TN (Knox) Elections Admin will NOT recommend Diebold and ES&S!!!

[Clark2008]

Yesterday, I read in the Knoxville News Sentinel that Diebold, ES&S and Hart were being considered in both Knox and Blount counties to replace aging equipment: http://www3.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,... (registration required) and felt deflated.

Today, with the help of Botany, I sent mainstream media links to both our Elections Administrator Greg MacKay and to the reporter, Michael Silence, who has been covering this story.

I expected that maybe they hadn't heard of these problems, but, lo and behold, MacKay had done his research!

Here's what he said back to me via email:

I have read all of this. For that reason and others I will not be recommending Diebold.
We have to chose from three companies that have been certified by the State Election Commission. They are Diebold, ESS and Hart Intercivic.
I am leaning toward Hart. They have security measures in place that were recommended by the Government Accounting Office(GAO) when they did a report last year for the Congress. The Hart E-Slate encrypts each cast ballot, has an encrypted audit log and has a paper trail.

I don't know much about Hart, and told him so in my email. I just know that I've not heard the complaints about them as I had Diebold and ES&S, which is a good thing.

I hope the word continues to spread about Diebold and ES&S.

[Clark2008]

1. Kick so maybe Botany will see this.

Wanted to thank him for all the links!

:hug: Botany!

[ccpup]

2. Sounds promising ...

but you know these guys, when Diebold and ES&S become synonymous with crooked elections, will just do the same ol', same ol' under a different company name. (sigh) I guess that's what comes from living in an embarrassingly amateurish Fascist State.

[Clark2008]

3. True, but at least, in this case, the administrator

took the time to research the companies, so that bodes well for the people of THIS district - that we have a competent elections administrator (and we're a heavy Republican area).

Wish I could say the same for all counties, cities and towns in America.

[gkhouston]

4. Good on you, Clark

and good on Botany, too, for giving you the ammo. :applause:

[Clark2008]

6. I asked speficially for it last night from him

He provided me both stuff there and in a private message.

DU is a GREAT resource. :)

[bleever]

5. Excellent. K&R.

:thumbsup:

[Botany]

7. I think we should start a new threrad just saying how great Botany is.

I will start ......
He is very humble.
He is very good looking.
Stephanie Miller wants him.
:rofl:

Good for you Clark ...... but I am in the dead democracy of Ohio ...... Diebold went county to county around the state
trying to hand out checks to the head officials of the BOEs ..... Franklin County's guy .... Damnschroder*
took $10,000 and had the check made out to the county repugs ..... he got a week off PAID for what
he now says was a mistake.




BTW Damnschroder was former head of the county GOP ..... betya some of that 10 grand made it back to his
family ..... and he along w/ Blackwell met bush & Rove on 11/2/04.

[Clark2008]

9. LOL. I just sent you a PM asking you to read this thread.

Thank you so much, Botany.

I don't think that, in this case, our elections administrator needed much prodding. Despite my red area, Tennessee's majority party is Democratic and controls the board that appoints our county elections administrators, so that's a plus. He replied back within 30 minutes of my sending off the email, so I'm guessing that he had already done his research and didn't just take my word for it. I think he more wanted to let me know that he wasn't even going to THINK about recommending those pieces of crapola.

Again, many thanks. This will also give the reporter covering this some background as to why Mackay probably isn't going to recommend those machines when they have their meetings over the coming weeks. The more exposure - even on a local level - to these machines and their corrupt files (and owners), the better.

[Botany]

10. Funny I was able to get all that stuff quick.

I forgot; that most of the execs are now indicted
the county in N. Carolina that had 18,000 votes
and 5,000 registered voters
the ONE MACHINE in Volusia County, Florida that produced
a negative 16,000 vote for Gore in 2000 after ABC, CBS, & NBC
all called the state for Gore ..... it was later attributed to a
faulty memory chip.
their stock is now tanking after it was show that "they" cooked
the books and that the machines did not pass a QA QC test
Wally O'Dell's promise to deliver the of Ohio for bush.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts140.html
a Reagan repub calls the election dirty.

[rpgamerd00d]

8. Note to ALL DUers - Invest in Hart :) :) :)

[Clark2008]

11. We should also research them.

Although, I think if the GAO recommends them, they're probably above par. The GAO isn't known for whitewashing BushCo. propaganda. :)

[johnaries]

12. Uh-Oh! Doesn't look like Hart is much better than Diebold!

Did a quick google:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0409/S00309.htm
Hart-Intercivic Tech Blows The Whistle In Ohio And Texas
I have come into possession of a pair of letters written by a former Hart-Intercivic technician to the Secretaries of State for Ohio and Texas. These letters detail a ''long history of concealing problems'' and a willingness to ignore potentially serious problems ''largely for the sake of corporate profit''.

And here's a list of documented failures of Hart machines:
http://www.votersunite.org/info/Hartinthenews.pdf

Is there ANY good machins out there?

[Clark2008]

13. Thanks. I was just saying we should research them.

So far, from your links, it looks as though their problems in the past have more to do with software problems directly related to their pocketbooks and not a built-in software problem specifically designed to flip elections.

However, from the email I received, it looks as thought they are making some verifiable-voting changes.

Bottom line: we need to keep an eye on them.

[eppur_se_muova]

19. "Is there ANY good machins out there?" I think NO.

I think NO. Anything automated is open to automated fraud. Do it the way the Scots and Canadians do -- paper ballots, hand-counted. It's HARD WORK to cheat in a system like that, and very hard not to get caught, if you cheat enough to matter.

[Patsy Stone]

14. Excellent work, Clark!

K&R!

Keep them at bay as long as possible. It's the MACHINES! Stop the MACHINES!

Botany? :thumbsup:

[crispini]

15. Good job girl!

:yourock:

[bleever]

16. Fellow citizens, I salute you.

:patriot:

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Clark2008]

18. Oh, now.. that was just sweet.

Thank you for that picture. :loveya:

:patriot: