Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News for Friday, March 17th, 2006

[FogerRox]

Welcome to the "ERD"

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




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

2. Post 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-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.

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


If you want to know how post "News Banners" or other images, go here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=371233#371391

for MAC users-- IIRC its hold down control- and click on the image to view its source.

[FogerRox]

1. New Schedule for Camp Wellstone training for campaign staffers

Training Schedule:
Camp Wellstone
3/24-3/25: Camp Wellstone, Boise, Idaho
4/7-4/9: Camp Wellstone Arizona
5/5-5/7: Camp Wellstone Colorado
6/16-6/18: Camp Wellstone Washington State
Campus Camp Wellstone
3/24-3/25: Campus Camp Wellstone, University of Wisconsin, Madison
3/24-3/25: Campus Camp Wellstone, U of WI Oshkosh
3/31-4/1: Campus Camp Wellstone, Augsburg College
3/31-4/1: Campus Camp Wellstone, Hamline University
3/31-4/1: Campus Camp Wellstone, Macalester College
4/7-4/9: Campus Camp Wellstone, SUNY Rochester
4/21-4/22: Campus Camp Wellstone, University of Hawaii
4/21-4/22: Campus Camp Wellstone, Hofstra University
4/21-4/22: University of Colorado at Boulder


Wellstone Action is bringing our work to a large national scale so we can meet the growing demand for effective, practical training for the progressive movement. We now have 6 established training programs that we are bringing across the country this year:

Camp Wellstone - our flagship program - provides a mass, popular introductory training for people interested in working in campaigns, on issues or in being candidates for elected office.
Advanced Campaign Management School provides skills and leadership development for individuals interested in or already employed as senior staff in electoral campaigns.
Campus Camp Wellstone provides young people access to the organizing skills necessary to conduct more effective issue-based campaigns on campuses and in communities, as well as to be key volunteers and staff in electoral campaigns.
Labor Training Program provides union workers with the skills and perspective necessary to run strong internal organizing campaigns, as well as to win on ballot measures and elect candidates.
Camp Sheila Wellstone provides advocates and supporters in the domestic violence and sexual assault movements with the skills necessary to expand their base and win victories in the legislative arena.
Voter Engagement Schools provide skills and leadership development that help nonprofit, community-based organizations engage their often under-represented constituencies in nonpartisan political organizing.

For registration information go here- http://www.wellstone.org/index.aspx

[FogerRox]

2. PA., Voters Challenge Voting Machine Purchase

Voters Challenge Voting Machine Purchase

Months before any votes are cast on new computerized machines, some Northampton County residents are raising concerns about the system. Concerns about money, reliability and security. (WFMZ)'s Mike Lowe is standing by live in Easton with more on this story.
Mike?

A local doctor, who describes himself as 'just an average voter' has formally challenged the county's impending purchase of these new machines.


Dr. Alan Brau is concerned about the health of Northmapton county's voting system.
"I want the public to have a better opportunity to see what kind of voting machines we're getting."


New computerized voting machines were tested and certified last month.

>Snip<

rest of story-

http://wfmz.com/cgi-bin/tt.cgi?action=viewstory&storyid=13765

video-

http://wfmzdb.wfmz.com/s.php?fileID=4191&offset=348&len=140&file_start_time=1141855140&file_end_time=1141860692&encoderID=1&filename=e0001__20060308_1659_01.rm

[FogerRox]

3. PA.: Commissioners approve voting machine purchase

TOWANDA - Bradford County's voting system will soon undergo a major overhaul. The Bradford County Board of Commissioners Thursday approved the spending of $527,107 in federal grant money to purchase 165 Advanced Voting Systems Touch Screen Voting Stations.


