Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Thursday 11/30/06

[EFerrari]

Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Thursday 11/30/06

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

Judge says Dems can seek more than just phone costs in jam case

MANCHESTER, N.H. --A judge has ruled New Hampshire Democrats can go after more than just the cost of renting and using telephones that were jammed by Republicans on Election Day four years ago.

Republicans wanted Judge Philip Mangones to rule the Democrats could only claim $4,974 in damages -- the cost of renting and using phones for the get-out-the-vote campaign. Democrats argued they should be able to go after more than $4 million in damages -- the cost of seven months of work for the get-out-the-vote effort.

That's nearly half of what Democrats spent on their effort, which was disrupted for nearly two hours the day it was supposed to pay off.

Mangones placed some limits on Democrats' claims.

He said Democrats can't include the entire cost of their seven-month-long, get-out-the-vote operation. The costs of "postage, signs, rent and other such expenditures that were not proximately (almost directly) impacted by the telephone system interference would generally not be recoverable," he ruled.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2006/11/30/judge_says_dems_can_seek_more_than_just_phone_costs_in_jam_case/



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/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x371233

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). :hi:

[wakeme2008]

1. OK for the toon I will nom nt :) :)

[EFerrari]

4. Thanks!

[EFerrari]

2. National: New voting machines' debut rocky, study says

New voting machines' debut rocky, study says
Pennsylvania had high number of problems

Thursday, November 30, 2006
By Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON -- American democracy survived the Nov. 7 general election without any major voting machine disasters, but there were far too many problems to call it a real success, according to a report released yesterday by a nonpartisan election reform group.

Long lines, machine mishaps and inadequate poll worker training in many states -- combined with questions about 18,000 "undervotes" in a hotly contested Florida congressional race -- likely damaged the public's confidence in widespread technological changes made since the disputed 2000 presidential election, the group said.

"Voters were inconvenienced in sometimes severe ways across the country," said Doug Chapin, director of electionline.org, which released the report. "I think need to work harder to make sure that those individual problems don't crop up again in 2007 and 2008 and beyond."

Millions of voters, including many in Pennsylvania, used new voting equipment for the first time this year because of the federal Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, a 4-year-old law that authorized billions of dollars in federal spending for election reform. Mr. Chapin's group, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, has been tracking the rapid transformation and collecting information on its Web site.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06334/742415-84.stm

[EFerrari]

3. National: Feds to Toughen E-Voting Standards?

November 29, 2006
Feds to Toughen E-Voting Standards?
By Michael Hickins

A federal agency is set to recommend significant changes to specifications for electronic-voting machines next week, internetnews.com has learned.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is recommending that the 2007 version of the Voluntary Voting Systems Guidelines (VVSG) decertify direct record electronic (DRE) machines.

DREs are currently used by more than 30 percent of jurisdictions across the U.S. and are the exclusive voting technology in Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and South Carolina.

According to an NIST paper to be discussed at a meeting of election regulators at NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, Md., on Dec. 4 and 5, DRE vote totals cannot be audited because the machines are not software independent.

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3646231

[EFerrari]

5. CO: "Laughable failures" in Denver election

"Laughable failures" in Denver election

Experts also blame voting woes on oblivious officials
By George Merritt and Katy Human
Denver Post Staff Writers
Article Last Updated:11/30/2006 09:42:26 AM MST

Software that Denver used to check in voters on Election Day did not "meet, or even approach, professional standards," consultants told a city investigative panel Wednesday.

Experts hired to study Denver's problem-plagued election also criticized election officials for failing to catch obvious problems, and they expressed surprise at the "casual" attitude of those running a critical system of democracy.

"These now appear to be laughable failures," said panel member Hubert Farbes, an attorney with Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber and a former assistant attorney general.

