BBV: News Break...

[Andy_Stephenson]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date Tuesday April 27th, 1:00 PM Pacific
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andy Stephenson, [e-mail]


SEATTLE – Andy Stephenson, Voting Rights activist and Candidate for Washington Secretary of State, announces the addition of nationally known voting rights activist Bev Harris to his lawsuit against Sam Reed. Her addition will bring more focus to the case.

A summary Judgment hearing has been scheduled for Friday May 14th. All interested parties are urged to attend the hearing in King County Superior Court. This hearing will determine whether or not the case should proceed to trial. In light of the California VSPP’s recommendation to decertify Diebold, Stephenson calls on Sam Reed (Current Secretary of State)to immediately decertify Diebold for use in Washington State.

Additional information on GEMS and ACCUBASIC is also coming to light and a full report will be ready by early next week. This report will shed more light on GEMS, ACCUBASIC and the “Rob Georgia” patch. Interesting changes indeed.

Although Diebold is the most embattled voting equipment company, computer scientists say paperless systems made by Sequoia Voting Systems Inc. and other competitors also expose elections to attack, software glitches and tabulation errors that could delete or alter millions of ballots. Therefore, Stephenson is calling on Reed to immediately require ALL touch screen or electronic voting systems to produce a voter verified paper ballot.



Sorry this is late guys but tooth problems have plagued me since Sunday and persist today.

Andy

[nostamj]

1. boy, that BEV just sticks her nose into EVERYTHING

;-)

get 'em tigers!

[yowzayowzayowza]

2. Dominoes. Excellent.

Yer still teasing with next weeks report... ummmm.

[Andy_Stephenson]

3. Due to "Technical difficulties"

a hard drive crash on the test bed. Luckily the information was saved...but equipment and time constraints are in place currently.

[yowzayowzayowza]

6. Sounds like yer...

having as bad a week as I am!!!! Thx again for all your work!!!

[BevHarris]

26. Sometimes things don't break on schedule

The facts unfold in their own pesky timeline. We lucked out that the lawyers memos and the James Dunn declaration both surfaced right before the California hearings. For a moment there, we thought there would be a third whammy too, but it's taking its own sweet time.

The Sequoia story, and the tech from Denver who uploaded something into the Riverside system during a live election (then stuck his disk in his pocket and left the state) made it into testimony in front of the voters panel. Another nail is going to go into that coffin tomorrow. Riverside elections registrar Mischelle Townsend kept doing that forced smile at the voting panel, trying to get them to smile back. They weren't having it. Her voice quavered during most of her testimony. Guess what, Mischelle? No one is buying it.

Here's the next nail: Townsend always says there is a way to recount her Sequoia touch screens, the "redundant memory." Picture this: flash memory in the machine, plus memory card in the machine. Both will have the same data, supposedly, and that's their big "multiple data source" which could be used for recounts.

But guess what? The memory card is removed, taken to the county, where it is put into the central tabulator (WinEds) and adds up the votes. The WinEds machine was what the unauthorized techs were diddling with during the middle of the election. Their diddling could have overwritten stuff in the removable memory cards.

So, during the Soubirous recount, the campaign asked to see the "redundant memory" -- the results from the flash memory still residing in the touch screens. First Townsend said they didn't use it this time. (???) Then, she said they did and they'd get it. Now, she says it is not relevant to the recount and no one can have it.

Andy has had a raw nerve torturing him when a filling popped out. Damn America's terrible healthcare system: "We can't get you in for a few days, sir."

Andy is a helluva investigator and a good politician too. I just love the guy.

Bev

[RedEagle]

29. Sorry, That's Still No Recount

"Townsend always says there is a way to recount her Sequoia touch screens, the "redundant memory." Picture this: flash memory in the machine, plus memory card in the machine. Both will have the same data, supposedly, and that's their big "multiple data source" which could be used for recounts."

That's still just a "reread," not a recount.

Redundant memory of the computer's interpretation of your vote.

An interpretation cannot be audited.

It is not evidence of actual voter intent.

