Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News 12/08/05

[Wilms]

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

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

Imagine:

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

2. Posting stories using the "Election Fraud and Reform News Sources" listed here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x397093

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

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




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

[Bill Bored]

1. First!

Woops, wrong thread. :)

[Wilms]

2. VA: Recount Will Start In Two Weeks

Recount Will Start In Two Weeks

Atty. Gen. Hopefuls Equally Optimistic

By Carol Morello
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 7, 2005; Page B01

RICHMOND, Dec. 6 -- A statewide recount of almost 2 million ballots cast for attorney general last month will take place over two days starting Dec. 21, a judge decided Tuesday.

With only 323 votes dividing the two major-party candidates, the recount to determine the winner will occur barely three weeks before the scheduled inauguration.

Republican State Sen. Robert F. McDonnell (Virginia Beach), who has been certified as the winner, sat in the front row Tuesday in Richmond Circuit Court as Judge Theodore J. Markow set the recount date. McDonnell has claimed the mantle of victory and has started interviewing and hiring staff members.

Democratic Del. R. Creigh Deeds (Bath), who trails by a margin of just 0.017 percent and requested the recount, was not present. He was at his farm "focusing on the transition," a spokesman said.

snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601942.html

[Wilms]

3. CT: Get On With The Vote

Get On With The Vote
December 7, 2005

MIDDLETOWN -- Middletown officials should drop any appeal of a clear, appropriate ruling by Superior Court Judge Julia L. Aurigemma, who ordered that a new election for city council be held in District 11 on Jan. 24.

Republican candidate David Bauer successfully argued that one of four voting machines in District 11 had malfunctioned. He received 188, 179 and 169 votes on the other machines. The fourth machine registered 12 votes under his name. Clearly something was amiss; as the judge noted, voters were directed equally to all machines at the polling place.

She further noted that each council candidate got roughly the same number of votes on each machine. Finally, a test of the suspect voting machine confirmed the problem; in 50 attempts, no votes were registered on Mr. Bauer's line.

Key to Ms. Aurigemma's decision is her finding that an unknown number of voters lost their vote. Had Mr. Bauer received 103 additional votes on the broken machine (which is statistically likely), he would have edged out V. James Russo for the 12th and final spot on the council.

snip

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-middecide1dec07,0,6171074.story?coll=hc-headlines-editorials

[Wilms]

4. CT: Group of professors in battle with state over voting machines

Group of professors in battle with state over voting machines

By SUSAN HAIGH
Associated Press Writer

December 7, 2005, 1:54 PM EST

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A group of Connecticut academics is urging the state's top election official to scrap the bidding for new electronic voting machines, saying she favors models that could be prone to glitches.

The group wants Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz to consider a different device because mistake-prone machines could discourage people from voting.

"You don't have to assume chicanery," said Ralph Morelli, who teaches at Trinity College in Hartford. "If the machine can't be booted up in the morning, nobody gets to vote. If they miscalculate how many voters can be handled on a machine, you're going to have huge lines and people are going to be turned away. Why go through this?"

Morelli and his group, TrueVoteConnecticut, have launched a Web site and a letter-writing campaign that they hope will generate support to restart the bidding process. But Bysiewicz questions their impartiality and said the device they favor doesn't meet state law.

snip

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--votingmachinessqu1207dec07,0,384166.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut

[Wilms]

5. NY: State to test voting machine; groups upset

12/07/05

State to test voting machine; groups upset

Electronic device does not have paper backup system

By Tom Grace

Cooperstown News Bureau

The state Board of Elections is being criticized for testing an electronic voting machine that does not generate a paper trail as required by state law.

The testing comes as the state prepares to scrap its mechanical voting machines and buy thousands of new ones. However, before any county in the state can buy a voting machine, a prototype of that machine must be tested and certified by state elections officials.

Earlier this year, the state Legislature set minimum requirements for electronic voting machines, mandating, among other things, that they must produce slips of paper that can be recounted when the electronically tabulated results are challenged.

Spokesman Lee Daghlian said Tuesday that the state Board of Elections has agreed to test a Liberty Elections Systems machine this week.

snip

http://www.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2005/12/07/voting2.html

[Wilms]

6. FL: Wexler asks court to ensure manual recounts in close races

Dec. 07, 2005

Wexler asks court to ensure manual recounts in close races

JOHN PAIN

Associated Press

MIAMI - Florida's touch-screen voting machines violate people's constitutional rights because they don't create a paper record of each ballot, a lawyer for U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler said Wednesday in a federal appeals court. But a state lawyer said the ATM-like devices are accurate and don't need a paper trail.