Poorly designed software for checking voters' registration status overwhelmed Denver's computer system, making it difficult for election judges to process voters and leading to waits as long as three hours.

http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_4745158

[philb]

37. People standing in long lines and unable to vote weren't laughing

EIRS reports by voters to EP hotline
for Colorado and other states

www.flcv.com/eirstss6.html
www.flcv.com/eirsppp6.html
www.flcv.com/eirsoth6.html
www.flcv.com/eirsdt6.html

[EFerrari]

6. Delaware's election commissioner to retire

Delaware's election commissioner to retire
Calio says fresh face needed before '08 presidential vote
By PATRICK JACKSON, The News Journal
Posted Thursday, November 30, 2006

DOVER -- When he looked at the next big thing on the election calendar, Election Commissioner Frank Calio decided it was time to call it a career.

"I'll be 69 next March, and I decided I just didn't have the energy to deal with a presidential election," said Calio. "It's time for a fresh face and some new blood."

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner issued a statement praising Calio for his service.

"We were very fortunate to have him join state government five years ago as our elections commissioner," Minner said. "I wish him well and hope that he and his family enjoy the special years ahead as he enters retirement."

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061130/NEWS/611300374/-1/NEWS01

[EFerrari]

7. FL: Reform groups to rally for revote

Reform groups to rally for revote
STACEY EIDSON
Herald Staff Writer

SARASOTA - As questions concerning the more than 18,300 undervotes in the 13th Congressional District race continue to mount, election reform groups from across the state are preparing for a rally on Sunday in Sarasota to demand a revote.

"The only thing that will resolve this situation is a revote," said Reggie Mitchell, Florida legal counsel for People for the American Way in Tallahassee. "Clearly, the state audit will not address our concerns because already the numbers don't add up. The whole structure of the audit is seriously flawed."

An audit team from the Florida Secretary of State's office discovered a few discrepancies in votes cast during a mock election Monday. The simulated election used five of Sarasota County's touch-screen voting machines that were prepared for Election Day but never used.

The purpose of Sunday's rally at 2 p.m. at Bayfront Park in Sarasota is to make sure the voice of disenfranchised voters are heard, Mitchell said.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/16126156.htm

[EFerrari]

8. FL: Voting chiefs 'diss' paper, but see inevitability

Voting chiefs 'diss' paper, but see inevitability
By TODD RUGER

[e-mail]
ORLANDO -- While the state's top election officials expect lawmakers to require a paper trail on all electronic voting systems, they warned it is a system that is prone to even more problems than the electronic system it would replace.

Photos from an Ohio recount flashed on two huge screens in front of Wednesday's meeting of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections, showing paper jams that caused dozens of votes to be printed on top of each other and worn out printers that never recorded votes.

"We encountered votes being lost on the voter-verified paper audit trail that could have been retrieved from the machines," said guest speaker Keith Cunningham, an Ohio elections official who testified before Congress on the issue.

"Relying on the" voter-verified paper audit trail "solely in post-elections is the problem."

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061130/NEWS/611300437/1006/SPORTS

[EFerrari]

9. FL: High undervote has precedent

High undervote has precedent
Views differ on history's lesson
By GREG MARTIN
Staff Writer


The fact that more than 18,000 ballots cast by Sarasota County voters left blank the Congressional District 13 race has put the election under intense scrutiny.

But November's high "undervote" rate of nearly 15 percent in the county wasn't the first time an unusually high number of ballots were left blank in races for the seat.

In 2000, when then-incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Miller, a Bradenton Republican, faced Daniel Dunn, a Democrat, there were more than 25,000 undervotes, which also amounted to 15 percent of the ballots cast, according to Sarasota County elections records.

Whether that indicates the current undervote is less of an aberration depends upon whom one asks.

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/112906/np6.htm?date=112906&story=np6.htm

[philb]

31. was it a close, highly contested race; I'm pretty sure not

[EFerrari]

10. IL: Dems' bid to toss late ballots denied

Dems' bid to toss late ballots denied

November 29, 2006
By MATT HANLEY STAFF WRITER

A judge on Tuesday rejected another effort to contest ballots cast during Kane County's extended voting hours on Election Day.

While acknowledging that this was unusual situation, 16th Circuit Judge Michael Colwell said he was "not inclined to grant any relief here."

