Georgia Senate Votes 51-0 for 'Paper Trail' Plan... (BradBlog)

[Up2Late]

(I guess Brad was too busy to post this here, but this is GOOD news, sort of. I think the test Counties are all Republican rich but,
ONE OF THEM IS MINE!!!! Cobb)):evilgrin:

Blogged by Brad on 3/6/2006 @ 5:58pm PT...

Georgia Senate Votes 51-0 for 'Paper Trail' Plan...

Diebold's Other 'Showcase State' Starts Wising Up
AP Continues to Report on Issues That Actually Matter, Albeit Not Particularly Accurately...

What's with AP? We thought all of this stuff was "conspiracy theory"? It looks like Diebold's other "showcase state" who, along with Maryland , were the first to move to...

What's with AP? We thought all of this stuff was "conspiracy theory"?

It looks like Diebold's other "showcase state" who, along with Maryland, were the first to move to un-auditable paperless touch-screen voting machines is beginning to face the music. Reports AP...

Senate approves study of voting paper trail

ATLANTA - The state Senate on Monday unanimously approved a plan that could lead to paper ballots being added to Georgia's electronic voting machines.

"My hope is that this legislation will take us one more step forward toward having the most trustworthy, secure voting system in the country," said Sen. Bill Stephens, R-Canton, the plan's sponsor and a candidate for secretary of state in this year's election.

According to the plan, which passed 51-0, precincts in Bibb, Camden and Cobb counties would be outfitted with the paper balloting for November's general election.

If all went well, the state could add the receipts to all of its voting machines by the 2008 presidential election, Stephens said.

Under current Secretary of State Cathy Cox, Georgia switched to an all-electronic voting system in 2002 in the aftermath of the chaotic presidential vote in Florida....

We should point out that what the GA Senate is talking about is not actually "paper ballots" as the AP story seems to erroneously suggest, but "paper trails". There's a difference, of course. More on that in a second.

For additional context here, we'll note (with a hat-tip to John Gideon) that Cox, a Democrat, is running for Governor now in the state. She, along with her counterpart in Maryland, Linda Lamone had been huge supporters of paperless Diebold voting originally, going so far as to allowing herself to be featured on Diebold's brochures (see photo below).

Apparently Cox sees the writing on the wall, while the tone-deaf Lamone is still fighting to ensure nobody can ever actually count how her state's constituents actually voted (see this previous article.)

(more at links below, Brad has posted several links at his site)

<http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002508.htm>

<http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/politics/14032432.htm>

[xultar]

1. NO FUCKING WAY! GOOD JOB GA. I live in Gwinnett where

election stealing was invented.

[Up2Late]

2. I couldn't believe it either when I heard it on the radio. This is the...

...first positive news I've heard in Months!

Maybe their is hope after all?:pals:

[napi21]

3. I really LIKE this option! It's much better than a paper receipt that you

take home! What are you going to do with it there?

I read about this option with Sequoia voting machines in Pa. I think this is the best option I've heard in a very long time. Check the printout under the glass to be sure it's what you want, and OK it. Drop it into a secure container and you HAVE the paper to count if you have to!

It might have been a Pub who suggested it, but I have to thank him anyway!

And YES, I live in Ga. too!!! Hall County.

[Up2Late]

6. I don't know if a "take home" receipt was ever an option, it may have...

...been mis-reported as such, but if it was, I never saw it.

If it was considered, you are right, it would have made no sense to take the receipt home.

Another way they could do it too, I think, would be to print out a receipt for the voter to read through, then drop into a locked and sealed box that would only be unsealed if needed for a recount.

I worry a little about this "continuous tape" method, because of mis-feeding or the possibilities of the tape being "eaten" by the printer, but it's better than what we have now, that's for sure.

(Edited for clarity, edit in bold)

[napi21]

9. Please read this snip from the OP's post link.

Under the Stephens plan, voters would not get to keep a copy of their ballot, but instead would be able to review the paper receipt under a clear, plastic cover before finalizing their vote.
The paper ballots could be used in the event of a recount or other challenge to an election's vote total.


http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/politics/14032432.htm

This is a good answer. Taking a piece of paper home would accomplish NOTHING! You need something secured at the time of the vote to be able to do a valid recount!

[Up2Late]

11. Yes, I agree with you. Maybe my previous post was unclear, so I...

...edited it a little to eliminate some confusion.

What I said was, I never saw any News report's that said, taking a printed receipt home after voting, was something that was being considered as a way to fix the problem.

Other than that, I agreed with you completely, in my previous post.

[MissWaverly]

14. Yes, indeed

When I vote for a candidate, I want to see it in writing, no more defaults for Bush, this
just might drive the rest of the Bushco out of politics, exits polls that match the results
just like in the Ukraine, what is this country coming to?

[AX10]

4. GOOD!

:kick:.

[AtomicKitten]

5. Hallelujah!!!

Georgia has had some really interesting voting results. In 2002, three local races were won by precisely 1,881 votes, all by Republicans. Voting magic!!!

This is excellent news.

Now about those that actually count the votes ...

[msongs]

7. its a great start on the road to paper ballots as the ballot of record

hand counted like the old days. if canada can do it so can we. there is no hurry when the nation is at stake.

