Election Reform, Fraud & Related News July 12,06 Machines =1 Party Tyranny

[kpete]

Election Reform, Fraud & Related News July 12,06 Machines=1 Party

July 11, 2006 at
The stolen election of 2004
by Michael Parenti
http://www.opednews.com
July 11, 2006

......................

Companies like Diebold, Sequoia, and ES&S that market the touchscreen machines are owned by militant supporters of the Republican party. These companies have consistently refused to implement a paper-trail to dispel suspicions and give instant validation to the results of electronic voting. They prefer to keep things secret, claiming proprietary rights, a claim that has been backed in court.

Election officials are not allowed to evaluate the secret software. Apparently corporate trade secrets are more important than voting rights. In effect, corporations have privatized the electoral system, leaving it easily susceptible to fixed outcomes. Given this situation, it is not likely that the GOP will lose control of Congress come November 2006. The two-party monopoly threatens to become an even worse one-party tyranny.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_michael__060711_the_stolen_election_.htm

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

In fact, I am on vacation, on dial-up and most important of all, I have a brand new mountain bike and a mountain calling my name
-kpete the stump-jumper...

SO PLEASE HELP ME OUT THIS WEEK


Please post Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News on this thread.
1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.
2. Post stories using the "Election Fraud and Reform News Sources" listed here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/dis... ...
3. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.
4. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.

Please
"Recommend"
for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below).

[Jim Sagle]

1. KNR

[kpete]

2. Sarasota Group Submits Petition for Ref.Requiring Voter Verified Paper

Sarasota Voting Group Submits Petition for Referendum Requiring Voter Verified Paper Ballots
By Warren Stewart, VoteTrustUSA
July 11, 2006
Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections (SAFE) has collected enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot that, if passed, would require a voter-verified paper trail for all computerized voting machines. This is the first major requirement toward placing a referendum on the ballot November 7th in Sarasota County for voter verified paper ballots and mandatory audits of election results.

Patricia Rounds, a spokeswoman for the SAFE, said the group has met its requirement to get 12,030 signatures to get the measure on the November ballot. Sarasota Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent has already validated the signatures, clearing the path for the issue to get on the ballot.

"It is time for our elected officials to recognize the significance of this broad based citizens' initiative and take a proactive stance in favor of verified elections. It is time for all of us to stand up for democracy in this country."

The election integrity group still needs to get the county commission to certify the proposed ballot language. They also anticipate legal challenges to the petition from those opposed to verifiable elections.

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1494&Itemid=113

[Wilms]

3. Vote-PAD Invites People with Disabilities to CA Certification Testing

----- SACRAMENTO ------- JULY 19 & 20 ---------

If you know people in the Sacramento or Davis area of California, you can help!

The Secretary of State's office in CA is preparing to test one of a very few accessibility devices for voting that is NOT a DRE.

The inventor, Ellen Theisen, has long been active in working for election integrity (she previously founded Voters Unite). The company is Vote-PAD. The device is based on paper, has been developed in conjunction with feedback from people with disabilities (unlike some of the DREs), and would allow full verification and recountability (unlike any paperless DRE).

It would be a giant step forward for California to certify this for use in the state -- and five counties have already indicated a desire to use it.

I encourage anyone to help inform people with disabilities of this official State testing opportunity, in Sacramento. A big turnout of people with diverse physical challenges would be a giant step toward getting truly accessible elections, with a truly verifiable tally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vote-PAD, Inc. Invites People with Disabilities to the California Certification Testing on July 19, 20

http://www.vote-pad.us/Media/CA-Cert.htm

July 10, 2006

On July 19 and 20, the California Secretary of State’s office will examine the Vote-PAD, a non-computerized voting device, in an effort to provide counties with an innovative alternative to the controversial electronic voting systems currently certified for use in California. The device has been approved for use in Wisconsin in conjunction with hand counted paper ballots.

Vote-PAD, Inc. is a small company, formed in response to complaints from people with disabilities about the overstated accessibility of e-voting systems. The company's mission was to develop an assistive device that would remove barriers to exercising the right to vote and allow people with a wide range of disabilities to mark a paper ballot independently and privately.

