South Carolina 2008 Democratic Primary Election Integrity Estimate

[EFerrari]

If you would like to contribute information to this thread, please use the headings below and please source your entries. Thank you!

South Carolina

In South Carolina, the Democratic primary will be held on January 26th in a contest for 54 delegates.
( NYT primary calendar:
http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/primaries/democraticprimaries/index.html )

There are 46 counties representing approximately 2,200 precincts.

The Governor, Mark Sanford, and the Secretary of State, Mark Hammond, are both affiliated with the Republican Party.

The SC State Election Commission is constituted as per the following:

"Five members, at least one of whom shall be a member of the majority political party and at least one member of whom shall be a member of the largest minority political party represented in the General Assembly, are appointed by the Governor for four year terms. The State Election Commission holds monthly meetings in which the public are invited to attend."

**Unless otherwise noted, the information in this OP and thread is taken from the SC State Election Commission website: http://www.scvotes.org

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1. * * *ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION* * *

[EFerrari]

16. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 applies to South Carolina (nutshell here:)

Voting Rights Act (1965)

This “act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution” was signed into law 95 years after the amendment was ratified. In those years, African Americans in the South faced tremendous obstacles to voting, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic restrictions to deny them the right to vote. They also risked harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence when they tried to register or vote. As a result, very few African Americans were registered voters, and they had very little, if any, political power, either locally or nationally.

In 1964, numerous demonstrations were held, and the considerable violence that erupted brought renewed attention to the issue of voting rights. The murder of voting-rights activists in Mississippi and the attack by state troopers on peaceful marchers in Selma, AL, gained national attention and persuaded President Johnson and Congress to initiate meaningful and effective national voting rights legislation. The combination of public revulsion to the violence and Johnson's political skills stimulated Congress to pass the voting rights bill on August 5, 1965.

The legislation, which President Johnson signed into law the next day, outlawed literacy tests and provided for the appointment of Federal examiners (with the power to register qualified citizens to vote) in those jurisdictions that were "covered" according to a formula provided in the statute. In addition, Section 5 of the act required covered jurisdictions to obtain "preclearance" from either the District Court for the District of Columbia or the U.S. Attorney General for any new voting practices and procedures.Section 2, which closely followed the language of the 15th amendment, applied a nationwide prohibition of the denial or abridgment of the right to vote on account of race or color. The use of poll taxes in national elections had been abolished by the 24th amendment (1964) to the Constitution; the Voting Rights Act directed the Attorney General to challenge the use of poll taxes in state and local elections. In Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections, 383 U.S. 663 (1966), the Supreme Court held Virginia's poll tax to be unconstitutional under the 14th amendment.

Because the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was the most significant statutory change in the relationship between the Federal and state governments in the area of voting since the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, it was immediately challenged in the courts. Between 1965 and 1969, the Supreme Court issued several key decisions upholding the constitutionality of Section 5 and affirming the broad range of voting practices for which preclearance was required.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/documents/docpages/document_page100.htm

[mod mom]

44. WOW! that'a a huge venue.

Excellent job sfexpat :yourock:

[EFerrari]

45. There are 9 states who fall entirely under this act. SIX of them

use vapor voting exclusively.

What a surprise.

[EFerrari]

23. Republican, Democratic Primaries on two different days this year.

MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS
You have primary confusion? Election officials offer help
Write these dates down: Jan. 19 for Republicans, Jan. 26 for Democrats
DAN HUNTLEY
[e-mail]

YORK --
For the first time in history, the state is operating South Carolina's presidential primaries -- Republicans this Saturday (Jan. 19) and Democrats next Saturday (Jan. 26). And York County Elections Director Wanda Hemphill says her people are prepared, but already she's hearing from confused voters.

"On one hand, it's a pretty straightforward election -- one party on one Saturday and the other party on the following Saturday," she said on Wednesday morning in the York Elections office where dozens of poll workers were milling through. "But it seems like the presidential primaries are handled differently every four years, and some confusion is to be expected."

Hemphill, who has directed the county's elections since 2003, has come up with several tips to clear up confusion:

• The main decision for voters is deciding which primary to participate in, because they can't vote in both. "And people are asking us if they vote Republican in the primary, would they have to vote for a Republican in November?" Hemphill said. "And of course, they don't."

http://www.charlotte.com/politics/story/443906.html

[EFerrari]

26. I machine allocated per 250 voters / A voter's report on facillities:

What I Hate Voting In South Carolina

It's the lines. I've lived and voted in six states: New York, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio and South Carolina. I've never experienced long weights anywhere else like I do in SC. In November 2000 it took me four hours to vote. It hasn't been quite that bad since, but I've never managed to vote in less than an hour, even in "off years." It never took me more than twenty minutes to vote anywhere else. This disparity is partly because other states provide more voting facilities than South Carolina does. For example, California precincts allocate 1 voting machine for every 200 voters. In South Carolina, the law requires only 1 machine for every 250 voters. From the South Carolina Code:

SECTION 7-13-1680. Number of voting machines; type and use; repair; custody. The governing body of any county or municipality providing voting machines at polling places for use at elections shall provide for each polling place at least one voting machine for each two hundred fifty registered voters or portion thereof or as near thereto as may be practicable. The machines shall be of the type approved as provided for in this title and shall be kept in complete and accurate working order and in proper repair. The machines may be used in such election districts or precincts in the county or municipality as the officials holding the election or conducting the primary may determine. The governing body of the county or municipality owning the machines shall have custody of such machines and other furniture or equipment of the polling places when not in use at an election.