Kane County Democrats had been hoping to disqualify ballots cast after 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 in seven Elgin precincts, when polls had been scheduled to close.

At about 5 p.m. that day, a Kane County judge issued an emergency ruling to extend voting hours to 8:30 p.m., after the county clerk's office confirmed at least 62 precincts opened late as a result of voting equipment problems. Many groups have kept an eye on the election results, looking for opportunities to challenge the totals.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/152876,3_1_EL29_A3VOTES_S1.article

[EFerrari]

11. IN: Recounts set in 4 Indiana House races

UPDATED: 9:26 PM
Recounts set in 4 Indiana House races

By Lesley Stedman Weidenbener
[e-mail]
The Courier-Journal

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Recount Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to review the Jennings County election results in House District 69, a race that Democrat Dave Cheatham won over incumbent Republican Billy Bright by about 1,600 votes.

The recount is to begin Monday.

It’s one of four House races in which the bipartisan commission agreed to conduct recounts from the Nov. 7 election.

Democrats requested the other three, and they are contesting closer margins.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061129/NEWS02/61129060

[EFerrari]

12. IN: Recount begins this morning

Recount begins this morning
Posted: Wednesday, Nov 29, 2006 - 02:08:46 am EST
By ANDREA HOWE

Editor, The Daily Clarion

PRINCETON-Judge Earl Penrod and three recount commission members head to the courthouse basement early today to retrieve locked ballot boxes and begin recounts in county council and commissioner races.

Penrod appointed Democrat Sandra Greubel, Republican Bill Knowles and Terrell Almon as a third nonpartisan member of the commission. Georgia Straw, an employee of the County Clerk's election office, will assist the members with equipment, but will not participate in the recount.

The trio will conduct a consolidated recount of ballots cast in the Gibson County Council District 2 race between Democrat Bob Allen and Republican George Ankenbrand, and in the Gibson County Commissioner District 1 race between Democrat Don Whitehead and Republican C.T. Montgomery.

Snip

Penrod suggested recount commission members use the memory cartridges in each affected precinct to first determine whether the electronic totals are the same as the Nov. 7 count.

http://www.tristate-media.com/articles/2006/11/29/pdclarion/news/news2.txt

[EFerrari]

13. KY: New machines caused most voters' woes

New machines caused most voters' woes

By TOM BERRY
Staff Writer

The new e-slate portable electronic voting machine used by Calloway County voters for the first time during the November election proved to be a blessing to some and a bone of contention to others.

The approximately 4,000 voters who used them on Nov. 7 either loved them, disliked or distrusted them, or were confused about whether or not they had operated the machines correctly and were unsure about whether mistakes were made while voting or not.

That was the main topic of discussion during a special-called meeting of the Calloway County Board of Elections Monday morning. The meeting was scheduled to consider precinct-by-precinct complaints from voters reported to the Calloway County Sheriff's Department.

Pointing out that about 4,000 of the 10,600-plus voters who went to the polls used the equipment, County Clerk Ray Coursey Jr. told board members Dave Foley and Zee Enix that he believes most of many complaints concerning the e-slate are rooted in the newness of the equipment.

http://www.murrayledger.com/articles/2006/11/28/top_story/news02.txt

[philb]

36. Kentucky House Speaker calls new voting machines "horrible", vote switching on DREs

Kentucky House Speaker Jody Richards yesterday called the new electronic voting machines "horrible." & Vote-switching on the Hart InterCivic eSlate e-voting machine
http://www.votersunite.org/article.asp?id=6812

[EFerrari]

14. KY: Voting rights for felons proposed

Voting rights for felons proposed
Amendment has strong support

By Elisabeth J. Beardsley
[e-mail]
The Courier-Journal

Felons would have their voting rights restored automatically after finishing their sentences under a constitutional amendment that lawmakers and activists proposed yesterday.

Activists backed their proposal with a new poll showing that 56 percent of Kentuckians support such a change.

The state constitution imposes a lifetime voting ban on felons; only the governor can reverse it. Gov. Ernie Fletcher changed the process by requiring applicants to write a statement and provide three references.

