NEW VOTING STANDARDS TO BE RELEASED THIS WEEK, WEEK OF JUNE 9-15, 2005

[MelissaB]

NEW VOTING STANDARDS TO BE RELEASED THIS WEEK, WEEK OF JUNE 9-15, 2005

by HAZEL TRICE EDNEY
The Wilmington Journal
Originally posted 6/10/2005

BY HAZEL TRICE EDNEY
OF NNPA

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – New voting machine standards to be released this week are designed to prevent a recurrence of Election 2000-like debacles in congressional and senatorial races next year. However, activists and rights advocates say they are more concerned about the new machines that are supposed to correct the problem than old ones with proven flaws.

“On the average, people do not feel comfortable with automated voting without having some way of a verified way of knowing that the vote was actually the vote that they cast and the fact that they don’t know if it’s been counted. That concern is very high and across all demographics,” says Melanie Campbell, executive director and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. “When it comes to the machines, you’ve got a lot of new equipment. There are a lot of concerns still out there in the community, so the work continues. We need to just educate the community to make sure that they are involved and that they are a part of the process.”

Gracia Hillman, chair of the four-member bi-partisan U. S. Election Assistance Commission, has announced hearings to allow people to comment on the new standards. Her agency seeks to assure election officials and the public that new voting systems being installed around the country will work accurately and reliably. The 90-day period during which public comments will be accepted begins June 10. The first hearing is set for New York City.

Another hearing will be announced later, Hillman says.



More: http://wilmingtonjournal.blackpressusa.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=58166&sID=12

[autorank]

1. OK, MelissaB, how are we being nailed?

Sounds like they don't mention paper...wonder why? That would solve all the voting fraud problems.

Contact the DNC and Give 'em Hell About NOT Acting on Election Fraud

NEW LEADERS FOR A NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

[MelissaB]

2. I don't know how we are being nailed, but I didn't know new standards

were being released.

[Land Shark]

7. everyone on the committee is an elections official, or vendor...

you know, all the folks that have an intensive interest in maintaining their "privacy" of their work, whether it be trade secrets or the interest of the govt officials in not being subjected to public criticism.

[napi21]

3. Do we have any way of knowing how accurate those old lever machines

were? I want an auditable paper trail on thee new voting machines too, but it's gotten me thinking about the old machines. We all know about the problems with punch cards, I know there can be problems with optical scaners. I am now wondering about the old lever machines that I voted on from age 21 to 49 when I moved from Pa.

How do we really know if ANY of the elections we've had were really honest?

Once they did away with the really old paper ballots where you just marked your X in the box, there have been lots of possibilities.

[gaia_gardener]

4. At least optical scan leaves

a paper ballot that can be counted. And it's pretty darn easy to do - just draw a line to complete the arrow. The biggest problem you have is if the marking pen is out of ink.

[napi21]

5. You're right about the optical scan. I still wonder about those old

lever machines. I'll be honest, I voted on them for many years, and never once questioned if my vote was recorded, but now....I wonder?

[LightningFlash]

6. The ones Triad serviced sure don't....

Look up the Ohio history and Triad has been servicing the same machines since the 1988 scandals.

[Wilms]

8. The biggest problem you have with OpScans is not ink running out.

It's the fact that OpScans are configured by the tabulators, and that they report results to the Tabulator.

That interface is troublesome.

[garybeck]

9. not exactly

scanned paper ballots are not that great. we have them in VT. unless you have an official recount they're worthless. Read this article about how easily the scanners can be hacked:

http://www.solarbus.org/election/articles/050602-bbv.shtml

[garybeck]

10. self delete dupe

[Peace Patriot]

18. It has to do with fraud happening at the speed of light, napi22,

beyond the realm of human senses, and on a massive scale. The magnitude of the fraud potential (and actualization in '02 and 04) is way beyond anything humans can keep track of during an election. Add to that: secret, proprietary programming code, owned and controlled by Bush partisans, and what you have is...