In Ohio in 2004, in precincts that averaged 170 voters per machine, some people had to wait five hours to vote. My precinct had 8 machines for 2,076 voters this morning (1093 women and 983 men), one machine for every 259 and a half voters. The polling places in SC are open from 7 am to 7 pm. If all the registered voters show up, each machine will have to accomodate 21.72 voters per hour, which would be highly unlikely. It took me 90 minutes to vote (most of which I spent in line), during which time at most twelve other people voted. Some politicians blame this situation on the voters, claiming they inadequately prepare ahead of time, and then take too long to vote, reading and re-reading the proposed statewide constitutional amendments that are on the ballot interminably. Well, I'm glad people read the proposed amendments carefully. Who wants to accidentally vote for hate? Who wants to accidentally vote to have poor and middle class taxpayers subsidize the McMansions of the rich? ("Balanced" overviews of all of the proposed constitutional amendments on the SC ballot are available here and here.)

The brand new, HAVA funded electronic voting machines (which lack a paper back-up, naturally) are complicated to use. After I selected all my candidates and weighed in on all the proposed amendments at issue I got to a screen that told me to touch the "vote button" when I was finished making my selections, but I couldn't find a "vote button" anywhere on the screen. What I actually needed to do, it turned out, was touch the "next button." After I touched "next" I needed to push an analog vote button that wasn't even on the touch screen, but on a different part of the voting machine altogether, several inches above it. A poll worker had to point it out to me. I pushed it and can only hope my votes registered correctly.

Posted by Ann Bartow on November 7, 2006 5:03 PM | Permalink

http://www.sivacracy.net/2006/11/what_i_hate_voting_in_south_ca.html

[EFerrari]

27. Project Vote: Provisional Ballot Survey - August 2006 (pdf)

http://projectvote.org/fileadmin/ProjectVote/Provisional_voting_information/South_Carolina_Survey.pdf

Note: Provisional ballots must be cast in the correct precinct and the status of a ballot can only be verified on line at the SC SEC's website.

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2. * * * STATE AND VOTER DEMOGRAPHICS * * *

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8. Demographics from Mitovsky / 2004 data:

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9. General demographics from the US Census Bureau (link)

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45000.html

[EFerrari]

21. Links to population density tables, voter turnout, etc.

Population projections through 2006:

http://www.ors2.state.sc.us/population/estimates/msa.asp

Population density by place:

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US45&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-PH1&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-redoLog=false&-format=ST-7&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1_ST7

Voter turnout through 2002:

http://www.wcvi.org/latino_voter_research/latino_voter_statistics/sc_lv.html

FACTS for the State of South Carolina in the Presidential Election.

* Voting Age Population of the State: 2,977,000
* Total number of registered voters: 2,157,006
* Percent Registered of Voting Age Population: 72.50%
* TURNOUT (total vote cast for the highest office on the ballot): 1,386,331
* Percent turnout of registered voters: 64.30%
* Percent turnout of Voting Age Population of the state: 46.60%

-- League of Women Voters (2004)
http://lwvsc.org/voter_information.html

[EFerrari]

20. Maps

[EFerrari]

3. * * * VOTING SYSTEMS * * *

[EFerrari]

10. Statewide ES&S DRE / iVotronic.

Per Verified Voting: http://www.verifiedvoting.org/verifier/map.php?topic_string=5std&state=south%20carolina&year=2006

and, Electionline.org

http://electionline.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1099

iVotronic Simulator:

http://www.essvote.com/flash/demo.html

[EFerrari]

18. Information posted to the SC SEC site:

After I cast my ballot, where do my votes go?

Election results are stored in three independent memory locations within the voting machine. Additionally there is a removable storage card locked inside the voting unit that records internal audit information.

Are the DRE voting systems tested?

Yes. The voting system goes through a rigorous set of tests that are performed by the Independent Testing Authorities (ITAs) - one for the software (source code) and one for the hardware. The ITAs are certified by the Federal Election Commission and follow the Voting System Standards. The ITA tests to ensure that the voting system accurately tallies votes and that the hardware is impervious to destructive handling and magnetic devices. South Carolina receives the executable software directly from the ITA, not from ES&S. In addition to the testing performed by the Independent Testing Authorities, the State of South Carolina conducts tests on each voting unit before it can be certified for use in the State.

