All Those Opposed To HR811 - THE VOTER CON ACT.... Stand Up And Be Counted!

[althecat]

Dear DU,

All Those Opposed To HR811 - THE VOTER CON ACT.... Stand Up And Be Counted!

Rep. Rush Holt's Amended HR811 – self described in Orwellian Double Speak as A "voting integrity" bill – is expected to come back to the House this week for a vote. Clearly someone thinks it has a chance of getting through.

This would be – in short – a disaster for American democracy.

The link below takes you to an excellent dissection of the amended HR811 bill from Nancy Tobi....

THE VOTER CON ACT

http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/files/811_Revised_Voter_CON_Act.pdf

This really is worth reading. It looks at the actual wording of the bill and shows why it is a crock.

In reading the above link HR811 proponents in this forum might learn something.

If you are one of those who think that its time to "do at least something" or that "this is the only thing that stands a chance of getting done before 2008" then please read this and you will know what all the fuss is about.

And HR811 opponents should read it too. It provides the ammunition you need to cogently argue against this disgraceful excuse for a solution to the most pressing issue in US politics today.

Whether you are a leftist or centrist, a Clinton supporter or a Kucinich fan, every true Democrat must surely agree that it is vital that elections be counted.

And seriously.... given the scale of the flaws in this bill... is it any wonder that it is so widely opposed within the election reform movement?

This bill is not the only solution.

California's Debra Bowen has stood up and pointed out what everybody who has seriously looked at this issue now knows:

Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines are pure poison – there is no way that you can ever be certain that your vote has been counted. Period. Dan Rather recently showed that the machines that have screwed up 2 Florida elections were 1) foisted on the state through deliberate sabotage of the existing functional voting system in 2000 & 2) built in a sweatshop in Manilla and exported to be used in U.S. Elections by manufactures who KNEW THEY WERE FAULTY and could record votes for someone other than intended by the voter!

It is likely that at least four US elections 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 have already been compromised. It is certain that the companies who make the machines that have brought US Democracy to its knees fully intend to make $billions more dollars foisting more crappy technology on the U.S. taxpayer and voter.

And now the Washington Post solemnly informs us - commenting on this bill in a recent editorial:

"Even if states meet the 2008 deadline, the requisite haste and corner-cutting could produce their own missteps; the bill might inadvertently cause more disenfranchisement than it would solve. If Congress is going to order a complete overhaul of elections nationwide, it should give states enough time to do it right. The bill also requires states to purchase by 2012 voting technology that is not yet on the market; pushing back the 2008 deadline might thus keep states from having to buy new equipment twice.

Or in other words - Rep. Rush Holt's bill is too radical – the US cannot hope to fix its democratic infrastructure even by 2012 let alone 2008.

This is surely unacceptable. More of the same B.S. and a disgrace.

And that is why if anyone asks do you support HR811?

Your the answer should be.

HELL NO!

And so DU I ask you to sign on below and make it clear that here in the heart of real democracy in the United States you will not go quietly into this night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Al

[althecat]