A COMPLETELY NON-TRANSPARENT AND INVALID ELECTION SYSTEM, and WRONG RESULTS that cannot be tracked, or may be partially tracked and inferred (if there is some kind of a paper trail, or by means of exit polls) but only with great difficulty.

The thing is a done deal in head-spinning seconds, trumpeted by the media, and virtually impossible to audit, recount or make right.

[Wilms]

11. kick n/t

[Wilms]

12. kick n/t

[Kip Humphrey]

13. EAH survey of findings will be submitted

The Election Assessment Hearing is collecting submissions of findings with supporting documents from investigations, research and analysis of electoral problems during the 2004 election.

Our initial release will be a survey of submissions given to the press and the Baker-Carter Commission. Submissions will then be assessed using information quality processes and measures (led by Larry English) which will be made public in a subsequent release to state election officials and the EAC.

Your support is needed. If you know anyone with research, investigative findings of evidence, or statistical analysis of election process failings during the 2004 election, ask them to contact Seth Johnson at [e-mail]

[Wilms]

14. .

[diva77]

15. HELP! Can anyone remark on ESS AutoMARK, etc.

Since many of us will be in SacTown on 6/16 for VSPP mtg., would help to have informed remarks regarding following:

2. Election Systems & Software

a. Unity election management system
b. Model 100 precinct scanner
c. Model 550 central scanner
d. Model 650 central scanner
e. AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal
f. AutoMARK Information Management System


Item 2: Staff Report (ESS system)
<http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/voting_systems/2005_06_16_2_s.pdf>
Item 2: Consultant's Report (ESS system)
<http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/voting_systems/2005_06_16_2_c.pdf>
Item 2e: Use Procedures (ESS AutoMARK VAT)
<http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/voting_systems/2005_06_16_2e_p.pdf>


Thank you!

[Pig Farmer]

16. So basically, Automark sucks, but certify it anyways?

The staff report mentions how it can crash.

The staff and consultant both mention how slow it is - time to respond to inputs, time to recognize blank ballots, time to print ballots.

Not to mention lack of basic amenities like a "please wait" icon.

Yet they recommend certification -- becuase this is version 1.00 and they assume better is coming?

Why whould the disabled community settle for such 2nd class treatment?

PF

[diva77]

17. Is there any poss. of fraud being committed with AutoMARK?

is there any possibility of fraud being committed with the AutoMARk? thank you

[Peace Patriot]

19. There is not just "any possibility," there is EVERY POSSIBILITY, given...

their SECRET, PROPRIETARY PROGRAMMING CODE, and the rightwing connections of ES&S.

Private companies out of our elections NOW!

[Wilms]

21. I'm confused...again.

I think I keep mixing up AutoMark and AccuPoll.

Does not one of them have open software? (Not that I'm even thrilled with that, but it's a sliight improvement over secret code.)

[diva77]

22. request more specific info.

Since VSPP is more of a techie meeting, would appreciate technical aspects of how fraud can occur with AutoMARK -- lay people in the area seem to not be worried about it because they think its only function is to print a paper ballot...please help, I am not a techie and need to inform other nontechies

thank you

[LightningFlash]

24. It has secret code.

The code MUST be auditable by non-partisans, under every circumstances.

http://www.velvetrevolution.us
http://www.votersunite.org

Otherwise, the vote can NOT be verified.

[diva77]

23. AutoMARK

Thank you PF -- your comments will come in handy ... much appreciated! Feel free to elaborate more --

diva

[Amaryllis]

25. have you read Myth Breakers and Messups by vendor on the voters

unite site?

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=30

http://www.votersunite.org/info/messupsbyvendor.asp
Lots of great messups by ES & S and well documented for legislators or elecion officials.

[Peace Patriot]

20. This 90-day period for public comment is a prime opportunity for...

election fraud/reform activists. I have the EAC deadline figured for the week of Sept. 4. We should keep this kicked and try to get some coordination on in-put, make sure all issues and legal bases are covered, and work for MEDIA SPOTLIGHT, public pressure, and educating the public, state legislators and state/local election officials.