Will "experimental" election software patches affect the Ohio vote

[Columbus Free Press]

From:

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2012/4766

Will "experimental" election software patches affect the Ohio vote?
by Bob Fitrakis and Gerry Bello
October 31, 2012
Why did the Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's office, in an end run around Ohio election law, have "experimental" software patches installed on vote counting tabulators in up to 39 Ohio counties? Voting rights activists are concerned that these uncertified and untested software patches may alter the election results.

During the 2004 presidential election, the Free Press reported that election officials observed technicians from the ES&S voting machine company and Triad computer maintenance company installing uncertified and untested software patches on voting machines in 44 Ohio counties prior to the election. Software patches are usually installed to "update" or change existing software. These software patch updates were considered suspect by election protection activists, in light of all the voting machine anomalies found during the 2004 election in Ohio.

The Free Press has learned that Election Systems and Solutions (ES&S) installed the software patches that will affect 4,041,056 registered voters, including those in metropolitan Columbus and Cleveland (click here for spread sheet from verifiedvoting.org).

A call to the Ohio Secretary of State's office concerning the software patches was not returned by publication deadline. Previously, the Free Press requests for public records, including voting machine vendor contracts, have been stonewalled by Office Secretary of State John Husted's office through his public records officer Chris Shea. Through other channels, the Free Press has obtained and has posted the possibly illegal full contract online here (see page 17).

The contract calls for ES & S technicians and county poll workers to "enter custom codes and interfaces" to the standard election reporting software just as was done with the controversial 2004 Ohio presidential election.

Last minute software patches may be deemed "experimental" because that designation does not require certification and testing. Uncertified and untested software for electronic voting systems are presumably illegal under Ohio law. All election systems hardware and software must be tested and certified by the state before being put into use, according to Ohio Revised Code 3506.05. By unilaterally deeming this new software "experimental," Secretary of State Husted was able to have the software installed without any review, inspection or certification by anyone. ES & S, for their part, knows that this software will not be subject to the minimal legally required testing as stated in the contract on page 21 (Section 6.1).

The contract specifically states that this software has not been and need not be reviewed by and testing authority at the state or federal level. Yet, it is installed on voting machines that will tabulate and report official election results, which Ohio law forbids. Based on the Free Press reading of the contract, this software is fully developed, being referred as versions 2.0.7.0 and 3.0.1.0. Thus the only thing making this software "experimental" is the fact that it has never been independently certified or tested.

In preparation for the upcoming general election in late April, the Free Press began requesting public records from all 88 counties in Ohio in order to build a broad database of every vendor and piece of equipment used in the state of Ohio. Aside from some minor delays, all 88 county jurisdictions have complied.

However, the office of the Ohio Secretary of State however, has not complied with any requests for lists of equipment, contracts with vendors, schedules of payment and even the identities of the vendors. The Free Press' public records requests, under ORC 149.43 (The Public Records Act) have been ignored by Chris Shea, presumably acting on behalf of Secretary of State Jon Husted. Now that the Free Press has obtained the contract, it seems clear that the secretary of state's office was hiding these last minute "experimental" uncertified software installations.

On page 19 of the contract, terms require the various county boards of elections to purchase additional software from ES & S if they are not compatible with this new "experimental" statewide tabulation and reporting system. This unfunded mandate clause illegally bypasses individual counties rights to make their own purchasing determinations.

The controversial software will create simple .csv files like those produced by spreadsheet programs for input into the statewide tabulation system. According to the terms of the contract, data security is the responsibility of each local board of elections: "…each county will be responsible for the implementation of any security protocols" (see page 21 of the contract).

Most county boards of elections do not have their own IT departments and are reliant on private partisan contractors to maintain and program the electronic voting systems. These piecemeal implementations of security protocols would also be untested and uncertified.

Voting rights activists believe this whole scheme may create a host of new avenues of attack on the integrity of the electronic vote counting system. The untested and uncertified "experimental" software itself may be malware. Public trust in the electronic vote counting system has emerged as the key issue in the Ohio presidential election.

The Free Press will be updating this breaking story as more information is obtained and analyzed, so stay tuned. The story for now is that the Secretary of State in the key swing state in the 2012 presidential has installed "experimental" uncertified and untested software to count a large portion of the Ohio vote.

--
Bob Fitrakis is the Editor of the Free Press. He holds Ph.D. in Political Science and a J.D. from the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University. Gerry Bello is the chief researcher at the Columbus Free Press. He holds a degree in computer security from Antioch College.

[postulater]

1. Here it goes again nt

[limpyhobbler]

2. du rec nt

[elleng]

3. WE L0SE OHIO!

[cantbeserious]

4. If The Obama Campaign Monitors DU - Please Take This Seriously

eom

[elleng]

5. Meaning what?

I want the campaign, and doj, and msm, and congress, ALL to know. Any 'connections' with them appreciated.

[cantbeserious]

11. Meaning - I Have Watched Other Democrats Not Fight When Vote Fixing Was Obvious

eom

[elleng]

15. So have I.

Still, meaning what? You expect Obama admin not to do anything about this? and We the People?

[xtraxritical]

77. Again - anything posted on DU is really only seen by diehard Democrats.

This should be on Huffington and should also be sent to the New York Times (NYT) and other publications such as the Los Angeles Times.

[fujiyama]

85. LOL I'm sure Obama is just sitting back

and so is his legal staff.

Sorry, but this is perhaps one of the most effective and seasoned political teams in modern US politics. I'm sure they are monitoring the situation.

