DIEBOLD DISASTER: Company Gets 'F' From Ohio Officials as Machines Fail!

[BradBlog]

DIEBOLD DISASTER: Company Gets 'F' From Election Board Chairman as Machines Fail All Over Cuyahoga County, OH on Primary Day
Voting Machines Refuse to Power Up, No Paper Ballot Backups, 17,000 Absentee Ballots Must be Counted by Hand
Voters Pay the Price, Investigations Are to Come...

The meltdown continues.

Cuyahoga County Election Director (and former Diebold proponent) Michael Vu, described Diebold's performance yesterday as "unacceptable" after problems were revealed all across the county in the state's Primary Election.

The panoply of problems included failed Diebold machines, lack of working power outlets and three-prong adapters for them, machines unable to start up, voters unable to vote, paper jams on the "paper trail" printers, and 17,000 absentee ballots that must now be counted by hand because they don't work with the Diebold optical scanners.

All of it now leading to investigations, as called for by Elections Officials. And, of course, there was the 61-year old voter who destroyed two Diebold machines out of apparent frustration

With all of that, who even knows yet if the tallies acquired by the machines that did "work" are actually accurate?...

FULL STORY, COMPLETE LITANY OF PROBLEMS, VIDEO REPORTS...
http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002774.htm

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DIEBOLD DISASTER: Cuyahoga County Still Counting as 70 Memory Cards Missing from 200 Precincts
50 Temp Workers Hired to Count Absentee Ballots which Diebold Machines Fail to Scan Properly...
Problems Also Reported with ES&S and in Several Other OH Counties...
URL: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002775.htm

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Also...



'Surprising' Number of Ohio Republicans Say No to Ney
Embattled Incumbent, HAVA Author, Loses 32% of Vote to No-Show Primary Opponent
'Congressional Quarterly' Says Numbers Predict Trouble
URL: http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002773.htm

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---
Brad Friedman
THE BRAD BLOG - The uprising continues...
http://www.BradBlog.com
VELVET REVOLUTION - The revolution begins...
http://www.VelvetRevolution.us

[debbierlus]

1. Good. They need to be exposed for the fraudulent whores they are...

[ooglymoogly]

23. kudos to the lady who destroyed two diebold machines out of frustration

who can blame her...and cooties to diebold...may you rot in hell

[OhioChick]

2. Given my current situation........

:grr:
Recommended

[AndyA]

3. I just read about your issue.

I hope the shit really hits the fan in Ohio over this. Hopefully in time to do something prior to the November elections!

Kicked and recommended.

[kaygore]

4. We need to FUD this through letters to the editor,etc. in local newspapers

FUD = fear, uncertainty and doubt

In other words, start writing letters and drawing attention to the problems with these machines. We need to get this going before the November elections.

Diebold needs to refund the money.

[phusion]

5. We've known this would happen for years...

Why are these people so surprised?

[TechBear_Seattle]

8. I, for one, am surprised...

Surprised that the meltdown happened so quickly and so obviously. You'd have thought that Diebold would have waited until after 2008 before doing this badly. At least we can count that the GOP will always be money-grubbing, corner-cutting, incompetent, overconfident boobs; that's what will (hopefully) save America.

[ClintonTyree]

31. Maybe that's the plan........

get all of the "problems" out of the way now so the path is clear in 06 and 08 to steal the elections. Sure, they'll "fix" the problems then say, "see, we're transparent, we've fixed the problems and you can be assured of a fair election now". Of course that would be a total lie. The apparent cosmetic problems would be "fixed" but the underlying digital thievery would continue unabated. I can't believe Diebold would just give up their promised aid in getting Republicans elected.

Perhaps I'm a bit :tinfoilhat: happy but there's been SOOOOOO many seedy conspiracies committed by the Repiglickens it's hard not to be. :shrug:

[TechBear_Seattle]

34. I think I'll join you

:tinfoilhat:

[PATRICK]

48. It's too big and too hardwired

And remember it's Rovian cover is to hide the main crime with other scandals. it is part of the system to be glitchy diverse and a smoking forest of errors. That can't be suddenly turned off, the machines will go bananas ESPECIALLY if no one sticks their hand in for actual fraud. The very incompetence is supposed to save the hardware, software, operatives and owners and makers from getting caught doing intentional fraud. They have been extremely successful in having all this intentional failures overlooked.

The machines will still be in place won't they? This is a test of challenging will, common sense and raw power. Why wait to November to bludgeon the victim? This is a test. This is only a test of the emergency tabulating system. If this were a real emergency you wouldn't be able to do anything either.