Louisville resident Mitch Ford, 31, said he spent five years in prison for burglary and theft committed when he was a teenager, and now he wants a say in how his tax money is spent and who is elected.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061130/NEWS0104/611300400/1008/NEWS01

[EFerrari]

15. MA: US is said to probe Bay State elections

US is said to probe Bay State elections
At issue is access by disabled voters

By Donovan Slack and Yvonne Abraham, Globe Staff | November 30, 2006

The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the state's failure to ensure that equipment for disabled voters was provided at polling places across Massachusetts during this year's elections, according to three people who spoke with federal investigators this week.

Two investigators from the voting section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division -- trial lawyer James "Nick" Boeving and special litigation counsel Susana Lorenzo-Giguere -- are to arrive in Boston today to begin gathering documents and conducting interviews, according to one of the two people.

Boeving is planning to inquire about the state's failure to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act, which requires that every polling place have at least one machine that allows disabled people to vote privately and independently, said Brenda Wright, managing attorney at the Boston-based National Voting Rights Institute. Wright received a call from a Department of Justice lawyer Tuesday.

Problems with access for disabled voters would be just the latest accusation to plague election officials in Massachusetts, where irregularities in four cities have been investigated in recent years. Boston agreed last year to federal monitoring after the Justice Department accused the city of failing to protect the rights of voters with limited English skills. In September's primary, workers failed to count hundreds of ballots, and in the final election some 30 polling places ran out of ballots.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/30/us_is_said_to_probe_bay_state_elections/

[EFerrari]

16. NC: Kissell concedes to 8th District race to GOP's Hayes

Kissell concedes to 8th District race to GOP's Hayes
TIM WHITMIRE
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - With defeat appearing inevitable, Larry Kissell conceded Wednesday to GOP Rep. Robin Hayes in the state's 8th Congressional District, ending one of the nation's last unresolved races for a seat in the U.S. House.

"The fight for the future of this district is too important to postpone another day. That's why I'm running for Congress in 2008 starting right now," Kissell said in a statement. "After today's recounts, I offer U.S. Rep. Hayes a belated congratulation for his victory now that the votes have been counted."

Kissell conceded even though only five of the ten counties in the district had completed the hand recount requested by the Democrat. The rest were to conduct the hand recounts on Thursday.

Kissell trailed Hayes by just 329 votes out of 121,523 cast following a machine recount last week. He gained only two votes Wednesday during the first phase of the hand recount, during which election officials manually recount votes in a sample of precincts covering 3 percent of the votes cast in the race.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/16123267.htm

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

34. A High School Social Studies Teacher Almost Beat Incumbent

Kissell came just a few hundred votes away from victory.

Darn.

But he promises to run again in 2 years - YAY.

Democrats in our state got off their butts and worked really
hard.

We have a good state party chair who helped
with the election integrity issue, i.e recommending
optical scan to all county BOE members.

The chair provided pro bono legal representation
to some DEM candidates with close elections.

But isn't it amazing how close Kissell, who never ran for
anything, almost beat a multi term incumbent?

[EFerrari]

17. OH: Hobson's challenger wants random recount

Hobson's challenger wants random recount
Bill Conner pays $500 to have a recount in certain Greene, Fairfield and Clark County precincts.

By Samantha Sommer
Staff Writer
Thursday, November 30, 2006


Bill Conner, who lost a bid for Congress, has asked for a recount of precincts in Clark, Greene and Fairfield counties.

He filed the request Wednesday in Greene County, the most populous county in the U.S. House 7th District.

The request calls for a recount of five precincts in Greene County, three in Fairfield and two in Clark.

Conner, who has to pay $500 for the recount, said he picked the precincts randomly.