[rbrnmw]

6. I will not take this bullshit I will fight these assholes

WHO IS WITH ME IN OHIO????????

[Columbus Free Press]

7. If you want to help

Contact us at
[e-mail] to be an official election monitor. Please do so before sunday.

We need volunteer and donations to directly defend democracy

[rbrnmw]

8. I am already working in Perry County with GOTV

[elleng]

17. What can you do? What can 'monitors' do, in fact?

and donations for what purpose?

[CrispyQ]

26. Not to say monitors aren't an important job, but how do monitor the tabulators?

This past week there was a thread with an article about stealing the vote at a level above the tabulators. I'll look for it.


on edit: I can't find it. I'm sure I'd responded to it. The problem with posting too much at DU!

[Columbus Free Press]

39. We have access

to the county tabulation centers. Our volunteers are official election monitors accredited through the Green Party.

[CrispyQ]

44. Do those figures get fed upstream to another tabulator?

Where are you? Do the dems also have "accredited official election monitors?"

Also, I'll keep looking for that thread. I can't recall how they said it was done, but it was suggested they didn't need tabulators to switch the vote.

[Columbus Free Press]

50. Columbus Ohio

yes the Dems do. Dont know how they are organizing.

Yes those figures get fed upstream to be tabulated by the state.

Yes this not the only way to steal an election.

Yes it's not even the best.

Likely its not even the only way that it will be done.

[CrispyQ]

61. So many dirty tricks . . .

Like sending minority voters the wrong election date info, like the young woman who was only collecting repub registrations, like the corrupt SOS's scrubbing (mostly dem) voters from the polls, the like the man recently caught dumping voter registrations in the garbage, like providing likely repub precincts with more voting machines than dems precincts, & the list goes on.

It blows the mind what total cheating assholes these people are.

[xtraxritical]

79. Why do I have to ask what's SOS ? Are your fingers that lazy to type a little?

[.99center]

87. A little?

A little what, are your fingers that lazy to type "more"? SOS stands for Secretary of State, you could of used Google to figure that out instead of being a jerk.

[xtraxritical]

101. My question was stated politely, your ad hominim attack proves you are the "jerk".

Why should anyone have to google to figure out what you're saying? It's simply grade school grammar and proper usage. I guess you didn't pay attention.

[CrispyQ]

98. Context + Google = Solution

Are you too lazy to educate yourself?

[drm604]

52. And how do you monitor what's going on in the tabulators?

If the software is rigged, a monitor can't see that.

[Columbus Free Press]

62. There is a very good chance

That the method of rigging will cause externally detectable anomalies.

[drm604]

90. Such as?

What? Flashing lights? Smoke pouring out of the machines? It's not the least bit difficult to have the software record the wrong votes with no external anomalies.

Maybe there'd be statistical anomalies, maybe there'd be unlikely deviations from exit polls, but those have been ignored in the past. Why would it be any different now?

To be fair, I don't know what kinds of machines we're talking about here. Are there paper forms that people fill in or punch? If so, then they can be hand counted if there are questions. But if the machines are like the ones I have to vote on, you push buttons and cross your fingers that your vote has been recorded honestly. There's no paper trail and no way to reconstruct anything.

With the right type of rigging, all evidence will be gone from the machines after the fact.

[Democratopia]

9. Check out this film to learn the full horror of OHIO stolen votes 2004.

John Kerry should have won. Our democracy has been stolen from us.

[juajen]

136. Seeing Andy was very hard I'm sure for many of us. He doesn't want us to give up.

[xfundy]

10. It's WAY past time to eliminate the machines

and go back to hand-counting! OF COURSE there are citizens, patriots, who care that the will of the voters is not tampered with, and will willingly volunteer in performing hand counts in each district, each county, etc.

Banana Publicans have shown over and over again that, since they can't win on their dubious merits, they will CHEAT. And the little repiggies cheer it on.

ENOUGH of the bullshit.

[Democratopia]

25. No, it's not too late to employ the safest system to ensure elections aren't

rigged.

Canada tested electronic vote machines and decided they are too risky. Why should we accept a lower standard than other nations? We don't have a clue who really wins elections.

We throw away our democracy and we become slaves to corporations and the Republican politicians become front men to a wealthy few who are able to control us to keep on making them even more wealthy and more powerful.

[brer cat]

12. Just ask Max Cleland and Roy Barnes

how that Diebold "patch" worked in Ga in '02.

[valerief]

13. Of course, they're going to steal Ohio. Who's going to stop them???? nt

[Floyd_Gondolli]

28. The same people that stopped them in 2008

And 2006 when Brown won.

[valerief]

109. They didn't want it in 2008. nt

[Floyd_Gondolli]

111. Keep coveting the struggle

The rest of us are in it to win it.

[valerief]

127. I don't understand your point other than "faith". nt

[kath]

148. Yep. And why haven't Democrats in power been vigorously fighting black box voting for the past

12 years - activists have been trying to get their attention on this, but with very few results.
Really makes you wonder - is there something in it for the Dems as well? Why are they so complicit?

[flamingdem]

14. Someone needs to get ahold of one of those machines asap

Why can't a lawyer supoena one? There has to be a way.

[Marmitist]

16. And so what happens when the Republicans try to steal Ohio?

Because they will, make no mistake of it... They got away with it in 2004, so why wouldn't they try again?

These lying, cheating assholes are going to provoke a civil war.

[pa28]

18. K&R. I wonder what this patch was supposed to "fix".

Nobody, and I mean nobody should trust a Republican secretary of state after we've already suffered through two stolen elections.

