New Years Eve Election Reform News & Related events

[FogerRox]

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.

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

PLEASE, please

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

for MAC users-- IIRC its hold down control- and click on the image to view its source.

[Kurovski]

1. Happy new year.

[FogerRox]

2. Coalescing Evidence of Massive Voter Registration Fraud in Ohio 2004

Thanks to DUer "Time for Change" for really well done piece.
---------------------------------------------------------------

More and more evidence continues to accumulate that Voter registration fraud was responsible for a great deal if not the total Bush vote margin in the 2004 Presidential election. The latest evidence comes from Mark Crispin Miller, as documented in his recent book, “Fooled Again – How the Right Stole the 2004 Election and Why They’ll Steal the Next One Too (Unless We Stop Them)”. Added to previously existing evidence, the evidence presented by Miller makes it all but incontrovertible that massive voter registration fraud was a major factor in Kerry’s “loss” of Ohio. Only an idiot or a liar could look at the current mass of accumulated evidence and conclude that there is not a huge story there

Discrepancies between NY Times reports and official voter registration figures

I initially suspected that there was something very wrong with voter registration in Ohio, and especially in Cleveland, when I discovered a HUGE discrepancy between reports by the New York Times of massive new voter registration in Democratic areas of Ohio (ten times that of Republican areas) and official voter registration figures. I posted a DU article entitled “New York Times Reporters Probably Hold Key to Proving Kerry Victory in Ohio”, in which one of my main points was that the Times reporters identified 230,000 new voters registered in heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County in 2004, compared to official Secretary of State figures indicating only 119,000 newly registered voters in Cuyahoga County. >snip<

Confirmation by Greater Cleveland Voter Registration Coalition

Having failed to get the NY Times or its reporters to respond to my enquiries, I managed to get a large degree of confirmation from Norman Robbins, leader of the Greater Cleveland Voter Registration Coalition. According to his figures, >snip<

Illegal purging of registered voters

Confirmation of the probable reason for the above noted discrepancies came from research by Victoria Lovegren, who posted a report at Ohio Vigilance which indicates the purging, apparently illegal, of 165,224 voters from Cuyahoga County alone, for no other rationale than that they hadn't voted recently. Dr. Lovegren notes in her report >snip<

What effect did this have on the ground? – Evidence from Mark Crispin Miller’s Book

A A question that is often asked of me when I talk about voter registration fraud in Ohio is what effect the purging of Democratic voters would be likely to have on the election results. There are two lines of doubt that have been expressed to me on this question. One is the question of whether newly registered voters would be as likely to vote as would long time voters. This question is answered in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) report on the 2004 Ohio election. According to Section VI, Figure 12 of that report, new voter registration was correlated with high voter turnout, meaning that in general, newly registered voters were more likely to vote in the Ohio 2004 election than were previously registered voters.
>snip<

How could voter purging be made more efficient in counties with large percentages of Republican voters?

Miller’s book also describes a break-in at Democratic Party headquarters in Akron, Summit County, in the summer of 2004. >snip<

Read the rest of this excellent piece here--

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5719248

[FogerRox]

3. Ohio-- JEAN SCHMIDT Lashes Out At Howard Dean

one story about one sad woman-- ooooohhhhhhh if Paul Hackett had WON

Jean Schmidt Lashes Out At Howard Dean

Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has lashed out again.

The newly elected Republican Ohio Representative scolded Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean for comments he made Wednesday about pulling U.S. soldiers out of Iraq.

She also criticized Mr. Dean for calling the war unwinnable.

"I say shame on you Howard Dean. Shame on you Mr. Dean for telling our troops and our enemies that we cannot win this war. Shame on you for choosing today, the day millions of Iraqis are going to the polls to vote to spread your lies," Schmidt said.