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/11/29/sns113006recount.html

[philb]

32. Touch screen switching reported in Green co. in 2006; lots of irregularities in 2004

EIRS hotline reports in 2006

Polling Place Problem Greene Ohio Greene County BOE Yes Diebold DRE Machine swithced vote for Govenor. he caught it on summary screen and was able to correct it before voting, but is concerned that others might not notice the switch. He has photos of the switch. Is sending an email with more detailed report


4023 Absentee Problem Fairfield Ohio Her daughter called the board of elections the week before the election and said that she had not received her absentee ballot. They said that they had sent her one and would not send a second one.

[EFerrari]

18. RI: Judge orders manual review of 96 ballots

Judge orders manual review of 96 ballots

01:00 AM EST on Thursday, November 30, 2006
By Alisha A. Pina and Benjamin N. Gedan
Journal Staff Writers

PROVIDENCE — In a decision that could have far-reaching effects on the way Rhode Island conducts elections, Superior Court Judge Stephen J. Fortunato Jr. ruled yesterday that any ballot that cannot be read by electronic voting machines during an election recount must be made available for public scrutiny to determine if a voter’s intent can be discerned.

Over the objections of the state’s top election officials, Fortunato ordered the state Board of Elections to permit an East Providence City Council candidate, Joseph Larisa Jr., to manually review 96 problem ballots that were photocopied during a recount on Tuesday.

“We’re dealing with a fundamental right,” Fortunato said. “Surely we cannot surrender elections to machines.”

The Board of Elections declined to comply, with the five commissioners voting unanimously to appeal the decision to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

http://www.projo.com/news/content/Cranston_ballots30_11-30-06_FM33VG0.31864fe.html
(reg may be req'd)

[EFerrari]

19. TN: Study finds state had voting troubles

Study finds state had voting troubles
By John Rodgers, [e-mail]
November 30, 2006

Tennessee was “plagued” with voting problems this year, but didn’t specifically stand out as worse among other states, according to a new report released Wednesday.

The Pew Charitable Trust created electionline.org a nonpartisan organization that conducted the study, after the disputed 2000 presidential election in Florida.

Unlike 2000, there wasn’t a race this year where one or two votes could have made the difference on a national scale, said Dan Seligson, the editor of electionline.org

Nevertheless, the problems in Tennessee – where some Nashvillians waited for more than five hours to vote – were largely related to high turnout in unexpected places, not enough electronic voting machines and high amounts of improperly registered voters.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=9&screen=news&news_id=53463

[philb]

33. They should demand a revote in Tenn,- seems they didn't have a real election

some people weren't allowed to vote

EIRS Reports for 2006
Summary

Touch screen switching to blank in Shelby Co.,

Major machine problems in Shelby Co. in minority precincts, long lines

Insufficient machines in black precincts of Davidson Co. and Montgomery Counties, long lines, poll worker malfeasance

No DREs working in Green Co.- having to use paper ballots, long lines

Illegal purges of minorities in several counties, minorities not being told not on role and not being allowed to vote provisionally

http://eirs.cs.net:8080/EIRS_WEB/Reporting/displayUSReport.do

[EFerrari]

20. UT: Vote performance in Utah issued a B+

Vote performance in Utah issued a B+

By Suzanne Struglinski
Deseret Morning News
WASHINGTON — Utah should receive a strong B-plus or almost an A-minus in its voting performance for the Nov. 7 election, Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert told a group of election officials and philanthropists Wednesday.
The Pew Charitable Trusts held a panel looking at how voting worked in the latest election and what to do to make it better for 2008. Electionline.org released an analysis of voting procedures and any problems across the country as state officials discussed their own experiences.
This was the first election in which Utah offered early voting and used computer voting machines statewide. Herbert said overall people like the technology and accepted the early voting option.
Herbert said any glitches with the electronic voting machines could mostly be traced back to human error. Some voters had to wait 90 minutes to vote in Utah County, but the problem was traced back to a shortcut taken by county employees. The Electionline.org report focused on that problem and on one Salt Lake County voter who said he had voted twice, once during the early voting and once in the general election, just to prove it could be done.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650211149,00.html

[philb]

35. Not according to USCountVotes, they said major problem and fraud

Kathy Dopp, etc. see that thread earlier

[EFerrari]

21. WA: King County officials: Vote count is better, not perfect

King County officials: Vote count is better, not perfect
By Seattle Times staff

King County election officials said Tuesday they couldn't account for every absentee ballot counted in the Nov. 7 election, but they said the county's overall accounting improved greatly since the contested 2004 governor's election.

