Don't Rush Voting Machines in Ohio

[Judi Lynn]

Monday, February 23, 2004 Time: 4:53:52 AM EST

Don't Rush Voting Machines in Ohio

The Intelligencer


Ohioans should ask themselves why Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell is in such a hurry to install expensive new electronic voting machines at every polling place in the state. It certainly isn't because everyone is comfortable with the idea.

A study conducted for Blackwell's own office, in fact, raises questions about electronic voting machines. Specifically, as a bipartisan group of legislators has pointed out, there are issues concerning security - which means whether there are guarantees that accurate election returns will be obtained from the new machines. There also is concern about whether machines should provide voters with paper receipts. Some proponents of the receipt system say it is needed to guard against vote fraud.
Several Ohio counties already are moving quickly on voting machines. For example, Belmont County elections officials already have approved a vendor to supply about $870,000 worth of voting machines. Most, if not all, the cost of those machines will not have to be paid by the local elections board.

But some counties already are moving aggressively to install the new machines. That's because federal law requires them by this November - but stipulates that extensions can be granted until 2006.
(snip/...)

http://www.theintelligencer.net/edit/story/0223202004_edtiedit1.asp

[dusty64]

1. The head of

diebold did promise to "deliver Ohio" to chimp in November, looks like they are rushing to try and make that a reality.

[sonias]

2. Another good Ohio article link

Diebold, Electronic Voting and the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0225-05.htm
(snip)
As Blackwell pressures the Ohio legislature to adopt electronic voting machines without a paper trail, Athan Gibbs wonders, “Why would you buy a voting machine from a company like Diebold which provides a paper trail for every single machine it makes except its voting machines? And then, when you ask it to verify its numbers, it hides behind ‘trade secrets.’”

Maybe the Diebold decision makes sense, if you believe, to paraphrase Henry Kissinger, that democracy is too important to leave up to the votes of the people.
(/snip)

--------------
Sonia

[doc03]

3. Thomas Edison's first patent was an electric voting machine in 1901

It seems like it hasn't been perfected yet.

[gristy]

4. receipts for the voters?

Sounds like a confused reporter...

[ParanoidPat]

5. Read this book, FREE!

The story that refuses to die. :evilgrin:

:kick:BLACK BOX VOTING - Ballot Tampering in the 21st Century:kick:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9*
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13*
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Appendix
Footnotes
Index

* graphics, allow time to load

Requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. :)