Can my vote be altered?

No. Illegally changing votes would require a conspiracy of unscrupulous voters or election insiders, or a combination of the two. The electoral process is designed in such a way that no single individual, or even a small group of individuals, can tamper with the election results. It is also important to note that such a conspiracy would not necessarily require any "security relevant flaws" in the software code to accomplish its aims. Fraud of this degree would have the potential to undermine any voting system.

How do I know my vote will be counted?

When the final on-screen ballots is complete, voters have the opportunity to review their choices. Once complete, voters are instructed to cast their votes by pressing the oval shaped 'VOTE' button at the top of the iVotronic voting machine. The iVotronic will not cast a ballot until all pages have been viewed and the review screen appears. At this point the 'VOTE' button begins to flash red. Pressing the button will finalize the voter's selections and cast their ballot. The voter will hear the unit beep twice as confirmation their vote was cast. The screen will also confirm the ballot was cast by displaying 'Thank you for voting'.

You can download the iVotronic instructions (PDF file)or read the article How to Vote. You can also watch a video demonstration on how to use the voting machines.

How do I know the new voting machine will work properly on Election Day?

Each piece of equipment is prepared for the election by election staff and a test is held to verify this process. Before this process and after the test is completed, all equipment is sealed and secured until being opened by the poll managers in the polling location on Election Day. Note - This information applies only to the Counties of Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Calhoun, Cherokee, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Lexington, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, Union, and York.

How is a Recount handled?

There are three ways to conduct a recount on the iVotronic voting system. An individual requesting a recount may choose (1) an automated recount of the central system; (2) an automated recount of the ballot images; or (3) a manual recount of the ballot images. (1) The automated recount of the central system involves creating a recount database in the central computer and then rereading the memory cards from each iVotronic voting units affected by the recount. (2) The automated recount of the ballot images is done by reading each vote cast on each iVotronic voting units from the precincts affected by the recount and recording each vote cast on the unit's recount tally sheet. This continues until all voting units affected are recounted. (3) The manual recount of the ballot images is done by printing the ballot images from each of the voting units affected by the recount. Once the ballot images are printed, a team of election officials manually count the printed ballots. Note - This information applies only to the Counties of Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Calhoun, Cherokee, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Lexington, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, Union, and York.

What are official results?

After the election, a canvass is conducted to review accumulated votes. Results from individual voting units are uploaded into a new election configuration and compared with the election night totals. Only after the six member Board of Canvassers review and verify these results are they considered official.

Why are we moving from our current voting system to a touch-screen system?

As a result of the adoption of the HAVA Act of 2002, a statewide HAVA advisory committee was formed to study the current state of elections in South Carolina. Part of the charge of this committee was to plan and implement any changes necessary for the State of South Carolina to achieve compliance with HAVA. The committee determined that a uniform statewide voting system was one of the most efficient means available to comply with certain parts of HAVA. A uniform voting system allows for more consistency in all election matters and does not require a voter who moves from one county to another to learn a new method of voting. Additionally, the new federal Help America Vote Act requires the use of a voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities and capable of providing alternative language ballots. The iVotronic supports these mandates. The current systems used throughout South Carolina are not flexible enough to accommodate the need for multiple languages, to allow the visually impaired or disabled voter to vote without assistance, or to provide the resources needed for longer ballots used in today's elections. The system choosen during the state procurement process happens to be a touchscreen based product. This type of voting system was not mandated by the State Election Commission. All qualified voting system manufacturers were permitted to submit proposals during the procurement process. After an exhaustive evaluation process, the system selected by the procurement evaluation panel was Election Systems and Software's iVotronic, a touchscreen based product.

Why did the State select a Direct Recording Electronic voting system?

The DRE voting system was chosen because it is the most accurate and accessible voting system on the market today. With a DRE voting system, there are no questions of voter intent. A voter cannot vote for more than one candidate for an office, all voters - including blind and visually impaired voters - are able to vote a secret ballot, and the ballots can be easily translated into multiple languages to comply with federal minority language requirements. The technology used in DRE voting systems has been tested by independent testing authorities and by states across the country, and has a proven record of accuracy and security.

[Peace Patriot]

32. All this drivel from the SC Sec of State means this: NO PAPER BACKUP, NO VERIFIABILITY

in the SC election.

This SC Sec of State is LYING from word one--in the very first question: "After I cast my ballot, where do my votes go?" There is NO BALLOT. There is NO WAY to check that the machine recorded your vote correctly. You punch the machine, and it creates electrons--NOT a ballot. Electrons can be changed without your knowing it. And there is NO BALLOT to say otherwise.