The electronic voting system will be incorporated in all of Bradford County's 67 polling places. The WINvote system records votes electronically via a touch screen at each station. The WINvote system replaces the paper ballots now in use throughout the county that are recorded via an optical scanner. In addition to the stations, the money will also be used to purchase audio headsets, smart cards and Winware Application Software for the machines. The price includes training, installation, delivery and implementation. Money for the purchase of the machines was obtained through the federal Help America Vote Act enacted by Congress. The money was distributed to the states, which in turn was distributed to their respective counties. Under federal law, the new electronic voting systems must be in place by the next primary election, or the states will forfeit the grant money. This has caused some concern because a lawsuit filed by some Pennsylvania residents in Westmoreland County has challenged the action, contending that the question must be decided by the voters via ballot referendum. Director of the Bradford County Board of Elections Marie Zbyszinski reported to the commissioners Thursday that the case is still pending it the courts. However, Zbyszinski said, the state believes that the question will only affect counties who use "levered" voting machines - which does not apply to Bradford County. One question put to the commissioners where if the new system records the votes on paper. Bradford County Commissioner Nancy Schrader said that it does, with each station providing a paper printout. Zbyszinski has also said that county election officials will provide information and demonstrations on how the new voting system works at various locations before the May primary.

http://www.thedailyreview.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16191765&BRD=2276&PAG=461&dept_id=465049&rfi=6

[FogerRox]

4. PA., Voting machine purchase on hold

Voting machine purchase on hold

By Glenn May
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, February 15, 2006


A Commonwealth Court ruling that put the brake on Westmoreland County's plan to buy new voting machines has complicated Allegheny County's plan for a similar purchase, officials said Tuesday.
Allegheny County officials will continue to talk to suppliers about prices and availability of new voting machines while lawyers try to figure out the effects of Monday's ruling by Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini, said Kevin Evanto, spokesman for Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.

"We need to be in a position to move ahead on a contract for new voting machines," Evanto said.

At stake is about $12 million in federal money the county is to receive this year to help it comply with the federal Help America Vote Act.

>snip<

rest of story -


http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/election/s_424033.html

[FogerRox]

5. MA., Gov Ehrlich Seeks to Fund Voting Machine Change

Ehrlich Seeks to Fund Voting Machine Change

Ehrlich Seeks to Fund Voting Machine Change
Request Part of Supplemental Budget

By Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 17, 2006; Page B04

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) is seeking $21.8 million to change voting machines for the coming election as part of a $400 million supplemental budget he submitted yesterday to the General Assembly.

The State Board of Elections, however, said yesterday that it would take nearly twice as much money to switch from touch-screen machines to a system that uses paper ballots. And the board refused to endorse dropping Maryland's touch-screen machines for the September primary.

"How in the heck are we going to do this in six months and not drop the ball?'' said board Chairman Gilles W. Burger, explaining the board's decision. "We know what it takes, and we do not want to jeopardize the ability to conduct a successful election."

The election board, after a private meeting Wednesday, did embrace the governor's call for two new security tests of the touch-screen machines, which critics contend are vulnerable to hacking that could affect the outcome of elections.

>snip<

rest of story-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031602045.html

[FogerRox]

6. NJ, suit says DREs are illegal

Voting machine reliability on trial

Lawsuit seeks paper trail of ballots
Friday, March 17, 2006
By LINDA STEIN
Staff Writer


When Stephanie Harris of Hopewell Township went to vote in the 2003 primary she thought she cast her ballot and left the electronic voting machine.

She said the poll worker told her it didn't go through and asked her to push the button again. Harris did -- four times in all -- until the poll worker finally told her that she thought the machine had worked.



Harris is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit ......"I am living proof that people have been damaged or disenfranchised in New Jersey," said Harris,.....Howard Cramer, vice president for sales for Sequoia Pacific Inc., the company that provided voting machines to most New Jersey counties, testified yesterday......But the printers that would allow this are awaiting federal certification, he said. He predicted they would be ready by next year. About 8,000 Sequoia voting machines in the state would require this type of printer.

Another 200 machines of a different Sequoia model could use a reel-to-reel printer system that the company has used in other states, he said.

But under questioning by the plaintiffs' lawyer, Penny Venetis, Cramer conceded there was a problem with the tabulating software in a county in New Mexico that used that system that caused "misreported votes." .......Cramer said he did not recall telling Mercer County freeholders in July 2004 that his company would submit the printers for federal approval in 2005.

"I have no personal knowledge of a promise, no contract and certainly no obligation," Cramer said. The freeholders set aside $500,000 for the printers in 2003, Venetis said.

The trial continues today and is expected to conclude next week.