I'm glad Bob Fitrakis is continuing to shine a light on the issue of election fraud.

[JohnA1]

19. Dang it! I was feeling so positive Obama would win Ohio!

Well if this is true then it looks more than likely Ohio will be stolen. This is why Romney is so confident he has will win Ohio.

What can be done about this? Surely with all of Obamas lawyers he can intervene here, right? Man I am scared now. This could be happening in a few other vital swing states as well.

Man talk about going from a sky high to a low. Damn cheating republicans!

[catbyte]

20. I went to college with Fitrakis & he was one of my DH's good friends. He's a

brilliant pitbull. Glad he's on it.

[KaryninMiami]

21. This just has to get out there. It is very important.

Doesn't someone here know someone in the DOJ? How about if we each commit to sending this to as many news stations and journalists that we can- and sharing it with our FB friends, etc. Maybe this time enough people will pay attention. This really is a huge deal.

[robinlynne]

51. They do not care. Obama had 4 years to appoint epople to the EAC, the overseer of these machines.

He did not bother. Bush appointees are still in control.

[KaryninMiami]

57. But WE need to care- this is our country - fair elections are our right

It's part of the deal of living here and it is not ok that nothing is getting done - the fact that we are STILL using those same, corruptible, corporate owned voting machines for something as precious as our election process is beyond disgusting. And frankly, horrifying. It is not ok.

[robinlynne]

60. Agreed!

[NYC_SKP]

22. Fuck.

Fuck this fucking shit.

Fuck.

[SCVDem]

23. Start the printing presses

and get the paper ballots out.

Call the boy scouts to help count!

Frag the electronic slot machines!

[PoliticAverse]

24. "Voting machine swaps Obama for Romney"

http://www.marionstar.com/article/20121031/NEWS03/310310009/Problem-found-board-elections?nclick_check=1

[Democratopia]

34. You cannot hold an elections like that where votes don't matter.

The RIGHT thing to do is for the election in Ohio to be stopped right now and held again when a system is in place, like a paper ballot and a pen, that truly reflects the will of the people. What sort of nation is this, where corporations who make donations to one candidate and are part-owned by the family of that same candidate, are allowed to come up with any result they like? This is our democracy.

[pediatricmedic]

42. It isn't going to matter if Romney loses votes to "bad" software, he is still going to lose

The only bad thing is this will give ammo to the Republicans and we have to listen to them whine for the next four years.

[Blue Owl]

27. Patch Romney, the sixth son of Mitt

n/t

[EC]

29. There goes Ohio.

If someone doesn't step in and stop this guy before the vote it's too late. A recount will only end up in court and we know how that ends.

I just remembered hearing some right winger on one of the shows saying that Rmoney's internal polling shows him up in Ohio and to look at the Columbus area for a bunch of new repubs.

[CrispyQ]

58. The right wingers where my husband works are hoping for an electoral college split.

You know someone on the right started this meme & it will take hold & lo & behold . . . 269|269.

Actually, I don't know enough about the number of EC votes to know if Romney had OH if it would swing it for him.

What I do know is that they probably realize they can't take it to SCOTUS again. And with all the dirty tricks (sending minority voters wrong voting date info) & rotten repub SOS's scrubbing (likely dem) voters from the polls, the EC split is something they might try.

I believe that Obama won by more than the 'official' figures in '08. Probably by a lot.

GOTV is the only thing that will keep theft from occurring.

[demwing]

30. You know this is old news? Happened in 2004...relax

whatever "patch" was installed was in place when Obama won Ohio in 2008.

[flamingdem]

31. Why are they implying that they just got the contract?

A call to the Ohio Secretary of State's office concerning the software patches was not returned by publication deadline. Previously, the Free Press requests for public records, including voting machine vendor contracts, have been stonewalled by Office Secretary of State John Husted's office through his public records officer Chris Shea. Through other channels, the Free Press has obtained and has posted the possibly illegal full contract online here (see page 17).

[demwing]

47. the op is claiming that "it's happening again"

but the link used as proof refers to a page and paragraph detailing installation of software used to run administrative reports, and which if accessed through the vote machine user interface with a simple code. Similar programs are found on kiosks, ATMs, and vending machines.

The OP is stirring up as tempest in a teapot, imo.

[flamingdem]

69. Please read the response that was written to my question to you below

The story seems to be that they just got these documents 9 days ago. The machines were worked on after they were certified. So perhaps it's not about that exact software that you mention but about another aspect of the software or hardware.

If it's innocent it should be cleared up quickly, it doesn't sound that innocent.

I don't think we need to worry about them stirring a tempest in a teapot.

The people investigating have a lot of experience with this.

[Doremus]

49. There was a repuke at the SOS desk in '04. Remember Ken 'Hackwell'?

In '08 we had the brilliant Dem. Jennifer Brunner, who put the lid on every dirty trick before they could even think about it.

Here we are again with a puke calling the shots. I fully expect them to trot out their full repertoire of illegal end runs and election fraud. In fact I expect they will be twice as egregious this year because they are twice as desperate.

Unlike '04 though, I fully expect that Obama has a plan in place should our worst expectations come to pass. Time will tell the tale, but I wouldn't bet on the President acquiescing as easily as John Kerry did.

[LeftInTX]

82. The contract with Election Systems and Software is signed Sept 2012

[demwing]

32. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?