1. CITIZEN ACTION GROUPS AND LEADERS OPPOSED TO THE HOLT BILL

From: http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/4598

CITIZEN ACTION GROUPS AND LEADERS OPPOSED TO THE HOLT BILL:
1. "Candidate for Congress CA District 12 Libertarian Party 2004 & 2006" Harland Harrison CA
2. 30th District Democrats WA 98023
3. 8th Ward 24th Division Philadelphia;
4. Aaron Freeman, comedian and actor
5. Abbe Waldman Delozier, Editor, "Hacked"
6. Al Kolwicz, Election Watchdog, Colorado
7. Arvada Peace & Justice
8. Atlantic Media Ltd. Portsmouth NH
9. AUDITAZ (Americans United for Integrity and Transparency in Elections)
10. Barry Gordon, radio talk host, former president of SAG, actor
11. Bev Harris, BlackBoxVoting.ORG
12. Black Box Voting
13. Bruce Funk, County Clerk, Emery County, Utah
14. Bruce O'Dell, Computer security systems analyst and election integrity activist
15. Camille Khattar , Precinct Chair 14, Democratic Party of Collin County, North Texas
16. Central New York Voting Integrity Committee
17. Citizens to Stop Computerized Voting Richard Borkowski Seattle WA 98102
18. Coalition for Visible Ballots
19. Coalition for Voting Integrity
20. Coloradoans for Voting Integrity CFVI
21. Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity
22. Columbia County Democratic Central Committee –
23. CONCENTRIC MEDIA
24. Democracy for America - Temecula Valley
25. Democracy for Colorado
26. Democracy for Flagstaff
27. Democracy for New Hampshire
28. Democracy for New Hampshire Fair Elections Committee
29. Democracy for Oklahoma City Co-coordinator - Democratic Precinct Chair - Oklahoma Democratic Party IT Committee member Linda Wade Oklahoma City OK
30. Democracy for Oregon
31. Democracy for Texas/Bastrop Co chapter Marsha Correira Elgin TX 78621
32. Ed Asner, Actor
33. Editor and Publisher - Totally Fixed and Rigged Magazine; President - Positronic Design
34. Editor/Publisher - Online Review of Books & Current Affairs J.F. Miglio
35. Election Defense Alliance
36. Election Integrity
37. Election Integrity Task Force
38. Freedom Socialist Party
39. Harland Harrison, Candidate for Congress, CA District 12, Libertarian Party, 2004 & 2006
40. Harvey Wasserman, Author, election integrity journalist
41. Howard Zinn, author and historian
42. Jackson Action Jackson MS
43. Jasper County Democrats Elliott Denniston Webb City MO 64870
44. Jeanie Williams-West , Local Democratic Party Executive Committee, State central committee, local parish executive committee
45. Jeffco Democrats Jefferson County
46. Joan Brunwasser, Voting Integrity Editor, OpEdNews
47. Josh Mitteldorf
48. Larry L. Jackson , 2006 Chair 30th District Democrats
49. Lassen Progressives, California
50. Latinos for America
51. Mark Crispin Miller, Author
52. Mary Patee , H D # 27 Chair Jeffco Democrats, Jefferson Count - Arvada Peace & Justice
53. Memphis Operation Election Integrity
54. Merrimack Town Democratic Chair - New Hampshire State Democratic Party Committee Member Andrew Sylvia Merrimack NH 3054
55. Midwest Minutemen
56. National Ballot Integrity Project
57. New Hampshire Ballot Integrity Task Force
58. New Hampshire Citizens Alliance
59. New Hampshire PIRG
60. New Hampshire Women Making a Difference
61. Northeast Citizens for Responsible Media
62. OpEd News
63. Paul Lehto, Election law attorney
64. People Who Give a Damn, Inc.
65. Philadelphians Against Santorum
66. Pima County Democratic Party Election Integrity Committee
67. Pinellas County Democratic Party
68. Precinct 14 Democratic Party of Collin County North Texas
69. Presents for the Planet
70. Progressive Democrats of America-- Metro San Diego chapter
71. Protect California Ballots
72. Psephos, San Diego, CA
73. Representative Andrew J. Edwards, Nashua, NH 03062
74. Representative Eileen Ehlers, Hooksett, NH
75. Representative Lily Mesa, Manchester, NH
76. Rob Kall, Owner and Chief Editor, OpEdNews
77. Sacramento For Democracy
78. San Diego Democracy For America
79. San Diego Metro-Progressive Democrats of America
80. San Francisco Election Integrity League
81. SAVE R VOTE, Riverside County, CA
82. Senator Jackie Cilley, NH District 6
83. Show Me The Vote – Missouri
84. Steve Freeman, Election activist
85. Steve Heller, Diebold Election Systems whistleblower
86. The San Mateo Election Integrity League
87. Thom Hartmann, Journalist
88. TrueVoteSanDiego
89. United Methodist Church Arvada CO
90. Vickie Karp, Editor, "Hacked"
91. Vote Rescue, Austin, Texas
92. Vote.org
93. Voters Unite
94. We Do Not Concede
95. WheresThePaper.org
96. White Bear Lake Peace Group
97. Women for Democracy and Fair Elections
98. Women Making a Difference - NH
99. YubaNet News
100. Congressman Dennis Kucinich
101. Congressman Ed Markey

[backscatter712]

6. Why is it that so many people think that Diebold's toilet-paper VVPR attachments are adequate?

Why do people think that? Those cash register tape printers attached to Diebold touchscreen machines are very unreliable. I know. I worked as a poll watcher last election, and saw those pieces of shit jam, mangling live votes. Right in front of me. Those machines cannot be made secure. It's impossible. And the paper records cannot be trusted.