Contact Linda Stein at [e-mail] or [phone].


rest of story-

http://www.nj.com/statehouse/times/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1142586362153740.xml&coll=5

[FogerRox]

7. NJ, suit says DREs are illegal

Voting device on trial for reliability

Court wants to determine if machine's accuracy can be verified on paper
Friday, March 17, 2006
BY ROBERT SCHWANEBERG
Star-Ledger Staff


The state's most commonly used voting machine went on trial yesterday in a Mercer County courtroom.

Howard Cramer, vice president for sales at Sequoia Voting Systems, testified its electronic voting machines can be retrofitted to produce a paper record of votes cast by 2008,

>snip<

But under cross-examination by Penny Venetis, a lawyer with the Rutgers Constitutional Litigation Clinic, Cramer admitted his company is still working out problems in a prototype of its paper ballot printer and could not guarantee when it will be commercially available.

Technically, the hearing before Mercer County Assignment Judge Linda Feinberg is limited to whether the state can meet the Jan. 1, 2008, deadline for having voting machines that produce a paper audit trail, ....... A state appeals court has reserved judgment on whether the machines used at the polls are so unreliable they violate the constitutional rights of voters....... it wants to know whether the entire controversy is moot because all machines will soon produce paper trails ...... It ordered Feinberg to find out.


>snip<

Cramer said it should be commercially available "at the latest, early next year," but is still in "the prototype stage."

"We've identified problems. That's why it's still in testing," he said.

Under questioning by Venetis, Cramer admitted the prototype uses thermal paper, which turns black "over time, with enough heat."

>snip<

Venetis said she expects the hearing before Feinberg to conclude early next week.



Robert Schwaneberg covers legal issues. He may be reached at

[e-mail]. or [phone].



http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1142580553274430.xml&coll=1

[Wilms]

8. Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x417271

[Wilms]

29. NJ: Sequoia Plans to Take Full "Advantage" of Their Monopoly

New Jersey: Sequoia Plans to Take Full "Advantage" of Their Monopoly in the State

By Warren Stewart, VoteTrustUSA

March 17, 2006

A court case in New Jersey is challenging the constitutionality of electronic voting. For the moment, the state Appeals court has put the decision about whether direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines are so unreliable they violate the constitutional rights of voters on hold. That question will be taken up again in May.

First they want to determine whether the Sequoia Advantages that most of the state's counties have purchased can actually be retrofitted with printers to meet the state's requirement for a voter verified paper record of every vote in 2008. Hearings yesterday revealed a great deal about Sequoia's plans - and how they're sales pitch, as we've seen in states across the country, is heavily based on promises.

It seems inconprehensible that so many counties would purchase the Advantage, which currently does not have a compatible VVPAT printer, when state law will require one in the next election cycle. This decision essentially locks them into a non-competitive situation in which their only option is to purchase as yet undeveloped equipment from one vendor - Sequoia - that can charge as much as they want for that equipment. And Sequoia apparently plans to take full "advantage" of the situation.

snip

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1062&Itemid=113


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x417418

[Wilms]

9. FL: State will audit March 7 elections

State will audit March 7 elections

The county's supervisor of elections requested the audit. She says results were accurate but wants to "reassure the public."

By WILL VAN SANT, Times Staff Writer

Published March 17, 2006

State regulators will audit elections held March 7 in Largo, Pinellas Park and Palm Harbor that were delayed when a computer server froze, stopping the vote count for two hours.

The decision by the Division of Elections comes after Deborah Clark, Pinellas County's supervisor of elections, sent a letter Wednesday asking the state for the review.

"The election results are accurate," Clark wrote. "However, baseless allegations have been made that were designed more to discourage rather than to enlighten voters, and we feel that a state audit is needed to reassure the public."

snip

The election snagged because a technician set aside too little hard drive space on the server to handle the vote tabulation. A consultant from Sequoia Voting Systems, Pinellas' voting technology provider, passed along some computer code to the technician while he was fixing the problem.

snip

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/17/Northpinellas/State_will_audit_Marc.shtml


LBN Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2172763

[FogerRox]

10. Voting machine problem caught in NC

Voting machine problem caught in NC

By Mark Binker
Staff Writer
RALEIGH -- A glitch that could have resulted in some votes not being counted has been found in gear that was shipped to North Carolina for use in the May primary.

The problem, which was first noticed in Ohio earlier this month, has been traced to memory cards used in certain types of voting machines.

Officials with the N.C. State Board of Elections and machine maker Election Systems & Software, based in Omaha, Neb., said this week that the affected equipment has been identified and most has been returned to the company.

"Any potentially affected card is being replaced," said ES&S spokeswoman Jill Friedman.

Full story-
http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/NEWSREC0101/603160335/1001/NEWSREC0201

[FogerRox]

11. TX., Ramon Garcia May Challenge Outcome of Election

Ramon Garcia May Challenge Outcome of Election

March 16, 2006, 06:38 PM EST


Canvassing of the results in the Hidalgo County judge's race is set for Friday morning.

That's when county commissioners will make the results of the election official. By of an unofficial margin of 296 votes, JD Salinas is the apparent winner of the race.

But there is word that the incumbent Ramon Garcia could request a recount or challenge the election.

If an election challenge is requested, Garcia must prove that illegal votes were counted or that eligible voters were prevented from voting or he must have proof of fraud.

He could then ask a state district judge to declare the election invalid and ask for a new election.

http://www.team4news.com/Global/story.asp?S=4643522&nav=0w0v

[FogerRox]

12. Jean Schmidt: official announcment, shes running for re-election in Ohio

Thats right, the infamous Jean Schmidt whos comment about Rep, Murtha caused an uproar in the House not to long ago, is oficially running again.

Schmidt enjoying re-election support

By KIMBALL PERRY
Gannett News Service

MONTGOMERY - Jean Schmidt looked around the Montgomery Inn conference room Monday night and saw all she needed to convince her she would keep her job.

"We have a tremendous amount of ground support," the Miami Township Republican said as she formally announced she wants to be the Republican candidate so she can keep her job as representative for Ohio's 2nd Congressional District.


Noting she once lost an election by 22 votes, Schmidt encouraged the roughly 200 people at her announcement to push hard to get as many voters to the polls as possible for the May 2 primary.

"We've got to get the vote out, get the message out and continue to do the job I've been doing," Schmidt said.

full story-

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/NEWS01/603170308/1002

[FogerRox]

13. 12% of DUers dont know there is an "Election Reform" forum

A recent DU poll indicates that 12% of DU members dont know that DU has an election reform forum. "I am shocked and mortified" said ERD Editor Roger Fox. "The integrity of our elections cannot be less than the integrity of the elected oficials put into office by these elections. This issue is an over riding issue, as its the foundation of our democracy", Fox continued.

Results of the ongoing poll can be seen here-


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2518258

[FogerRox]

14. Breaking news: SHARK ATTACK !

DUer LandShark comes up with the most remarkable stuff. Here my fav quote from his most recent post:

"Integrity of our government can be no greater than the integrity of elections which put our government officials in office."

The SHARK ATTACK is here--

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x417032

[FogerRox]

15. Arizona- Senate OKs measure to ensure accuracy of electronic voting

Senate OKs measure to ensure accuracy of electronic voting

By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
Tucson, Arizona

PHOENIX — State senators Thursday approved procedures to make sure electronic machines count each Arizonan's vote accurately.
Procedures given preliminary approval require an "audit" of 10 randomly selected voting precincts in both Pima and Maricopa counties each election. In each precinct, the ballots would be examined and counted by hand.

Sen. John Huppenthal, R-Chandler, said he expects to see a difference between the totals recorded by the optical scanners used to record votes and the hand count.


"The second count will always be different from the first count," he said. The key, he said, is finding out why.

Full story-

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/120464

[FogerRox]

16. Elections Company, Lawmakers Differ on Costs

Elections Company, Lawmakers Differ on Costs

By JARED S. HOPKINS
Capital News Service
Wednesday, March 15, 2006

WASHINGTON - The cost of bringing in new voting machines that issue paper-trails for upcoming Maryland elections is more than three times what lawmakers approved in the House of Delegates last week, according to an estimate by the company most likely to produce them.

>snip<

A "reasonable approach" would be 1,900 AutoMARKs and 1,900 optical-scanners, said ES&S spokesman Ken Fields,

"4,000 would be not necessary."