The Boca Raton Democrat sued the state and two county elections supervisors in March 2004 because the touch-screen machines don't create physical ballots that can be counted by hand when disputes arise in close races.

He argues that because the 15 Florida counties with touch-screens have a different recount procedure than the other 52 with machines that scan paper ballots, the state violates the Constitution's equal protection clause and the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended the disputed presidential election in 2000. That ruling called for uniform recount standards throughout the state.

But a federal judge disagreed with Wexler in a ruling issued just before last year's presidential election. He said touch-screens "provide sufficient safeguards" of constitutional rights. Wexler challenged the decision to a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard arguments Wednesday.

snip

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/13351512.htm

Thanks to sabra for the LBN Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1972241

[Wilms]

7. CA: A Crisis of Confidence (GuvWorld)

http://www.humboldtsentinel.com/index.htm

A Crisis of Confidence

Doubt cast on security of local elections

By Charles Douglas

HUMBOLDT SENTINEL


Voter Confidence Committee organizer Dave (GuvWorld) Berman EUREKA -

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office on Oct. 20 contains biting criticisms of electronic voting systems used by elections officials across the country -- and which both nationally prominent and homegrown activists say also applies to balloting in Humboldt County.

“While electronic voting systems hold promise for improving the election process, numerous entities have raised concerns about their security and reliability, citing instances of weak security controls, system design flaws, inadequate system version control, inadequate security testing, incorrect system configuration, poor security management, and vague or incomplete voting system standards,” the GAO report states.

Black Box Voting founder Bev Harris said point-blank that some of these concerns directly relate to the AccuVote machines manufactured by Diebold, Inc. and used in Humboldt County to count optically-scanned votes. In particular, Harris pointed to the central tabulator of votes known as GEMS and to the precinct-based ballot box cards used to program the machines for each election.

“ has issues that still have not been resolved, they were originally exposed by Black Box Voting in 2003 and confirmed in a study by Dr. Johnson,” she said on Friday. Harris said these findings were confimed again by an independent report commissioned by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office and released on Aug. 18 of last year. “ rated defects in GEMS as triple-high security risk, they indicated had not been resolved…in California they’re looking at changing the way the windows program works in order to resolve this.”

snip

http://www.humboldtsentinel.com/051202a.htm


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x404315

[Wilms]

8. Green Party of New York State Backs Optical Scan Voting Machines

GPNYS Backs Verifiable Voting

Green Party of New York State Backs Optical Scan Voting Machines

The Green Party of New York State (GPNYS) today announced its preference for precinct-based Paper Ballot / Optical Scan (PBOS) voting machines as the most practical method for New York State to comply with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Citing studies provided by New Yorkers for Verified Voting and wheresthepaper.org documenting the many failures of, and problems with, Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) touch-screen voting machines, GPNYS said of the choices being offered to voters in New York State, only PBOS meets the requirements necessary for accurate and transparent elections. In opting for PBOS, GPNYS is proclaiming its opposition to DRE’s and their inherent flaws. If these are the only choices in the race to comply with HAVA, then we must go with the method that’s the safest.

The Green Party of New York State acknowledges the reservations many have with adopting electronic systems in the wake of the 2004 election, but at the same time point out that our choices have been limited by misunderstanding of HAVA requirements by legislators who hold the mistaken belief that we must acquire some type of electronic voting machines.

It should be noted that PBOS is not GPNYS’ first choice, or necessarily the best choice. Greens would have preferred full-paper ballot elections, a system that is used successfully in many countries including Canada. Opponents of this method believe it’s too time consuming and subject to fraud despite its widespread use.