Those fucking machines should all be smashed to pieces. Every single one of them should get the Office Space printer treatment. (DIE MOTHERFUCKER, DIE MOTHERFUCKER, DIE!!!)

Speaking as a software engineer, I can show you how to do it right. Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia don't even come close to doing it right. Use a voting system designed to be open, verifiable, and with built-in auditing protocols, such as Punchscan at http://punchscan.org/ and we can do it right.

[althecat]

10. For clarification... that big list of names is of people OPPOSED TO HR811

And you are quite right that the bog roll ballot supporters are severely deluded.

[foo_bar]

22. did you read through the list first?

55. Midwest Minutemen

(see:
http://www.minutemenmidwest.com/
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x473748#473749
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x474955
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1687847&mesg_id=1728060)

[OnTheOtherHand]

2. VerifiedVoting.org: "we continue to support H.R. 811"

http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?id=6492

VerifiedVoting.org has supported The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act since 2003 when it was first introduced by Representative Rush Holt of New Jersey. Indeed, our organization was consulted in the drafting of each version of the Act (H.R. 2239 in the 108th Congress, H.R. 550 in the 109th, and H.R. 811 in the 110th). We continued to support the bill as it was reported out of Committee on House Administration in May with well over 200 bipartisan co-sponsors; members of the Committee had reached a reasonable compromise as the result of many hearings and dedicated work. We thank Mr. Holt for his continued efforts to improve the verifiability and accessibility of our elections. And we continue to support H.R. 811.

That doesn’t mean we like all its provisions; we have some reservations about modifications that were made to the bill on July 27, which we discuss here. But even after the most recent changes, the most basic elements of the bill remain intact –- 2008 requirements for paper ballots as an independent means of verifying electronic vote tabulation, random mandatory audits, disclosure of voting system software, tighter security of electronic voting systems, and provision of funding to enable jurisdictions to upgrade to accessibly verifiable paper-based voting systems.

These reforms are important, and must be enacted as soon as possible, including the accessibility portions. VerifiedVoting.org has consistently supported the bill not only for improving voting security but for what it offered with respect to its requirements on accessible verification of the ballot. Increased accessibility is consistent with protecting the security and verifiability of the vote for every citizen. We have always advocated for reliable, accessible, verifiable, and transparent systems, all mutually compatible goals.

(emphasis in original)

[althecat]

8. Meaning that Verified Voting have unfortunately lost their way....

.. which is a shame but not altogether unexpected.

[papau]

3. this is last chance for an audited election with a paper trail in 08 n/t

n/t

[althecat]

9. shouldn't that be "the last chance to win an unauditable paper trail in 2008"

... its all in black and white papau. If the Bills authors actually wanted a proper election why would they have drafted such a poor bill.

[papau]

24. It does not say unauditable paper trail- indeed the vote recorded on paper is the official vote for

the election. The objection that the paper isn't counted until there is a recount is silly - with audits checking exit polling, this is a great bill - and the audits count the paper.

Kathy put out a summary of the objections that Bev is selling - and answers each one quite well.

This is the best we are going to do for the 08 election (Bev's latest is that 08 is too soon for changes, and funding is not there for making the changes - both of which Kathy does a good job knocking down).

[althecat]

29. This is not the best you can get for 2008. Who says so?

Especially since this is nothing at all.

1. The paper is only the vote if its not screwed up.

2. Toilet Roll thermal paper records are allowed till 2012.

3. Toilet Roll thermal paper records are not countable.

Therefore there is no VVPAT... nothing auditable and nothing recountable.

Back to square one.

Bad guys win.

How difficult can this be to understand.

[texpatriot2004]

4. K & R nm

[autorank]

5. Opposed to 811 - Opposed to any Voting Machines

!

