Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Thursday 12/1/05

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

Please post Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News on this thread.

Damn it, will you please:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.

2. Post stories using the "Election Fraud and Reform News Sources" listed here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x397093

3. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.

4. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.


If you want to know how post "News Banners" or other images, go here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=371233#371391



Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below).

Wire Service Mentions GAO Report -- and it only took 'em SIX WEEKS!!
Has the Associated Press Finally Woken Up?

The depth and pressure of all of the news reports about electronic voting issues must have finally built up so much that the...

Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org

11/30/2005

The depth and pressure of all of the news reports about electronic voting issues must have finally built up so much that the Associated Press 'dam' finally burst and they had to respond! Today they even mentioned the GAO report, well over a month after it was issued with much bipartisan fanfare from members of Congress.

"E-voting under scrutiny as federal compliance deadline looms", by AP Technology Writer Brian Bergstein, correctly says that some states are in trouble and will not be able to meet some mandates of the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Bergstein runs through the gamut of problems that have been reported in the past few days and some that happened in past elections. With regards to the GAO report he says:

snip/more

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00002101.htm

...Fewer than one in four said four so-called reform measures on the Nov. 8 ballot, which were pitched as an antidote to GOP scandal and all failed, "would have cleaned up a corrupt state government."...

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051129/NEWS09/511290414

News from The NYS Board of Elections

NEW VOTING MACHINE REGULATIONS PUBLISHED - HEARINGS SCHEDULED

ALBANY, NY -- (11/30/2005; 1600)(EIS) -- Today, draft voting machine regulations reflecting changes in State law to comply with the Help America Vote Act(HAVA), have been posted on the Board's web site (www.elections.state.ny.us) and will be published in the State Register for a period of forty-five days commencing on December 7, 2005. These regulations were written to make sure that the changes in Election Law mandated by HAVA are implemented properly to ensure that new voting machines certified for sale in New York meet Federal and State standards for security, reliability and accessibility. Copies of the draft regulations may also be obtained by calling the Board at 518-474-1953 or by contacting any county board of elections.

Interested citizens are encouraged to comment on the draft regulations by sending their concerns or recommendations to the Board by mail to the address below or by e-mail to ldaghlian@elections.state.ny.us. The Board will also hold public hearings during the month of December in three different locations to accept comments from those who wish to give testimony at a public forum. All comments, however submitted, will be carefully considered before the regulations become final. Public hearings will commence at 10:30 a.m. at the locations listed below.

snip/more

http://www.eisinc.com/release/storiesh/NYSELS.245.html

I had a chance to talk to my hero, Frank Rich, a few months ago about election fraud and he claimed he didn't know much about it. Perhaps he has his plate full unraveling the administration's lies about Iraq, but with the midterm elections coming up someone has to take this issue on.

I was listening to NPR yesterday and they had some young computer hackers on bragging about how easy, embarrassingly easy, it is to switch votes on the Deibold machines. Bill Clinton once mentioned that India has flawless electronic voting while ours is mired in unaccountability. I hope Frank and other journalists and bloggers of his caliber read this article by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman about the GAO report on the 2004 election. Paul Krugman and the NYTimes editorial board have been good on this issue in the past, but it has been a while since anyone has raised the subject.

The Government Accountability Office is the only government office we have left that is ethical, non-partisan and incorruptible. They investigate and tell it like it is. Thank God for them. This report is very serious and must get more attention. It has taken years for the mainstream press and Congress to finally understand what we in the blogisphere have known since 2000. This administration will distort and cheat about anything and everything to get its way. If this report got the attention it deserves and broke through the static of our 500-channel universe, it could be the coup de grace of the Bush White House.

snip/more

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lyn-lear/paging-frank-rich-gao-c_b_11483.html

Thanks to slosteve

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=403370&mesg_id=403370

Paper trail bill could be headed for Senate

by Bob Hague

Legislation requiring a "paper trail" for electronic voting has recieved a Senate committee hearing.

An Assembly version of this bill has already passed by an overwhelming vote. South Milwaukee Democrat Jeff Plale, sponsor of the Senate version, said paper backup of electronic voting machines offers a "safety net" to voters and election officials; "that in the event that the electronic machine fails, that those people whose ballots are not counted, that they are not disenfranchised."

State Elections Board President, Kevin Kennedy, explained that the bill requires any electronic machines available for use in Wisconsin will have to generate a paper record for the voter to verify before leaving the voting area. "It's what you don't see, that people are looking for assurances on," said Kennedy. "The solution that people wanted to have is, we're going to give you a chance to look at a piece of paper."