2004? Really? Not NOW? Oh....never mind then

[flamingdem]

33. Did you download the contract? It says 2013, please explain what you are viewing n/t

[flamingdem]

36. DID YOU REREAD YET? PLEASE DO SO AND REVISE YOUR POST - THIS IS BREAKING NEWS

Thank you, unless this guy is trying to trick us with wording they just got ahold of this contract and that's why he wrote this as BREAKING NEWS.

[demwing]

43. The contract linked and the page cited

lead to a paragraph where reports can be run by punching in a code. This is extremely common for terminal systems such as kiosks, ATMs, and voting machines.

saying this is fraud is more than a stretch

[flamingdem]

56. You're saying that you're sure what the patch mentioned does? I thought it's part of an update

and that could mean anything.

Could you spell it out one point at a time, I know something about programming so don't hold back.

My problem with all of this is the lack of specifics, if you can't explain how you got to your conclusion how can people learn from the point you're trying to make?

>reports can be run by punching in a code
Is this punching of a code in your opinion unrelated to any possible tampering?

>This is extremely common for terminal systems such as kiosks, ATMs, and voting machines.

How are you sure that this is what that patch is for and why do you think it's not of concern?

I'm perfectly willing to believe that the author is being extra vigilant but it would be GREAT to understand that it's very unlikely that the machines are in the process of being hacked. With your certainty and your explanation I could forget about this, I'd appreciate it if you took the time to explain.

[Columbus Free Press]

64. Nobody knows what this software does.

by law, ALL software used on voting machines must be tested by both the Federal and State governments.

This software was not, in direct violation of the law. This software was installed without the review that EVERY OTHER piece of software has been subjected to (so far as we know)... if there other software components installed without review than the law was broken multiple times.

The reality is that the only people who know for sure what this software actually does are the people who wrote it.

[flamingdem]

67. Thank you. This helps me understand why Ohio Senator Nina Turner

was not worried when she appeared on msnbc on the Ed Schultz Show. He directly asked her about the Hart Intercivic machines and she said they were not a worry because they had been checked and certified by the state.

So here we see the breaking of protocol. I really don't see how that election can go forward until there are answers.

[Columbus Free Press]

70. With one exception

Ohio's certification process has been less the ideal.

When Hart's machines were studied by a group of academics hired by the state in 2007, they failed in 12 out of 12 security categories.

The state, for reasons known unto themselves, did not take the step of DE-certification.

Read the study here:

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/everest/00-SecretarysEVERESTExecutiveReport.pdf

[flamingdem]

71. This sounds crazy considering the history of Ohio and voting machines

There's a lot of people hoping that sheer voter numbers are the answer to insuring that Democrats win. This is totally unacceptable of course but that's where the focus goes due to the sense of powerlessness when it comes to electronic voting machines.

We see it on these threads too, people can be technological know-it-alls and intimidate those who don't know technology well. There are many ways to bluff. You have to have hackers who are computer experts, and really they have to know that specific machine and be able to access the code to check it out. That will be tough to arrange without the help of officials. These officials don't look like boat rockers in this area. The Obama campaign seems proactive, I heard here that they had dealt with 2000 voter irregularities in Ohio two weeks ago, now it must be many more.

Sandy may have saved us by making the election less close. Also, Romney's gaffes that make it simply not credible for him to win Ohio, but our media will spin anything in any direction. Anything but do the hard work of real questions and answers, which are what we need here.

[Columbus Free Press]

73. The sad truth is

you dont need hackers who are computer experts to tamper with these machines.

"Hackers" with the most basic skills can tamper with these machines. A Hart e-slate machine can be subverted by any teenager with a PDA. Which Hamilton county allows into the voting both (the PDA's not the teenagers).

[flamingdem]

76. But you might need a hacker to figure out what they set up in those machines

If they're any good at stealing votes they probably are good at hiding their tracks.

I think a hacker could sit down with the machine and figure it out, but a programmer might not be devious enough.

It's curious that there are two major stories, the Hart Intercivic machines - hardware, I guess software and vote counting involved and now the story about the patch.

Conspiratorially thinking the two could be connected, and that connection is what hides the tampering.

[demwing]

91. posting from phone right now

Can't copy /paste...but if you read page 17 of this contract you'll see that the software update is explained. So let me get this straight...the GOP has a secret plan to steal the election which involves revealing said secret plan in the Contract's scope of work?

Right...

[drm604]

94. Obviously, if they were installing code to rig the vote, the contract wouldn't say that.

It would say something innocuous, such as running reports. The fact that it's "common for terminal systems such as kiosks, ATMs, and voting machines" is completely irrelevant to the discussion. It doesn't in any way prove that there's no attempt to rig the vote.

I don't know that anyone is rigging anything, but you're arguments don't prove that they aren't.

[demwing]

96. the OP has the burden of proof

Not me, nor anyone else who questions these claims.

[drm604]

108. No. Not when it comes to the very basis of our Democracy.

The burden of proof is always on those doing the counting. We should never assume honesty and correctness in the counting of votes. We must always require proof of such.

Lack of evidence of miscounts isn't sufficient. We must have proof of proper counts. Without a proper paper trail we have no such proof.

[leftyohiolib]

35. relax debbie wasserman say elections stealing by republicans is just a crazy conspiracy theory

debbie said it on the stephanie miller show and steph let that one float right by. wouldnt want to lose access to d.w.s. now would we?

[PoliticAverse]

37. Along with the 'kill list'... n/t

[NorthCarolina]

139. Someone who gets it

nice post, thanks.