The county Canvassing Board certified election results Tuesday after administrators reported on their efforts to reconcile the number of votes counted with the number of poll ballots issued and the number of absentee ballots approved for tabulation.

Elections assistant superintendent Garth Fell said 51 more absentee ballots were counted than the number approved for tabulation and workers weren't able to explain the discrepancy.

At polling places, the number of ballots counted differed slightly from the number issued because of mistakes by voters or poll workers in 40 of 2,499 precincts, Fell said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003452527_election29m.html

[EFerrari]

22. WV: Recount Delayed (ES&S)

Recount Delayed

By JIM COCHRAN

MOUNDSVILLE — A possible software glitch has delayed a recount of the Marshall County school bond issue until 5 p.m. Monday.

Election officials spent nearly four hours Wednesday attempting the recount. County Clerk Jan Pest believes a software problem prevented the results from printing.

Pest said she will contact a representative of Election Systems Services, the firm that provided the machines, on the problem.

Pest also said Marshall County is the first and only county asked to conduct a recount since electronic voting was instituted in West Virginia.

http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=13385

[EFerrari]

23. Kathy Dopp: Recommendations for Federal Legislation to Ensure the Integrity of our Democracy

Recommendations for Federal Legislation to Ensure the Integrity of our Democracy

by Kathy Dopp

These recommendations are the result of detailed discussions with the foremost election integrity experts in the U.S., over a period of several months. They are complex and technical because counting votes is a complex process with many vulnerabilities. Protecting the vote count is not a simple matter.

In the interest of brevity, we have omitted many technical details. Below the list of recommendations are more detailed comments. A list of experts who can provide details and answer questions will be provided by December 12th.

Recommendations

1. Manual Audits: Require manual audits of machine vote counts sufficiently statistically valid to ensure that electronically-counted election outcomes are correct.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_kathy_do_061128_recommendations_for_.htm

[EFerrari]

24. Andy Novick: Corporate Power and Election Reform

Corporate Power and Election Reform

by Andi Novick

Dear all,

I have read the hundreds of passionate emails since the election and have
held back from responding, largely because I was overwhelmed withdeadlines. I am a media activist and see the theft of our elections and the loss of our free press as inextricably interrelated. I was in Philly with Steve Freeman, Jonathan Simon, Bruce O'Dell and Sally Castleman during the election. I appreciate the virtues of pursuing all means to regain control over our elections that have been stolen from us (the debate over whether to support or not support the Holt bill, that being the question). However, I think all of us have a tendency to become myopic when we're passionately in the center of the debate. The issue of permitting our elections to be taken over by private companies and private machines involves a much larger issue and to my mind, the one that must be preserved and fought for.

The absolute necessity to resist domination of government by corporate power has been a struggle which has marked our history since its inception. That admonition is nowhere to be found in the national debate. I blame corporate media. There's plenty of blame to go around, but for the purposes of my response here, corporate control of the media -- which was supposed to be regulated by the government in the public interest and was done somewhat for much of our history-- now contributes to the people's ignorance as the government has granted the media corporations monopoly status.

The greatest threat to our democracy is corporate power. As is often
attributed to Mussolini, "fascism should more appropriately be called
corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." See also the 1983 American Heritage Dictionary definition of Fascism: "A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."


As Vice President Henry Wallace predicted in an article he wrote for the NY Times in 1944 -- echoing the wisdom of James Madison," A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must are themselves with the power knowledge gives." -- Americans wouldn't have to seriously concern themselves with American fascism until the media became part of the corporate monopoly structure, "American fascism will not be really dangerous...until there is a purposeful coalition among the cartelists, the deliberate poisoners of public information...".