Another acceptable choice for Greens would have been to retain our present lever machines. These machines have proven their reliability for decades. They’re easily maintained, even by poll workers, but have fallen into disrepair by the misperception that they’re outdated, and by the allure of modern systems. They were built to last 150 years and parts for these machines, despite statements to the contrary, are still readily available from the manufacturer. Neither of these methods is precluded by HAVA. However, state legislators have all but eliminated these choices from the discussion, having opted for the more expensive electronic systems. They’ve further muddied the waters by throwing the choice of voting systems to county election officials who, for the most part, were not involved in the original decision making process. The result may be a hodge-podge of incompatible systems.

snip

http://www.gpnys.org/?p=222


Thanks to Earth_First for the GD Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5541188

[Wilms]

9. Ohio lawmakers urged to go slow on election reform

Ohio lawmakers urged to go slow on election reform

December 7, 2005

By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

COLUMBUS - Opponents of new voter identification requirements and other changes formally unveiled yesterday by Senate Republicans urged the chamber to slow the election reform train.

The 424-page bill is expected to pass the Senate Rules Committee today and could clear both the Senate and House next week before they recess for the holidays.

"There's so much wrong with this bill that you don't know where to start," said Peg Rosenfield, elections specialist for the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "We want them not to rush this like they did campaign finance but to sit down and go through this section by section, listen to testimony, and try to get it right."

snip

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051207/NEWS24/512070450/-1/NEWS

[Wilms]

10. POTENTIAL SECURITIES FRAUD CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST DIEBOLD IN PROGRES

EXCLUSIVE: POTENTIAL SECURITIES FRAUD CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST DIEBOLD IN PROGRESS!

Documents and comments provided by Company Insiders suggest Diebold could be the next Enron as All-New Legal Troubles Mount for Voting Machine Giant...

Additional Individual, Union Owners of Diebold Stock, Mutual Funds Sought for Addition to Plaintiff Class

by Brad on 12/7/2005 @ 12:28pm PT...

The BRAD BLOG has received exclusive detailed information about a developing potential class action securities litigation against Diebold, Inc. (stock symbol: DBD ). The class for the suit will involve...

The BRAD BLOG has received exclusive detailed information about a developing potential class action securities litigation against Diebold, Inc. (stock symbol: DBD). The class for the suit will involve shareholders who purchased or owned stock in the Ohio-based company any time from October 22, 2003 though September 21, 2005.

Though we are not at liberty at this time to discuss the specifics of the potential litigation and the causes of action in the complaint being compiled, The BRAD BLOG has learned that the class action lawsuit, currently being drawn up, will involve securities fraud violations and other troubling matters for the controversial company, its CEO as well as current and former members of its Board of Directors.

VelvetRevolution.us (an organization co-founded by BRAD BLOG managing editor, Brad Friedman) is seeking additional individuals and groups who may qualify as plaintiffs in the specified class. Those who owned or purchased Diebold stock, or mutual funds which carried Diebold during the period mentioned, are asked to contact [email protected] where information submitted may be turned over to attorneys for possible addition to the plaintiff class.

Union groups who own or owned shares of Diebold or mutual funds which invest in the company are specifically urged to contact VR about joining the class action.

The mutual funds which are most heavily invested in Diebold are listed here. Information on "Insider Transactions" is listed here.

snip/links

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002126.htm


ER Discussion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x404304

GD
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5540574

LBN
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1972438

[Wilms]

15. Diebold Stockholder Lawsuit is Imminent?

Diebold Stockholder Lawsuit is Imminent?

by Humor_In_Cuneiform

Dec-07-05

Two recent stories indicate that a Diebold stockholder lawsuit is imminent.

When a stock drops significantly and cannot rebound for approximately two months, a stockholder lawsuit can result.


snip/links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2298636

[Wilms]

11. Invisible Ballots: It’s 11pm. Do you know where your votes are?

December 7, 2005

Invisible Ballots

It’s 11pm. Do you know where your votes are?

by Mick Youther

http://www.opednews.com

I recently watched a documentary called “Invisible Ballots”. In it, investigative reporters, election reformers and computer scientists offer a compelling argument against the use of paperless electronic systems in our elections. Invisible Ballots should be required viewing for all election officials—especially those who make purchasing decisions.

Most people were shocked by what we learned during the drawn-out presidential election of 2000. We learned our voting system routinely fails to count hundreds of thousands of votes in our national elections. We learned that electronic voting machines in one Florida precinct could register a negative 16,022 votes for one candidate. We learned that our election system was a disaster.

snip

In the guise of voting reform the Bush Administration pushed the “Helping America Vote Act (HAVA)” through Congress, allocating $3.86 billion to overhaul America's voting infrastructure. HAVA required the Federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to develop standards to help states meet HAVA requirements. The EAC was to complete this by January 1, 2004; so the states could have their new voting systems in place by January 1, 2006.