[leftyohiolib]

142. i almost destroyed my ipod out of frustration when i heard that. she chuckled when she said

"we'll leave the conspiracy theories to someone else"

[reusrename]

38. They are so busted this time.

Of course they will flip votes to win races in Ohio. Why wouldn't they keep doing it until someone stops them?

It's what all the polling smoke and mirrors is about. If Robme really has a 49/48 approval/disapproval rating, who are these people? The 25% who supported RonPaul and almost derailed the convention? The Huckabee folks who think Mormons are a cult? I ain't buyin what they're sellin.


Only now the vote can be reconstructed, as long as all of the machines all have identical software installed in them. If they are installing individually tailored unique software in each machine, then it will not be possible to reconstruct the original un-flipped vote counts by simply using the vote totals.

[flamingdem]

40. You can see so many transparent attempts to create a scenario to back and fill

Last edited Wed Oct 31, 2012, 10:57 PM - Edit history (1)

if they make Romney win in Ohio.

They'll justify it, talk about angry white male working class racist voters and just as before it will be

1. Go along with this
2. Or destabilize the country

The hope I have is that they have legal people on the ground to question vote totals

The worry is that I don't see how they can access raw vote information when it's possibly already filtered by a machine.

[Flipper999]

41. How are they busted?

Whenever the pukes pull this kind of shit, no one bats an eye. After all, only "conspiracy nuts" thought that something fishy happened in Ohio in 2004... according to MSM's narrative.

I am so sick of the GOP's unending bullshit!

[reusrename]

118. It has been frustrating.

A couple of things are different now. Too many people know how they are flipping votes now. It isn't just a theory. The international community is also more engaged now, since the Fuckstick McAWOL horror show.

[kath]

149. Yep, Democrats by and large have gone right along with this shit.

WHY? - really makes you wonder.

[chuckstevens]

45. Eric Holder

I know Holder has been my whipping boy lately, but GOD DAM IT, what is going on? Is the Federal government completely impotent to stop this smug little fuck, Jon Husted, from stealing another election for Karl Rove again? We still have 5 days to do something! But, will anyone do anything?

I really don't care if they have pictures with Holder and a goat; Mr. Holder do your dam job and defend our democracy.

[DCBob]

46. The Obama campaign will not let this happen.

They have some of the best election lawyers on the planet.

[budkin]

74. If we heard about this you know they have

They're not going to allow this crap after 2004

[SHRED]

48. E Voting is evil

[Historic NY]

53. where's the injunctions to shut them down.

[Columbus Free Press]

54. Legal research

is happening on that now. We've only been in possession of the documentation for 9 hours.

[Historic NY]

72. Great Thanks.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

55. Please report this to the DOJ

May not help but can't hurt.

[ancianita]

59. AND someone should check all phone communications between the Romney campaign...

superPACS and connected officials to the SOS, as well. These are some serious allegations, and shenanigans in OH are not without precedent.

[triplepoint]

63. I'm a Paul Revere For This Election. Please Join Me!!!

I phoned around today to various offices of the Democratic Party (White House, Colorado, Ohio), and warned them all about the tagg romney (Hart Intercivic voting machines) connection with the voting machines in Texas, Hawaii, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Colorado). I even talked with someone from "Common Cause" monitoring the election process ("protect the vote&quot . So, I've done my part to try to prevent the MOFOs from stealing this election from us. Here is the email that went out:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subj: Hart Intercivic Voting Machines--Injunction Needed-Ohio,Colorado,Texas, Hawaii, Oklahoma
Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Dear Sirs:

Please stop the use of electronic voting machines. Tagg Romney bought/heavily invested in the company ("Hart Intercivic&quot that manufactures the hardware and software for the electronic voting machines that are used in Ohio (and Texas, Hawai, Colorado, and Oklahoma). This is especially true for Hamilton County, Ohio. We'll lose this election if you don't get the legal authority (injunction, etc) to force these machines NOT to be used in this upcoming election...or EVER. Here are the links to this:

http://www.hartintercivic.com
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2012/10/20/romney-family-investment-ties-to-voting-machine-company-that-could-decide-the-election-causes-concern
http://tlcnaptown.com/1906088/romney-family-owns-voting-machines/
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/board.asp?privcapId=430322

Notice the interlocking boards of directors pattern here. Tagg Romney bought/heavily invested in Hart Intercivic last year; the year his father announced his candidacy to run for President of the U.S.

Hopefully, you'll stop this dead in its tracks before the vote is stolen in Ohio. Please also forward this email to DNC in Washington and to Obama HQTRS in Illinois, and also to the Democratic Party Headquarters for all of the other four states (Texas, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Colorado).

Sincerely,


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, I hope we can continue to rattle cages, and get those electronic voting machines yanked from this election and forever. If Canada can handcount their paper ballots in one night, each state in the U.S. can do the same. It is a question of political will. That's all it is.

triplepoint


illegitimi-non-carborundum

[SCVDem]

65. Why should we question our elections?

This should never happen.

If people want to cheat with high tech, switch to paper. Who cares if it takes days to count. At least it's verifiable and open!

Mess with an election under penalty of death!

Yeah, it's that important!

[Snarkoleptic]

66. I wonder if Tagg Romney's H.I.G. Capital (Hart Intercivic) is involved.

How crazy is it that privately held corporations own voting machines and use proprietary software?