Msongs
www.msongs.com
batik & digital art
shirts and mugs

[paineinthearse]

8. It pays to respond to campaign letter solicitations

I received a form letter from the incumbent SoS, who is running for re-election, and had a few questions. So I emailed to the "info" address.

Guess who called me tonight?

Proud to say that Massachusetts ALREADY requires a paper trail, and our election laws will only be getting cleaner!

Way to go, Georgia.

[Boredtodeath]

10. ONE precinct in EACH county - 3 PRECINCTS

And the bill's entire purpose is to delay voter verified paper ballots until 2008.

This is NOT good news.

Oh, and BTW, no one has to COUNT THE PAPER in those 3 precincts.

[Up2Late]

13. "ONE precinct in EACH County" is 3 better that what we have now, ZERO!

This isn't delaying anything, our Diebold selected, State Government, has always been saying 2008 for a paper trail, this eliminates one more excuse they could have used to delay the 2008 roll out.

Plus, it still has to be passed by the State House, where it could be changed, AND it might contain a little surprise for all concerned, check the part in bold:

<http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2005_06/fulltext/sb500.htm>

SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "2006 Georgia Accuracy in Elections Act."

SECTION 2.
Part 5 of Article 9 of Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to electronic recording voting systems, is amended by adding a new Code Section 21-2-379.12 to read as follows:
"21-2-379.12.

(a) The Secretary of State shall implement a pilot program providing for the use of direct recording electronic (DRE) voting equipment equipped and configured with an elector verified, permanent paper record of the votes cast by each elector on each DRE unit in one precinct each in the Counties of Cobb, Bibb, and Camden in the 2006 November general election and any runoff from such election.

(b)(1) Each DRE unit used in the pilot project shall meet the requirements of this subsection and shall be of the same general type from the same vendor or manufacturer as those DRE units in use in the state.

(2) Each DRE unit used by the counties in the pilot project shall have received national qualification and shall have passed state certification for use in elections. For the purposes of this Code section, the Secretary of State is authorized to provide for a conditional certification of the units which shall expire on December 31, 2006.

(3) Each unit shall produce an elector verified, permanent paper record of the votes cast by each elector on such device and shall provide the elector with an opportunity to review the permanent paper record privately and independently before casting his or her vote on the unit and to change his or her ballot or correct any error in such record or vote; provided, however, that it shall not allow the elector to have actual physical possession of such record. Each unit shall bear a unique identifying number and each unit shall be equipped with a storage device that:

(A) Stores each of the elector verified, permanent paper records at the same time as such electoŕs votes are stored electronically by the DRE unit;
(B) Bears the same unique identifying number as the DRE unit to which it is attached; and
(C) Can be removed from the DRE unit for the purpose of transporting the permanent paper records contained therein to a central tabulating center....

(more at link below)

<http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2005_06/fulltext/sb500.htm>

I could be wrong here, but I'm fairly sure these DRE's ("...direct recording electronic (DRE) voting equipment..., or Touch screen voting machines, as most of us call them) I don't think they have EVER "...received national qualification...!"

I'm not a Judge or a Lawyer, but this could be an important point to ask a Judge about, if this passes with this language.

[Wilms]

16. Something tells me the machines have "passed" Fed certification.

I wonder if that passage gives them the ability to use the machines, at SoS option, should the federal cetification be stripped (as it should).

[Boredtodeath]

17. "I could be wrong here, but"

You are wrong. They HAVE received federal certification - several iterations.

Whether or not that certification was/is legitimate is the question for the judge. But they ARE certifed.

[BradBlog]

12. Please feel free to post BRAD BLOG stuff anytime, Up2late!

You're right. I've been *way* to busy to run around and make noise over here at DU of late!

Please feel free to repost/link-up any time as you all see fit!

(There's some other important related stories at www.BradBlog.com right now concerning a similar sitch in Marlyand: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002506.htm)

And don't forget we need help getting Air America back on the air in Phoenix!
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002512.htm
...Though I'm gonna hope you guys have already been making noise about that one far and wide!

Brad

[McCamy Taylor]

15. There has got to be a catch.

[Up2Late]

18. I'm sure there is...

...we just won't know about it until November 2006 or 2008.:evilfrown:

[fearnobush]

19. Georga, whats up, getting tired of Saxbe?

Remember when Cleland had a 12pt lead 1 week before the election, then Diebold did there 1 2 GOP magic hat trick?

[Up2Late]

21. Believe me, we remember. That was only the first election they stole.

The same year we got "governor" George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, thanks to Diebold.



<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Perdue>

They also stole the State Senate and the State House in 2002 and 2004 (I can't remember which one was stolen in what year, but both were delivered thanks to Diebold).

[Nutmegger]

20. Thank you BradBlog!

I sent it to many folks! :applause:

[RebelOne]

22. Darn, I work in Cobb County. Too bad I can't vote there.

I live in Cherokee County, a pure unadulterated red area.

[RazzleDazzle]

23. Um, here's a clue for you

If any Republican did it or supports it, it's NOT good news.

Another clue: if Cathy Cox is involved, it's equally likely it's NOT good news.

[RubyDuby in GA]

24. Well thank gawd. Back to being a blue state soon.

[Hosnon]

25. Thank GOD! Go Georgia Senate! nt

[texpatriot2004]

26. Paper Trails help create Auditable Elections Go GA nm

[Up2Late]

27. kick n/t

:kick: