BBV: California SoS seeks public input

[GregD]

We received a report from a volunteer in California that she was contacted by SoS Kevin Shelly's office. She had written to his office expressing concern about BBV, and they called her to discuss her concerns.

In the resulting conversation, it was clear that they (CA SoS) are alarmed about this issue, and feel HAVA timelines breathing down their throats. They need public input: lots and lots of it.

Some of you may reside in California. Others may know someone in California. I am asking that Californians concerned about BBV please take the time to write to the Secretary of State and express your concerns. http://www.ss.ca.gov/cgi-bin/contacts.cgi

If you are not from California, but have friends or family in California, please ask them to write.

Many of you are already familiar with this issue, and will find it easy to compose a simple (brief) letter expressing your concerns. Keep in mind that they already understand the problem, now it's just a political issue - they need boxes and boxes of mail from Californians demanding a solution pronto.

If you are unfamiliar with the BBV issue and need help composing such a letter, or want to help more than just this immediate letter-writing campaign, please come to our site and register with us. Whether you endorse our "Resolution on Electronic Voting" or not, please complete the form and add yourself to our database of volunteers so we can mail to you in a couple days when we have an example letter ready.

http://www.verifiedvoting.org/add_endorsement.asp


On edit - if people would keep this bumped, I'd appreciate it. I won't be around much today and would like people to learn about this need for the next few days. Thank you.

[hunter]

1. BTW, an interesting technical perspective...

...can be found here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/34051.html

And yes, yes, the California Secretary of State needs your paper mail! Don't be shy, shake the house.

[proud patriot]

2. Californian here

I'll get a letter off in the mail today Bev.
I'll let my dad know , he lives in Alameda
Co. and got to use one of the new machines .

My husband knows a guy who said "it didn't feel like
I voted "

[Room101]

3. Kick ,I will let them know about my concerns

:)

[DUreader]

4. I will kick it while I can

[arcane1]

5. will do!

and a kick

:kick:

[lysergik]

6. Even though I'm not a CA resident.

I sent an email (and will be following in up with some snail mail) to SoS Shelley letting him know the concerns that I had. In addition, I let them know about the Open Voting Consortium and the voting system they were developing as well as Avante.

I also reminded them that whichever decision they make could be used by other states as ammunition for or against these devices which do not provide for a voter verified paper ballot.

Thanks for the heads-up Greg!

[GregD]

7. The emphasis, please, is letters

Letters are visible. Letters take space in the room. I want boxes and bags filled with letters, and virtual landslide of demand for action.

So please, if you can take the time, put a stamp on it and flood their offices with paper.

[BevHarris]

11. Talk their language -- talk expense, legal problems, embarrassment

expense: how many technicians are we paying, and what are these service contracts, and aren't these service contracts just opportunities to load more uncertified software, and what right does a tech have to issue opinions on vote databases in an election -- he's not a certified or sworn public official.

More and more lawsuits are coming, any candidate can sue, the material that's come out so far is just the tip of the iceberg, who pays for all this?

Every new error will have the spotlight shined on it, causing needless embarrassment for county election officials, whose job is hard enough already.

Let's get some options in place, folks. We have two problems: Need voter verified paper ballot, and we need to audit paper against machine.

And if you think HAVA has tight deadlines, try this: We voters demand a voting system we can have confidence in by the primaries.

[hunter]

13. Deadline: Primaries

That's brutal.

I can't sleep, and they shouldn't sleep either.

Kick their sleepy asses.

:kick:

[lysergik]

8. Kick! Send these a folks a letter letting them know how you feel!

[althecat]

9. Kick...

[DUreader]

10. kick

[Vadem]

12. :kick:

:kick:

[knight_of_the_star]

14. Done and done

Being a Californian, I have no particular problem with writing Mr. Shelley.

[dusty64]

15. Kick.

:kick:

[RedEagle]

16. You Don't have to be a resident to participate

Kick!

[Duncan Grant]

17. kick n/t

:kick:

[DUreader]

18. kick

[dusty64]

19. Refreshing to see

some election officials give a crap.

[RedEagle]

20. Shelley could be a national hero

Kick!