The Elections Board was scheduled to consider three machines on Wednesday. A machine made by Milwaukee based Voting Technologies International will not be among them, although the company's president argued Tuesday that his firm's technology makes a paper backup unnecessary.

snip/more/audio link

http://www.wrn.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=51E0B667-390F-45EC-894183FA7D5D07BC&dbtranslator=local.cfm

Posted on Wed, Nov. 30, 2005

Kiffmeyer, counties at odds over voting equipment

Machines for disabled may be costly

BY BILL SALISBURY

Pioneer Press

A spat between Minnesota Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer and election officials in four east-metro counties erupted again Tuesday when Kiffmeyer rejected the kind of ballot-marking machines the county officials wanted to use to help blind or physically disabled people vote.

Kiffmeyer notified voting administrators in Anoka, Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties that the machines they prefer do not meet state or federal election standards. She said she would not certify those machines for use in the 2006 elections, when the Help America Vote Act requires equipment that increases privacy and independence for disabled voters.

Election officials in the four counties disputed her ruling, asserting it would increase their election costs. They said they might appeal to an administrative law judge or the 2006 Legislature for relief.

Last year, election administrators from the same counties, plus a few others, complained that Kiffmeyer was trying to impose a new computerized voter registration system on them before it was adequately tested. The latest dispute indicates she's still unwilling to work with local officials to resolve differences, said Steve Novak, Anoka County's government services manager.

snip/more

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/politics/13287572.htm

Wednesday November 30, 2005 7:31 PM

By STEVEN K. PAULSON

Associated Press Writer

DENVER (AP) - Colorado pulled the plug Wednesday on its problem-plagued voter registration computer system and will miss a Jan. 1 federal deadline for having it up and running.

Dana Williams, a spokeswoman for Colorado's secretary of state, said the system had trouble registering voters and other problems. She said a letter was sent to the data-processing company Accenture canceling the $10.5 million contract.

The state has already spent $1.5 million on the system, she said.

``When we saw these problems, we decided we were not going to throw good money after bad. We're going to get this fixed as soon as we can,'' Williams said.

snip/more

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5448015,00.html

National Summit to Save US Elections – Days 2-3

Wednesday, 5 October 2005, 5:56 pm

Article: autorank
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0510/S00082.htm

Corporate Control of the Final Vote Count: Centralized Voter Registration Databases

Matthew Pascarella offered a clear reason for concern about the imminent privatization of state-wide centralized voter registration databases. Section 303 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), requires that states complete this process within the next three months. These databases will be the gateway to voting and the fences that keep people from the polls. Given the 2000 Presidential Election in Florida where (there were 2 lists in FL 2000 purge the first one was of 57,000(TK) and the other, more complete one that came up from the court case had over 90,000 individuals listed) 50,000 voters were disenfranchised due to state computerization activities; there is real cause for concern. Pascarella is a researcher, writer, and producer for Greg Palast. Greg Palast broke the major story on the Florida “felon purge” which removed over 57,000 Floridians from the voting rolls before the 2000 elections.

State governments are seeking private vendors to design, manage, network, and maintain these centralized voter registration databases. Companies including Diebold, Quest, Unisys and Accenture are gaining major contracts and competing for more by promising individual states that their company will bring them into federal compliance. Pascarella’s research has shown states are entering into contracts that shed corporate liability. Often, companies cannot be held responsible for delays, cost overruns, and failing to meet federal requirements.

Accenture currently has four contracts for centralized registration databases. This is of real concern based on their performance for the state of Florida in 2004. Accenture received a $2 million contract to create a state-wide voter registration list that was to serve as the basis for a new purge of felons from Florida’s voting rolls. Pascarella and his team of researchers obtained the Accenture list from a source and began examining it. They quickly noticed that less than ½ of one percent of the names were of Hispanic origin. Given the substantial Hispanic population in Florida, this seemed both odd and perhaps intentional. After all, Hispanics represent about 20% of Florida’s population and they are very active in local, state and national politics. They also vote in large numbers. Despite this huge mistake managing the 2004 purge list in Florida, Accenture continues to consult the state of Florida on the development of its centralized voter registration database.

Of greater concern is the fact that four additional states have contracts with Accenture. These include Colorado, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Four of the five (including Florida) Accenture states have Republican governors responsible for the buy decision for centralized voter registration database services. According to Pascarella, there have been “glitches” and other problems every state but Wyoming where Accenture has yet to begin work.