She continued:

rest of her drible-
http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/12/15/schmidt.html

[I Kant]

6. Tell Me How I Can Help Fix Ohio

I would love to participate in getting Ohio election process corrected. Are there any organizations, political office holders, or community leaders, that are waging a fight to fix this, that have the resources, and clout to effectively end the corruption rampant in the electoral process in Ohio. I have read enough from the GAO, and other legitimate reports to know that this state is rigged and the fix is still in.

I live in Columbus, and although I am a rather busy local business owner, I would love to find some way to participate in helping make the Ohio voting process legitimate again. I believe that if we don't fix this problem, we will be fighting an uphill battle for change in the white house in '08.

I have seen so many reports about how corrupt it has gotten here, and lots of proof that the '04 election was stolen, but have read very little about what the Democratic Party is doing to make sure it doesn't happen again. Is it impossible to change this problem in a Republican controlled state like Ohio? Are Democrats doing anything to prevent a repeat of the last national election?

Who has a fighting chance of fixing this problem? I want to join that person or group in that fight... But I don't know where to turn.

[FogerRox]

20. go here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5719248

Leave a messsage for "Time For Change", who can get you in contact with the good folks working in Ohio-- who by the way - are some of the best this country has to offer when it come to election reform Activists.

[I Kant]

22. Thanks!

I will do it FogerRox.

Thank YOU!

[FogerRox]

4. NSA "cookies" video from CAn O Fun

Thanks to CAN O FUN for posting those great videos--

This one is about the NSA cookies you may have heard about

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/webprivacynsaillegaldec2905.wmv

heres the web site--

http://www.canofun.com/blog/

[bleever]

5. I predict we will be happy with the New Year

if we continue at this pace to retrieve the levers of democracy.

Best wishes to everyone at DU, and everyone who contributes to the effort to instate a transparently true and fair electoral system.

[FogerRox]

7. Crooks and Liars: Ultimate Wingnut Finalists

Ultimate Wingnut Finalists

World O 'Crap is in the final stages of the contest. Try to get over there and cast your vote. For each finalist there is plenty of wingnut facts for you to make an informed decision.

Polls are open until midnight, Saturday. The final five candidates are: Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, John Hindraker, Dr. Professor Mike Adams, and Pastor J. Grant Swank, Jr!


http://www.crooksandliars.com/

[FogerRox]

8. Laura Flanders: sat. -one of the greatest events of 2005- Sept 24th show

Shes beautifull, shes super smart, shes Laura Flanders

The Laura Flanders Show replays our broadcast from the historic September 24th anti-war march and rally in Washington D.C. including live coverage of the Operation Ceasefire Concert on the Washington Mall. Featuring: Jesse Jackson, Cindy Sheehan, Steve Earle, Boots Riley (The Coup), Actress Margot Kidder, Journalist Dahr Jamail, D.C. Guerilla Poets, Poet Sharon Olds, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Code Pink's Medea Benjamin, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Le Tigre, Sweet Honey in the Rock.

http://shows.airamericaradio.com/lauraflanders/

[FogerRox]

9. Saturday on AAR-- Ring of Fire--

Join the "Papp" & Bobby Saturday 5-7pm ET for "Ring of Fire"

Happy New Year from Bobby, Mike & all the Ring of Fire staff!


Today we take stock of America's religious leadership with Methodist pastor Rev. Richard Lang, and race relations with Robert Jensen, author of The Heart of Whiteness. Veteran CBS foreign correspondent Tom Fenton recalls the story his corporate bosses said "wasn't news" -- a pre-9/11 interview with Osama bin Laden. And Barbara Burt of Common Cause looks at the wave of campaign finance reform sweeping across the nation.


The Pap Attack: "Justice for Sale"

http://shows.airamericaradio.com/ringoffire/

[FogerRox]

10. TPM-- stop linking to the right wing nuts

STOP THE LINKS! NOW!
By buckley

Bloggers are on the cutting edge of a new information distribution machine that demands unique standards on the most efficient way to move their message from the Internet through the MSM and to the end consumer.