Today I uncovered another H.I.G. Capital subsidiary called "Whitehorse Capital".
Most have heard of the Mormon "Whitehorse Prophecy", so it seems odd that Tagg and his partners would name an affiliate H.I.G. Whitehorse Capital while another division is so heavily involved in our electoral process. Is this some sort of dogwhistle or hiding their true intent in plain sight?

http://www.higwhitehorse.com/index.php?id=46

Kind of creepy, IMHO.

[Columbus Free Press]

68. We have no information

To indicate that HIG Capital is involved. They have no ownership stake in this particular company.

They did make and do service the tabulators in Hamilton County. Hamilton County is not one of the 39 counties affected by this other story.

[silvershadow]

75. Bump.

[pnwmom]

78. Someone should be bringing an emergency lawsuit to Federal court. nt

[OldDem2012]

80. It's time for the Justice Department to step in...they have judicial backing. nt.

[Columbus Free Press]

86. We may yet

take action in the state courts

[octoberlib]

81. K&R!

[TroyD]

83. Only in America is this type of thing allowed

I don't think any other Western country allows partisan politicians and private corporations to have control over the electoral system.

Governors, Attorneys General & Secretaries of State must be stripped of any authority over ballots, elections & voting machines.

[octoberlib]

84. I just googled ES&S. None of it's good.

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/why-arent-ess-voting-machines-outlawedhttp://crooksandliars.com/karoli/why-arent-ess-voting-machines-outlawed ...snip.. No one with any sense at all believes Alvin Greene won the South Carolina primary fairly. It doesn't pass the smell test, not even the argument that his name was at the top of the ballot and was simply chosen by its place. There was a similar situation in my district in 2008, but the winner didn't win by 17 percentage points! Any way you slice this, it stinks.

Leave aside the question of how the hapless Mr. Greene found a checking account and over $10,000 for a minute. The machines used in the South Carolina primaries are ES&S IVotronic voting machines. These machines have quite a history....
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/11/report-ess-voti/

[KaryninMiami]

88. Please keep this kicked and share everywhere

Thanks.

[ancianita]

97. K & R

[Kolesar]

89. That article jumps context from 2012 to 2004 to 2012

It is hard to follow

[demwing]

92. exactly...why is that?

The OP is more suspect than the software they claim to worry about

[Kolesar]

95. Two authors, maybe...eom

[Columbus Free Press]

103. The Free Press

is a Newspaper.

We have been around for 40 years.

Our website has been up for 16 years.

Our Editor in chief is has won 12 major journalsim awards, is also a lawyer and also a distinguished professor at Columbus State. He is also a congressional cannidate in 3rd district of Ohio.

You.... are an anonymous poster on a web forum.

[demwing]

104. which proves buttkiss

If longevity defined accuracy, Rush Limbaugh would be fact checker in chief .

[Columbus Free Press]

105. Is this the Godwin's law of DU?

Any thread of sufficient length will eventaully result in someone comparing the OP to Rush?

http://static2.fjcdn.com/comments/I+_b13230538fd1e94812e0fc403ab8fd51.jpg

[demwing]

106. I totally get it - It's easier to discredit an anonymous poster than prove your claims

I don't blame you for taking the easy way out.

Is that how the Free Press won its many awards?

[Columbus Free Press]

107. You do realize

That absent everything else, installing this software without testing is a crime?

Did you not get that part?

So you have a very partisan GOP secretary of state violating state election law. This is regardless of actual functionality of the software.

The Free Press wins awards by reporting on corruption. This is corruption.

What the results of this corruption will be remain unknown. We will however investigate and report.

Do you disagree that this contract violates ORC 3506.06 ? Yes or No?

[demwing]

112. You may be confused

ORC 3506.06 refers to Marking Device Specs. <http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3506.06>

ORC 3506.05 is the section you probably meant (correct me if that was wrong) because 3506.5 refers to the certification of voting and tabulating equipment (including software). <http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3506.05>


ORC 3506.05 states:

(B) No voting machine, marking device, automatic tabulating equipment, or software for the purpose of casting or tabulating votes or for communications among systems involved in the tabulation, storage, or casting of votes shall be purchased, leased, put in use, or continued to be used, except for experimental use as provided in division (B) of section 3506.04 of the Revised Code

* emphasis is mine

The "software patch" referred to on page 17, section 1.2 of the contract your paper uncovered is used only to create CSV, or Comma Separated Value file. The software does not cast of tabulate votes, nor is it involved in the communication between systems that cast, tabulate, or store votes.

In short - YES. I do disagree that this contract violates either ORC 3506.06, or 3506.05.

[Columbus Free Press]

115. Stop with the obfuscation

The .csv and .xml files are clearly for communications between systems that tabulate and store votes.

See the contract:

See Page 18
"
1.4
.....
Save the xml file to the ERM drive
"
ERM Stands for Elections Reporting Manager.

Page 19:

"Save the xml file to a user selectable removable device"

Also page 19:

1.4.2.5

"Customer must provide counties with connectivity and file upload capability"

[demwing]

116. I'M obfuscating? LOL

Saving a file to a system does not mean that the file itself is used to communicate between systems that store files.

"software for the purpose of casting or tabulating votes or for communications among systems involved in the tabulation, storage, or casting of votes"

[Columbus Free Press]

119. Okay... we are going to do this really slowly now

If this software is running on a tabulation machine,

and it makes a custom report,

and that report is uploaded to a state central tabulator,

or downloaded to removable media,

which then goes to a machine that is a state central tabulator,

how exactly do you define this as not communication?

[demwing]

120. You can go any speed you like, you're still wrong

A CSV file does not communicate with anything, or create any connectivity between systems. By your definition of "communication" a text file would qualify as "communication software" and that's just silly.

