Officials challenge Wexler's suit for state paper ballots

[Judi Lynn]

Officials challenge Wexler's suit for state paper ballots

By Kathy Bushouse
Staff Writer
Posted February 7 2004

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler's lawsuit to require paper ballots for the state's voting machines should be dismissed or transferred out of Palm Beach County, attorneys for the county elections supervisor and Florida secretary of state argued Friday.

In an hourlong hearing before Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Karen Miller, attorneys for Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore and Secretary of State Glenda Hood said that the rules governing elections are made in Tallahassee, making that the proper venue for the case.

"It's cheaper for the public, it's more efficient for the public," said Bernard Lebedeker, one of LePore's attorneys. "It's where the case belongs."

Wexler hasn't shown that he has suffered any harm because of the voting machines and instead is predicting possible problems in the November election, said George Waas, an assistant state attorney general representing Hood.

"We have claims that are wholesale speculative, at best," Waas said.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pwexler07feb07,0,5312225.story?coll=sfla-news-palm

[salin]

1. That a recount can not be held... and that there was discrepency

in the recent special election, between number of people voting vs. the number of votes not cast (and in this special election there was only one thing on the ballot.) The race was close enough for a recount, but there was nothing to recount.

[RedEagle]

2. At Some Point, Local Election Officials Will Come Under Investigation

State officials, most certainly, and Cox and Williams of Georgia, and Lamone of Maryland will head the list, followed by the Ohio Secretary of State, those of Washington State, past and present, then past Secretary of State of California Bill Jones. It appears to be under his watch that California rushed to eliminate punch cards.

Then, county officials like LaPore in Florida and Townsend in California, and certain county officials who form the Secretary of State's cheerleading squad in Washington.

Everyone needs to rise up and start yelling now, or your state legislators, who would rather listen to "agencies" (the Secretary of States office) than citizens, will pass bills eliminating the need for those pesky recounts.

Have you looked at your state's legislation recently?

State legislators can be led around by the nose because they have neither the time or expertise, but lots of exposure to elements like voting-industry-friendly state officials.

If you don't get involved, you're not going to change this.

Right now, here and now, make the the most popular "reality show" in the country, the movement to TAKE BACK THE VOTE.

It begins at the local and state level. If officials won't madate voter-verified paper ballots and an audit structure worth it's salt, work to get them out of office. The taint of not protecting the integrity of the vote is a strong one.

Once you have the vote back, you can really begin to clean house.