Kansas City election board selects Diebold system

[Thom Little]

The Kansas City Election Board has chosen Ohio-based Diebold Election Systems to provide hundreds of new touch-screen and optical scan voting machines for city voters in 2006.

All four board members endorsed the selection Thursday, despite what they all said were problems with Diebold’s “image.” For months, election activists, in Kansas City and around the nation, have criticized the company, claiming its election software could be corrupted and votes altered, either by outsiders or by election workers and candidates.

“All you have to do is do a search on the Internet and you can see all these allegations,” said board member Joe Serrano. “What will happen if we buy this system and there are problems?”

Diebold has long denied the accusations. “Our machines are extremely safe, secure, and accurate,” said David Bear, speaking for the company. “We’re very happy and excited to be bringing this technology to the voters in Kansas City.”



http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/13361617.htm

[texpatriot2004]

1. Live FREE or Diebold.n.t

[EFerrari]

2. Kansas City, they're coming for your vote!

:kick:

[Peace Patriot]

3. Here's what makes me glad: "For months, election activists...

...in Kansas City and around the nation, have criticized the company, claiming its election software could be corrupted and votes altered, either by outsiders or by election workers and candidates."

I know it's hard. I know there is much corruption and collusion around the electronic voting boondoggle, and it's dispiriting to lose such a campaign. But our movement is YOUNG, and is facing entrenched forces of the most criminal kind, able to blackmail people, scare them, bribe them, and even kill them. The corporate forces behind the Bush Cartel and war profiteers will stop at nothing to get this wholly fradulent election system in place. It may take years to reverse this. Ordinary people are just learning about it--people whose lives have been, or are going to be, ruined by this Cartel--with sons and daughters killed or maimed in the Middle East, with bankruptcy, with loss of employment, with destroyed infrastructure and schools, and a trillion dollar federal deficit.

I am so heartened by Kansas election reform activists. You are the early warners. You are the Paul Reveres. And some day people will bless you for your work.

Some day, when someone writes "What's the Matter with Kansas?, Part II", the answer will be: Diebold.


---------------------

Is this article correct? How can "all four board members" have voted for it, yet one of them, Joe Serrano, asks (in the article), "What will happen if we buy this system and there are problems?"

I hope Kansas--and these board members--get their asses sued for malfeasance and election fraud, that's what.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. Kansas City is in Missouri

but, it's close.

[Scout1071]

20. Sorry Wanna, but once again, we can't let the facts get in the way

of a good Kansas bashing around here.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

22. Be my guest. Having grown up 3 blocks east of the Kansas

line (which would be in Missouri) I have never shied away from a Kansas Bashing... good or bad.

Carry on.

[Scout1071]

23. I'm in KC.

My point is that Kansas bashing is kind of a new hobby here on DU, regardless of the true facts. Some people in this thread believe that Kansas and Kansas City are the same thing and that pretty much only illustrates my point.

Kansas City, Missouri hired Diebold. Yet many on this thread are quick to jump into their Kansas bashing roles.

Honestly, it's exposed a whole new side of DU to me.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

24. You live in KC and you don't know you are

in Kansas?

Wow. You must be new there.

[Scout1071]

27. Give me a break.

I didn't say I didn't know the difference. Check out the rest of the thread.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

29. It was a JOKE

LOL

[Scout1071]

31. Sorry.....

I'm tired in every way. Think I'll call it a night.

Take care,

[Judi Lynn]

28. I've never met a Kansan in all the years I've ever lived in Kansas

who was ready to tangle with people who weren't so impressed by Kansas events. This is truly a novel turn of events.

Idiot right-wingers are trying to steal the state. They've been hard at it forever. There are some incredibly obnoxious hard-line right-wingers here, but you'd already know this living just across the state line.

[Zodiak]

59. I lived in Topeka long enough

to know what is the matter with Kansas.

Now it could be the people I worked for (Donaldson's Jewelers....yeah, I am mentioning them by name), but I have never seen people who were so bigoted that they looked for excuses to categorize and be mean to people. Only in Kansas have I ever seen Scottish people hate Irish people for being Irish.

And Phelps...HELPED by the local government in Topeka to carry out his message of hate.

There are a lot of good, progressive people in Kansas, and I feel very sorry for them because the prevailing political and social climate is tremendously backwards.