The ex-crooks(and I use the word "ex" only as a technicality) who first designed these programs were computer fraud embezzlers. A chief way to cook the books is to confuse and hide and make the first line of defense seem something else- like bad errors or glitches. By its very nature this kind of complex, layered and SECRET computer software is suspect. It's perform ace has been ringing alarms from day one. But the criminal investigation system is successfully distracted or suppressed.

[midnight]

39. The lady who destroyed the two machines

probably was thinking along the same lines you were. She wasn't surprised but instead cast a different type of vote. Perhaps bringing them to a heap on the floor was her vote.

[rockymountaindem]

6. Sounds like the beginning of the end

for Diebold voting machines; at least those without paper trails, at least. I guess that's the silver lining in the ugly cloud of voter disenfranchisement. Who's bright idea was this anyway?

[gordianot]

7. I think I know why.

With all of his current legal worries Rove may be afraid to plug in his laptop.

[tblue37]

9. Am I the only one thinking,

"Andy, is that you?"

[Karenina]

18. Nope!

:woohoo::bounce::woohoo:

[Hekate]

27. It's sweet to think of Andy being a new saint: Patron Saint of Fair Voting

and Protector Against Vapor-Trail Ballots. :loveya:

So mote it be.

Hekate

[The Doctor.]

32. God Bless A.S.

I didn't get to know him like others here, but I have to believe that once struck down, 'he has become more powerful than you could possibly imagine'.

If ever there was a force for light, Andy is one of the generals now.

O8)

[longship]

10. The wheels have come off.

Diebold is gonna be toast. No company could survive such a long thread of bad news about their products.

[Squeech]

12. Halliburton

More coliform per gallon! And brand new sailboat fuel!

(Just had to come up with a counterexample.)

[stepnw1f]

14. Good... I Hope Their Stock Holders Lose BIG (nt)

[0007]

41. I say let the people do the job that Americans don't want to do.

[autorank]

11. K&R--"Train Wreck" underway - 2006 Kick off.

Diebold forgot that you actually have to appear to take and count votes to pass the new
minimal test for an election...mind you, you do not need to be accurate or even realistic
(the Ohio special measures last year), you just have to be functional.

Diebold's new motto: WE'RE STRIVING FOR FUNCTIONALITY

[warrens]

13. Ohio gave an F? Does that mean they counted ACCURATELY?

The GOP in Ohio doesn't want any accurate vote counting.

[mikelewis]

21. It's Cuyahoga County that gave them the F; Blackwell gave them an A...

Something screwy is going on with this vote here in Cleveland. Their machines were tested 100% operational 2 days before the election and now, they're hand counting the ballots. Somethings up.

[DUBYASCREWEDUS]

50. Cuyahoga County

votes Democrat. Blackwell doesn't care about the voting machines up here. He is too busy pandering his commercials on TV where tells everyone that marriage is between a husband and a wife; that he is a Christian; there are no free lunches; etc, etc. - the same old Republican Bushshit. Make no mistake about it - Blackwell is corrupt. I wish Petro would ask for a recount - that would be the ultimate irony - a Republican exposing the Republican corruption in the vote count.

[Janice325]

15. I just now googled "diebold ohio"

and the first article was brad's, only 51 minutes ago. One of the next articles, from 2 hours ago, seems to totally contradict brad.
Hmmmm...who do I believe? :sarcasm:
(brad, of course!)
I hope this contradictory link works, as I'm pretty inept at computer literacy stuff:
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/9153634/detail.html
k&r

[gordianot]

16. Do you ever get the feeling we are living in a 1930's Sci Fi novel?

Only problem is we cannot close the book.

Uncle Joe finally made his point about counting votes.

[vssmith]

17. Michigan is having problems too

I just saw the local news on Grand Rapids channel. Election officials are having trouble with the new machines--brand Diebold. This is scary because Jennifer Granholm is running against Dick DeVos for Gov in November. DeVos is the heir to Scamway fortune and a very Right Wing MF.

[reprehensor]

19. Thank you.

Keep it comin'.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

20. Blackwell Has No Complaints....

See, it really doesn't matter what anyone thinks. Only what those in power can get away with.

[lonestarnot]

22. They get an f from me toooo! FUCK you diebold!

[autorank]

24. but..but...his middle name is "Christian";) n/t

[Jack Rabbit]

25. Just ditch Diebold

Even if Diebold is honest, it doesn't work.

[Frank Cannon]

26. And these are superior to the old mechanical machines how?

What on Earth could be the possible reason for adopting these machines? Are they cheaper than the old mechanical ones? (Maybe, with maintenance, etc.) Are they easier to use? I doubt it.