[Columbus Free Press]

122. Who is paying you?

To be this willfully obtuse?

If it's not communication software, why does the contract specify uploads and connectivity?

If it's not required to be tested, why does the contract specifically wave the testing?

If it's not a problem, why did it take 4 people 6 weeks to get a copy of this public document?

[demwing]

123. Does being snarky make you feel better? Have at it hoss!

If it's not communication software, why does the contract specify uploads and connectivity?

Show us. On what page are these specifications listed?


If it's not required to be tested, why does the contract specifically wave the testing?

The contract doesn't "waive the testing." It simply points out that no testing is required.


If it's not a problem, why did it take 4 people 6 weeks to get a copy of this public document?

Maybe it was your winning personality?

[Columbus Free Press]

124. I did

If it's not communication software, why does the contract specify uploads and connectivity?

Show us. On what page are these specifications listed?

I did... 3 posts ago.

Oh wait... But that didnt get you head out of the sand.

[demwing]

125. Wrong again ...

you're referring to 1.4.2.5 (page 19):

"Customer must provide counties with connectivity and file upload capability"

In the contract, "Customer" = Ohio Secretary of State.

What you are reading is evidence that you are mistaken.

What you are reading is a statement that the software provides no connectivity or file upload capability. These items are outside the scope of work, and are not deliverables of the software.

If you still doubt, go take a look at page 21, item 5.1 (the very FIRST item listed as being outside the scope of the SOW):

"5.1 Automated uploading or sending of the state Election Results Reporting file to any system. It is a manual process to upload or send the results file."

NOT COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE.

Jeesus...

[Columbus Free Press]

126. In other words

even though the software needs to be connected, in order to upload, and that connectivity has to be provided by the customer, some how it's not communications software because it's not what? operating the modem itself? just... transmitting over a connection...

You do realize you started out last night denying that this was even written in 2012?

Because you dont care about facts... you care about defending the GOP secretary of state, a racist voter suppression machine of a man, on a democratic party website on the eve of an election.

Just saying...

[demwing]

130. You use "other words"

Because you don't have an answer for my actual words.

1. Yes! Data carried over communications software is communicated, not communications. If I sent you a pic of a cat over the Internet, the pic does not suddenly become communications software!

That point is irrelevant. The SOW clearly states that the EXP update does not use any communications software. The transfer and uploading of the CSV is manual.

2. There are multiple issues with the OP...jumping back and forth between 2004 and 2012 is merely one. Is that lack of clarity anyone's fault other than the author? Shouldn't we expect better from an award winning newspaper?

3. So. in the end, you can't defend your position do you call me a GOP defender. Pathetic. You show up here with no history, selling a theory that does nothing to help Obama get elected, and just depresses people and makes them worry--On the eve of a critical election. You should be ashamed...

[Columbus Free Press]

131. Multiple issues....

Yup... sure do have multiple issues with the distortions and ad hominems.

First you complain that the article was ABOUT 2004. Then, when forced to re-read it, you realized that provable election fraud happened in Ohio in 2004.

After that, you attack the publication.

After that, you attack the editor.

After that you crawl all over the actual document looking for anything that you can misconstrue for the less computer-savvy.

Then you wonder why your motives are questions after being at it like it was your job for 24 hours.

[demwing]

133. and you STILL have no defense

just offense

[Columbus Free Press]

138. Hold on a sec there buddy

let me finish the update story.

And boost you a link

[demwing]

140. If you have other evidence I'd be glad to see it

Last edited Fri Nov 2, 2012, 06:03 AM - Edit history (1)

really.

There is nothing sweeter than a smoking gun...especially just before an election.

[Columbus Free Press]

141. It's in a new thread

which is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251200335

[demwing]

143. Right (sigh)

no new evidence, just more allegations.

Listen, I hope we are both wrong. I hope that you are wrong, and there is no fraud. If there is fraud, I hope I am wrong, and you have the smoking gun.

We'll know by Wednesday, right?

[Columbus Free Press]

144. The idea is to gather and present sufficient evidence

prior to tuesday in order to frighten the fraudersters into not going through with it

[demwing]

145. wait wait...

so if something happens, you were right, but if nothing happens, you were even more right.

Is that right?

[Coyotl]

93. Welcome to DU Bob

[demwing]

99. Thread Bookmarked

if there are shenanigans with Ohio, I'll come back and admit I was wrong.

If not, then the OP of this thread should comeback and admit it was all conspiratorial bullshit.

[Snarkoleptic]

100. Kickski

We must not underestimate the effect a few billionaires and their minions can have on our political system.
These plutocrats want the oval office so badly, they'll stop at nothing.

[crazylikafox]

102. k&r

[sofa king]

110. There is another possibility.

So it's the eve of the election and a new patch is frantically distributed in the most important tossup state, Ohio. Nothing new here, except for one BIG thing.

Consider the fact that in recent days the Ohio polls have moved outside of the margin of error in favor of President Obama. He's now five points ahead and his lead is growing, while the MOE of the polls is usually around 2.5 to 4 percent.

That means that the election in Ohio is now no longer close enough to steal with any degree of plausibility. A divergence in favor of Romney would be easily identified and investigated.

So... what if the voting machines in Ohio were already programmed to throw the election to Romney, and now panicked election thieves are desperately trying to undo the fix so that they don't spend years in pound-me-in-the-ass prison?

