Feds threaten action in Westmoreland [Pennsylvania] vote machine case

[Efilroft Sul]

The Justice Department plans to intervene in a lawsuit over voting machines in Westmoreland County , which could affect other counties in the state.

Assistant Attorney General Wan J. Kim sent a letter to state and county officials warning that a federal lawsuit will be filed within 10 days, county officials said yesterday.

A citizens group successfully sued in Commonwealth Court to stop the county from buying new touch-screen voting machines because the county didn't first hold a referendum to let voters approve the new machines. That's required under the state constitution, but federal officials -- and the county commissioners -- argued that was superseded by the Help America Vote Act.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06054/660029.stm

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Bush to Pennsylvania: You will be assimilated.

[colonel odis]

1. what's the matter, did they find out the machines were accurate?

[Efilroft Sul]

3. Feds say the HAVA law trumps state/county referenda

Unfortunately, at this point in time, that's about all we know. This was a breaking news story on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette web site when I linked it here.

More to come tomorrow, I suspect.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

2. But, but....ahhhh, I thought Republicans were for state's rights

:sarcasm:

[Peace Patriot]

4. Elfilroft Sul, I was thinking about this post over night, and realized

that this is THE most important legal case in the country, bar none. This is IT. This is how they're going to try to derail the election reform movement, which is one of our chief hopes for the recovery of our democracy--by taking away the states' power to get rid of these election theft machines.

These new voting machines are not just non-transparent--using 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code to tabulate our votes, with virtually no audit/recount controls--the two main manufacturers, Diebold and ES&S, are rightwing Bushite corporations (Diebold's CEO was a Bush/Cheney campaign chair, major donor and fundraiser; ES&S is a spinoff of Diebold initially funded by rightwing billionaire Howard Ahmanson, who also gave a million dollars to the nutso 'Christian' Chalcedon Foundation, which touts the death penalty for homosexuals.)

These are the people counting our votes behind a veil of secrecy--and it's only a matter of time before it's fully exposed and remedied at the state level, it's so egregiously bad. It's already being exposed.

That's why the junta is aiming to take away state control over election systems. We can't get election reform from a Diebolded Congress.

IF the PA citizens group gets a fair judge, he/she will immediately see that the Constitution, which gives the power over election systems to the states, supersedes HAVA. But, these days, we can't count on a fair judge.

I'm going to re-post this in the Election Reform forum, and get some discussion going about it.

---------------------------

It's important to remember how the Borg lost--by "Data" analysis!

(See: www.TruthIsAll.net)

:think:

[Efilroft Sul]

5. Thanks, Peace Patriot, for your attention to this story.

Here's the longer, more "detailed" story in the Friday 2/24 edition of the Post-Gazette:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06055/660496.stm

I say "detailed" because the story does NOT mention the problems the voting rights activists have with the touch screen machines. Someone at the paper has to get them on record and find out their problem with the machines goes beyond their great legal maneuver of a referendum not being used. The P-G has to bring up how these machines can be hacked etc.

A key part of today's story:
"Commissioners in Westmoreland County, which has used lever machines for decades, had planned to buy more than 700 touch-screen machines from Nebraska-based Election Systems and Software Inc. for $2 million."

Two out of the three commissioners from the county, Tom Balya and Tom Ceraso, are Democrats. Argh! Don't they know better?! Don't they want to win elections fair and square?! My inner Bartcop does not approve. It's like cows getting to choose who will be their butcher.

[Peace Patriot]

6. Here's the DU Election Reform forum on this PA lawsuit news:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x414326

The citizens group web site--GREAT web site:
http://www.votepa.us/

And where to send DONATIONS to (also PayPal at the site):
Make check out to D-PAC
write "Legal Defense Fund" on the memo line, and mail it to:
D-PAC   P.O. Box 2208   Butler, PA 16003-2208

------------

The judge ordered PAPER BALLOTS for fed elections this year. The Bush junta doesn't like paper ballots. And we need an "emoticon" for Democratic Party leaders having their heads up their asses. Here's the best I can do...

Democrats trying to win elections with rightwing Bushites "counting" all the votes behind a veil of secrecy =
:crazy: + :silly: + :puke: + :mad: + :wtf: + :argh: + :shrug: + :grr: + :banghead: + :cry: + :scared: + :hide: .

[donkeyotay]

7. HAVA supersedes? Federalized voting? Isn't that un-Constitutional?

Oh, never mind. Quaint document.

[Peace Patriot]

8. Exactly, donkeyotay! The Constitution gives power over election systems

to the states. A mere Congressional bill should not be able to supersede that state power. Provided it comes before fair (non-Bush junta) judges--a big "if" these days.

[donkeyotay]

9. Are you sure Paul Revere said that?

;-)

[demodonkey]

10. Breaking Story (Thursday) HERE: Feds plan ballot lawsuit

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/election/s_426772.html

[demodonkey]

11. More HERE: Attorney aims to get voting machine case to high court

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/westmoreland/s_427212.html

[demodonkey]

12. MORE: Supreme Court gets voting machine case (Governor gets involved!)

Supreme Court gets voting machine case
By David Hunt
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 25, 2006

Pennsylvania's Supreme Court justices are scheduled to begin hearing arguments in the Westmoreland County voting machine lawsuit next week.
Court records show that lawyers on both sides will present their cases before the judicial panel at the City-County Building on Grant Street in Pittsburgh. The lawsuit is among six cases to be heard starting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The case was appealed to the state's highest court after Commonwealth Court Judge Dan Pellegrini sided with a citizens' group arguing that Westmoreland County officials were required under state law to schedule a referendum before decades-old levered voting machines could be replaced.

On Friday, Gov. Ed Rendell asked the state Supreme Court, which already has agreed to an expedited schedule, for a quick decision so all county boards of elections can determine how to prepare for the May 16 primary election.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/westmoreland/s_427483.html