Matthew Pascarella of GregPalast.com and activist
Kat L’Estrange discuss the extended day at the conference.

VoteLaw Blog

Specter will question Alito on voting rights

by Ed

November 30, 2005

Knight Ridder Newspapers reports: Sen. Arlen Specter, serving notice that he intends to take up contentious issues raised in years-old writings by Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., asked the Supreme Court nominee Wednesday to be prepared to clarify his views on affirmative action and voting rights.

Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent Alito "advance notice" of questioning he could expect at his confirmation hearings, scheduled to begin Jan. 9.

In a 1985 memo Alito wrote while seeking a promotion in the Reagan administration's Justice Department, he said he disagreed with Supreme Court reapportionment decisions in the 1960s that enforced the doctrine of "one person, one vote." ...

snip/more

http://www.votelaw.com/blog/archives/003568.html

I've been lobbying for people to push members of the committee to put any nominee on the spot on Bush v. Gore (e.g., pressing for responses on every point raised by Bugliosi). Defending that criminal decision certainly constitutes extrodinary circumstances that are grounds for filibuster.

Members of Judiciary

Other refs

Bush v. Gore and the Boundary Between Law and Politics
Jack M. Balkin
The Yale Law Journal, Vol. 110 http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/articles/essayonbushvgore.pdf

None Dare Call it Treason
Vincent Bugliosi
The Nation, 2/5/01
http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20010205&s=bugliosi

Bush vs. Gore is the litmus test
Sidney Zion
NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/330083p-282082c.html

Update on Secretary of State's security test plans

The attempted hack of a Diebold voting system will not take place today, as previously reported. The terms of the test are still being negotiated. It's my understanding that the Secretary of State's office has been in touch with Finnish programmer Harri Hursti to make the arrangements. More details are featured in Monday's Alameda Newspaper Group story by Ian Hoffman. Excerpts are below.

Back in May, voting activists went on the Internet and for $300 apiece purchased two devices used to record moisture levels in corn.

Certain corn scanners use the same memory cards as Diebold Election Systems' optical scanning machines for ballots and can easily modify them. That makes corn scanners a tool for vote hacking.

snip/more

http://calvoter.org/news/blog/2005_11_01_blogarchive.html#113336950494717675

My presentation at the Secretary of State's Voting Systems Testing Summit

This past Monday and Tuesday I participated in the California Secretary of State's Voting Systems Testing Summit, along with about 125 other people. Other participants included many California local election officials, election officials from other states, representatives of the EAC and NASED, voting equipment vendors, computer scientists, academics, and a few activists. Though the event was not open to the public, the Secretary of State's staff did invite a fairly diverse group of people to attend, and permitted reporters to sit in on the sessions.

My presentation focused on the purpose for which voter verified paper audit trails should be used. While there were many people in the audience who have been longtime opponents of a voter verified paper audit trail requirement, I felt my remarks were well-received. All in all, I found the summit to be a good opportunity to talk with people from a variety of perspectives.

Based on the presentations made, I get the feeling that many folks involved in elections are slowly beginning to acknowledge the weaknesses of the federal government's current oversight of voting systems. For example, two representatives from Independent Testing Authorities (ITAs) were scheduled to speak, but only one showed up. Several summit participants expressed disappointment that the representative from Wyle Labs did not show up, since Wyle has been one of the most prominent ITAs involved in the federal voting system qualification process.

snip/more

http://calvoter.org/news/blog/2005_11_01_blogarchive.html#113340015067518592

Hart InterCivic eSlate system certified by state of Pennsylvania

Hart InterCivic Inc.'s eSlate electronic voting system has been certified for use in Pennsylvania elections.

The Pennsylvania Secretary of State's office certified the eSlate for elections there after the system met the state's certification requirements.

Austin-based Hart InterCivic's eSlate system combines voting equipment with election management software used to create ballots, tabulate and report votes, and manage equipment inventory and data.

The eSlate system uses the Precision Ballot Navigation System interface, which ensures the most accurate recording of a voter's intent and avoids problems often encountered by touch screen voting systems, according to the company.

snip/more

http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2005/11/28/daily15.html

Does PA allow straight party ticket voting? In many areas where straight-ticket voting is allowed, in 2004, some (all?) of these machines were pre-programmed to deliver the prez vote to Bush/Cheney when the Dem ticket was selected. The down-ticket races did register for Dems, as voter intended. Only by re-spooling the ballot to the first page (many turns of the cursor wheel) could one check to see if the prez vote was recorded as a Dem vote. Only on the third try did the Kerry selection register. How many voters would re-check their vote even one time, much less three?
This exploit was experienced in TX by the owner of the website
<http://www.51capitalmarch.com/> which site has many useful
links, downloads and data. PBHC!

