FL: Election Integrity Group Challenges Uncertified Voting Machines

[Wilms]

Florida: Election Integrity Group Challenges Uncertified Voting Machines

By Florida Fair Elections Coalition

June 02, 2006

Links at the link:

Complaint to Attorney General with all Exhibits
Cover Letter to Attorney General
Supplemental Evidence

A complaint filed today with Florida ’s attorney general challenges the shipment of uncertified voting machines to Volusia, Putnam, Polk, and Glades counties, a felony under Florida law. Florida Fair Elections Coalition (FFEC), the Volusia-based election watchdog group that brought the complaint, has asked the attorney general to initiate an investigation of the actions of both the state officials who gave permission for the delivery of the equipment and those of Diebold Election Systems, Inc., the supplier of the machines.

FFEC’s action came in response to the recent discovery by Volusia elections’ staff that the voting machines delivered by Diebold were not certified by the state as called for in the county’s contract with the vendor and as required by state law. According to Volusia Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall, a member of her staff, Laurie White, discovered the problem during routine acceptance testing. When McFall confronted the vendor about the issue, the company produced a letter signed by David Drury, chief of the Bureau of Voting Systems Certification, giving it permission to ship the uncertified Model D, Accu-Vote TSx (touch-screen) voting machines to its customers in Florida.

snip

It is a third-degree felony for a supplier to provide an uncertified voting system, component or upgrade to a local governing body or supervisor of elections. Florida law also requires the supplier to sign a sworn statement attesting to the certification of any equipment provided. A Diebold representative did, in fact, sign an "Affidavit of Certification" for the uncertified equipment.

For nearly a year, Volusia County tried unsuccessfully to buy the AutoMark ballot-marker to meet disabled accessibility requirements, but was told by the state that it could not buy the equipment because it lacked state certification. Volusia County Council Chair Frank Bruno commented on the irony of the situation. “First, the state says I can be put in jail for buying uncertified equipment. Now they want to tell me that it is just fine.”

snip

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1334&Itemid=113

[BeFree]

1. Very important

Diebold pulls another fast one, and gets caught by a sharp- eyed election official who must not be a fan of Dieblold.

The state of Florida will eventually have to bring the long arm of the law down on such shenanigans, and they just might do it this time.

[flyarm]

2. oh heck in fla we do not have laws for all..only dems must obey laws..

..jeb , rush , ann coulter..they just shiton laws..and stick it to us..and what do our dem leaders do????,.they tell us over and over ..there is nothing wrong with the "lovely machines""dontcha know...move along nothing to see,..we have even had the dem leaders of fla scoff at those doing the hard work..and get pissy at those doing the ground work..about these fucking machines...

an i mean they get ugly when the subject is brought up...

i am about sick of this shit..in fact..i am beyond sick of it..if the dems do not stand up now and with a unified voice about these machines we can bend over and kiss our democracy goodbye!

fly