Other questions - lies and more lies: "Are the DRE voting systems tested?" The so-called "tests" are done in SECRET, by Bushites, Bushite corporations, and Bushite election officials, whose sole interest is profit, or lobbying perks, or stealing your vote. "How is a Recount handled?" There is NO "recount" in a system with no ballot or paper trail of any kind. The machines just spit out the same riggable totals that they originally reported. "Why are we moving to" this highly insecure and insider riggable system? They want you to think that it is somehow required. It is NOT. (See VotersUnite's pamphlet for election officials, "Myth Breakers: Facts about Electronic Elections." One of the first myths is points out is the misconception that e-voting is required.)

I would guess that the SC election officials who wrote this Q&A for voters are in ES&S's pocket.

And ES&S is a frackin evil corporation, with initial funder and major investor far rightwing billionaire Howard Ahmanson, who also gave one million dollars to the extremist 'christian' Chalcedon foundation, which touts the death penalty for homosexuals (among other things).

It is a spinoff of Diebold (similar computer architecture - Windows!), and closely tied to it, since Bob Urosevich was running Diebold, and his brother Tod Urosevich was running ES&S. Diebold's CEO Wally O'Dell was a Bush/Cheney campaign chair and major fundraiser.

See Dan Rather's "The Trouble With Touchscreens" (www.HD.net) re: ES&S, whose voting machines are manufactured in sweatshops in the Philippines, under insecure and onerous conditions.

In the FL-13 case--where ES&S machines 'disappeared' 18,000 votes for Congress in Democratic areas, in 2006, and awarded the seat to the Republican (Vern Buchanan) by a margin of only 350 or so votes--when lawyers for the Democrat (Christine Jennings) took the matter to court, and asked to review ES&S's "trade secret" programming code--in order to figure out what happened to those 18,000 votes--ES&S refused, and argued that their "right" to profit from our elections with their 'trade secret' code TRUMPS the right of the voters to know how their votes are counted, even in a stinko count like FL-13. And the Jeb judge agreed! (surprise, surprise!). The matter is now before the GAO for investigation--but because our so-called Democratic Congress refused to do anything about this (--they could have done several things, including requiring a new election - their power over Congressional elections is absolute), voters in South Carolina, and throughout the country, who are inflicted with ES&S voting systems--especially the touchscreens systems with no paper ballot (as SC)--are frackin fracked when it comes to knowing who really won ANY primary or other election in their state.

You wonder why things are so messed up, and nobody in government is representing your interests, or the interests of the poor, the workers, the middle class and other citizens--the majority--who are not rich or are not CEOs of major global corporations, this is why. You have lost your right to vote to this INHERENTLY fraudulent vote counting system run by corporate bad guys, who have corrupted your local state/county election officials, or scared them pissless, into using your tax money to purchase these expensive, unreliable, untested, hackable, electronic voting machines that steal your votes.

I know we're trying to provide cool-headed assessments here of election integrity indicators for the Feb. 5 primary, but I can't let this Sec of State B.S. go unchallenged. If we are going to post stuff like this, we need to assess it--to characterize it. We are trying to gage election integrity potential, and, on the basis of these gooey-smooth Sec of State LIES, and the facts about SC--no paper trail whatsoever (nothing TO recount)--and ES&S's rightwing connections, I would say SC has NO chance for an accurate count. None! The vote WILL be fiddled to favor pro-war/pro-corporate candidates. SC election officials are not making even the slightest effort to prevent it.

And that is not even to get into the matter of suppression of the black vote.

[OnTheOtherHand]

36. not the SoS, actually

Leaving aside the other questionable stuff, this information appears on the South Carolina State Election Commission website.

http://www.scvotes.org/voter_frequently_asked_questions

As far as I can tell, the SoS has no role in the SEC.

Ready, fire, aim....

ETA: Hat tip to sfexpat for explaining the SEC in the OP.

[EFerrari]

29. Severe Insecurity in the ES&S iVotronic Electronic Voting System

Severe Insecurity in the ES&S iVotronic Electronic Voting System
Information and Advice for System Users from Eminent Computer Scientist

"It is possible that an outsider could trigger an attack and that once one machine is infected, the virus would spread from machine to machine through removable storage media without further attacker involvement."

So says page 37 of the "The Final Report For the Florida, Department of State," released on February 23, 2007 by eight computer scientists who examined the source code for the ES&S iVotronic touch screen voting machines used in the questionable Florida District 13 election (Jennings/Buchanan).

The following information and advice was provided to VotersUnite.Org by a respected computer scientist who is familiar with the inner workings of the ES&S iVotronic electronic voting system. The author prefers to remain unnamed. (Posted April 14, 2007)

VotersUnite.Org presented this information to the Election Assistance Commission, but they declined to inform the election officials using the systems, even though they were aware of the excellent credentials of the author. So, we are providing it here as a public service.

Now that discussion over the CD-13 controversy has died down for a day or two, I wanted to highlight one finding in the FSU report on the ES&S iVotronic and its impact on other jurisdictions. The FSU report revealed a serious security vulnerability in the iVotronic: it is vulnerable to viruses that could be introduced by a single outsider and that could spread throughout a county. This means that a single outsider in a county that uses the iVotronic with firmware version 8 could potentially steal all the votes in that county, without being detected. In my opinion, the severity of this security hole is roughly comparable to that of the Hursti II / Princeton virus - which is to say that it needs to be taken very seriously. This risk is especially significant for folks using the iVotronic without a VVPAT.