In many ways, blogs have overlooked the power they provide their opponents by linking to the extremist wingnuts like O’Reilly, Malkin and their ilk.

This is a medium that thrives on hits and links, which provide revenue, and a wider read, to those, who in some cases, create the most controversy.

It’s about time, the left starts to use the power of the keystroke, and cease linking to the far-right message of hate and discrimination.

more-

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/12/30/12954/727

[FogerRox]

11. Detroit: recount halted

Canvassers call off city election recount

Wayne Co. board OKs Dearing, Hendrix request to stop tally that may cost Detroit up to $500,000.

By David Josar / The Detroit News /

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The costly recount of Detroit's general election ended Thursday after failed City Council candidate Jai-Lee Dearing and losing mayoral challenger Freman Hendrix conceded the election results won't change.

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers unanimously accepted their requests and immediately dismissed the roughly 65 temporary workers who have been working since Dec. 8 to count around 235,000 ballots cast in the Nov. 8 election.

The final price tag, which must be borne by the city of Detroit, was not immediately known, but board chairwoman Alyce Smith said it would be somewhere between $200,000 and $500,000. She suspects it will be closer to the smaller total.

The recount was the largest task Smith recalls the Board of Canvassers having done in her 19 years on the board.

About half of the city's 720 precincts had been counted.

mnore-

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051230/METRO/51230018/1003/METRO

[FogerRox]

12. Condie Rice welcomes outside review of Iraq election results

Rice welcomes outside review of Iraq election results

Rice welcomes outside review of Iraq election results
Friday December 30, 2005 (1120 PST)


WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has praised Iraqi authorities for inviting international monitors to review complaints of fraud in recent parliamentary elections.
"I welcome the invitation of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq to international monitors and experts to observe and review the December 15 elections, including the complaints settlement process," Rice said in a statement.

Rice`s comments came after the International Mission for Iraqi Elections announced it was sending a team of independent experts to issue a follow-up report on alleged irregularities in this month`s vote.

Sunni representatives have charged the elections were tainted by widespread fraud and led street demonstrations demanding a new election. Iraq`s electoral commission has ruled out re-running the election though it suggested it may toss out ballots tainted by fraud.

[FogerRox]

13. AP: Iraq election will be reviewed

Iraq election will be reviewed
The international assessment team's review should help mollify fierce critics of the balloting.

Associated Press



BAGHDAD, Iraq - An international team agreed Thursday to review Iraq's parliamentary elections, a decision lauded by Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups who have staged repeated protests around Iraq complaining of widespread fraud and intimidation.

The decision by the International Mission for Iraqi Elections to send a team of assessors should help placate opposition complaints of ballot box rigging and mollify those groups who felt their views were not being heard, especially among hardline Sunni Arab parties.

"It is important that the Iraqi people have confidence in the election results and that the voting process, including the process for vote counting, is free and fair,' U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said.

He added that "these experts will be arriving immediately and we are ready to assist them, if needed."

more-

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/12/30/100wir_a3iraq001.cfm

[Stevepol]

14. DU: US 04 Election Results Will Not Be Reviewed

[FogerRox]

18. The call on the field stands--- foot ball instant replay lingo-- get it?

[DemReadingDU]

15. Thanks to everyone for creating this daily thread

Always lots of great info here!

[freedomfries]

16. Happy New Year

to all the daily thread stars and thanks for nurturing the fires day by day!

[papau]

17. BBV has a new project re Diebold screens illegal "interpreter"& more

(Permission to forward and reprint granted, with link to http://www.blackboxvoting.org)

You might be the one to help us crack this case.

At issue: A YES-NO question: Do Diebold touch-screens have a problem similar to that identified in the Black Box Voting project in Leon County, Florida -- the devastating hack of the Diebold optical scan system. Just a YES-NO question.