And yes, I know this has to do with KC, MO, but it is not as if KC, KS, and KC, MO aren't connected poltically. Read "What's the Matter With Kansas?" to get some insight on how local politics works in KC.

[Kelvin Mace]

13. NC is still fighting

and took the BoE to court today to void the certification it granted Diebold, Sequoia, and ES&S.

http://blackboxvoting.com/s9/index.php?/archives/40-NC-board-of-elections-sued-over-Diebold-certification..html

[fshrink]

4. Diebold's machines are indeed very safe, secure and accurate.

In fact, they can even produce exactly the vote you want. The spin here is to pull the debate toward the "technology". Technology is perfectly fine. Its democratic control is currently inexistent.

[VegasWolf]

35. Sad, sad, but true! nt

[Neecy]

6. This is terrible news

Kansas City is a Democratic stronghold, and no statewide Democratic candidate for office can win if the totals are shaved - which they most certainly will be. So much for kicking out Talent next year - shit.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. Everything's up to date in Kansas City

they've gone and joined up with PMAC...


come on, sing along... you know the tune.

[cyberpj]

8. Yeah... That's it... Diebold just has problems with it's "image"...

If I weren't living through it, I wouldn't believe it could even happen.

Jesus.

[peacetalksforall]

9. KC MO or KC KS? They just approved of their vote being privatized?

Stupid! Unthinking! They said yes to theft of their most precius possession?

[Mabus]

36. Missouri

It was KCMO not KCK but apparently you have to be from MO or KS to know there is a difference. Americans don't do well with geography.

[VegasWolf]

10. Wonder how much Diebold gave those 4 board members.

[Gregorian]

16. Good question. I wonder what party they are affiliated with.

I just went to their website. There is no profile on the board members. But looking at the logo for the site, I can guess. Plus, I did a search for Democrat and republican. Democrat came up with two hits. Republican came up with 8.

I would love to know the answer to your question. The age old practice of paying people money to behave a certain way. There's no room for that in this kind of government.

[Neecy]

18. Jeez, it's like the old Pendergast machine

Looks like it was Democrats who were paid off to push this sucker. Nice to see our Democratic mayor jump on the bandwagon, too...

Diebold hired former Democratic Party operative Woody Overton to represent it at Thursday’s discussion. He told the board that other area counties use the company’s election equipment and could vouch for its reliability. Steve Glorioso, another longtime Democratic political consultant, made the same point on behalf of the mayor’s office.

-snip-

Election directors James and Sharon Turner Buie, a Democrat, also recommended Diebold, and the company received the highest marks in an informal staff survey of preferences for the contract. Five firms originally submitted proposals.

[cicibaby]

46. The KCEB is bi-partisan: Dems and Repugnicans

Two--Joe Serrano and Quentin Jennings--are Democrats.
Two--Melodie Powell and Cynthia Thompson--are Republicans.

Ray James is the Republican director; Sharon Turner Buie is the Democratic director.

Apparently having Democrats and Republicans on the Board is supposed to make it "fair." Greens, Independents, and everyone else apparently don't count.

The vote to go with Diebold was unanimous.

[wordpix2]

56. full article says election board has both R&D. Follow money trail:

I wonder if KC would get this federal $2MM if not for Diebold system.

<snip>The federal government is giving the board $2 million to upgrade its voting machines. The Diebold proposal added another $35,000 to that amount, which local taxpayers must provide. By contrast, the other system under final consideration, sold by California-based Sequoia Voting Systems, would have cost local taxpayers an additional $252,000, a price gap board members said was too big to ignore.

Diebold has also faced intense criticism from some election observers who have criticized campaign donations from the president of the company to the Republican Party and President Bush. Ray James, the election board’s Republican director, said no election “professionals” had voiced concerns about Diebold’s performance

[alfredo]

11. I guess they want Kansas to stay Republican,

no matter what the citizens may desire.

[Neecy]

14. It's Missouri....

Reading the entire article is very, very depressing, especially since so many Democrats on the board agreed to this travesty.

This little snippet is interesting, though:

Diebold has also faced intense criticism from some election observers who have criticized campaign donations from the president of the company to the Republican Party and President Bush. Ray James, the election board’s Republican director, said no election “professionals” had voiced concerns about Diebold’s performance

Apparently cost was the major factor that swung this in Diebold's favor - makes you wonder why they're willing to sell so cheaply, eh?