From its inception, the Vote-PAD device was shaped through testing and input by people in the disabilities community. The company's website, www.vote-pad.us, includes testimonials from many who praise its accessibility. (http://www.vote-pad.us/testimonials.asp )

The Vote-PAD will be tested in conjunction with the Hart InterCivic Ballot Now system used in Yolo County, California and the Diebold AccuVote Optical Scanner used in Trinity County.

The California test plan is designed to show whether or not the Vote-PAD is accessible to people with disabilities while accurately representing the intent of the voter.

"We believe this thorough testing should become a standard for testing the accessibility of all voting systems designed for people with disabilities," Ellen Theisen, President of Vote-PAD, Inc., said.

The Counties, the State of California, and Vote-PAD, Inc. join in inviting you to be an official tester on July 19 or 20 in Sacramento if you have a disability that has made it difficult or impossible for you to vote in the past using standard voting equipment.

To schedule a time to test, call the California Elections Division at 916-657-2166 and/or email [e-mail] . Allow about an hour to learn about the equipment and perform the scripted testing.

"A true test requires a lot of people with a wide range of disabilities," Theisen said. "Our goal is to have 200 testers over the two-day period."

The testing will be performed at the multipurpose room in the California Secretary of State's office building at 1500 11th Street in Sacramento.

Vote-PAD, Inc.'s invitation to testers is here: <http://www.vote-pad.us/Media/Tester-Invitation.asp >.

Their request for assistance in notifying potential testers is here: <http://www.vote-pad.us/Media/CA-Invitation.asp >.


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x439704#top

[kpete]

4. UNANSWERED PROBLEMS OF ELECTRONIC VOTING

UNANSWERED PROBLEMS OF ELECTRONIC VOTING

ELECTORAL JUSTICE ~ 'A SINGLE PERSON COULD SWING AN ELECTION' BY MANIPULATING ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES : BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE

After witnessing the recent Mexico voting debacle and the 2004 Ohio voting irregularities ~ it's crucial for all Americans to now put pressure on Congress to ensure a fair vote, audits and paper trail for the November mid-term elections.

The Center for American Progress gives its recent update on Election voting machines and I include a 12 minute must see video on a Ohio Voting Machines Whistle Blower's Testimony.

more:
http://blogs.salon.com/0002255/

[kpete]

5. CNN's Lou Dobbs Covers Voting System Testing And Certification

CNN's Lou Dobbs Covers Voting System Testing And Certification
By Warren Stewart, VoteTrustUSA
July 11, 2006

In his ongoing series "Democracy For Risk",, CNN's Lou Dobbs focused on the lax standards and inadequate testing of voting systems in the United States yesterday. His guests included VoteTrustUSA's John Washburn, along with Michael Widman of the Brennan Center and DeForest Soaries, former chairman of the Election Assistance Commission.




Tonight, the federal government is failing to protect our democracy from an imminent threat. Electronic voting machines are open to fraud and can be compromised by hackers. But the federal government cannot enforce security standards for electronic voting machines. It hasn't set specific standards yet. Kitty Pilgrim reports.

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than half of all American voters will vote on electronic voting machines in upcoming elections. And watchdog groups want the federal government to be more aggressive to prevent fraud.

MICHAEL WALDMAN, BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE: The federal government, through the election assistance commission, should be training local officials in how to do the right kind of audits of these voting systems. That can happen right away. That doesn't need new legislation. It should be the job of the federal government to do the kind of threat analysis that private groups and computer scientists have done.

PILGRIM: Federal guidelines for designing and testing electronic voting machines were drafted by a federal advisory board in 2005. But those standards are voluntary and won't be officially into effect until December 2007.

DeForest Soaries was the first chair of the Federal Election Assistance Commission set up after the hanging chad controversy of 2000 to oversee election reform. Soaries resigned April of last year.

DEFOREST SOARIES, FORMER CHMN, ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMM.: Well what's wrong with the standards is they are not standards, they are recommendations at best. I'm worried about electronic voting because we've done such inadequate research that we don't know what we don't know.

PILGRIM: Computer engineers say the guidelines are not enough to actually check the machine that is in place at the polling station.

Video and transcript of yesterday's segment at:
http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1493&Itemid=26

[bleever]

6. K&R.

Everlasting thanks to the keepers of the daily election reform news thread.