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_andi_nov_061129_corporate_power_and_.htm

[EFerrari]

25. Daniel P. Tokaji: Congress Turns to Election Administration

Congress Turns to Election Administration
November 28, 2006


Daniel P. TokajiDaniel P. Tokaji
Associate Director, Election Law @ Moritz
Assistant Professor of Law
Moritz College of Law

One of the things that may change with the new Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress is greater attention to the mechanics of elections. According to this report in the San Jose Mercury News, Senator Dianne Feinstein plans to focus on electronic voting and other election administration issues, in her new capacity heading the Rules and Administration Committee.

In one sense, this is a welcome development. Now is the perfect time for Congress to re-focus on the nuts and bolts of elections. The last of the core provisions of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) were implemented in this year's election season. Chief among those were the replacement of punch card and lever voting technology, for those states which accepted federal funds, and the implementation of disability accessible voting technology. Also in place this year, at least in most states, were new statewide registration databases mandated by HAVA. It is therefore quite appropriate that this Congress devote attention to studying how well these changes worked and what might be done prospectively to make our election system function better.

There is reason to be concerned, however, that this is not what the incoming congressional majority will actually do. In the past few years, the main election reform on which some on the Democratic side have been focused is the so-called "voter verified paper audit trail" (VVPAT). Mandating that electronic machines generate a VVPAT is frequently urged as a remedy for the security and transparency concerns with electronic voting. I've explained on many occasions, including here, why I don't think such legislation is wise.

Most recently, some electronic voting critics have seized upon the problems in Sarasota County to argue that a VVPAT should be required -- even though it's not at all clear that a VVPAT would have prevented the problems that emerged there. Relatively little research has been done on the functioning of electronic voting machines with a VVPAT in real elections. The research that does exist raises serious questions about whether mandating a VVPAT is really a workable and effective remedy for the real security issues that exist with electronic voting technology.

http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/comments/articles.php?ID=80

[EFerrari]

26. FL: Doubt dooms paperless voting, election chiefs say

Doubt dooms paperless voting, election chiefs say

By George Bennett
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, November 30, 2006

ORLANDO — When hanging chads and Palm Beach County's "butterfly ballot" put the kibosh on punch-card voting six years ago, Florida's elections chiefs ventured boldly into the new frontier of paperless electronic voting.

Now they are preparing - reluctantly - for a possible return to the paper era.

Amid the uproar over blank electronic votes in a tight congressional race in Sarasota County and the prospect of "paper-trail" legislation from Washington and Tallahassee, elections supervisors meeting here this week say paperless voting appears to be on its way out.

There aren't many skeptics of paperless systems among Florida elections officials. But they acknowledge skepticism among voters.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2006/11/30/m1a_ELECTION_1130.html

[EFerrari]

27. Discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2635424&mesg_id=2635424

[EFerrari]

28. Paul Loeb: Think Globally, Protect the Vote Locally

The Huffington Post

Think Globally, Protect the Vote Locally
Paul Loeb

Just as local cities have adopted environmental and wage laws that exceed federal standards, maybe it's time for local initiatives protecting the sanctity of the vote. We've been seeing electoral abuses and manipulations since the Bush administration took power. So we need to ensure the Democrats make national electoral protection a priority.
But we can also act on a local level.

Though the Democratic surge took back the Senate and House, some ugly actions quite likely shifted several close Congressional races. The poster race for this election's abuses, appropriately, is Catherine Harris's old Congressional district in Sarasota, FL. Whether through manipulation or error, electronic voting machines in that district logged 18,000 fewer votes in this neck-and-neck congressional race than for governor or senator, and fewer than wholly uncontroversial down-ballot races like the Sarasota Public Hospital Board. Whatever the causes, these votes disappeared in a county that Democrat Christine Jennings carried by 53 percent, and would have likely allowed her to defeat Republican Vern Buchanan.