I remember many, many election cycles prior to the last few. I never heard of this sort of nonsense before.

I suspect the ONLY reason these machines are being adopted is to allow cheating.

[elehhhhna]

28. They're expensive and also must be stored in humidity-free areas

which should work really well here in Texas.

[sandnsea]

29. Glitchgate

I told you the way to get rid of these machines was to focus on how glitchy they were in 2004. No I'm not above saying I told you so.

[caligirl]

30. the golden state is next for this, just wait until June.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

33. lack of working power outlets and three-prong adapters for them

It is ***unacceptable*** for any public building not to have three-conductor wiring. This one can't be blamed on Diebold.

[upi402]

35. Ohio -The Pretenders Lyrics

I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY CITY WAS GONE
THERE WAS NO TRAIN STATION
THERE WAS NO DOWNTOWN
SOUTH HOWARD HAD DISAPPEARED
ALL MY FAVORITE PLACES
MY CITY HAD BEEN PULLED DOWN
REDUCED TO PARKING SPACES
A, O, WAY TO GO OHIO

WELL I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY FAMILY WAS GONE
I STOOD ON THE BACK PORCH
THERE WAS NOBODY HOME
I WAS STUNNED AND AMAZED
MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
SLOWLY SWIRLED PAST
LIKE THE WIND THROUGH THE TREES
A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO


I WENT BACK TO OHIO
BUT MY PRETTY COUNTRYSIDE
HAD BEEN PAVED DOWN THE MIDDLE
BY A GOVERNMENT THAT HAD NO PRIDE
THE FARMS OF OHIO
HAD BEEN REPLACED BY SHOPPING MALLS
AND MUZAK FILLED THE AIR
FROM SENECA TO CUYAHOGA FALLS
SAID, A, O, OH WAY TO GO OHIO

The Pretenders Lyrics

[Algorem]

36. "I kind of think something fishy is going on..."-poll worker-

Lack of three-pronged adaptors closes polling site for hours

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51671

Reported by Jennifer Murphy
Created: 5/2/2006 10:13:20 PM
Updated:5/2/2006 11:35:16 PM


CLEVELAND -- Elections officials knew there would be problems making the transition from paper ballots to electronic voting and they were right.
In fact, the CEO of the board of elections gave Tuesday's performance a failing grade.

In some cases, the problems with the machines were complicated -- Access cards that didn't work, paper trails that jammed.

But at the Garden Valley Neighborhood Center on Cleveland's east side, it was a "small set back" that caused big problems - the voting machines have three-pronged outlets, but the center didn't have electrical adaptors.

"I kind of think something fishy is going on because I don't understand why it took so long for someone to get here to set up the site," poll worker Paulzalina Wagner said...



election director-"only" 20% of poll workers didn't show up

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51716

Election snafu


Created: 5/3/2006 5:54:27 PM
Updated:5/3/2006 7:34:26 PM


CLEVELAND -- ...By the election director's assessment, first touch screen voting went "fairly well," with "only" 20 per cent of poll workers not showing up, leaving or not knowing how to do their jobs...


The biggest glitch was the disappearance of 70 memory cards that record votes. There is a paper backup so the votes did not disappear.

And losing memory cards is better than losing paper ballots.

"In the punch card world, if there was a punch card ballots missing we would never be able to recover those votes," officials said...

[LaPera]

37. The Diebold memory cards are kept in Secretary of State Blackwell's office

and he's running for Governor, how can he lose? How can it be fair?
All Secretary of States, of course, count and certify the votes.

And from all reports, the democrats in Ohio have their heads in the sand and are doing little or nothing to address this very real, electronic voting machine fraud problem.

[gademocrat7]

42. I agree. Blackwell is up to his eyeballs in corruption.

How can he lose when he has made sure the polling places were undermanned, inadequate outlets and of course the Diebold machines. Then he gets to count and certify the votes. It is a win win situation for him.

[PATRICK]

44. seventy memory cards missing

The fraud hard wired into the machines? If they needed to "save" the discrepancies until November perhaps they were forced to "lose" seventy cards that by their sinful nature never match up. If this is the margin needed for THAT particular tweaking perhaps someone could work out the mathematical possibilities and be waiting in November to challenge them- whether a recount is called for or not. Where are the cards from? Is there an even spread in the "lost" among certain precincts? What is the nature of those precincts?

I may be completely off base but I certainly would like to see our math experts, etc, at work on these possibilities now rather than on the doomed exit polls, etc etc. after the election this fall. A similar thing happened with LaPore in HER special election where she was counting the votes or holding cards of her own- up her sleeve- and still lost. In her desperation she probably gave away the whole game IF there had been anyone to bust in and shake her down at that time. Harris also took cards.

There are other kids of fraud, especially at tabulation central and from the companies, but if a stooge is on his own, what gimmicks do they have left to rig things by themselves- or hold some insurance- or hide some dead giveaways?

We make these theories while they rob us blind in broad daylight with no legal recourse, no investigation, no sting, no calculations even when they are not protected by the "winner's cloak" and crowned by the media in November.

[Imagevision]

38. Quite obviously the Republicans are unconcerned with a valid election in

november -- Bush stole the 2004 election and now at a time when election fraud is truly the only way to keep the house and senate republican is to start the smear on faulty machines and practices.

It's gotten tough, amerika doesn't mean shit anymore when it comes to honesty, honesty? nothing more then an illusion.

[TRUTHSEEKER_01]

40. Good post...im still learning about this.

[LisaL]

43. Oh yea, sure. Just a big oopping surprise that Cuahoga county,

the most democratic county in OH, would have those stupid Diebold machines.

[PATRICK]

45. Maybe GOP counties

aren't complaining- about the same things, the quieter ones at least, happening there?

[LisaL]

46. Oh maybe GOP counties got good machines for a change.

[PATRICK]

47. The GOP counties would have

smooth sailing and(in the tabulation) excellent and loyal turnout. In fact they would probably have MORE of chance, as bad as that is, of getting their vote to count(or not voting "in absentia" so to speak) if they moved to a Dem county. At least there they could protest or investigate.

Concerned GOP(in fact WE should be communicating this simple unadorned warning to them) should check to see if they: voted when they didn't, if the numbers don't add up for the precinct or the real intent of the GOP voters).

Another way to turn the heat on, but is it being neglected? There are a LOT of disaffected, untrusting GOP voters now. The time is ripe for reaching out, NOT only for their votes(which may get cheated) but for the policing necessary to avoid scams. Otherwise they are living on voter plantations and not knowing it.

[katinmn]

49. Nice preview of what's coming in November

Congress continues to ignore us in our pleas to admit we have a true crisis in our election process and refuses to act on it.

We better have a Plan B for election day.

[helderheid]

51. no doubt.

[Marr]

52. What's wrong with paper ballots again?

[Junkdrawer]

53. Too hard for a small group to rig the count...er...I mean, it takes too...

long to count them, what with all the ballot referendum and all..er..I mean the blind can't use them. Yeah, that's it, it's an ADA issue.

[Algorem]

54. Articles in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer on election fiasco

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=426138&mesg_id=426138

PHOTO OF THE DAY


- John Kuntz/The Plain Dealer

Michael Vu, director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, rolls up computer tapes early Wednesday while trying to verify results.


http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/

[mod mom]

55. Privatizing Elections to partisan corporations has been a disaster

to democracy. It is time to demand the will of the people be apparent thru transparent and veriable election.

HAND COUNTED PAPER BALLOTS NOW!

[neoconvict]

56. OK, here's what we can DO about election fraud

Yikes, this is appalling. But it's what you get courtesy of Karl Rove's election fraud machine. Plenty more of this to come, folks... What can we DO?

Here's something.

Clint Curtis is mounting a congressional bid in Florida against Tom Feeney. As many of you know, Curtis was the programmer asked by Feeney to write election-stealing software a few years back. Since then, much has happened, including the suspicious death of the Florida Inspector General Raymond Lemme looking into the matter and the total media clampdown of any serious discussion of electronic election manipulation in Florida and across the nation. Curtis, a former Republican, became so disgusted by what he saw that he became a whistleblower. The whole sordid tale is chronicled on www.bradblog.com.

Here's Curtis in his own words:

My name is Clint Curtis. I am running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 24th Congressional District. This great district is currently represented by one of the most corrupt politicians in history. Having personally attended closed-door meetings where Tom Feeney spoke candidly about his aspirations of corruption forces me to provide this district with an alternative to this man. I will need your help.

<a href="http://www.clintcurtis.com/contribute.html">http://www.clintcurtis.com</a>

Now Curtis is now taking on the VERY well-funded Feeney. He promises to fight for fair elections and to expose electronic vote fraud. He is the ONLY candidate who will take it to the NeoCons on this issue.

Because of his willingness to take on election fraud, I believe Curtis may be the single most important candidate for the progressive community to promote. Please visit his web site and offer to help, donate even $5 if you can spare it, and help spread the word. It's time to TAKE BACK AMERICA--and Mr. Curtis may be own only chance of overcoming a rigged election system.

<a href="http://www.clintcurtis.com/contribute.html">http://www.clintcurtis.com</a>