[althecat]

18. So that I guess is a Hell No!

[autorank]

27. Tiz, indeed "Hell NO" to 811

[robinlynne]

7. I vote no.

[althecat]

14. Excellent - a truly wise head you have there Robinlynne...

[robinlynne]

20. I have been called many things, but never a wise head. Thank-you!

[althecat]

11. Please be heard over the noise DU - VOTE THIS POST UP AND REC IT....

[althecat]

12. The Imposter Thread has a narrow lead... we need 5 RECS TO THIS THREAD TO TAKE A LEAD...

That said... the truth tellers are winning the battle even over here in the imposter thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=481811&mesg_id=481811

HELL NO!

[Beerboy]

32. Who the Fuck is Rush Holt?

k'n'rd for more digging; Wikipedia might have a half-assed write-up on him.

[alfredo]

13. I called Ben Chandler (D-Ky)

[althecat]

15. And you told him to send this bill to where the sun don't shine?

[alfredo]

21. Sure did.

I told them the bill in its original form was good, but Microsoft got hold of it and now it doesn't deserve our support.

[tiptoe]

35. and a k! just for the HELL(no) of it!

GO Bears!

[alfredo]

36. I think there is talk of an anti DRE amendment being offered.

[Richard Steele]

16. This bill is a sham of its original self. recommended

[althecat]

17. Thanks dick... three more RECS please DU... lets get our nose ahead here...

[althecat]

19. How Microsoft and Voting Machine Vendors Further Corrupted What Is Now HR811

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1727152&mesg_id=1727152

[Trillo]

23. No.

As a citizen I want to see and witness the counting of votes conducted by humans, preferably citizen volunteers, locally at the precinct level with local results publicly posted on the Internet and reported by local news.

This builds in a publicly verifiable audit! You will know your vote was, in fact, counted.

[tiptoe]

25. K & R! video and ...

Election Deception: The Truth About H.R.811

HR811 = "False sense of confidence..." !!

"The truth is, that with H.R.811, election officials and corporations will be controlling the paper trail, not the citizens!!"

HELL NO!

[lonestarnot]

26. Standing!

Count all the fucking votes (paper ballots) and get rid of the damn machines. Period end of story. Period.pap

[althecat]

28. Lonestarnot... you are a GENIUS!

[emlev]

30. No on HR 811! eom

[Beerboy]

31. downloaded .pdf for further research,

and Sourcewatch might be good to look into as well re: DRE contributions to the 're-elect' Rush Holt campaign.
It'd also be interesting to look @ DRE's stock performance, if they even trade publicly (prolly NASDAQ). Or who owns DRE and their P/E%'s. Never heard of'em before.
Thanks althecat for posting, well worth a k/r!

[tiptoe]

33. "Ellen worked for 3 years on the holt bill...but no longer supports it." (re author of article)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=481928&mesg_id=481928

Seven Serious Failures in the Latest Holt Election Reform Bill

by Ellen Theisen, June 11, 2007

(Ellen worked for 3 years on the holt bill, and getting sponsors, but no lonnger supports it.)

1) Under HR 811, some “ballots” don’t have to ever be counted.

The foremost flaw in HR 811 (both the introduced version and the version passed out of committee) is that the bill amends the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to allow for “paper ballots” that will never be used for anything at all, not for the initial count and not for any audit, since most HR811-mandated audits will count only 3% of those ballots, and in some cases, as many as 10% of the them.

The very first requirement listed in HAVA is that all voting systems “permit the voter to verify (in a private and independent manner) the votes selected by the voter on the ballot before the ballot is cast and counted.”

Since voters can’t see inside the inner workings of the computer, they cannot verify their electronic ballot before it’s cast and counted,so this legal requirement of HAVA is presently violated wherever electronic voting machines (DREs) are used. But instead of enforcing the requirement, HR 811 legitimizes the violation.

link to the full article
http://www.votersunite.org/info/hr811Report.asp

[althecat]

34. Excellent article

[althecat]

37. It is expected to come back to the floor this week - DAILY VOTING NEWS

John Gideon's DVN bulletin for today

It’s been a hectic day today with HR-811 going to the Rules Committee as it must before going to the floor for a vote. The Rules Committee is supposed to decide whether amendments can be made to the bill; what amendments will be accepted; or whether the process will be open to all amendments. While some are telling their supporters that the bill is going to the floor tomorrow, we are hearing from a committee staffer that no decision has been made and the bill may still have to go before the committee again. Meanwhile a New Jersey Superior Court Judge has told the state that they had better figure out how to replace all 10,000 of the state’s DRE machines with optical scan and the state has 8 days to figure it out. It seems that the vvpat printers to be used on DREs made by Sequoia and Avante have been proven to be garbage and the state ignored a ruling from the court made weeks ago that the state have a back-up plan by today. The state ignored the court.