One consequence for advocates is that this is further evidence that it's not just one vendor who has serious security problems; it's a second instance this sort of virus vulnerability. Don't let anyone tell you that if we just "kick Diebold off the island" all of the security problems will go away.

http://www.votersunite.org/info/ES&SInsecurity.asp

[EFerrari]

4. * * * HISTORICAL NOTES * * *

[EFerrari]

15. Verified Voting: Election Systems & Software: iVotronic

(Includes a history of "glitches".)



Election Systems & Software: iVotronic
Name / Model: iVotronic<1>
Vendor: Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S)

Federally-Qualified Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail Capability: None.<2>

Brief Description:
ES&S' iVotronic Touch Screen Voting System is a poll worker-activated, portable, multilingual touchscreen system that records votes on internal flash memory. A poll worker uses a device called a Personal Electronic Ballot (PEB; pictured above at left) to turn the machine on and enable voting. Voters choose their ballot language and then make their selections using a touchscreen, much in the same way that modern ATMs work. When the polls close, poll workers move summary data from each machine onto the PEB. The PEBs are then transported to election headquarters or their contents transmitted via a computer network.

Detailed Voting Process:
When the voter enters the polling place, a poll worker first confirms the voter is registered. Then the poll worker walks with the voter to an iVotronic and inserts the PEB in the PEB slot (visible as the rectangular slot in the upper left corner of the middle image above). The PEB communicates with the iVotronic using infrared signals, much like a TV remote control works, except that the PEB and iVotronic will not communicate unless the PEB is completely inserted. If the election requires a a specific ballot style, the poll worker chooses this for the voter. Activation by the PEB enables the iVotronic to vote once.

The voter then selects a ballot language and makes decisions using the touchscreen. When the voter is done, he or she presses a small “vote� button at the very top of the iVotronic to cast the vote. The vote is then recorded to three internal flash memories that reside inside the machine. A fourth memory is a removable card, called a “compact flash� (CF) card; note that CF is the same technology used in many digital cameras to store photos. During the election, the CF card holds audio files (for those with visual disabilities) and ballot definitions; vote data is written to the CF card when the machine is closed.

A poll worker closes the polls by using the PEB with a password to enter a supervisor menu on each iVotronic. After closing the election for a given machine, summary vote data are transmitted to the PEB via infrared signals.<1> After the PEB is used to close all the iVotronic machines, it contains all the summary data for the precinct. Depending on local regulations and procedures, poll workers can use a “printer pack� at this point to print the result summary from the PEB on to paper. The PEB for that precinct, any printouts and the CF cards are then either physically transported to a central tabulation facility, and in addition, the data may be transmitted by telephone using the modem included in the printer pack.

http://www.verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=5165

[EFerrari]

17. South Carolina Primary Will Use Paperless E-voting

South Carolina Primary Will Use Paperless E-voting

By Sean Flaherty, Iowans for Voting Integrity
November 18, 2007
The 2008 Presidential election may hinge on a primary in which the votes are recorded and tabulated exclusively by paperless electronic voting machines.

South Carolina's primary will be pivotal in the nominating process of both major parties. South Carolina uses a paperless touch screen system statewide, the ES&S iVotronic. It is apparent from the state Election Code that this is the system used for primary elections (section 7-13-1900).

Paperless e-voting is reckless in any right, but the iVotronic has managed to become notorious on its own terms.

It is the machine of Sarasota 2006 fame, producing 18,000 undervotes in Florida's 13th Congressional District, as well as high undervotes in other races in six Florida counties that used the machines. It is the same machine whose firmware version 8.0.1.2 was described by Princeton University computer scientist Edward Felten as "terribly insecure" and in need of serious improvements before it used in another election.

http://votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=63&Itemid=143

[EFerrari]

24. iVotronic deletes votes on summary screen - 2006

All Four Major E-Voting Machines Flip Votes in Early Voting
By Warren Stewart, VoteTrustUSA
November 05, 2006

Early voting in five states showed that voters' choice are being flipped to the opposite candidate on all four major e-voting machines — Diebold TSx, Sequoia Edge, ES&S iVotronic, and Hart InterCivic eSlate.

Three counties in Texas report vote-flipping on the Diebold and ES&S machines. Three counties in Florida report vote-flipping on the ES&S and Sequoia machines. One county in Illinois, on the Sequioa Edge, and one county in Arkansas, on the ES&S iVotronic. In some cases, when the voter selects one candidate, the machine shows an opponent is selected instead.

snip

UPDATE Now the ES&S iVotronics in Sarasota County Florida aren't flipping, just deleting votes from the summary screen. Several people from different polling places report that their votes for Jennings (Dem candidate for 13 Cong Dist) don't appear on the review screen. They have to go back and vote for her again.