Harris's district saw more than just voting machine problems. In the Jennings/Buchanan election as in over 50 key races throughout the country, Republicans called voters again and again with automated robocalls that led with the name of the Democratic candidate, and then followed with scurrilous attacks. Because voters tend to hang up on these harassing calls as soon as they begin, or delete them from answering systems, many assumed they were coming from the Democrats, so switched their votes in anger. Volunteers all over the country heard people say they'd never vote for Democratic candidates, they were so furious at the presumed source of this harassment. As a Venice, Florida, man wrote to the Sarasota Herald Tribune, "So Christine Jennings lost by 368 votes. I think I can tell her why. She should sit at home and have the telephone ring twice a day, at lunch and dinner time, for two or three weeks, and then decide if she should vote for the person doing the calling."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-loeb/think-globally-protect-t_b_35250.html

[EFerrari]

29. New electoral equipment to be used in Venezuela's presidential election

New electoral equipment to be used in Venezuela's presidential election
font size ZoomIn ZoomOut

Humberto Castillo, president of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), said Wednesday that fingerprint detection and vote register machines are to be used in Dec. 3 presidential elections.

Castillos said this measure demonstrated that Venezuela is complying with the electoral laws, which ensure equality, transparency, trustworthiness, impartiality and efficiency in the vote.

Castillo said the electoral body also designed a type of voting table with horseshoe shape in order to keep the vote in secret to the largest extent. The authorities have already tested these voting tools to guarantee the smooth progress of the elections.

Incumbent President Hugo Chavez, who is running for re-election, is favored to beat opposition candidate Manuel Rosales.

http://english.people.com.cn/200611/30/eng20061130_326867.html

[kpete]

30. xlnt - thanks for the great post!!!

K&R!!!

[philb]

38. Illegal dirty tricks by RNC in many states; will they be prosecuted??

RoboCalls, illegal dirty tricks to confuse minority voters about their proper precinct, intimidation, etc.

www.flcv.com/eirsdt6.html

[philb]

39. Clint Curtis audit finding lots of problems in Florida; requests more help

Miami-Dade - 12,000 more votes than voters;
District 15 - over 1,400 more votes than voters;
Clint's District 24 (Brevard) - 100 more phantom votes than voters in one Democratic district which caused it to go Republican.

Last weekend, we brought a team of volunteers to Walk for Democracy for a candidate in Pasco Co area. Dave Francis, Clint and Marty, along with Lauren Hallahan, and Tom Lincoln spent a Saturday knocking on doors, petting dogs and listening to constituents. With a few more hours of effort, it was proven that the official results were off by 20% giving the Democrat the precinct!

This Monday we at last received enough data to begin walking for Clint in Brevard. Loretta Fernandez, Tracy Williams, Gray Boot, Wayne Wiggins, Mark Oddi , Susan Coyle, Clint and Marty have been Walking for Democracy in the Titusville area. We have been successful in getting people to sign the affidavit telling who they voted for Governor, Congress and on Amendment 3. Almost everywhere we have gone we have been thanked for our efforts and concern about making sure their vote gets counted, offered pie and cookies and shared lots of political ideas. We even got one person to volunteer to help!

WE NEED YOUR HELP! NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR MARK ON HISTORY!

The results from your efforts could be a recall or a new election. Best of all it could help bring about a more permanent solution for getting rid of the flawed electoral system! Clint has been fighting for free and fair elections for over five years. NOW he has the opportunity to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

In one Precinct we have started, Clint is looking good! We have more votes to find to put us over the top. We will be walking this Saturday in the Titusville area from 10:00 AM till 5:00. Come join us for as long or short as you like. Contact Marty 954-732-1112 or [e-mail] . Let her know what time you would like to meet her at K-Mart on Rt 50.

Volusia is the next county to be walked with Orange and Seminole as soon as we have data. The data that we are gathering will be presented to Congress in January to restore Democracy. So let me know you are ready to WALK FOR DEMOCRACY.

If you live in other areas of the state, we have candidates who need your help as well. I'll pass your name along. Contact Marty at 954-732-1112 [e-mail].

Or if you are out of state and would like to be a part, please contribute at www.clintcurtis.com.

With YOU on the team, we can do it!

Contact me at 954-732-1112 or [e-mail]
www.clintcurtis.com