AutoMARK machines are touch-screen devices that mark paper ballots after they are inserted. They provide both headphones for the vision-impaired and a puff tube for those unable to touch the touch pad. To record AutoMARK votes, the paper-ballot is inserted into a different machine -- the optical-scanner -- and then counted.

>snip<

Linda Lamone, state elections administrator, has defended the current Diebold touch-screen machines as secure and accurate.

Phone calls to Lamone and two other Board of Elections officials were not returned.

>snip<

"This committee is looking over things and we will do what is best."

Full story-

http://www.journalism.umd.edu/cns/wire/2006-editions/03-March-editions/060315-Wednesday/ConflictingCosts_CNS-UMCP.html#top

[FogerRox]

17. NY- Survey: Ex-cons denied voting rights

Survey: Ex-cons denied voting rights

By Cara Matthews
Journal Albany bureau



ALBANY — Thousands of ex-prisoners are being denied the right to vote, according to a survey released Wednesday by two advocacy groups.

Representatives at more than one-third of New York's county election boards responded incorrectly to questions about the rights of probationers and people with felony convictions to vote. The results are an improvement over a similar survey in 2003, but they are still unacceptable, said speakers from the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School and Demos, a group that promotes democratic ideals.

"Local boards are illegally blocking thousands of eligible voters from registering to vote," Lawrence Norden of the Brennan Center said.

Two years ago, more than half of election boards, including all five New York City boroughs, refused to register people with felony convictions until they provided various documents not required by law.

Full story--

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060316/NEWS01/603160328/1006/NEWS

[FogerRox]

18. Vermont- Lawmakers may order study of statewide instant runoff voting

Lawmakers may order study of statewide instant runoff voting

By Ross Sneyd, Associated Press Writer | March 15, 2006

MONTPELIER, Vt. --Instant runoff voting was rated a success Wednesday by most who worked with the new system of electing Burlington's mayor last week, but a key legislator said it probably still would not be adopted statewide just yet.

Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Instead, legislators believe they'll probably order a commission to study the more complex issues of using the system throughout the state, with its more than 251 towns and voting precincts.

"We want to take it carefully because we're talking about a statewide election," said Senate Government Operations Committee Chairman James Condos, D-Chittenden.

Condos' committee and its House counterpart took testimony from Burlington officials a little more than a week after the city used an instant runoff when none of the five candidates for mayor won 50 percent of the vote. Voters had been given the opportunity to rank their second, third and fourth choices and Progressive Bob Kiss won on the second round.

Full story--

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/03/15/lawmakers_may_order_study_of_statewide_instant_runoff_voting/

[Stevepol]

19. K&R and an entirely irrelevant tale about Osama.

This has nothing to do w/ election reform, but it's an interesting story about miscommunication. Something gets lost in translation sometimes.

When Osama bin Laden died, George Washington met him at the Pearly
Gates.
He slapped him across the face and yelled, "How dare you try to
destroy the nation I helped conceive!"Patrick Henry approached, punched him in
the nose and shouted, "You wanted to end our liberties but you failed!"James
Madison followed, kicked him in the groin and said, "This is why I allowed
our government to provide for the common defense!"Thomas Jefferson was
next, beat Osama with a long cane and snarled,"It was evil men like you
who inspired me to write the Declaration of Independence."
The beatings and thrashings continued as George Mason, James Monroe
and 66 other early Americans unleashed their anger on the terrorist leader.
As Osama lay bleeding and in pain, an Angel appeared. Bin Laden wept
and said, "This is not what you promised me."

The Angel replied, "I told you there would be 72 Virginians waiting for you in Heaven.

What did you think I said?"

[autorank]

20. (((LOL))) Recommended....Stevepol is never irrelevant. Perfect. n/t

[Time for change]