(hope it is not dupe, but could not see on any threads)

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051129005887&newsLang=en

Hart InterCivic's eSlate Electronic Voting System Certified by State of Pennsylvania

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 2005--Austin-based Hart InterCivic, a national leader in election technology solutions, announced today the eSlate(R) Electronic Voting System has been certified for use in Pennsylvania elections by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State's Office after meeting the state's thorough certification requirements.

Hart InterCivic's proven eSlate System combines voting equipment that is highly intuitive, durable, accessible and secure with comprehensive election management software used to create ballots, tabulate and report votes, and manage equipment inventory and data. A major innovation in the eSlate System is its Precision Ballot Navigation System(TM) interface, which ensures the most accurate recording of a voter's intent and avoids problems often encountered by touch screen voting systems. In addition, all eSlate components can be configured to provide access for visually impaired, mobility-impaired, or literacy-challenged voters.

The eSlate System records each vote accurately, tabulating vote totals and reporting and archiving results securely and reliably. The eSlate system operates in a secure environment, with no external network access that would allow intrusion. Integrated security features prevent tampering with ballots or results and all data is stored in three separate locations for redundancy and reliability.

Hart InterCivic has also been selected by the Pennsylvania Department of State as a contracted vendor through its COSTARS program to provide its widely used eSlate Electronic Voting System and other election products to Pennsylvania jurisdictions who wish to purchase them in order to meet the upcoming deadlines of the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

now it is dupe. you're fast
:hi:

Vote of No Confidence

New York shows up late in national push for clean voting

by Jarrett Murphy

November 29th, 2005 11:22 AM

New York's 2006 primary elections are only 10 months away, but it's still a mystery what machines the state's 11.6 million registered voters will use to cast their ballots that day. A federal law passed after the 2000 debacle in Florida requires that the state's old-fashioned lever machines be scrapped by New Year's, and failing that, by primary day. But a state law passed this summer demands only that disabled voters get new machines by next fall, and the rest of us by 2007.

It's unclear, however, if the state deadline is valid�and even if it's legit, whether it can be met. After months of squabbling in Albany, New York was among the last states to move toward new machines, and instead of imposing a single technology from Buffalo to Brooklyn, it left the final pick to county boards of elections.

That decision, says Councilman Bill Perkins, is proving "disastrous." To date, the local boards haven't picked their machines, because the state hasn't certified what devices�including optical scanners and touch-screen machines�the locals are permitted to choose from. That means the crucial process of training poll workers and educating the public has yet to begin. Voting-machine manufacturers have yet to formally offer their products here because the state hasn't finalized the rules it will use to certify them. A draft of those rules was recently published, but the public comment period has yet to open. Public hearings are planned, but the state board of elections can't yet say where or when.

Meanwhile, a public panel that's supposed to advise the state board on the certification process has met just once. The Citizens Election Modernization Advisory Committee was barred by court order from conducting official business after an advocacy group sued over the composition of the panel. In the background, some lawyers are criticizing the way the state has interpreted an 1899 voting law.

snip/more

http://villagevoice.com/news/0548,murphy,70447,5.html

Bucher striking out so far on voter fraud

Posted: Nov. 30, 2005

County Lines

If you believe his campaign Web site, then "Fighting Election Fraud" is one of the hallmarks of Paul Bucher's run for attorney general.

But as district attorney of Waukesha County - not exactly a hotbed of voter fraud to begin with - he doesn't seem to be having much luck at it.

The charges he brought last month against 24-year-old Elizabeth A. Mitchell-Frazier of Waukesha, in which he accused her of being a felon who voted illegally in the 2004 presidential election, were thrown out last week.

Turns out the woman wasn't a felon after all when she voted, though she has since become one, convicted of burglary.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/nov05/374426.asp

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/localpolitics/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1133448442122890.xml&coll=2

Rep. Ney has nothing to say about federal bribery probe
Thursday, December 01, 2005

...The St. Clairsville Republican, who is dogged by his relationship with indicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, spoke to CSU students about the impact of the Help America Vote Act on last year's presidential election. Ney co-authored the 2002 election reform bill.

Activists blamed the law for some of the confusion that surrounded voter registration and special balloting procedures. And the law has ignited a national debate over the reliability of electronic voting machines.

