Activists urge California not to use Diebold voting machines

[emcguffie]

Sorry if this is a dupe.


http://insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_2807875

Friday, June 17, 2005 by The Daily Review (Hayward, California)

...Witness after witness - Bay Area liberals seasoned with a few Libertarians and Republicans - called on state officials Thursday to block Diebold's voting machines from the nation's largest elections market, casting the firm as synonymous with lost trust and vote "theft" in the 2000 and 2004 elections.

In a jam-packed hearing punctuated by chanting, activists demanded paper ballots be counted by hand, by computers running open-source software if absolutely necessary, but never by secret software closely held by a company known for executive support of Republicans ranking as high as the presidency.

"If you value democracy you will not certify these hackable machines with secret mechanisms that are considered proprietary," said Berkeley's Phoebe Anne Sorgen. "You will dump Diebold Elections Systems and software."

[Padme Amidala]

1. The only way Arnold can win special election is through rigging

This is why they went after Shelley and why McPherson is close to re-certifying the Diebold machines. But don't get mad at the Republicans. They are doing simply engaging in the kind of criminal activities in which Republicans are supposed to engage. It's part of the party affiliation. Get mad at the Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly who pushed Shelley into resigning and then pressured Democrats to vote for McPherson. Lori Saldana stayed in her office so she would not be forced by her leader to vote for the guy. I say it's time for new Democratic leadership in the Assembly and State Senate and that the leaders out to get their walking papers next year.

[emcguffie]

3. that sounds awful!

I was so upset about what was going on in CA I stopped reading about it. Now we're at it here in NJ.

I have to say, even though Kerry won in NJ, it was the first election where I thought the lever felt funny. And that was before I had any idea of how they messed with levers. Then I read up on it. You just file a tooth off the gear, and then every few votes for that person, one just doesn't count.

Usually, when you turn a lever on a lever machine, you feel it catch. This time it didn't -- obviously enough so that I was scratching my head about it.

So, this could explain perhaps why our elections supervisor is so goll-darned determined to use the Sequoias.

[Melodybe]

2. Big kick, it is so important that Calfornia not get Diebolded

[Amaryllis]

4. kick

[emlev]

5. I was there for the first few hours and heard not one chant

Other than that, it's a decent article. Maybe they chanted later, after I left.

Am trying to find time to post on the longer thread about what happened there...

[msongs]

6. dems could stop all this in 5 minutes but they refuse to do so:

the legislature is controlled by people claiming to be democrats. the legislature could bypass all this nonsense and outlaw electronic voting systems but it WILL NOT. no guts, no fortitude, no integrity, and no respect for the democrats who vote for them.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

PS - in case you come to the conclusion I think our state's elected democrats are cowards, you are correct. we have tried many times to get those losers interested in various vote system fraud prevention plans and there is no response: "what problem?" said the ostrich with its head in the sand as the lions jumped its back.

[Peace Patriot]

8. msongs, I'm reposting here my reply to you at the main Calif. thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x378741

11. msongs, you are often a bit too quick with the downer comments.

When are we going to realize that our Democratic officials are only as good as the pressure that we vigilantly exert upon them?

In other words, they are only as good as we are good at defending our democracy. If they are cowards and sell outs, it is largely because we have allowed them to be.

I agree with you, msongs, but SO WHAT? What do we DO about it NOW? Weep and complain over their cowardice and corruption? Or show them the way? (OR SHOW THEM THE DOOR!).

[Peace Patriot]

7. See this thread for all the current California threads pulled together...

"Revolt Against Diebold in Calif.! Wow! Action thread re June 30"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x378741