[alfredo]

17. My mistake. I cut "city" from the topic and I don't know why.

We have jumped hard and heavy on our city not to go with the new machines. We also made sure our county clerk knew to get machines with a verifiable paper trail.


It does seem they went with low cost without thought of the other issues surrounding doing business with Diebold.

[Neecy]

19. the city council still has to approve this...

I wonder if there's any chance left to stop it.

[alfredo]

32. That's where the citizens come in. They should be wearing out

the council's phones, filling their mail boxes, and e-mail inboxes.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

12. we are so f*cked in this town . . .

:argh:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

25. Nah, it beats living in, oh, say Junction City

Welcome to DU

[CrazyOrangeCat]

30. Thanks!

[SoCalDem]

37. Junction Shitty, Ks.. Been there many times

:)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

52. Compliments of the US Army?

Or KSU?

[SoCalDem]

54. Short cut on the way back to KU..

Got a ticket once in that little town just outside Ft. Riley..Yhe one main street had at least 3 different speeds.. Ogden. I think

[Pithy Cherub]

15. KC thinks Diebold is intelligently designed and miraculously

ALL the votes will get counted...by republifraud *magic*. :eyes:

[brentspeak]

21. Diebold is using handicapped people to tout their system

Michelle Krajewski, representing The Whole Person — a nonprofit agency supporting the rights of the disabilities community — spoke at the hearing in support of the purchase of electronic, touch screen voting machines because of their accessibility for the physically and visually challenged.

Turner Buie agreed that accessibility is a key factor the board must consider in transferring to electronic voting machines.

"Frankly, we must have accessible machines at each poll for the disabilities community," she said.

http://kcactive.com/news/newsfeat/newsfeat2005_10_28.htm

The article also says that only five companies were made eligible for the voting systems contract.

[cicibaby]

47. re: Diebold is using handicapped people to tout their system

"Michelle Krajewski, representing The Whole Person — a nonprofit agency supporting the rights of the disabilities community — spoke at the hearing in support of the purchase of electronic, touch screen voting machines because of their accessibility for the physically and visually challenged."

Ms. Krajewski ALSO said at the hearing that she hoped other disabled rights activists would cringe, but SHE distrusts DRE (touchscreen) machines and thinks they're corruptible!!!! Another activist and I have both tried to contact Ms. Krajewski, but she won't return our calls. Hm. Wonder why.

[Judi Lynn]

26. This is one huge shock. I didn't think Republicans wielded that much

authority in Kansas City. Looks as if Diebold has bought off some local Democrats, too. Goddamm.

I hope this isn't the last word, and that this decision may be withdrawn.

They claim cost is the major factor. Who do you suppose is helping Diebold meet expenses in such a way it can dramatically underbid all other competitors?

Decent people aren't willing to compromise the only voice Americans have just to save a few bucks in city revenue. This is unacceptable.

[leesa]

33. Oh Gee! What a surprise!

[OneBlueSky]

34. it's happening everywhere, folks . . . they're not listening . . .

or, if they are listening, they have their own agenda and just don't give a shit what the people (that's us) have to say about how we elect our leaders . . . both Republicans and Democrats are simply ignoring all the evidence that e-voting is insecure, that elections can be (and likely have been) hacked, and that allowing private corporations to control the electoral system is, well, un-American . . .

they're ignoring it all, and e-voting is being certified and installed in states and counties throughout the nation . . . future elections will continue to be controlled by Republican corporations working in concert with the entire political establishment (both parties) . . . and there doesn't appear to be anything we can do to stop it . . .

hope I'm wrong . . . but I fear I'm not . . .

[evlbstrd]

38. Kansas City Election Board chooses Diebold.

This is from a friend who has been very active on the voting machine issue.