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1967&Itemid=26

[EFerrari]

28. Voting machines go home with election workers - 2006

Voting machines go home with election workers

DOUG STALEY
Anderson Independent Mail
Sunday, November 5, 2006
"In a perfect election world, (voting machines) would all be delivered to the site." — Marci Andino, director of the South Carolina Election Commission

This weekend, clerks representing each of Anderson County’s 76 voting precincts will load up and take home some precious cargo.

Those same workers will be responsible for delivering their goods — in this case hundreds of electronic voting machines and related equipment — to the polls on Election Day. But in the midst of all these comings and goings, local and state officials insist there are safeguards in place to protect the equipment from being tampered with.

Katy Smith, director of the Anderson County Election Commission, said the iVotronic machines are being entrusted to workers trained to maintain the integrity of the equipment. She said seals are placed on the outside of the machine and on the door that holds the ballot memory cards. Workers are instructed not to break the seals until the day of the election.

http://www.independentmail.com/and/news/article/0,1886,AND_8203_5119326,00.html

[EFerrari]

5. * * * CURRENT NEWS ITEMS * * *

[EFerrari]

12. South Carolina officials see no problems with touch-screen voting machines

South Carolina officials see no problems with touch-screen voting machines

By David Williams (Contact)
Saturday, January 12, 2008

Upstate election officials said they do not expect any problems with the electronic voting machines that have been in use in South Carolina since the 2004 presidential election.

But at least one Upstate professor has said there are problems with the machines.

Officials in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties said they anticipate a smooth voting process for both the Republican presidential preference primary on Jan. 19 and the Democratic primary on Jan. 26 in South Carolina. The officials also say tampering with voting machines is nonexistent.

“I would say it would be quite remarkable if anyone did attempt it,” said Ashley Harris, director of the Pickens County Registrations and Elections Commission. “There is security to prevent tampering in
place, including the poll workers and poll watchers for the candidates and the parties.”

http://independentmail.com/news/2008/jan/12/south-carolina-officials-see-no-problems-touch-scr/?partner=yahoo

[EFerrari]

13. Obama, Clinton Head for Democratic Showdown in South Carolina Jan 26

Obama, Clinton Head for Democratic Showdown in South Carolina Jan 26

By Hazel Trice Edney, NNPA Editor-in-Chief
January 14, 2008
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - The score is now one to one.

Sen. Hillary Clinton with her 39 percent to 37 percent win in New Hampshire Tuesday night and Sen. Barack Obama with his 39 percent to her 29 percent win in Iowa Jan. 3 are now headed for a rematch in South Carolina Jan. 26 where the more than 40 percent Black Democratic voters will decide what happens next.

Obama says voter turnout will be the key.

"What will help me to get elected is making sure the people turn out to vote and that they recognize the opportunity that we have to - for the first time in a long time - really change our politics...And that's true, not just for Black folks, but for all people who've been locked out of the process," Obama said in a telephone interview with the NNPA News Service Tuesday. "But, there's no doubt that my candidacy builds on the sacrifices and work of those who came earlier, people who were willing to go to jail and march and sit in and heroes like Dr. King who were willing to sacrifice their lives so that a future generation could have the opportunities that I have."

big snip

South Carolina has the nation's largest contingency of Black Democrats.

http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20080114b

[EFerrari]

19. Opinion: South Carolina Elections are Unconstitutional

January 14, 2008

South Carolina Elections Are UNCONSTITUTIONAL!?!

By Mark Adams

South Carolina elections are unconstitutional? How could that be? Surely, no one in our government would conduct any election which violated the Constitution, and if any scheme threatened to undermine the very foundation of our government, our power to elect our leaders, the press would expose it, wouldn’t it?

After all, our government was founded upon the principle that all of its actions must comply with the Constitution. In fact, Article VI of the Constitution of South Carolina requires all of the State’s officers to swear an oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of this State and of the United States." So, they would probably at least read it before enacting any new law, right?

Well, you would think so, but as most people now realize, far too many in power in our government believe that they are the law. I’ve had judges tell me that, but I’ll save judicial arrogance and lack of respect for the law and the facts for another day.

snip

So, I didn’t bother with even looking for any separation of powers provision in South Carolina’s Constitution. While I waited on hold, I went to the Constitution of South Carolina and clicked on Article II about suffrage. Right there in the first sentence of Article II, § 1, it states, "the ballots shall not be counted in secret." Jackpot!!! A Constitutional provision prohibiting counting votes in secret! No more need to refer to case law, evidence, or logic to argue against secret vote counting, at least in South Carolina. (The link follows the article.)

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_mark_a___080114_south_carolina_elect.htm

[EFerrari]

22. South Carolina's biggest newspaper endorses McCain in GOP primary

South Carolina's biggest newspaper endorses McCain in GOP primary

Associated Press - January 12, 2008 5:23 PM ET

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - There's a potential boost for John McCain ahead of South Carolina's January 19th GOP primary.

