Help Needed info on urban use of opscans-- & Documanted Adavntage failures

[FogerRox]

I'm getting ready for a meeting- tonite-- the 3 major grassroots groups in Essex County NJ have gotten together to now be-- the Essex COunty Task Force on E-Voting.

I'm looking for good documentation for our County Legislative body.
1) What Urban or city jurisdictions use opscans for general elections.

2)Sequoia Advantage faiures. this machine is better than 15 years old. There has to be something out there. I spoke to ANdy the monday before surgery and he mentioned 2 Advantages catching fire---dont want to call him just yet--if ya know what I mean.

Yes I know that DAde COunty --Miami will be using opscans--yes I know Voter unite has a PDF on Sequoia probs.

3) Info on where the Automark is used, I will be contacting them too.

Currently NJ is over 60% Sequoia DRE's HELP ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Roger : [e-mail]
NJ Voting Issues Project

[Wilms]

1. Try here, Rog

Election Problems by State - Berniew1
http://www.flcv.com/summary.html

Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS) - Nationwide Election Incidents
https://voteprotect.org/index.php?display=EIRMapNation&tab=ALL

VotersUnite: Compilation of Problems
http://www.votersunite.org/electionproblems.asp

ElectionArchive.org: Data for Election Analyses
http://uscountvotes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=5&Itemid=44

JQJacobs Data: Spreadsheets with Election Results Analysis
http://www.jqjacobs.net/bush/xls/index.html


Also:

Voting Systems Usage

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x373950

[FogerRox]

2. WOW look at the pretty colors

U rock Wilms--
thanks for the head start

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

3. Optical Scans drop less votes, cost less than DREs

Allow me to provide disclaimer: all electronic voting systems can be tampered with.

Here is some info on optical scanners, and also a link for problems with voting machines by vendor (including Sequoia)

For problems by machine,Sequoia, Diebold, ES&S, Microvote, Unilect etc see bottom of page: http://www.votersunite.org/info.asp

COMPARING OPTICAL SCAN TO DRES:

However, ballot stuffing would be more obvious with optical scan than with paperless DREs.

And, most states don't bother to make sure that voting data is reconciled with poll books.

OPERATIONAL COSTS OF DRES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN OPTICAL SCANNERS

STUDIES SHOW THAT OPERATIONAL COSTS ARE HIGHER WITH DRES THAN OPTICAL SCANNERS
Counties with DREs would save money by replacing their equipment. In a few years time the counties would
realize a savings that would more than pay for their new system. Costs include climate controlled storage,
greater costs for testing, require more poll workers, etc, you need at least 10 times as many DREs as
you need optical scanners. When a DRE breaks down, lines form. If the optical scanner breaks down, people
keep voting. While DREs do not use paper, any savings from not using paper is completely outweighed by
the gigantic operating costs that are incurred in using DREs.
http://www.votersunite.org/info/costcomparison.asp

ACCURACY STUDIES OF OPTICAL SCANNERS VERSES DRES

North Carolina Study indicating that optical scan machines have the most consistent and
lowest undervote rates of the various technologies used this past election. 2004 report
http://www.cs.duke.edu/~justin/voting/totals.html

DREs in New Mexico dropped votes 5 times as often as optical
scanners did: Nov 2004 http://www.votersunite.org/info/newmexicophantomvotes.asp


Florida study indicating that DREs had 8 times as many undervotes as optical scanners:
July 2004. http://www.verifiedvotingfoundation.org/article.php?list=type&type=26

The Paper Ballot Optical Scan system, which includes 1 ballot marking device to assist the disabled
at each precinct. New models of optical scans have excellent features such as:
*alerts voter of undervotes or overvotes
*can record precinct data for absentee or 1 stop voting
*ballot on demand - this means the printer can print out an absentee ballot on demand
the printer can print 30 pages a minute. This is less expensive for the election authority and also more convenient.
*the ballot marking device called Automark has received good reviews from the National
Federation of the Blind.

[Wilms]

4. Where you gonna store them DRE's?

And how much is that going to cost?

OpScans are cheaper.

[Bill Bored]

5. Cook County, Il

which is Chicago just went Sequoia Op Scan, with only one DRE per polling place for accessibility. Contact Hedda Foil. She knows.

Also, look at all the docs at NYVV.org. Lots of cost comparisons between DREs and Op Scans. And the advantage/disadvantage PDF is amazing!

If you have trble finding them, PM me.

Why not just ask Sequoia for MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) specs?

[AtLiberty]

6. Are you sure it was Sequoia?

Last I heard it was Diebold optiscan...

[Bill Bored]

7. 100% sure.

A Sequoia rep told me yesterday and Hedda confirmed it.