There is a modem connected to the central tabulator in LA county.

I repeat. there is a modem connected to the central tabulator in LA county. That is a fact. not an opinion. It is a plain old fact. I went down to watch the tabulation with some other volunteers. A group of 5 or so took it to court, asking for an emergency court session the night before the election. (There were several other irregularities as well, but that is not my point here.) They were, a rep from the green party, libertarian party, peace and freedom party, and some election protection activists. The judge said, no. no injunction because there can only be a crime if there is malfeasance, and he trusts the registrar of voters (who was indicted, but not convicted of election fraud in texas, where she came from.). There is a modem connected to the central tabulator in LA county, the largest voting county in the USA. (Brad, you said california, but it is actually the largest in the country.)
here is my question, and it is not rhetorical:
Why is it that the green party, and the libertarian party, and the peace and freedom party, whomever you may be, are the only ones going to court. Why are our democratic candidates not ABSOLUTELY forced by us to make sure our votes are counted.
Yes, I am aware that there are many wonderfully brave democrats: Conyers, Boxer, Dean, et al. But there seems to be a perpetuated myth in the democratic party that you can "play fair" in a corrupted game. We need them to stand up. What exactly do we need to do?
Which brings me to Francine Busby. Can we get her to get those votes counted in san diego? There have been several great blogs about it, here and on bradblog. Please, can we all write to her, and ask her to count those votes, for us, for democracy, to risk "looking foolish" or whatever they think it looks like. Counting the votes is o so much more important than looking nice.
sorry for the rant. I hope to get numbers here. Let's write to Francine Busby.

I did. Several of you have already. Let's make it a bigger cry.

We have to fight this....

This really spoke to me..."But there seems to be a perpetuated myth in the democratic party that you can "play fair" in a corrupted game. We need them to stand up. What exactly do we need to do?" You are 100% correct. We can not play fair in a corrupted game. Thank you for your work. We are all going to have to be prepared to work long, and hard, to change this. Repukes will try to "win" at any cost, using any method, and we can't afford to back down or concede now.

Pottawattamie County Iowa had votes actually switched. If the people who say they care about machine hacking actually care about it, they'd be screaming that story from the roof tops. If they don't, then it'll be because they can't get past their partisan obsession with elections being stolen from Democrats.

Black Hawk County IA had modem transmission problems.

People have got to stop blaming every Democratic loss on stolen elections while completly ignoring real machine malfunctions everywhere else. That's why they have absolutely no credibility on the issue.

which is storing or counting votes means that that computer can no longer be trusted. period.

No fucking body. That's who. Because people are so hung up on exit polls and Republican conspiracies that they can't see they've got the perfect opportunity to impound and open machines sitting right in front of their faces. I don't know how many times they're going to let these opportunities pass them by.

Like why the hell none of the election fraud people are in Iowa.

That's why nobody takes them, election fraud groups, seriously. If it doesn't further the Diebold conspiracy, it's ignored. Election reform isn't the goal at all.

Bye.

You.

In post #5.

What's happening there? Voteing machine questions/problems?

Bruce Braley is running in the congressional race, he won the Democratic primary!!!

Yeaaay!!

The count from the precincts are sent through modem to the county courthouse. The modems didn't work. It is possible the machines can be hacked through the modems. It seems to me that the time to get inside the system is when there are real glitches, like there are right now in Iowa.

http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=CF0BA2B3-4B82-4804-8EC0CA6A83C346AF&dbtranslator=local.cfm

RL - Do you have any further information about the appearance before the judge? From the other people who went to court with you?

When did you see the central tabulator connected to the modem? Before, during, or after the election?

What is the name of the election official who was indicted in Texas and now presides in LA?

Holy moly...

:wtf:

There is a bit of the story on bradblog. Basically a group of people went down before the election to see the tabulator etc. One of the people present was a software, IT person. In the tabulator room, he asked "IS there an internet connection in here?". "No". "Then what is this cord touching my leg?" "Oh it is a modem". "But it is not plugged in." Well, let's see, he picks up the modem, runs his hand down the wire.."Yes it is connected." "But it's only connected so we can keep in touch with what's going on in the world." "But you have a huge 5 story building here. Why would you have an internet connection in the tabulation room?" "Well, it is only connected to the secretary of state's office, so he can get the results immediately, so he can get the results out quickly to the public."

the words may not be exact, but that was the conversation.

BUT, my whole point, is why do we let the democrats let this happen? let's check that race in san diego. Francine conceded before the votes were counted. i know that may make her run in november more comfortable, and she can avoid the republican sting she will definitely feel if she stands up, but we can't afford to let it go.

"Well, it is only connected to the secretary of state's office, so he can get the results immediately, so he can get the results out quickly to the public."

In past elections, the media AND the people were SO insistent that they speed up the results, we ended up with the danged machines. I remember elections when you didn't know the results for days...sometimes, weeks. What's the rush?

For all presidential elections from now on, I will vote by absentee ballot, take a photo with my digital camera of all sections and certify the packet when I mail it back in. That way, I have a record that I voted absentee and mailed it in time to be counted. It will cost me time and a wee bit of money, but it will be worth it to know my vote can be tracked. If we all requested absentee ballots, maybe they would pay attention to the masses and finally realize that, "Houston, we have a problem!"

Hopefully many more than have spoken up.

You said something that has been on my mind for the longest time. It sums up our situation- "..."play fair" in a corrupted game."

There is no honor is losing to a criminal. That's what I say.