South Carolina's largest newspaper, The State, is endorsing the Arizona senator, saying he has the "necessary experience" and "quality of understanding" to be president.

The State also says Republicans could "do far worse" than pick Mike Huckabee whom they described as "an exciting newcomer who shows a wonderful ability to connect with voters' concerns." But the newspaper's editorial board says Huckabee's "utter lack of knowledge of foreign affairs is unsettling."

http://www.katc.com/global/story.asp?s=7615600

Note: Every Republican who has won the SC primary has gone on to win the party nomination.

[EFerrari]

25. S.C. to use voting machines banned in other states

S.C. to use voting machines banned in other states
Associated Press
Monday, January 7, 2008


GREENVILLE — South Carolina election officials say they still plan to use touch-screen voting machines despite the fact that other states have banned the use of similar systems made by the same company.

Last month, top election officials in Ohio and Colorado declared that Election Systems and Software's iVotronic is unfit for elections.

The ban was prompted by a study done for the state of Ohio in which researchers found electronic voting systems could be corrupted with magnets or handheld electronic devices such as Palm Treos.

"We've reviewed the report and we remain confident in the security and accuracy of South Carolina's voting system," state Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said.

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/jan/07/s_c_use_voting_machines_banned_other_sta26854/

[deminks]

31. S.C. Voting Machines Banned in Other States (not quite a dupe)

http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=1992912064017974&ShowArticle_ID=11461501080666647

Local Activist Says Machines Have a History of Problems

BY MINDY LUCAS


The S.C. Election Commission says it will continue using touch-screen voting machines even though the machines have come under fire recently in other states.

South Carolina began using touch-screen voting machines in 2004.

Both Ohio and Colorado have taken steps to ban the iVotronic — the same machine South Carolina uses — after a recent review by Ohio’s top election officials found that the machines have “critical security vulnerabilities.”

In a report published Dec. 14, researchers found that the machines were susceptible to hacking and could be corrupted with a magnet or handheld electronic device such as a Palm Treo “smartphone.”

S.C. Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire says the commission has reviewed the Ohio report but found “nothing surprising, alarming or new in it.”

(end snip)

Faith based voting. Should be the next big thing. /sarcasm off.

[EFerrari]

37. South Carolina's Primary Voting Machine Problems (01/24)

South Carolina's Primary Voting Machine Problems
Most voting machines in Horry County didn't work at start of Republican primary

Thursday, Jan 24, 2008 - 09:50 PM

By Robert Kittle

Columbia, SC -- Voting problems in Horry County last Saturday during the Republican presidential primary were a good learning experience for state and county election commissions and should prevent similar problems this Saturday for the Democratic presidential primary, according to the spokesman for the State Election Commission.

When voters went to the polls last Saturday in Horry County, about 80 percent of the voting machines were not working. State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire says the problem was human error. The machines had been tested earlier but those test votes had not been cleared off the system. The machines are designed so they will not open for voting if there are votes already present.

That problem was compounded, though, because some of the polls didn't have enough paper ballots to use while the machines were down. State law requires each polling place to have paper ballots for ten percent of the registered voters in that precinct. If there's a problem with the machines, those paper ballots can be used right away, giving the poll manager time to call for more paper ballots if needed.

With machines not working and no paper ballots, some voters were told to come back later.

http://www.wjbf.com/midatlantic/jbf/news_index.apx.-content-articles-JBF-2008-01-24-0040.html

[EFerrari]

38. FACTBOX - South Carolina voting is first in U.S. South (01/26)

FACTBOX - South Carolina voting is first in U.S. South
Reuters

* South Carolina has a higher percentage of blacks (29 percent) - (Reuters) - Voters in South Carolina are casting ballots in a Democratic primary on Saturday, a week after the state's Republicans went to the polls to pick a candidate for November's U.S. presidential election.
(Advertisement)

Here are some facts about the state, the first in the South to hold a nominating contest.

* South Carolina is the nation's 11th fastest-growing state. Its population grew 9.9 percent to 4.4 million between 2000 and 2007. The U.S. population grew by 7.2 percent during that same period.

* South Carolina has a higher percentage of blacks (29 percent), a lower percentage of Hispanics (3.5 percent) and a lower percentage of foreign-born residents (4.1 percent) than the nation as a whole, according to Census Bureau statistics.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080126/tpl-uk-usa-politics-southcarolina-81f3b62.html

[EFerrari]

39. Civil rights group says it will increase SC voting scrutiny (01/24)

Civil rights group says it will increase SC voting scrutiny

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The NAACP said Thursday it will increase scrutiny of South Carolina Democratic primary voting Saturday to help avoid problems Republicans encountered during their contest last week.

Monitors from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will observe voting at random precincts around the state, NAACP state director Dwight James said a letter to the state Election Commission.