21. MD: Legislation would shelve Maryland's touch screen voting machines

Maryland legislators are scrambling to pass emergency legislation that will assure that voting in the 2006 elections will produce a verifiable paper trail.
The House of Delegates unanimously passed a bill March 9 that requires the state to shelve its touch-screen voting machines for 2006 and lease optical-scan machines that provide a paper record, then perform a statewide audit of the September and November votes. The bill is on its way to the Senate, where it is expected to face much tougher fight.
“We have Florida in 2000; we have what happened in Ohio in 2004. And people are concerned … that we could have a Maryland in 2006,” said Sen. Rob Garagiola (D-15), who represents much of Potomac. “I am very, very concerned that Florida 2000 will be Maryland 2006.”
The now-rancorous fight over verifiable voting in Maryland traces back to the disputed presidential election of 2000. Following the dispute, states hurried to upgrade punch-ballot voting machines. In 2003, Maryland became one of the first states to acquire touch-screen computer machines, produced by Texas-based Diebold Election Systems.
“We were the lab-rat state for this issue,” said Alex Zeese, an organizer for True Vote Maryland, which advocates for verifiable voting systems.
“There was the 2000 debacle and everyone was trying to figure out what do we do,” Zeese said, but states like Maryland and Georgia moved too quickly.
Voting technology may see a long-term overhaul, but Maryland spent more than $60 million to acquire the machines that voters — and many legislators — do not trust, he said.
Del. Jean Cryor, who sits on the Election Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, agreed.
“This is an extraordinarily expensive error,” Cryor said. “They should not have jumped for these new machines.”

Full story:

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=62971&paper=70&cat=104

[Time for change]

22. TX: Hart InterCivic Whistleblower Warned of Texas, Ohio E-Voting 'Fraud'

EXCLUSIVE: Hart InterCivic Whistleblower Warned of Texas, Ohio E-Voting 'Fraud' Concerns in 2004!
100,000+ Votes Were Errantly Added by Hart Machines in a Single County in Last Tuesday's Primary via Flawed, Paperless 'eSlate' Touch-Screen System!

Former Hart Employee, Tarrant County TX Election Worker Notified State, Legal Authorities in 2004 About Serious Voting Machine Problems, Procedures...All Warnings and Complaints Ignored


Continuing in an exclusive BRAD BLOG series of Voting Machine Vendor and Election Fraud whistleblowers, another insider, from yet another voting machine company, has now come forward to reveal a myriad of known problems inside both the company and in several states and counties with whom they do business.

During last Tuesday's Primary Election in the state of Texas, scores of "computer glitches" -- as voting officials and electronic voting machine vendors like to refer to them -- were revealed occurred across the state. Many of those "glitches" occurred on electronic voting equipment manufactured and supplied to various counties in Texas by the Hart InterCivic company.

One such "glitch" occurred in Texas' Tarrant County, which encompasses Fort Worth. That "glitch" resulted in some 100,000 votes being added to the result totals across the county's paperless Hart-Intercivic "eSlate" touch-screen voting system.

Full story:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002542.htm

[Time for change]

23. FL: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS LAUNCHED AGAINST DIEBOLD IN FLORIDA!

Leon County Election Supervisor Alleges 'Breach of Contract' After Security Test Revealed Hackable Elections Possible on Diebold Optical-Scan Systems!

E-Voting Monolith and 'Competitors' All Refuse to do Business with County Unless the Elected Ion Sancho is 'Removed from Office'


Ion Sancho is fighting back.

Sancho, the Election Supervisor of Leon County, Florida who exposed a number of security flaws in Electronic Voting Machines made by the Diebold corporation of North Canton, Ohio, today launched legal "breach of contract" proceedings against the company. The action has been filed on behalf of the Leon County Supervisor of Elections office.

In a conversation moments ago with Sancho, he confirmed to The BRAD BLOG that "we filed a breach action this morning, pursuant to a contract which notifies Diebold we are pursuing all available options."

The breach concerns Diebold's refusal to deliver their latest operating system for the optical scan voting systems which had previously been used in Leon County -- until Sancho discovered an alarming security flaw in the system at the end of last year.

"According to our contract with Diebold," Sancho explained, "we have to give them 30 days notice. And so we are requiring them to answer by March 21, as to how they intend to repair the breach."

Full story:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002519.htm

[Time for change]

24. FL: Florida Issues 'Technical Advisory' for 'Security Enhancements'

Florida Issues 'Technical Advisory' for 'Security Enhancements' on 'All Voting Systems' in State!
Offers New 'Recommendations and Guidelines' for Election Directors in Light of Recent Diebold Voting Machine Hack

Friday 4pm Memorandum Release Fails to Mention Diebold or Recent Leon County, FL Election Hack


Picking up in the tradition of California's Sec. of State Bruce McPherson, who seems to have a fondness for Friday night releases of important information which he hopes nobody will notice, Florida's Division of Elections Director, Dawn K. Roberts, issued a "Technical Advisory" memorandum calling for "enhancements to voting system security procedures that each supervisor of elections must address immediately." The memo was issued late this evening at the end of the work week.