Last night, before I saw this discussion, I opined that the same thing may be about to happen in Virginia, as the President's growing support is about to pull him out of a statistical tie by the end of the week. I suggested that if that were the case we might see a rash of emergency updates precisely like these going out in Ohio as election workers in fear for their freedom suddenly attempt to reverse machines that are already programmed to steal it for Romney. The truly damning circumstantial evidence would be emergency updates across multiple makes of voting machines--Virginia uses many different kinds.

As I think about it more, I am beginning to wonder if two different and contradictory forms of election manipulation are at work, and now threaten to expose the entire operation.

Some time back I wrote here that I expected to see Romney's imaginary "surge" evaporate about a month out from the elections. I felt that the media and pollsters have a professional and financial interest in keeping the race tighter than it actually is. A closer race increases viewers and readers, attracts more money and sells more ad time and space. Those with an actual partisan interest know that fake momentum can, over time, build actual momentum as run-with-the-herd types switch allegiance to the fellow who looks like he is going to win.

But the pollsters have a second, much larger interest in calling it straight in the all-important day-before polls. If their final calls are off, the pollster stands to lose out on the next general election revenue stream--who pays attention to Zogby anymore after he famously blew the call in '04? But everyone reads Nate Silver's blog, because he nailed it in '08.

So, I concluded, the pollsters were going to "walk back" the polls to the true numbers (in favor of the President) so that they could make an accurate call just before the election--exactly as Rasmussen did from October to November in '08.

But that didn't happen this time.

So... what if the voting machine thieves were taking the pollsters at their word, and now they are seeing the polls suddenly shift and they are realizing that someone else's election manipulation threatens to expose their own work? They would frantically scramble to undo the fix, is what I think they would do, and it looks to me as if that is just what they are doing in Ohio.

But keep in mind that I was wrong about my first guess, and there is no reason to think that this second one is any more credible than the first. I'll say this for sure: Mitt Romney does not give a shit if his underlings are caught stealing the election, as long as he gets in.

[octoberlib]

113. I sent this article to David Shuster of Take Action News

He's tweeting about it. David Shuster ?@DavidShuster
Contract between OH Sec of State + vendor ESS (vote tabulation system) allows "custom codes" and "patches." http://tinyurl.com/aubl5o8 p. 17


David Shuster ?@DavidShuster
To date, OH Sec of State Husted (republican) has refused to answer questions about ESS technology, vulnerabilities, + "code patches." #TAN


David Shuster ?@DavidShuster
I'm not saying GOP OH Sec of State has installed patches/codes to alter vote results. But, the system stinks and needs more transparency.

David Shuster ?@DavidShuster
It's the job of the OH Sec of State to assure confidence/trust in vote. His contract with ESS undermines that. @takeactionnews #TAN

David Shuster ?@DavidShuster
,@cjmacesq Because most journalists (including me) are not IT experts. The system is complicated. But I've learned enough to be worried.

[flamingdem]

114. Good! n/t

[cecilfirefox]

117. I wonder what they'll say the patches were for. o_O nt

[demwing]

121. you don't have to wonder

it's very clearly explained in the contract. It takes already tabulated data, formats into a CSV file, which allows the the data to be easily read and reported on. This whole thing is just so much tin foil hat conspiracy stuff - no proof of any wrong doing, now, or in the past, has been presented. Just a few people creating a little hysteria.

I encourage you to read the contract that the OP links to, he/she has a handful of nothing.

[reusrename]

128. It is NOT tin foil.

There have been many threads about this, many news articles about it have been written (most have been scrubbed), and many independent people have verified and validated the findings.

What you are claiming is not true.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1636998

[Columbus Free Press]

129. This guy

has been a shill since this was first posted.

His first denial was that it was breaking news.

[demwing]

134. Right...

and you have no defense, so you attack me as a shill, wow

[reusrename]

135. thanks

It's hard to gage a person's denial of things that are factual. Sometimes it's just that a person is misinformed or lacking specific information.

There seem to be two extremes, those that put their hands over their ears and shout lalalalaa.., and those who try to knock down the facts by spreading propaganda and counterfactual talking points. As frustrating as it is, the ones who just can't face reality because it's too ugly or too depressing are the ones to whom I feel the closest. It took a lifetime for my eyes to be opened.

For the most part, we believe what we want to believe, what is comfortable for us, and no more. This is a good thing because I've seen folks get overwhelmed.

[druidity33]

132. What this patch is purported to do

and what it actually does, may be two different things. The fact is we don't know because it has not been independently verified. I've read the contract and i disagree with you.



I think it will be important for the Ohio SOS to explain why this "experimental" patch was necessary...

[BadGimp]

137. It's Deja Vu all over again. 2004 style

I am convinced they are doing everything they can to steal Ohio...

They have had a lot of time to perfect their efforts.. They might have it right where they want it..

[begin_within]

146. Why isn't there a lawsuit over this already in the works?

[AsahinaKimi]

147. K&R

[Hawaii Hiker]

150. Jon Husted is the most corrupt official in the country

why the "F" is the DOJ, etc. not investagating this SOB...Between this, purging voter rolls, and doing everything he can to stop the early vote, his actions are so damn BLATANT, he's not even trying to hide his extreme partsianship...

Please, Mr. President, win Virginia so Ohio won't matter....I trust Husted about as far as i could throw a house with a car elevator in it...

[lonestarnot]

151. Good gawd. Get the pitchforks!

[demwing]

152. Oh wow, we won Ohio!

So. As I said-

Bullshit conspiracy theory...