During the GOP primary, some voting machines in Horry County didn't work and some residents there had to use paper ballots. Others were told to return later to make their picks, but should have been allowed to use any scrap paper to cast their votes, the State Election Commission said.

On Wednesday, the South Carolina Progressive Network advised voters to carry their own paper and pencils to polling places. A day later, the group posted what it called an emergency ballot on its Web site voters can download, print and take with them to the polls.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SC_VOTING_PROBLEMS_NAACP_SCOL-?SITE=SCFLO&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-01-24-18-53-59

[EFerrari]

40. South Carolina voting for second time in a week (01/26)

WISTV

South Carolina voting for second time in a week

Posted: Jan 26, 2008 05:33 AM
Updated: Jan 26, 2008 05:33 AM

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The lines formed early in parts of South Carolina as polls opened for Democratic presidential primary voting.

Polls opened at seven this morning and about 25 people were waiting to cast their ballots at one precinct in Columbia.

Keisha Adams was the first in line. The 26-year-old arrived 90 minutes early and says she voted for Barack Obama.

The Illinois senator lost to Hillary Rodham Clinton in New Hampshire and Nevada. Bill Clinton spent the week here stumping for his wife.

http://www.wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=7777728

[EFerrari]

6. * * * ELECTION INTEGRITY SUMMARY * * *

[EFerrari]

30. Election Integrity Estimate: 0. Someone needs to bring a suit ASAP.

The ES&S iVotronic system has no paper ballot. Not a receipt, not spit. Nothing you can hold in your hand. Nada.

The machines they use STATEWIDE are unstable. Vulnerable to a virus and they've been found to not register your choice. The state can't even keep up their own computers, let alone secure the computers used in statewide elections.

The South Carolina constitution calls for public vote counting. You can't count what you can't see, can you?

You also can't recount what you never saw, can you?

The state provides one machine for every 250 voters. Lines form around the block, people get discouraged and go home. Who can blame these voters? This is a form of vote suppression. An effective one.

In addition to this obvious cr@P!, if you are a first-time voter, you must have ID. That sounds very reasonable, doesn't it? Unless you don't know it until you get to your polling place and have waited in line for hours and can't wait any more.

If you hand in your provisional ballot in the wrong place (no matter if it is accepted by a poll worker) it will not be counted. You have to check the internet to learn the status and if your case is accepted, you have to go to a hearing to assert your case. Vote suppression on skates, anyone?

Reputable election protection outfits like VoteTrustUSA have also reported "challengers" at the polls who prey upon black voters and students in particular.

South Carolina knew exactly what it was doing when it went to this horrible voting equipment. People with election tech cred handed in solid objections.

South Carolina has the biggest block of black Democratic voters in the country.

South Carolina flew the confederate flag at the state house until 2000. They were the last state to recognize MLK Day as a holiday for their state employees.

[EFerrari]

7. * * * COMMENTS * * *

[BeFree]

11. Fer as I can tell

South Carolina is all touchscreen, and as such rates a big fat 0.

Good project yall, I'd bet we get a whole lot of big fat 0's.

[EFerrari]

14. I hope you guys don't mind if I take my time on this to try to get it right.

Even if we know about the DREs, there might be other information that could be useful here. ef

[Peace Patriot]

33. Fabulous job, Sfexpat2000! Great maps - where did you get them?

I would only make one criticism. That crap by the SC Sec of State needed to be answered, to be put in context, right away--not at the end of the assessment thread. People reading it--anxious for info--might go to sleep first, lulled by that pablum, before they get to the heart of the matter, in the bottom half of the thread. And they might go away misinformed. One solution: Put your "zero" integrity assessment up front. Clue viewers into where you are going - how dimly you view the election system. Or provide immediate commentary on any official bullshit.

You really deliver the goods by the second half of the thread. We know what to expect from SC as to election integrity on Feb. 5 - nothing. And, if there is inferential evidence (pre-election polls, exit polls) of a wrong outcome, there is no way to check the "official results." But this info needs to be at the top of the thread in a summary assessment.

Again, warmest thanks for all the hard work that this represents, and for the incredible value of it--to DU members, to SC citizens, to journalists, to candidates and to all. This is the kind of work that our corporate news monopolies should be doing, and are NOT doing. Volunteers must do it! And you are one of the best! Kudos and laurel wreaths to you!

And now, onward...so many primaries, so many truly worrisome election systems to review. Our work as citizens is never done, because our political representatives, our government officials and corporate news journalists won't do their jobs!

[EFerrari]

34. What you say about the stuff from the SOS is true.

I was too hesitant to intrude, trying instead to just present material. NM is next up plus our work together in CA. I'll keep your feedback in hand. :hi:

[Ellipsis]

35. Wow. Thanks! (kick)

[Kurovski]

41. Kick.

:kick: Thanks, Beth. :hug:

[Laurab]

42. Kick. n/t

[yowzayowzayowza]

43. Wow!

:kick: