Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Friday 8/05/05

[Melissa G]

Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Friday 8/05/05

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

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

If you can:

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

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x371233

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



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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=371233#371391





All previous daily threads are available here:
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Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below).

[Melissa G]

1. Bob Fritakis: Did the GOP steal another Ohio Election?

Thanks to Carolab for the post and DU discussion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x387664

Bob Fritakis: Did the GOP steal another Ohio Election?
Did the GOP steal another Ohio Election?
by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
August 5, 2005

The Republican Party has -- barely -- snatched another election in Ohio. And once again there are telltale symptoms of the kind of vote theft that put George W. Bush in the White House in 2000 and then kept him there in 2004.

This time an outspoken Iraqi War vet named Paul Hackett led the charge for a Cincinnati-area Congressional seat, earning 48% of the vote. The spot was open because Bush appointed his pal Rep. Rob Portman to be a trade representative.

Hackett is a rarity among today's Democrats---a blunt, hard-driving truth talker who blasted Bush's attack on Iraq. Hackett labeled W. "a chicken hawk." He's the first Iraqi war vet to run for Congress. He made no bones about the incompetence and cynicism that define the GOP strategy there. In particular Hackett attacked Bush's attacks on veterans benefits while claiming patriotic support of the war.

In return, GOP candidate Jean Schmidt lied about Hackett's war record. Unlike John Kerry, Hackett fought back immediately.

The Ohio GOP is now being thoroughly roasted by a Coingate scandal in which Republican high roller Tom Noe seems to have walked off with at least $4 million in state funds, and possibly $16.5 million in theft and unauthorized administrative charges from a $50 million rare coin investment fund. Noe is a Bush Pioneer/Ranger level donor, and a supporter of Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the point man in Bush's theft of Ohio's 20 electoral votes and thus the presidency last November.

(more)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x387664

[Melissa G]

2. Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Staff Piece - Look at Diebold Again!

Thanks to Helderheid for the post and DU discussion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x387222





Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Staff Piece - Look at Diebold Again!
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2909141

"Electronic Voting Machines: California experience should prompt concern for Utah elections

California, after extensive testing, has rejected as unreliable the type of voting machine that Utah has decided to use to comply with the Help America Vote Act.
That, by itself, is enough to cause concern, but what has us even more worried is that Utah election officials are unwilling to take seriously the report from the nation's most populous state that the failure rate for the Diebold electronic voting devices is about 10 percent. California's secretary of state said the expensive touch-screen system that includes a paper record experienced printer jams and screen freezes during a mock primary that was the most rigorous test yet of the Diebold system.
Diebold is "not good enough for the voters of California," said Bruce McPherson. Nevertheless, Utah's election division director, Michael Cragun, said he is confident the machines that arrive in Utah will be more reliable than those tested in California. "The decision has been made," Cragun said.
That kind of dogged refusal to consider new information could cost Utahns more than money. Diebold appears to have bugs the size of Buicks, and if they can't be worked out, they could end up casting doubt on the outcomes of Utah elections. "

<snip>

more

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2909141

[Melissa G]

3. Diebold's Problems Worse Than Reported, Tests Find.

Diebold's Problems Worse Than Reported, Tests Find.

thanks to nicknameless for the post and the DU discussion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x387529


From VerifiedVotingFoundation.org
http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6257



System Crashes, Paper Jams Prove Widespread in California Counties
by Ian Hoffman, Daily Review
August 3rd, 2005

<snip>

Software problems occurred in those earlier tests, but state voting-systems analysts were more focused in the mock election on paper jams. Yet when Diebold representatives trucked in 96 new TSx machines and local elections officials voted on them July 20 in a San Joaquin County warehouse, nearly twice as many machines froze or crashed as had paper jams.

Last week, McPherson rejected use of the TSx, saying the machine's lack of reliability "isn't good enough for voters in California, and it isn't good enough for me."

On the strength of paper jams alone, two-dozen critics of electronic voting rallied in front of the Alameda County administrative offices Tuesday and demanded that county supervisors withdraw from negotiations to buy the machines. Homemade signs accused the McKinney, Texas-based maker of voting machines, of "stealing" elections and called on Alameda County to "dump Diebold."

<snip>

Nineteen machines had 21 screen freezes or system crashes, producing a blue screen and messages about an "illegal operation" or a "fatal exception error." A Diebold technician had to restart the machine for voting to resume. Ten machines had a total of 11 printer jams. Almost one-third of all machines in the mock election had a problem.

<snip>

[Melissa G]

4. A firewall for democracy

August 4, 2005 latimes.com story
Thanks to chrisclub for the post and DU discussion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x387473




A firewall for democracy
Two California secretaries of state have refused to certify a touch-screen voting machine, and for good reason.

By Andrew Gumbel
BRUCE MCPHERSON, California's secretary of state, has just performed an invaluable service for the voters. Only a few months into the job, he had been under intense pressure to certify the latest electronic touch-screen voting machine manufactured by Diebold Election Systems, which is supposed to help California counties meet a federally mandated January deadline for the overhaul of their election equipment. But instead of rolling over, his office conducted exhaustive tests on the Diebold TSx, discovered that it had a 10% error rate — worse than the reviled punch-card machines used in Florida in 2000 — and sent the company back to the drawing board.

This is hugely important for two reasons.