[kpete]

7. The Elections Fraud Ball

The Elections Fraud Ball

11 July 2006


There was a fascinating blog last week written by Weldon Berger. In “Republican’s Set To Cry Foul in November Elections” (see http://www.btcnews.com), Berger suggested that should Republicans lose some close races in November 2006, they may try to blame the losses on inaccurate Diebold voting machines. Some on the left are incensed by this idea. “It’s bad enough they stole the 2000 and 2004 elections” a friend told me, “now they want to steal our main election issue too?” But in a strange way, this may be a sign of progress. If both Republicans and Democrats can agree that Diebold voting machines produce dubious results, certainly our dear leaders can do away with the lot of the damned things, and demand a return to verifiable, hand-counted ballots.

more at:
http://mytown.ca/sakin/

[kpete]

8. Voter registration issues cloud elections

Voter registration issues cloud elections
Updated 7/10/2006

By Catherine Rampell, USA TODAY
Forget campaign ads and envelope-licking. The key to victory in some of this year's elections may be who wins the battle over voter registration rules.

A relatively obscure area of election law has sparked a flurry of lawsuits over who gets to register new voters and how they perform the task. Several lawsuits have been filed in states that helped decide the 2004 presidential election and could be key this year in determining which party ends up with control of Congress.

"These battles over voter registration could be to the 2006 elections what the voting machines were in 2000," says Daniel Tokaji, assistant professor of law at Ohio State University.

The intensity of the disputes is "higher than it has ever been," says Guy-Uriel Charles of the University of Minnesota Law School.

Advocates of tighter rules say they're trying to prevent election fraud. Critics contend the rules could be used to disenfranchise voters who might make a difference.

Conventional wisdom suggests the new restrictions on voter registration benefit Republicans, says Tova Wang of the Century Foundation, a public-policy research group. She's not so sure.

more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-10-voter-registration_x.htm

[autorank]

9. FREEDOM! - Mexico- Amazing report by GregPalast.com's Matt Pascarella

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x439742
Show some support for this post if you don't mind. Thanks.

[kpete]

10. Hacking the vote - Chicago Trib Editorial

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

Hacking the vote

Published July 11, 2006


Cook County discovered the hard way in this year's Illinois primary election that electronic voting machines are not foolproof. Problems in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania have left election officials scratching their heads in confusion over thousands of votes that disappeared, without a paper trail.

Now a study by New York University's Brennan Center for Justice has found security vulnerabilities in touch-screen and optical scan electronic voting systems that could be exploited by a determined hacker. Machines that use wireless components, in particular, were found to be so vulnerable that precinct tallies could be altered with a pocket-sized, hand-held transmitting device.

How to avoid tampering? The Brennan researchers recommend frequent vote audits and a ban on Internet connections or wireless components in voting machines and polling places.

Voting machine vendors have dismissed many of the concerns, saying they do not reflect the real-life experience of running elections. But the vendors--given recent experience--don't inspire a lot of confidence.

more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0607110260jul11,1,7408834.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[livvy]

11. Bilbray/Busby Election: The Perceived Threat to Democracy Grows

American Chronicle
Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Bilbray/Busby Election: The Perceived Threat to Democracy Grows
Forrest Hill
July 9, 2006

Last month's race in California's 50th Congressional District in San Diego County between Republican Brian Bilbray and Democrat Francine Busby was characterized as a bellwether on whether the Democrats would recapture the House in November.

Instead we were treated with another round of accusations that the election was fraudulent as Bilbray was declared the winner with 49.5 percent of the vote to Busby's 45 percent.

In truth, this is a fairly significant size victory. Yet the outcry from San Diego citizens for a recount is overwhelming.

In fact, the response to Bilbray/Busby election by local voters may be more of a bellwether of the level of confidence Americans will have in the November election and the legitimacy of who controls the House in January.

Even more disturbing is the San Diego Registrars complete disregarded for state and federal security laws, as they blithely let poll workers store voting machines in their homes for several days prior to the election. In doing so, these machines were all technically decertified, and thus illegal for use in the election.

>more

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11359

[livvy]

12. Transcript and links to Catherine Crier's video editorial 7/11/06

BLOGGED BY Brad ON 7/11/2006 7:00PM
CourtTV's Catherine Crier: Scathing Video Editorial Covers Busby/Bilbray 'Sleepovers', Clint Curtis, Tony Anchundo, DeForest Soaries, Brad Friedman and BRAD BLOG!