Whatever the program did, it did everywhere on every medium and cannot be verified. Verification only comes from a voter verified paper ballot.



Granted, what's going on here makes it even worse, but don't let them get away, ever, with redundant memory used in audit procedures.

All redundancy will prove is that the computer maintained consistency throughout- and it could be consistently WRONG.

Always get on record that what the machines do is not count actual, verifiable evidence, that it cannot be and is not a recount, that a recount is an audit and an audit cannot take place without an independent, verifiable source document.

Flash memory and memory cards are not source documents.

[BevHarris]

30. You are absolutely dead on. That's what made this tricky, legally

We wanted to file a lawsuit over their refusal to allow the audit, but it isn't really an audit. That would be a double-edged sword, because it could produce legal precedent that said the "redundant memory" constitutes an audit.

However, it is important to obtain that internal memory. If the attack point is in ballot creation, for example, programming Spanish language ballots to record votes for the opposite candidate, the redundant memory will be equally rigged.

But if the attack point was the guy diddling with the central tabulator as the votes were counted, checking what's in the touch screen flash memory might expose it.

Of course, Townsend was saying it would take a long, long time to get at it. Long enough, perhaps, to erase or diddle with the flash memory?

By the way -- do you have the address for where I'm speaking in Bellingham tomorrow? Will I see you there? Is it okay for (yet another) documentary film producer to show up?

Bev

[yowzayowzayowza]

32. Wow, guys...

thx for the update. Can't say it enough, :yourock:

:kick:

[RedEagle]

45. Chain of Custody Issue Then?

There is no ability to audit, so the only thing you can try to do is prove that all the memories say the same thing.

If they don't, then either:

Really sick computer

Damage to the medium

Tampering

The only thing you can verify here, is that whatever the computer did, it's consistent throughout. A check on computer consistency, but not on accuracy of interpretation.

I'm beginning to think that work interpretation is pretty important, because it reflects that whatever the computer did, it is not an actual vote or ballot.

[gristy]

4. Very good, Andy.

A few nits: when referring to yourself the 2nd and subsequent times in press releases, you should use "Stephenson", not "Andy". As in

"Stephenson is calling on Reed to immediately require ALL touch screen or electronic voting systems in Washington State to produce a voter verified paper ballot."

This is how reporters will write it, and the better you can write the article for them, the better.

Note that I also shortened "Sam Reed" to "Reed" in the above sentance, since you had already referred to him using his full name. Also, who is Sam Reed? Try

"SEATTLE - Andy Stephenson, voting rights activist and candidate for Washington Secretary of State, announces the addition of nationally known voting rights activist Bev Harris to his lawsuit against Sam Reed, Washington Secretary of State. The addition of Harris will bring more focus to the case."

Note fewer caps (since those aren't proper nouns...)

[Andy_Stephenson]

7. I fixed the nit you picked.

Thanks.

Pain makes a bad working partner.

[ParanoidPat]

5. Yee Haaa!

:evilgrin: I've had a few problems of my own so the tool kit has been delayed just a bit longer. The good news is I found a great source for direct office phone & fax numbers as well as E-Mail addresses of election officials in most states and am currently updating the list accordingly!

I think we're going to piss a lot of people off. :)

Thanks again Bev and Andy! :toast:

(Ed Schultz just gave a plug to VerifiedVoting.org! )

On Edit: Rush Holt on NOW! Get'em! http://www.super62.com/listen/index.php

[Toucano]

8. Tooth pain is terrible!

I hope you get some relief soon.

Thanks for the hard work.

[blm]

9. Woop.

You da bee's knees.

[LynzM]

10. Awesome! Rock on!

And go Bev, keep sticking your nose into everything, LOL!

[alfredo]

11. Most Excellent!

good luck.

[Cocoa]

12. wow

I have to admit, I thought this was just going to be hype, but this is HUGE!!!

:wow:

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. Great news!

:loveya:

[tom_paine]

14. YEEEE-HAAAAWWWWW!

:toast: :toast:

What you are saying, I think, is that you are getting close to uncovering the actual nuts and bolts of Bushevik Fraud!