But, for some reason, President Bush failed to appoint members to the EAC for more than nine months—making it impossible for the EAC to meet its deadline for providing the new voting system standards. The Republican congress refused to appropriate the HAVA authorized money for pilot programs and technology improvements in 2003. Then, to make matters worse, the EAC received only 12% of the money authorized for its operation in 2004.

Now, even though the EAC was about two years behind in developing the voting system standards, the Bush Justice Department has declared that HAVA “unambiguously requires” the states to have their new voting systems ready in time to meet the January 1, 2006 deadline.

snip

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_mick_you_051207__3cb_3e__invisible_ballo.htm

[Wilms]

12. AR: Voting Equipment Decision Delayed

Voting Equipment Decision Delayed

Election Officials Seek Additional Information

By Dan Craft
The Morning News

FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County election officials delayed selection of new voting equipment Tuesday, citing lack of information about federal requirements and maintenance costs.

"Truth be told, I'm getting a little nervous about the whole thing," said Pete Loris, election commissioner. "Everything we hear keeps changing."

The county's voting system must be upgraded as part of a statewide program to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002. State officials selected Election Systems and Software of Omaha, Neb., as the statewide vendor, and have given each county several options regarding equipment purchases.

snip

"We've got what amounts to an unfunded mandate either way, because they'll buy equipment but not pay for voter education or increased maintenance," Burrow said. "At this point, we're not even sure exactly what that mandate is or how much it might cost."

snip

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2005/12/07/news/fayetteville/02fzvotingmachine.txt

[Wilms]

13. 80% of Military Voted or Tried To

80% of Military Voted or Tried To
Pentagon Cites Simpler Absentee Balloting, More Outreach

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 7, 2005; Page A23

They fight and they vote.

Voter participation among members of the U.S. military reached an all-time high in 2004, reflecting a streamlined absentee balloting process and increased outreach efforts, Defense Department officials said.

Nearly 80 percent of people in the uniformed armed services voted or attempted to vote in the last presidential election, according to a survey by the Federal Voting Assistance Program, which is supervised by the Pentagon. The 2004 participation rate reflected an increase of 10 percentage points from 2000 and was far higher than last year's rate for the general public, which was 64 percent.

snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601556.html

Thanks to papau

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x404292

[Wilms]

14. PA: Casey campaign files complaint over Santorum ads

Dec 8, 12:15 AM EST

Casey campaign files complaint over Santorum ads

By KIMBERLY HEFLING
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bob Casey Jr. filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday, alleging a third-party group that has run ads in support of Sen. Rick Santorum violated federal election laws.

Casey - Pennsylvania's treasurer and Santorum's likely Democratic challenger in the 2006 election - alleges the group violated election law by not revealing the identity of its donors.

snip

Dubke said the group does not reveal who its donors are because it distracts from its message.

snip

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PA_PENNSYLVANIA_SENATE_PAOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-12-08-00-15-50


Thanks to Thom Little

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x404335

[Wilms]

16. (You Say You Want A) Voterevolution-Flash Animation Click here to hide th

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/voterevolution.html


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x404351

[Wilms]

17. Federal lawsuit alleging Ohio election system inadequacies moves forward

December 06, 2005

Federal lawsuit alleging Ohio election system inadequacies moves forward

Katerina Ossenova at 11:32 AM ET

A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses Ohio election officials of violating constitutional rights to equal protection and due process. The League of Women Voters sued state election officials, claiming that the current system deprives citizens of voting rights, citing examples from the 2004 election . LWV insists that Ohio's system has harmed voters for 30 years by failing to issue absentee ballots, discounting legitimate ballots, and not accommodating disabled voters. It believes that improved training for local elections officials will work to redress these inadequacies. Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell and Governor Bob Taft have vowed to fight the allegations. The lawsuit does not challenge the results from the Ohio presidential election even though a handful of challenges to recount procedures and other issues remain.

snip/tons of links

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2005/12/federal-lawsuit-alleging-ohio-election.php

Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=404269&mesg_id=404269

[Wilms]

18. EAC to Elect Officers and Consider Adopting Voluntary Voting System Guidel

ADVISORY
EAC to Elect Officers and Consider Adopting Voluntary Voting System Guide
December 5, 2005

EAC to Elect Officers at December Meeting and Consider the Adoption of Voluntary Voting System Guidelines

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)

DATE & TIME: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 (10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon)

LOCATION: EAC Offices (1225 New York Ave., Suite 1100, Washington, DC)

MEETING AGENDA

EAC will elect the Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission for 2006 and consider the adoption of the proposed Voluntary Voting System Guidelines.