Roberts' memo (posted in full below) would be the first official acknowledgment, to our awareness, by the state of Florida of the security concerns raised by the recent Leon County, FL "hack test" conducted by Election Supervisor Ion Sancho. That now-infamous test -- in which computer security professional Harri Hursti had managed to access and change information on the Diebold optical-scan voting machine memory cards -- resulted in the results of the test election being completely flipped, without a trace being left behind.

In her "Technical Advisory", Roberts fails to mention that "hack test" or the equipment it occurred on -- or even Diebold themselves -- by name. Rather, the alert alludes to McPherson's recent -- and stunning -- "conditional re-certification" of Diebold voting equipment in the state, in light of confirmation of the newly discovered "interpreted code" used by the machines. That type of software source code is specifically banned by the federal Help America Vote Act guidelines. During his re-certification of Diebold -- after the company's equipment had previously been de-certified in the state for use of illegal software patches, and subsequently found to have failed atleast 20% of the time in a massive test held last summer -- McPherson mandated specific security procedures to be used with Diebold equipment in the state of California.

Full story:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002497.htm

[Wilms]

30. FL: Two Media Outlets File Complaint Against FL Sec. of State

Two Media Outlets File Complaint Against FL Sec. of State Over Closed E-Vote Meeting

AP Joins 'Tallahassee Democrat' Alleging Violations of State Law When Meeting Between Sue Cobb and Ion Sancho Suddenly Closed, Police Ordered to Remove Reporters

Election Supervisor/E-Voting Hero Bouyed By Broad Support, But Controversy is 'Taking a Toll'

by Brad

3/17/2006

The Associated Press is now joining the Tallahassee Democrat in a complaint sent to the Florida Attorney General objecting to an open meeting in the state's capital last Monday which...

The Associated Press is now joining the Tallahassee Democrat in a complaint sent to the Florida Attorney General objecting to an open meeting in the state's capital last Monday which Florida Sec. of State Sue Cobb suddenly took it upon herself to close. She then called the capital police and ordered them to remove reporters from the area.

Earlier this week, The BRAD BLOG reported on the aborted "open meeting" as called by Cobb with Leon County Election Supervisor Ion Sancho and two other county commissioners. The meeting was called in order to discuss the situation in Leon County, where Sancho recently revealed that Diebold optical-scan voting machines could be hacked without a trace left behind.

Sancho told The BRAD BLOG last night he felt "there was no reason" to close the meeting.

"There was nothing we talked about in there that needed to be kept secret. They just don't like open meetings. They like doing their business in secret," Sancho said.

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http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002568.htm#More


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x417417

[Time for change]

25. NM: New Mexico To Enact Bill Guaranteeing a Paper Ballot For All Voters

New Mexico To Enact Bill Guaranteeing a Paper Ballot For All Voters
Governor's Open Letter: 'One person, one vote is in jeopardy if we do not act boldly and immediately'
But How Long Will the Bill Take To Come Into Effect?


Guest Blogged by John Gideon: "American citizens once took for granted that every vote mattered, but no longer. It is time that we, the elected state officials, work to restore American’s confidence in our electoral systems and undertake reform that moves to eliminate skepticism and uncertainty." -- NM Governor Bill Richardson's 3/1/06 Letter "To the State Officials of the 50 United States of America" (Posted in full below)

Today Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico made a powerful statement to officials in all states (see full letter below) as he announced that tomorrow he would be signing legislation that would require the state of New Mexico to go to a paper ballot based voting system. No longer will the state use Sequoia DRE (touch-screen) voting machines...the machines that reported large numbers of undervotes in previous elections...The same machines that disenfranchised minority voters...The technology Richardson describes as "simply fail to pass the test of reliability" in his open letter published today.