First, because companies such as Diebold have been operating far too long without adequate public oversight, while charging taxpayers tens of millions of dollars for equipment that some of the country's best computer scientists have found is sloppily programmed, dangerously insecure and virtually unable to be audited for fraud or error.

snip
McPherson's decision is also significant because the same line of Diebold machines has now been refused certification by California secretaries of state from both major parties. McPherson is a Republican, and his predecessor, Kevin Shelley, who cracked down on Diebold last year after the company admitted shortcomings that included the use of uncertified software, is a Democrat. That shows the vulnerabilities of the electoral process are not, at heart, a question of partisan politics. Rather, this is about the integrity of this nation's democratic infrastructure.


http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6257

[Melissa G]

5. What we lose when voters act more like consumers

Posted on Fri, Aug. 05, 2005





What we lose when voters act more like consumers

By JANE EISNER


Should voting in America be super-sized?

That's the provocative suggestion offered by a national task force of state and local election officials charged with reforming the voting process.

Unfortunately, it's not clear if this proposed cure will strengthen civic participation, or - as Wal-Mart did to the five-and-dime store - drive it into bankruptcy.

snip
Ensuring that polling places and voting machines are accessible to the disabled places an added burden. And then there's lifestyle: Americans accustomed to iPods and TIVO don't take kindly to being told to vote at a specific place, on a specific day, often at polls that close earlier than some banks.

A task force of the Election Center, a national organization of election administrators, poses a radical solution: Replace voting precincts and Election Day with fewer, customer-oriented "vote centers," where people can cast ballots over a period of weeks.


http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/news/editorial/12307301.htm

[Bill Bored]

6. ON THE ROPES Don't expect much noise from the Democrats over Ohio

ON THE ROPES
Don't expect much noise from the Democrats over Ohio.

By Matt Taibbi

...we in the media need to reexamine the 2004 election. If they really did steal it, we can't just let it slide. Because they'll do it again. And forget about the Democrats being able to do anything about it. They have their own problems.

[Melissa G]

7. California tightens rules for e-voting vendors

California tightens rules for e-voting vendors
By JENNIFER COLEMAN, Associated Press Writer

Friday, August 5, 2005




(08-05) 18:47 PDT SACRAMENTO, (AP) --


Makers of electronic voting machines will have to certify that their systems meet federal guidelines to ensure that voters don't get "stuck with a lemon" as technology and regulations evolve, the state's top election official said.


The new rule, announced this week by Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, will clarify for counties which systems are approved for use in the June 2006 primary election.


Manufacturers of e-voting machines will have to sign contracts stating that their equipment meets the requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act.


The guidelines for HAVA won't be finalized until October, McPherson said in an interview Friday. The new rule will protect counties financially if they buy a system touted as HAVA-compliant, only to learn it doesn't meet the final regulations.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/08/05/state/n141311D73.DTL

[Melissa G]

8. Voting machines for disabled won't be ready for fall election

Voting machines for disabled won't be ready for fall election-WA



JON GAMBRELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD


Whatcom County’s touch-screen voting machines, purchased to help the county’s disabled residents vote unassisted, will not be ready for this year’s election because current models do not comply with newer federal laws.
The machines, built by California-based Sequoia Voting Systems Inc., do not have controls for voters to change font sizes or control the display’s contrast or audio. All three of those controls are required by next year’s election as mandated by the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002.
“Sequoia meets 2002 standards,” said Whatcom County Auditor Shirley Forslof. “We’re going to wait and purchase them when they get all of the enhancements done.”
RANDOM HAND COUNTS POSSIBLE
The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office currently is working out specifics on allowing both machine and hand counts on up to three precincts for elections.

The counts would allow election workers to check the accuracy of the machine’s counting program.

However, the counts wouldn’t be mandatory. Under state law, officials would undertake the audits only at the mutual suggestion of the county’s Republican and Democrat parties.
The machines, as required by law, would allow the disabled to vote on their own, in some cases using audio or visual cues as guides.
Other methods Forslof requested for the retooled machines include a tube to allow a paralyzed person to blow onto the touch screen or footpad controls. However, she said law does not require them.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050804/ELECTION/50804001

[Melissa G]

9. Unplugged: County voters will return to paper and pen

Unplugged: County voters will return to paper and pen
By Ben van der Meer
San Joaquin News Service
Last updated: Wednesday, Aug 03, 2005 - 11:35:19 pm PDT



snip
But state officials held up that process last month after tests showed that Diebold's touch-screen voting machines had paper jams nearly 10 percent of the time, and were also prone to screen freezes.

snip
Though that means the November election will cost the county more -- Hench said the price tag is about $1.2 million -- Diebold officials have agreed to pay for printing costs for election ballots, which will save about $300,000.

Hench said the rise in printing costs, from $350,000 to $750,000 per election in just a few years, prompted the county to investigate touch-screen machines, which cost $3,200 apiece.

"When you're talking about printing, it's not just duplicating paper, it's using state-certified paper that has to be checked," she said. "We figured the machines would pay for themselves in 10 years or less."

http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2005/08/04/news/5_votes_050804.txt

[Melissa G]

10. Counties prepare to meet HAVA mandates

Counties prepare to meet HAVA mandates
By MEGAN FEDDERSEN and CHRISTINE RUPP

Sentinel Staff Writers

FAIRMONT -- If you are handicapped and have difficulty voting come election time, the Help America Vote Act could mean good news. However, for precincts and counties, it could mean extra expense and work.

That is because under HAVA, every precinct is required to purchase, store and maintain assisted voting technology.

"What about the precincts that don't have anybody? Well, it's federal legislation," said Faribault County Auditor John Thompson.

The machines the state is considering cost about $5,500 and are equipped with a touch screen, headphones and Braille to help people with various handicaps vote, said Jim Forshee, Martin County auditor/treasurer.

http://fairmontsentinel.com/news/stories/080405a.html