NAtional: Exclusive: Amendment To Ban/Restrict Touch-Screen DREs May Be
Brought To Holt Bill!
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5032

NAtional: Crunch Time for E-voting Reform
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/005421.php

NAtional: E-voting reform bill scheduled for House vote this week
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070905-e-voting-reform-bill-scheduled-for-house-vote-this-week.html

NAtional: House to consider e-voting reform bill
A bill that would require all e-voting machines to have paper trails and
forbid them from having wireless or Internet connections is set for a
vote
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/09/05/House-to-consider-e-voting-reform-bill_1.html

NAtional: Voting Systems Recommendations
http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/7928

CA: Solano County - Sacramento County offers to loan Solano voting
machines in November
http://timesheraldonline.com/ci_6807156

MD: Baltimore - Glitch-free primaries predicted
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=574&NewsID=835116&CategoryID=8012&show=localnews&om=1

MS: Kemper County - Kemper Vote Could Be Challenged
http://www.wtok.com/news/headlines/9572997.html

NC: Instant runoff raises doubts
Polling system will be tested Nov. 6 in Hendersonville
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770904170

NC: North Carolina Now Officially Banana Republic?
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=22219

NJ: State given 8 days to replace 10,000 voting machines
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/09/state_given_8_days_to_replace.htm
l

NJ: Another Blow To Voting Machine Vendors
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5033

NJ: Judge demands alternative voting machine plan
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--votingmachinechal0905sep05,0,5771931.story

PA: Why HR 811 Is Good For Pennsylvania
http://www.votepa.us/articles/WhyHR811inPA.html

Netherlands: Dutch computer voting machine company caught editing
Wikipedia entry
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/05/technology/EU-TEC-Netherlands-Voting-Machines.php

**Articles included in “Daily Voting News” may not all reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or its allied organizations. These articles are all included for the information of the subscribers of “Daily Voting News” though we realize that the subscribers may not agree with the opinions given in all articles**

John Gideon Co-Director and Information Manager VotersUnite.Org http://www.votersunite.org

[althecat]

38. VV Email -------> Tell Congress: YES to voter-verified paper ballots

Tell Congress: YES to voter-verified paper ballots

Dear Alastair,

Finally! After a long wait, the "Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act" -- H.R. 811 -- is scheduled to come to the House Floor for a vote tomorrow. The bill requires voter-verified paper ballots and manual audits of those ballots to check vote tallies for accuracy, nationwide.

Your help is needed to ensure passage. Please take action right away to tell your Representative to vote YES on H.R. 811 - click on this link to email or fax your lawmaker now! http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/vevo/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12526

The bill was introduced by Representative Rush Holt of New Jersey early this year, and gained the support of well over 200 bi-partisan co-sponsors. It was marked up by the Committee on House Administration in May and underwent additional modifications in July. The most basic provisions of the bill remain: voter-verified paper ballots for every voter by 2008, mandatory random manual audits nationwide to ensure voting systems are counting properly, a ban on wireless and internet connections for voting systems, and more In addition, accessibility requirements have been increased. There's still time to get this done... with your help.

Contact your Representative today -- you can make a difference and help safeguard our nation's elections. Click here -- and be sure to pass it along to others!

Thank you -

Pamela Smith, President
VerifiedVoting.org

PO Box 4104, Carlsbad, CA 92018
415-487-2255 [e-mail]

Your contributions make our work possible. To donate online, visit http://verifiedvoting.org/donate -- or if you prefer to mail a check, please send to Verified Voting at the address shown above.

If you no longer wish to receive action alerts, please send an email to [e-mail] -- Thanks!