The Governor has also announced that the bill's signing ceremony will be webcast. The announcement says:

We hope you will join the Governor, concerned citizens and legislators as the Governor’s signature moves New Mexico forward by ensuring that our democracy continues to flourish. The live webcast will begin Thursday at 11:00am MST (1:00pm Eastern) and can be viewed at:

www.billrichardson2006.com/reform/paperballots

Please watch the webcast, take a moment to look at the Governor’s proposals, and sign the petition to get your state, and the rest of America, to make every vote count

Full story:

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002485.htm

[Time for change]

26. NC: ES&S Vote Machine Memory Card Failures Spread to Other States!

ES&S Vote Machine Memory Card Failures Spread to Other States!
1000 Cards Fail Tests in North Carolina After Massive Failures Discovered in Ohio!
ALSO: Testing Reports Say Voting Machines One-Third as Reliable as Incandescent Light Bulb!


Guest Blogged by John Gideon

As reported on March 9 and March 10 by The BRAD BLOG the folks in Summit Co. OH have discovered massive problems with memory cards on ES&S Electronic Voting Machines in recent tests. Some 30% of the cards completely failed.

ES&S, the largest voting machine provider in the country, attributed the problem to low or dead batteries on the PCMCIA memory cards. At the time, we inquired as to whether other states using ES&S equipment might be expierencing similar problems. The reporter covering the story for the Akron Beacon Journal told us she was able to get no response from ES&S -- but was then given an assurance that ES&S had contacted their customers to inform them about the concerns.

A week ago Tuesday, Texas experienced loads of problems (or "glitches" as Voting Machine Vendors and Election Officials enjoy minimizing them as) in their Primary Elections. Just a few of those reported in newspapers the day after are listed here.

Then yesterday the Akron Beacon Journal reported that, in fact, ES&S had contacted North Carolina. North Carolina, who lost some 4,500 votes completely via an electronic voting machine in Cartaret County during the 2004 Presidential Election, began checking their ES&S memory cards and have so far found more than 1,000 cards that to be bad!

Full story:

http://www.bradblog.com/default.htm

[nicknameless]

27. CA: Excellent interview w/ Sen. Debra Bowen on these *&#@% machines.

Senator Bowen was on the Paul Berenson Show on KTMS Radio in Santa Barbara (March 4)

Station webpage: http://www.paulb.com/voice/index.htm
Interview: http://www.paulb.com/voice/show/03-04-06-b.mp3

Slot machines seem to be the theme of the day. Here’s an excerpt from the site:

Sec. of State Bruce MacPherson has certified voting machines with documented security flaws, refuses to hold public hearings, and now blows off the Senate Elections Committee. Sen. Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach) joins us to talk about this, voting machines, and slot machines.

:patriot: CA State Senator Debra Bowen :patriot:

[nicknameless]

28. CA: Measure to ban $$ for signature & voter registration gatherers.

Proposal to outlaw per-signature and per-voter registration payments.

BOWEN RENEWS INITIATIVE REFORM EFFORT

NEW MEASURE WOULD BAN PER-SIGNATURE PAYMENTS & REQUIRE INITIATIVE PETITION SIGNATURE GATHERERS TO REVEAL WHO IS FINANCING THE PROPOSAL

SACRAMENTO – Eliminating fraud in voter registration and initiative signature gathering efforts, as well as requiring people pushing initiatives to tell would-be petition signers who is financing the initiative effort are the goals of two bills unveiled today by Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach).

“Per-signature payments are an invitation to cheat and it doesn’t matter which party is writing the check,” said Bowen, the chairwoman of the Senate Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee. “If people are getting paid $10 for every signature they get on an initiative petition or for every voter registration card they collect, they have an incentive to defraud the system in a way that a volunteer or someone making $10 an hour doesn’t.”

On March 2, the Orange County Registrar of Voters turned over dozens of suspected fraudulent registration cards to the Secretary of State and the Orange County District Attorney for review. Included in that review are complaints from voters who registered as part of a Republican Party registration drive that their party registration was changed from “Democratic” to “Republican.” The Republican Party paid registration workers a set fee (between $3 and $10, according to news reports) for each new Republican voter signed up.

On March 6, the San Bernardino County District Attorney began looking at problems with nearly 3,000 voter registration forms submitted recently in connection with a San Bernardino County Republican Party voter registration drive that paid registration workers a set fee ($6, according to news reports) for every Republican voter registered.

<snip>

More here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x417181