The unspeakable has happened. Joe M. spoke with Dave
Helling at the KC Star and tipped me off to this:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/13361617.htm

Turns out the vote was UNANIMOUS for Diebold--because
of cost. I was also able to get this further info:

* The Board did consider the testimony at the Oct. 20
hearing, and Sequoia was the second choice.
* After much discussion, the Board had to take a
10-minute recess before voting.
* One consideration was that Cass, Clay, Platte, and
Johnson Counties all use Diebold (so let's just go
ahead and give them a monopoly, huh?)
* Steve Glorioso, a rep. from the City Council, said
that 5 members of the Council already vote on Diebold
machines (in other jurisdictions), so KCEB would have
a lot of explaining to do not to go with them (as they
underbid everyone else AND are giving the Board $$ to
switch).
* Jackson County is going with Inkavote because of
cost considerations (Hmm. That raises questions.)
* Dave did not know if Jackson Co is going with a DRE
as well.

Contracts have not been signed, and the heat under
Diebold is turning into a bonfire, so don't consider
this a lost cause! We can still lobby the Board, but
more importantly--we can WARN residents and encourage
them to lobby, too.

Can anyone meet Saturday at 3:30 at Californos to talk
about what to do? I know Nancy's ready to go door to
door on this issue. We can also hold protests. Bring
your creativity.

If you're from outside the KC area--we'd love to hear
your advice on this, particularly if you have gone or
are currently going through the same thing.

[Angry Girl]

39. Kick for Kansas City and Recommend for Democracy!

Good luck!

[fooj]

40. Sounds like they may be tied up in some "legalities"...

Don't give up hope!

[dargondogon]

41. Now maybe they can get the new stadiums they want

If you can't beat Bush, join him!

[EFerrari]

42. kick

[newportdadde]

43. Wonder if Jackson County will use them.

For those of you who may not know Jackson County Missouri was the only county in the KC area on either side of the state line that went Kerry, and I think one of only 2 counties of the entire state.

Will be interesting to see if we all suddenly turn Republican.

[evlbstrd]

45. The Count board wants the Inkavote system.

It at least provides a paper trail. Kansas City and Jackson County are traditionally Democrat strongholds. This stinks to high heaven.

[cicibaby]

49. re:The County board wants the Inkavote system.

"It at least provides a paper trail. "

Ok, that's something, but it's misleading.

1) No one's been able to confirm that what is printed on a paper receipt is what's actually being counted.
2) Toilet-paper roll-type receipts run out of paper and ink, and they jam. Printers malfunction and are subject to power outages.
3) This creates a false sense of security (like duct tape myths). Unenlightened voters see the receipt, say "ah-yep, that's who I voted for," and not question the results of the race (see #1). If people aren't questioning it, ain't nuttin's gonna be done to investigate it.

Another point is that some touchscreens print a barcode on the ballot. In the event of a recount, the barcode is scanned. Gee. I wonder if it's possible to program a machine to print a barcode that says one thing and a name under it that shows another? I'll bet it is. I asked Sharon Turner Buie, the "Democratic" director of the KCEB, if Diebold's paper receipt prints a barcode, plain English, or both. She has chosen not to get back to me.

The best way to verify the functionality of these machines is through a random 3% (some say 5%) audit--if it's hand-counted. Republican director Ray James is in favor of a random audit, but we don't know if it's hand-counted. What's the point of an audit if it's just a 3% machine count of the larger machine count? We also don't know how KCEB plans to select the random 3%. This was a major probem in the Ohio recount--the system was loaded (go figure) and didn't follow Ohio procedure. "Un" random selections are pointless.

The phone number for the KCEB, by the way, is 816/842-4820. The address is 1828 Walnut, 3rd floor, KC, MO 64108.

[evlbstrd]

51. Thanks for clarifying that.

Glad to see you posting here! Welcome to DU!

[cicibaby]

48. re: Wonder if Jackson County will use them.

Actually, Jackson County went Bush in 04. KCEB and Jax Co election boards are separate. Jax Co's going with the InkaVote system by ES&S. I haven't yet heard what counting machines they'll use or whether they'll also use a DRE (touchscreen). Seems most EBs have the mistaken notion that touchscreens are the only option for HAVA (Hack America's Vote Act) standards for handicapped voters. Bullshit, but none of the vendors are correcting them.

[PurityOfEssence]

44. It's official: Kansas is wrong about everything

What next?

[brentspeak]

50. This is Missouri

[FiveGoodMen]

53. Close enough!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

55. No, actually there is a vast difference.

But...

[lovuian]

57. Missouri has to be one of the most corrupt states

Blunts son runs it...

[bonito]

58. Kick n/t