And thank you so much for what you have done. I cannot believe this. It's an outrage!

protection groups, but the san diego race is still counting. It is not history yet. If we act now, we can get those votes counted.
and more importantly, Ohio 2004 votes will be shreddedd this fall, and they haven't been counted yet! I learned something from greg palast that I was unaware of. Apparently th4e idea of having so many people vote on "provisional" ballots, was after 2000 when the black caucus stood up, and the ACLu filed a lawsuit. (Correct me if I'm wrong here.) So in clamoringor the right to vote, Rove said great, vote on provisional ballots. But the secretaries of state are not obliged to count those votes. It is up to their discretionwhether or not theyre counted. And the number of provisional ballots goes up and up.
I saw, in LA, the room which they call the "snag" room. In it go the torn ballots, provisional ballots, and absentee ballots which arrive on election day. (including those from voters who are careful enough to vote on paper ballots, absentee, and hand deliver their votes to make sure they are counted.) All those ballots are dumped into the snag room and are not part of the election day count at all. During the next 3 weeks, after the elections are all called, they count those votes. And we are not there to see how and if they are counted.

So more than just provisional ballots get put aside. Wow. This is our battlefield.

Recommended.


pro-Bu$h = Anti-America

.... elections in Argentina lately!! :mad:

Several times in the past month, Dobbs has reported on what he calls "widespread corruption" as a result of Smartmatic (aka Sequoia) voting machines that Agentina purchased from the U.S.

WHY so much attention to the cheating in Argentina by rigged electronic voting machines, and zip.. nada.. NOTHING right here in the U.S. ??

Thanks for nothing Lou!

they really mean judges who will put the kibosh on their illegal activities. As long as judges are willing to go along with this kind of election crap, we have no hope as a society. Republicans are willing to win at any cost, except we all lose.

we really are screwed if this stuff is ok

fucking pieces.

This just re-energized me to send some letters, emails and faxes to KO, Lou Dobbs, Howard Dean, my Senators - our Rep is one a worthless bag of sh*t repuke. I'll try Harry Reid again, but he doesn't seem to want to ruffle the feathers on the dirty bastards. They should be tarred and feathered. I am so sick of this going on and on with no huge outcry.

:kick: for those of us who are still in the fight.

"charged", and I'm not sure if that is the same thing, so I am correcting it to avoid accusing someone of something which may be incorrect.

when she has her picture plastered all over Diebold sales brochures! What kind of BS is that?

:grr:

The truth is that with truly honest elections where everyone eligible gets to vote and all votes are are properly counted and tabulated would be of great benefit to third parties. Both the GOP and Democratic parties benefit from the grey zone where strange things happen but nobody gets called on it. It has always been this way, whether stuffing ballot boxes or rearranging tabulator databases, it's the status quo.

To both parties, it really doesn't matter who wins, as long as they get their turn at a teat on the cash sow.

see my post #37.

No point in letting the discussion falter. :evilgrin:

Perception is Reality.

If the electorate think that politicians are crooked, it's as good as truth as far as elections go.

The Democratic Party needs to be perceived as honest and above board or keep losing to the GOP.

Determine what the state laws are for counting votes.
Machines
Provisional Ballots
Absentee Ballots
Etc.

How they are reported:
Electronically
In Person

How they are counted:
Electronically transmitted
Election officials in each precinct/ward

What is counted:
Election day votes
Absentee votes
Provisional votes

When are they counted:
Election Day
By last day of recount request
Never

Where are they counted:
All votes in the precinct/ward
Just election day votes in precinct/ward
Absentee votes in central county location
All votes in central county location

Just a quick list to start

Civil grand jury, not criminal; which can ripen into 'criminal' prosecutions. Get better lawyers, will you ?

File a complaint with the LA County civil grand jury ASAP. BTW, also look into the composition of said civil grand jurors, who are usually retired R's with lots of time on their hands. This is a time-honored tactic of the rightwing. Civil grand jurors should be selected in an non-partisan manner but this is rarely the case.

In any event, you may end up with a fair grand jury; who knows how they are selected in LA County ? Take the gamble.

"He who dares, wins"-- British SAS motto.

whose main job this election cycle is to hack the central tabulators and voting machines in chosen precincts this coming November, making sure that the elections will be won by Donald Duck, Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. I fear that is the only way we'll ever manage to convince Americans of the danger.

and got it. He still lost.

It's funny how Republicans will call Democrats who fight sore losers, but they will use the rules to the full when they don't win.

Precinct-based optical scanners report to the GEMS central tabulator via modem in Humboldt County. One of the "irregularities" in Tuesday's primary was the inability of certain precincts to report. It seems Scotia upgraded to a digital phone line but this was not cleared with the elections department. Without an analog line the AccuVote black boxes had to be physically brought to the county elections HQ in Eureka. Ironically, this may be more secure than sending the info by modem ;-)

Pentagon drops Internet voting plans for military personnel
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,89902,00.html

""In a Jan. 30 memo to David Chu, the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz wrote that "in view of the inability to ensure legitimacy of votes that would be cast in the SERVE Internet voting project, thereby bringing into doubt the integrity of the election, I hereby direct you to take immediate steps to ensure that no voters use the system to register or vote via the Internet."
The memo was released today by a Defense Department spokesman who was asked about the status of the controversial voting program, which is called SERVE (Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment).
Wolfowitz said in the memo that "efforts will continue to demonstrate the technical ability to cast ballots over the Internet," using knowledge and experience gained so far. He wrote that he would reconsider his decision in the future "if it can be shown that the integrity of the election results can be assured." ""

It wasn't good enough for the military and it shouldn't be used in domestic voting either. This is the 'smoking gun'.

will cause voters to stay home.

Reasonable or no, they fear making a big public issue of voting fraud is going to result in low voter turnout. They seem to think that the solution is to keep quiet about the issue and try to overcome it by winning by large margins.

nt

the two major parties. They went after election fraud first in 2004 before Jesse Jackson & Conyers got on board. Kerry, an otherwise splendid Senator, still hasn't joined in.