJ94.html?sid=101

[mod mom]

1. LWV Vs Tokaji (OSU Law Professor):

Peg Rosenfield, elections specialist for the League of Women Voters of Ohio, said although she has concerns about some of Brunner's recommendations, the state has no choice but to make changes.

"There is so much distrust of those (touch-screen machines), there's no way we're ever going to have an election anyone trusts," Rosenfield said.

But Dan Tokaji, an Ohio State University associate law professor and elections expert, said Brunner's proposals are not justified and would cause more problems than they attempt to solve.

[OzarkDem]

8. What "concerns" does Ohio LWV have?

LWV aint what it used to be, I'm not sure I would trust them without hearing exactly what they think the problem is.

[mod mom]

2. Cinci Enq: Election Integrity In doubt

Election integrity in doubt
Secretary of state assails new voting systems
BY JON CRAIG | [email protected]

COLUMBUS - Ohio's chief elections official cast doubts Friday on the security of the state's entire voting system, less than a year before the state is likely to play a major role in picking the nation's next president.

In a new report, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner declared that - despite spending more than $100 million in federal money on voting machines after the 2004 election - the new voting systems all carry "serious risks to voting integrity."

"To put it in everyday terms, the tools needed to compromise an accurate vote count could be as simple as ... using a magnet and a personal digital assistant," she said.

The impact is unclear. Many of the changes recommended in the report will require legislative action.

-snip

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/NEWS01/712150357&GID=tBNKD7Wai3LyP4bzuk4M9Fj9XORdmC9+78MFcVQRmTM%3D

[mod mom]

3. Cleve Pl Dealer: Brunner: Ohio's vote Vulnerable

Brunner: Ohio's vote vulnerable
Posted by Mark Rollenhagen December 14, 2007 08:49AM
Categories: Breaking News, Impact
Ohio's electronic voting systems could easily be compromised and touchscreen systems like Cuyahoga County's need to be quickly replaced by systems that use paper ballots that can be scanned and counted at central locations, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said Friday morning.

Brunner urged Cuyahoga County to begin replacing its touch-screen ballot system immediately, saying she would ask the state legislature to reimburse the county for the $2.5 million costs of making the switch in time for the March primary.

Brunner said a $1.9 million study of the state's voting systems found "critical security failures." Vote counts could be manipulated with tools as simple as a magnet and a PDA, she said in a statement announcing results of the study.

"The results underscore the need for a fundamental change in the structure of Ohio's election system to ensure ballot and voting system security while still making voting convenient and accessible to all Ohio voters," Brunner said.

Brunner's major recommendations include:


• Eliminating statewide the use of touch-screen voting machines that record votes directly.
• Centralize vote counts of optically-scanned paper ballots rather than tallying them at precinct locations.
• Allow early voting at election day vote centers 15 days before an election.
• Require all August 2008 elections that involve only ballot issues -- and not candidates -- to be conducted by mail or in-person voting at county election boards.
http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/12/brunner_ohios_vote_vulnerable.html

[mod mom]

4. Dayton Daily: Voting Machines Vulnerable In 2008

Voting machines vulnerable in 2008

By William Hershey
Staff Writer
Saturday, December 15, 2007

COLUMBUS — Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Friday released a $1.9 million study that found "critical security failures" with Ohio's electronic voting systems that could impact the integrity of the state's elections.

A magnet and a personal digital assistant device would be tools enough to compromise an accurate vote count, Brunner said.

Republican House Speaker Jon Husted of Kettering joined Democrat Brunner at a press conference to unveil the report, paid for with federal funds.

The show of bipartisanship came with next year's heated presidential election — in which Ohio is expected to play a key role — already under way.

-snip

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/12/14/ddn121507ohvoting.html

[mod mom]

5. MOD MOM: Sue the BASTARDS who sold the faulty, vote stealing equipment!

[Botany]

6. ATTN Mod Mom

the faulty equipment? It was not faulty @ all .... it did what it was
built to do .... flip votes.

[mod mom]

7. you know what I mean, Botany.

:hi: I think we both agree to sue the bastards and throw their sorry asses in jail!

[Eurobabe]

9. Oh but that would foil Darth and KKKarl's plans for

2008, now wouldn't it?