I say this honestly and sincerely when I say that there is almost no greater service a person can do for the Old American Republic than something like what you and Bev are doing.

You and Bev and all the rest of the BBV Folks are True Patriots and Heroes.

Another toast:

:toast: :toast:

Keep it up and I await your latest revelation excitedly.

Through your efforts, Andy, and those of millions like you, we just might save Liberty for future generations.

[Generic Other]

15. Slowly he turns, inch by inch...

About time our worthless state officials deal with this problem!

Thanks Andy.

[AP]

16. You're a subway manager, right?

This American Life is going to do a story about contractors in Iraq in a few weeks and one of the people they're profiling is a guy who was (formerly in the army and then) a subway manager. The story is suppose to play on the surprise in discovering that a lot of these people who go over there aren't these bloodthirsty guns for hire, but are working class Americans who are down on their luck in the US and, with mounting debts, can't turn their backs on jobs paying 500 bucks a day, and they really believe that they're helping Iraq.

You should try to track this guy down and see if you can get him to campaign with you.

You could try to do a press event targeted at pubic radio listeners after the episode airs. You could tie up a lot of interesting issues, like class, opportunity, patriotism, etc, in the parallel stories of a couple of subway managers trying to make a better life for themselves.

Maybe not.

[Andy_Stephenson]

18. I owned one

but no longer.

[Eric J in MN]

17. What is happerning with your campaign?

Who is Washington's Secretary of State now?

Republican or Democrat?

Are you running in a Democratic Primary? If so, when?

[Andy_Stephenson]

19. Sam Reed Secretary of state currently

he is a Republican

I am a Democrat primary is in sept.

[Eric J in MN]

21. About how many people will be on the ballot in September

About how many people will be on the ballot in September for the Dem. Primary for SoS?

Will it be close?

[Andy_Stephenson]

23. Exactly

two.

[frank frankly]

20. kick for great news

thanks again, Andy!

[havocmom]

22. We thank you

for giving hope that the nobel experiment of the nation might yet survive.

Bravo, Andy, Bev and all the BBV warriors.

[Wapsie B]

24. Thanks.

Was listening to Rush Holt today on the Ed Schultz show. He was saying that if there's no way to have paper-ballot capabilities with these voting machines before November, we should just all have plain paper ballots everywhere and hand count everything. This year I think it's the only way to be reasonably assured of a fair election.

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. This is awesome! Sorry about the toothache, though. :(

[loudsue]

27. Holy Moly! Take it all the way!!! This is GREAT!!

How many more states have this thing going to court -- that you can tell us about?

This is GREAT!!!! NEWS!!!!!


Thanks for all you guys are doing!

Andy....I hope your tooth feels better real soon!

:kick:

[BevHarris]

28. It's going to court in Washington, California, Maryland, Florida

so far.

[loudsue]

34. Is Georgia out? Is Texas out? Are there any possibilities

that these two states might see the wrath of the BBV Patriots?

<hoping!>

:kick:

[Andy_Stephenson]

35. Lousue...

"The Matrix" is even now unraveling the "Rob Georgia" patch for me. They have said a report will be out by early next week. All I can say at this time is Rob Georgia makes "interesting changes" when applied.

[BevHarris]

43. Some indications that Texas, Georgia and Arizona have Qui Tam

lawsuits going. A Qui Tam is a lawsuit alleging that government money was expended on false claims (certainly the case with Diebold and Sequoia) which can produce treble damages and the citizens who bring it get a heavy percentage of the spoils, with the "catch" being that they must file it under seal and as they develop evidence, they must keep the evidence secret from the public.

I have not been able to confirm the filing with a second source. The report I have is that the USA was divided into territories for various activists and scientists -- e.g. this group gets Arizona, this group gets Georgia...and sealed Qui Tam suits were filed in several states, under the umbrella of an organization which worked with lawyers in several states at once -- and that original funding was by a venture capital firm underwriting the lawyers, and that the "going public" timeline has been repeatedly pushed back by the attorney generals involved. Florida also appears to have a Qui Tam going.