Ney said special-interest groups that spent millions on television advertising and flooded Ohio with paid campaign workers are at fault.

"In my opinion, not HAVA, but this unique situation created all the controversy here," he said in a speech sponsored by CSU's Center for Election Integrity....

Judge: Tobin faces trial on charge of denying voting rights

November 30, 2005

CONCORD, N.H. --A federal judge has ordered a former high-ranking Republican official to stand trial on a charge of conspiring to injure the voting rights of New Hampshire citizens.

U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe denied James Tobin's request to dismiss the charge Wednesday. Tobin also faces three other counts of taking part in a Republican plot to jam get-out-the-vote phone lines sponsored by the Democratic Party and the nonpartisan Manchester firefighters union on Election Day 2002. Both groups offered voters rides to the polls.

At the time, Tobin headed the national committee working to get Republicans elected to the U.S. Senate. Last year, he was the New England director of President Bush's re-election campaign, but he resigned a month before the election when the phone jamming accusations surfaced.

Three weeks ago, McAuliffe refused to dismiss the other three counts, but said he would consider the voting rights charge separately. Tobin's trial is scheduled to begin next week.

snip/more

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/11/30/judge_tobin_faces_trial_on_charge_of_denying_voting_rights/

Election Updates

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Should election day be a holiday? Might be on the California ballot soon!

For readers who have long memories of election reform debates in the United States, you will no doubt remember that the Carter-Ford (yes, Carter-Ford, not Carter-Baker!) election reform commission recommended that "Congress should enact legislation to hold presidential and congressional elections on a national holiday." Furthermore, the Carter-Ford commission recommended "that in even-numbered years the Veterans Day national holiday be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November and serve also as our Election Day" (see page 41). Those of you who remember this will also remember that this was one of the most controversial recommendations the Carter-Ford commission made, and that it was soundly opposed by many groups, especially veterans organizations.

Interestingly enough, there is some chance that California voters may be asked to decide whether state general election days should be made state holidays. On November 17, 2005, a proposed initiative statute entered circulation for signature collection (needing 373,816 signatures of registered voters to qualify) to enact this change. The official summary language of the initiativie (as written by the California Attorney General):

Provides that statewide general election days be state holidays. Further provides that public schools and community colleges shall close on statewide general election days, and that certain public employees, including public school and community college classified employees, may be entitled to a paid holiday on statewide general election days pursuant to collective bargaining agreements ...

Given that this might soon be on the ballot in California, we'll have to take a look back at the research literature to see what evidence exists that making election day a statewide holiday has positive effects on important outcome variables like turnout, polling place availability, and easier recruitment of polling place workers. I'm not aware of much in the research literature on this subject, and my examination of the research materials developed by the Carter-Ford commission shows no mention of research on what sorts of effects election-day holidays have on election administration or outcomes.

http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/2005/12/should-election-day-be-holiday-might.html

Election Update

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Are states going to take over the task of testing voting systems?

The two-day "Voting Systems Testing Summit", sponsored by the California Secretary of State, was a wonderful opportunity to hear a lot of ideas and perspectives on how voting systems are tested today, and how we might improve testing to insure that future voting systems have increased accuracy, security, accessibility, usability, and other important attributes. Once I pull my notes together, I'll have some more commentary about some of presentations and interesting ideas discussed at the summit.

But many of the participants in the summit kept asking the same question --- exactly what was the motivation for the California Secretary of State to host this event? Again, it was great to hear from election officials, vendors and academics about how we can improve testing processes --- but why now, and why in Sacramento?

One interesting hypothesis circulated in discussions with many participants, based on two themes that clearly resonated throughout many of the summit presentations and discussions. The first theme was that the current testing and certification process is not working well, as vendors, election officials, and the academics seemed to agree that the existing process is broken. The second theme suggested a possible solution --- a stronger role for states in the testing and certification process? There were many different suggestions made along these lines, ranging from states (California?) developing strong and independent testing regulations and procedures. Others suggested that perhaps there might be some ways for states --- perhaps in a consortium --- to collaborate on stronger testing and certification procedures. And
others argued for a consolidation of state and federal testing, to save money, time and prevent duplication of effort.

So this leaves open the question --- will California take the lead on an initiative to develop a strong and independent testing authority within the state? Will California work with a consortium of other states to develop some strong and independent joint testing authority? If California doesn't do it, then who will?

snip/more

http://electionupdates.caltech.edu/2005/11/are-states-going-to-take-over-task-of.html