>snip
She covered loads of stories that we've been secretly reporting here where the rest of the MSM could never ever notice… From the recent Busby/Bilbray Diebold voting machine "sleepover" fiasco to the Hand Count Fee scam that's followed, to the video-taped testimony of vote-rigging whistleblower Clint Curtis naming Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) as the rigger, to Bush-appointed former EAC commissioner DeForest Soaries' exposure of the cruel federal hoax, to now-disgraced Monterey County, CA Registrar of Voters Tony "Trust Me" Anchundo who faces 43 criminal counts and much more!

>more including link to videos

Here is part of a transcript provided at the link from BB's page.

"Below is the text transcript as forwarded by the good Crier Live folks …"

CATHERINE CRIER LIVE: The Crier Wire
Airdate: July 11, 2006

CRIER: This past November, when Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunnigham resigned his seat after pleading guilty to taking 2.4 mILLion dollars in bribes, many wondered if politics in California's 50th district could get any worse…((sot))"The truth is: I broke the law, concealed my conduct and disgraced my office."

VIDEO: "Hopefully, this 100-month sentence that Mr. Cunningham received will help restore the public's confidence in our system and respect for our laws."

CRIER: Well, the special election held to replace Cunnigham has not come close. Not even 24 hours after the polls closed and before the final count was certified, with a margin of only 4000 votes, Republicans declared Brian Bilbray the winner.

Six days later, House Speaker Dennis Hastert posed with Bilbray in a mock swear-in ceremony. The pose was for the benefit of the press, hopefully putting to rest any notion that Bilbray's victory was in question. Hours later, on the House floor, Brian Bilbray was sworn in for real.

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3056&print=1

[livvy]

13. North County Reps Vote to Lift Offshore Drilling(and response from Busby)

Sure didn't take long for his true colors to come out!



Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Last modified Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:27 AM PDT

North County Reps vote to lift offshore drilling ban

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer

NORTH COUNTY ---- Local Republican congressmen, including newly elected U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, have voted for a bill that would allow companies to drill for oil and gas off the coast of California and other coastal states.

The vote, taken on June 29, prompted criticism from Bilbray's political opponent that he is "out of touch" with residents of his coastal district. The congressman is filling out a term left open by convicted former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham. Bilbray faces re-election in November.

> big snip

Environmentalists, on the other hand, say they fear an oil spill could spoil coastal beaches and threaten the tourist economies of some regions, such as San Diego County.

Francine Busby, a Democrat challenging Bilbray in November for his 50th District seat, criticized the congressman, saying he had "misrepresented himself as a champion of the environment."

"It really makes the state jump through hoops to prevent drilling," Busby said.

>more

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/07/12/news/top_stories/7_04_007_11_06.txt

[livvy]

14. DNC Statement on Court Ruling to Block Georgia's Restrictive Voter ID Law

DNC Statement on Court Ruling to Block Georgia's Restrictive Voter ID Law
July 10, 2006

Today Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney issued the following statement in response to a Georgia Superior Court ruling blocking Georgia's restrictive voter ID law.

"We applaud the decision of the Fulton County Superior Court to recognize, in the words of the decision, that 'It is a given that any illegal restriction of the fundamental right to vote is prohibited' and that the Georgia voter id law 'unduly burdens the fundamental right to vote rather than regulate it.' The courts decision is a great victory for the rights of Georgia's voters and the democratic process and sends a strong message to Republicans in Georgia who have worked to restrict voting rights for partisan political gain.

"The push toward establishing mandatory voter ID requirements goes beyond the federal requirements set forth by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Now that the courts have ruled again against Georgia's Photo ID requirement, Republicans should end this and all efforts at the state and federal level to disenfranchise American citizens and work with Democrats at removing barriers to voting instead of erecting new ones.

"All across the country Republicans are working to limit the rights of Americans to exercise their right to vote by enacting restrictive measures. Democrats believe that the right to vote is the most basic and fundamental right of all, and that we should be making it easier and not harder for people to exercise that right to vote. We will continue to fight these harmful and restrictive measures and work to ensure that legally eligible voters are able to vote and have that vote counted."