To learn more about the EAC, please visit www.eac.gov.

pdf of the above
http://www.eac.gov/docs/Stakeholder%20Advisory%20(%2012-13-05%20)%20Meeting-Hearing.pdf

Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=404359&mesg_id=404359

[Wilms]

19. Dueling quotes (Diebold Story)

December 7. 2005

Dueling quotes

by David Allen

snip/just read it

http://blackboxvoting.com/s9/index.php?/archives/31-Dueling-quotes.html

[Wilms]

20. Diebold breaks its own rules

December 6. 2005

Diebold breaks its own rules

Diebold Exec Ignores Ban on Political Donations

The Petrelis Files

Despite a ban on political contributions from Diebold executives, implemented in June of 2004 after the voting machine corporation's chief executive officer, Walden O'Dell, came under heavy criticism for hosting a fundraiser for George W. Bush and signing a letter promising to deliver Ohio's electoral college vote to him.

One Diebold leader apparently never got the memo about the ban.

snip

A Federal Election Commission file on Isac Tabib reveals he made a $1,000 (donation) this past June to Republican U.S. Senator Michael DeWine, who's up for reelection in 2006. Why let a little thing like the company's policy prohibiting such contributions stop Tabib from writing out a check to DeWine?

snip

http://blackboxvoting.com/s9/index.php?/archives/28-Diebold-breaks-its-own-rules.html

[Wilms]

22. Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1974013

[Wilms]

21. Election reform debate fierce - Blackwell spokesman, Jacobson spar

Election reform debate fierce

Blackwell spokesman, Jacobson spar over proposal

By William Hershey

Dayton Daily News

COLUMBUS | State Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp., and a spokesman for Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the state's top elections officer, tangled verbally Tuesday over a proposal to prohibit Blackwell and any future secretary of state from playing a leadership role in any political campaigns other than his or her own.

The disagreement was one of several that erupted as the Senate Rules Committee took up a bill to overhaul elections procedures.

The bill would restrict political activity by secretaries of state, require Ohio voters to show identification such as a driver's license or a copy of a current utility bill before casting their ballots and would beef up requirements for putting proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot.

snip

http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/1207voting.html

[Wilms]

23. NC board of elections sued over Diebold certification

NC board of elections sued over Diebold certification

December 08, 2005
North Carolina Sued for Illegally Certifying Voting Equipment

EFF Asks Court to Void Approval of Diebold and Others Without Source Code Review

Raleigh, North Carolina - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Thursday filed a complaint against the North Carolina Board of Elections and the North Carolina Office of Information Technology Services on behalf of voting integrity advocate Joyce McCloy, asking that the Superior Court void the recent illegal certification of three electronic voting systems.

North Carolina law requires the Board of Elections to rigorously review all voting system code "prior to certification." Ignoring this requirement, the Board of Elections on December 1st certified voting systems offered by Diebold Election Systems, Sequoia Voting Systems, and Election Systems and Software without having first obtained – let alone reviewed – the system code.

"This is about the rule of law," said EFF Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. "The Board of Elections has simply ignored its mandatory obligations under North Carolina election law. This statute was enacted to require election officials to investigate the quality and security of voting systems before approval, and only approve those that are safe and secure. By certifying without a full review of all relevant code, the Board of Elections has now opened the door for North Carolina counties to purchase untested and potentially insecure voting equipment."

North Carolina experienced one of the most serious malfunctions of e-voting systems in the 2004 presidential election when over 4,500 ballots were lost in a voting system provided by e-voting vendor UniLect Corp. Electronic voting systems across the country have come under fire during the past several years as unexplained malfunctions combined with efforts by vendors to protect their proprietary systems from meaningful review have left voters with serious questions about the integrity of the voting process.

snip

http://blackboxvoting.com/s9/index.php?/archives/34-NC-board-of-elections-sued-over-Diebold-certification.html

LBN Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1974676