There is reasonably strong corroborating evidence from two other (independent from each other) sources that a Qui Tam was filed in Texas. There is also a little corroboration in the leaked lawyer memos, in which a Qui Tam lawyer for Diebold (Daniel McMillan) focuses attention in a series of briefs on Arizona, Florida, and Georgia. This set was not released last week.

Also, Ohio looks likely, though I'm not clear on whether that one has been filed or not. I think it hasn't been filed yet and if it is filed, it would be by a different group.

At issue is keeping important data about false claims secret from the public, while running elections on machines with known flaws, in order to collect money. Without the gag rule, the suits have advantages, but with the gag rule they have the effect of funneling research and proof of flaws into a private domain.

If the Qui Tams were filed, at some point they are supposed to go public, and at that time we will see a rush of evidence that will knock electronic voting off its pedestal entirely. That's a good thing, and another good thing is that the counties that bought the machines will be reimbursed their money. The bad side is this: If the suits aren't released before elections are run, what you have is secreted evidence whose very secrecy causes irreparable harm.

If they have been filed, I would expect some of the proceeds to fund a voting activist foundation run by people from the group of lawyers involved.

There are good aspects to this, IF they ever get it out from under seal. The stats are that if the government accepts a Qui Tam for litigation, the Qui Tam almost always wins (settles), but if the government chooses not to pursue it, the Qui Tam almost always fails, and in that case it also takes years.

If some folks accepted a gag order and bet the farm on this method of litigation, time is almost run out.

If they have been filed, we need to hope they unseal the damn things quickly.

Because of the flood of "new" evidence, those who filed them will become national heroes (and immensely rich). However, in many states it will be too late to have any effect at all for the November election. After the hero worship and "we're funding this voting foundation" accolades die down, citizens should ask some tough questions:

Was it worth sacrificing a presidential election, even if ALL the proceeds go towards funding your foundation?

I predict the press will fawn over the people who filed the suits, and the unpleasant fact that the evidence was withheld month after month while we had a national primary and dozens of elections will be ignored.

Tip: Watch out for people who appear to be prominent activists who say confidently "but we can't solve this by November." That builds an expectation, makes it all okay.

Nope, not okay. We have to solve this by November, and if a drop of evidence has been withheld from the public, irreparable harm has already been done.

Just my two cents.

Bev

[ParanoidPat]

42. You might want to add Pennsylvania to that list soon!

Check out this thread! :evilgrin:

[LWolf]

31. Fantastic!

:bounce:

And feel better soon, Andy. :hug:

[JohnOneillsMemory]

33. Thank gawd, some great news for a change. (singing from '1776'...)Question

Question:

Does anyone remember the bbv demo 1 or 2 years ago in someplace like Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz, California where someone had the town council vote on a touch screen and then showed them they had just UNKNOWINGLY ELECTED USAMA BIN LADEN FOR MAYOR?

I remember howling after reading this but can't find the article.
This seems like a simple way to tell TV Nation that bbv is horrible.

[BevHarris]

44. If you can find that, I need it!

And by the way, does anyone remember that in 2002, before this issue was prominent, in Dallas, the local ABC TV affiliate did a live demo of a touch screen, and when the demonstrator pushed the Democrat, the mark showed up as the Republican?

Footage of this exists, somewhere. Would love to have that, too.

Bev

[govegan]

36. So glad you made it............

I thought the world might have to wait until tomorrow for this good news.

Sam Reed is going to wish that all he had to deal with was a pesky toothache!

[Andy_Stephenson]

37. I am Sam Reeds

pesky toothache...As well a Laura's.

thanks for calling BTW...we can talk here and I don't have to move my mouth.

Works for me.

[Toucano]

38. Kick

:kick:

[bobthedrummer]

39. Good show!

:hi:

[neverborn]

40. We're going to California, Washington, Maryland... YEAAAAAAAAARGHHH!

[linazelle]

46. Rebel Yell....LOL n/t

[Melsky]

41. Hope your teeth feel better soon

It's exciting to hear the news! Good luck.