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/07/dnc_statement_o_7.php

[livvy]

15. Calderon Acts Like Mexico's President-Elect

Calderon acts like Mexico's president-elect

MEXICO CITY Conservative Felipe Calderon is acting more like Mexico's president-elect every day.

He's preparing a transition team and announcing plans for a national tour -- despite efforts by his rival to overturn the election results.

Calderon's presidential airs are infuriating leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who says the July second presidential election was fixed.

Lopez Obrador has presented Mexico's top electoral court with evidence, including videos, he says show vote fraud.

> a bit more

http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=5139730

[livvy]

16. More details and quotes

Calderon Putting on Presidential Airs
MEXICO CITY, Jul. 12, 2006

>snip

"Nobody is going to accept a step back from democracy," Lopez Obrador said late Tuesday in an interview on Mexico's Televisa network. "I won the election, without a doubt."

>snip

On Tuesday, Calderon asked campaign director Josefina Vazquez Mota to reach out to other political parties and help build a coalition government. He said that Vazquez Mota's deputy, Juan Camilo Mourino, would head his transition team.

"We have begun working toward the transition between the administration headed by President Vicente Fox and the administration I will have the honor of leading starting Dec. 1," Calderon said.

Lopez Obrador quickly criticized Calderon's move. "It's like trying to say, 'It's all over, I declare myself president,' completely illegally," he said.

>more

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/12/ap/world/mainD8IQDMM05.shtml

[livvy]

17. Ireland: E-Voting system Will Never Be Used: ICTE

E-voting system will never be used: ICTE
Wednesday, July 12 2006
by Ciara O'Brien

Irish e-voting plans have been dealt another blow with an interest group claiming the Government's chosen system will never be used in an Irish election.

According to the Irish Citizens for Trustworthy E-voting (ICTE), the Government will need to invest further cash to make its EUR52 million e-voting system a viable proposition. The ICTE claims that further investment cannot be justified.

"First, the cost/benefit analysis that must precede any plans to introduce the system will show that further investment cannot be justified," said Margaret McGaley, ICTE, in a statement. "Second, the CEV did not declare these machines ready for use, they declared them ready for testing -- after extensive modifications have been made."

At the beginning of July, the CEV issued its report on the e-voting system, and recommended that the Government ditch software for collating the votes, describing it as "inadequate". However, there is no problem anticipated with the machines themselves, which are considered robust and reliable.

Dermot Casey, ICTE, pointed out that the cost of modifying the e-voting machines to come into line with the CEV's recommendations will require significant investment. "There are 14,000 voting booths in the paper system, and the State currently owns 7,000 voting machines. Without any of the necessary modifications listed by the commission, the cost of using this system for Irish elections would start at EUR35 million," said Casey.

>more

http://www.enn.ie/news.html?code=9733904

[livvy]

18. Iraq:Communications Technology Int'l Inc. Donates Electronic Voting System

Communications Technology Int'l Inc. Donates Electronic Voting System

Communications Technology Int'l Inc. donates an electronic voting system to the new government of Iraq at the U.S. - Arab Economic Forum (USAEF) conference on June 28, 2006 in Houston Texas.

Mahwah, NJ (PRWEB) July 12, 2006 -- Communications Technology International Incorporated (ComTec) announced today that it has donated a thirty-seat electronic voting system to the new government of Iraq. The gift was accepted by Iraq's ambassador to the United States, Samir Sumaida'ie at the U.S. - Arab Economic Forum (USAEF) conference on June 28, 2006 in Houston Texas.

ComTec, a leading USA audience response system company attended the session at the request of Next Vision Incorporated (http://www.nextvision-inc.com) the technology supplier for the entire conference. At various times over the three days, attendees used wireless keypads to answer very specific opinion questions that were presented on-screen. Once the votes were in, a graph was displayed. Follow-on discussion between the moderator and panelists then centered on how the audience responded.

According to ComTec's President, Tom Campione: "After hearing Iraq's ambassador speak, it became quite clear that the new government could derive great benefit from using this system back home in its decision making and planning. Because the voting system is both anonymous and real-time, it allows everyone in a planning session to express their truest opinion."

Tom goes on to say "We are very proud of the Iraqi people and their dedication to freedom. Providing assistance in this small way is the very least we can do."



http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/7/emw409948.htm

[livvy]

19. Temecula-based Group request panel to reduce potential voting abuses

Temecula-based group asks supervisors to name panel to reduce potential voting abuses

SIGNONSANDIEGO NEWS SERVICES

2:03 p.m. July 11, 2006

RIVERSIDE – A Temecula-based citizens group asked the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to consider appointing an oversight commission to reduce the chance of abuses in electronic voting.

About 25 members of Democracy for America attended the board meeting at the County Administrative Center. While the board took no action, supervisors asked the Registrar of Voters for a report on the issue within 30 days.

They also asked the board to consider an independent financial audit of the Registrar to examine expenditures on electronic voting equipment and software between 2000 and June 30 of this year.

>snip

“Our sole objective is ensuring that the election process is transparent, secure and accurate,” Courbat said. “What we observed is that Riverside's election system is none of those things.”

He complained that there were “critical lapses in chain of custody” in handling cartridges that contained the electronic votes.

>more

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/riverside/20060711-1403-polls.html

[livvy]

21. Complaints Lodged On Election Process

Complaints lodged on election process

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: The registrar will report on missing cartridges and the entry of some votes.

10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, July 11, 2006

By KIMBERLY TRONE
The Press-Enterprise

A Temecula Valley watchdog group Tuesday called on Riverside County supervisors to order an independent financial and management audit of the county's six-year-old electronic voting system.

Tom Courbat, a member of Democracy for America, cited what he said were several irregularities in the June 6 primary; including 17 voting cartridges that were temporarily misplaced after the polls closed.

One of the most "egregious" irregularities, Courbat told the supervisors, was that election workers copied votes from paper ballots and entered them into the electronic voting system without permission of the voter.

"We have no way of knowing that the votes were entered accurately," said Courbat. He was among about 36 Democracy for America members who attended Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

>more

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_C_votes12.1fc7096.html

[livvy]

20. UT: 3 GOP Candidates Press For a Recount

Article Last Updated: 7/12/2006 12:29 AM
3 GOP candidates press for a recount
Electronic voting test: Wallace, Sudweeks await word; Kay's loss confirmed
By Glen Warchol
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Three Utah GOP candidates demanded recounts Tuesday in close races in the June 27 primary, including incumbent state Rep. Peggy Wallace, who lost by 25 votes to Jim Bird.

The recounts will be a final test of the first Utah election to use touch-screen electronic voting machines.

A Piute County Commission race was further complicated because poll workers allowed three registered Democrats to vote in the GOP-only primary. Challenger Bill Sudweeks, who lost by that many votes, has demanded a recount before deciding whether to take the error to court.

"My race is three votes off, and there were three votes in the election that should not have been cast," Sudweeks said. "I understand that it's something that might have to go to court. I would have the expense of getting an attorney and getting it overturned, and the job doesn't pay that much."

>more

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4039607

[kpete]

22. "We don't know what we don't know"-Former Chairman

"I'm worried about electronic voting because we've done such inadequate research that we don't know what we don't know." DeForest Soaries, former Chairman, Election Assistance Commission -- Channeling Rumsfeld is he????

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=1191

[rumpel]

23. AR: Election problems vendor’s fault, head of commission says

By Christina Verderosa
Arkansas County Election Commission chair Janie Long told the Quorum Court Tuesday that she is generally satisfied with the way the May primary and June run-off went. However, that opinion does not extend to her dealings with Elections Systems and Software (ES&S), the Omaha-based company that sells and services the electronic voting machines.

On the positive side, Long reported that all the election sites were open and the machines were working, although at some sites, the machines were not all turned on because of the low turnout. However, vote counting was slow, Long acknowledged. She said this was mostly due to the people doing the counts being very “thorough.”

“I really think we did pretty good,” Long said.

However, Long did not think ES&S did a particularly good job. “I did not give them a very good report,” Long said.

The biggest problem was ES&S’ failure to correctly program and return the PEBs (Personal Electronic Ballots) in time for early voting for both the primary and the run-off. Long said programming had to be redone because of mistakes and that she and other officials had to scramble at the last minute to make paper ballots, when it became apparent the machines would not be ready on time.

Long also reported that she finally received a bill from ES&S for programming the PEBs, “and of course it’s wrong.”

She told the justices that the Secretary of State’s office told her “not to pay it until we’re satisfied.”

http://www.dewitt-ee.com/articles/2006/07/12/news/news02.txt

[rumpel]

24. Inventor of Electronic Voting Verification System Takes Industry Giants to

Court for Patent Infringement

Yahoo Finance
Press release -Source: SimmonsCooper LLC

Wednesday July 12, 11:19 am ET
SimmonsCooper Files Lawsuit on Behalf of AVANTE International Technology Corporation

EAST ALTON, Ill., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- SimmonsCooper LLC has filed a lawsuit against the three largest voting machine manufacturers for infringing AVANTE International Technology Corporation's Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and optical scan patents.
Named in the suit are Diebold Election Systems, Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S), and Sequoia Voting Systems. The suit was filed on behalf of Kevin Chung, CEO of Avante International Technology Corporation, Inc., who invented VVPAT.

AVANTE's VVPAT and optical scanning (which includes automatic ballot marking) patents allow voters to verify that their electronically-cast ballots are being accurately counted while also allowing for auditability between the paper record and the electronic record.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060712/clw527.html?.v=33

[rumpel]

25. TN: Corrected Ballots Mailed Monday

Monroe County Online

By: Tommy Millsaps
Source: The Monroe County Advocate
07-12-2006
A mix up caused about 25 people in the 1st and 2nd voting districts to receive the wrong mail-in/absentee ballots over the weekend.

Monroe County Administrator of Elections Randall Moser said some voters in the Sweetwater Brown Intermediate precinct in the 1st District received ballots that should have gone to Madisonville city precinct voters in the 2nd District and vice versa.

Moser said the wrong ballots were simply put in the envelopes when they were mailed out Friday.

Moser said he notified the state’s election commissioner of the error after several voters notified him Saturday. “He told us to mail out new ballots to everybody (in those two precincts),” Moser said.

The Election Commission on Monday mailed out new mail-in ballots to all the voters who had requested to vote by mail in the two precincts, about 144 in all.

Moser said it’s always a good practice to double check your mail-in ballot when it comes.

Make sure you have the correct County Commission candidates for your voting district, he said.

http://monroe.xtn.net/index.php?table=news&template=news.view.subscriber&newsid=132171

[rumpel]

26. OH: Election officials again consider vendor switch for voter registration

LimaOhio.com

By BOB BLAKE
419-993-2077
07/12/2006
[e-mail]

WAPAKONETA — A year after first considering switching vendors over concerns with reported software glitches and untimely requests for help, election officials in Auglaize County are once again mulling a possible move.
The Auglaize County Board of Elections first considered the change from Omaha, Neb.-based Election Systems and Software to the Xenia-based Triad Governmental Services Inc. last summer. The Ohio company had proposed a two-year contract, complete with service and training, for $24,800 for its voter registration system.
The problems persist with ES&S and warrants investigating a possible change, board members said.
“I just wonder if we haven’t done enough research,” board member Mary Dee Malueg said when it was suggested the board take a trip to other counties using Triad to see how their system works. “From everything I’ve seen and heard, I think maybe it’s time for a change.”
Director Carolyn Campbell said the board can make either system work, however, office employees rely more on manuals and other election boards when seeking assistance than they do on ES&S.
“I’m not saying it’s an impossible job,” she said. “It’s doable. We can get through it with manuals and figuring it out.”
Board members Larry Fledderjohann agreed the time may come when the board needs to make a change.
“The handwriting’s on the wall,” he said. “We know we’re not going to get support from ES&S other than Delaware County.”
Campbell said she would like to see the board make a decision about whether to stick with their current vendor or switch to Triad before the board is asked to approve paying more than $8,000 in licensing fees to ES&S sometime after this year’s November general election.

http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=27536

[rumpel]

27. MO: Democrats fined for violating finance laws

Ozarks Local News

Published Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The Federal Election Commission has imposed a $20,000 fine on the Missouri Democratic Party for violating federal campaign finance laws during the 2002 election.
The fine — part of a negotiated settlement — comes less than a year after the party paid a separate $110,000 fine to resolve similar allegations from the 2000 election.

The FEC announced the settlement Tuesday, although the agreement was signed in May, after it was approved by commission members.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/NEWS01/607120347/1007/NEWS01

[Kurovski]

28. Kick to top.

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