Black Box Voting has now obtained certain NEW specific information indicating that the answer with the touch-screens will be YES. One of our researchers has identified an interpreter, which appears to be specifically prohibited by 2002 FEC standards, inside a Diebold touchscreen system.

What is needed now is to confirm this finding with a "pedigreed" Diebold touch-screen system  ie., one to which we are given legitimate access with one of our publicly known experts. We will have to show that what our protected source has found is also present in a system delivered by Diebold for use in actual elections. This cannot be a stolen system, a specially souped-up system (i.e. one that Diebold chooses), or a system used without authorization of its custodians.

Please immediately make contact with those you know to see if you can facilitate a quick YES-NO examination of an official Diebold touch-screen voting system anywhere in the United States or Canada. We know what we're looking for. We know where it is. We simply need to confirm that it is ALSO in one of the systems delivered to public officials.

Note that in July, Diebold sent threat letters to its customers, warning them not to allow examination of their systems. However, in December Black Box Voting was shown to be correct when we alleged that there was executable code and an interpreter in the optical scan machines/memory cards. Diebold lied, under oath and in writing, to secretaries of state and purchasing officials about this. Now, the entire Diebold product line has been called into question, and we believe our findings will soon spill over into other vendors' products as well.

Following our demonstration in Leon County, Florida, California refused to certify Diebold.
Pennsylvania has now refused to certify Diebold. Diebold has now been dropped from counties in Florida and Missouri. Diebold has refused to give its source code to North Carolina, most likely due to the NC requirement that allows POLITICAL PARTIES to examine the source code, which would risk revealing the problems exposed by the Black Box Voting projects conducted with Harri Hursti and others.

If you may be able to help with this project, please call Bev at [phone] or Kathleen at
206-354-5723 or the main office at [phone] or send to [e-mail].
Telephone or send an overnight letter (sent by Fed X but not U.S. Post Office, to 330 SW 43rd St Suite K PMB 547 Renton WA 98055) The contents of our e-mail was penetrated by an outsider in late November in connection with confidential plans for upcoming testing, so we do not recommend that you contact us by e-mail for this particular endeavor.

The sooner the better. It is important to roll back use of ANY MACHINES WITH PROHIBITED CODE well in advance of the 2006 elections, in order to allow local jurisdictions to make other plans.

Black Box Voting has now uncovered over 137 sources within ES&S, Sequoia and Hart Intercivic. We are beginning to release some of the technical and procedural information we are learning about these vendors. Visit the FORUMS at http://www.blackboxvoting.org, where we are doing small informal releases of information on various vendors' voting products every few days.

We are becoming increasingly interested in finding out more about the Eagle Op-Tech machines used by ES&S and Sequoia. Your tips, suggestions, donations and contacts are much appreciated as we continue this important work.

In 2006, among other projects, Black Box Voting is publishing a new book, focusing on the infrastructure that made this happen. We will delve into 21st Century bribery techniques, and fill you in on the people and procedures that produced the current boondoggle.

The title: "BLACK BOX AMERICA"

[FogerRox]

19. NJ, BERGENFIELD: recount finished

Bergenfield recount finds council winners can keep their seats

Saturday, December 31, 2005



BERGENFIELD - A recount of the Borough Council election did not change the results of the November race, according to the Bergen County Board of Elections.

Incumbent Dennis Mulligan and former Councilwoman Elaine Rabbitt, both Democrats, remain winners of the race for two three-year terms on the council.

In November, Mulligan, an account manager, led all candidates with 3,332 votes, followed by Rabbitt, who works for the county, with 3,015. Republican Mary Kirsch, a supervisor for a doctor's office, received 2,990 votes, and incumbent Raymond V. Gorman, a traffic manager and council president, trailed with 2,832 votes.

The recount revealed no changes in the machine count or the provisional ballots, elections officials said. Gorman picked up one vote in the absentee ballots, bringing his tally to 2,833.

[kster]

21. Let’s all work together to create accurate voting system in U.S.

Posted on Sat, Dec. 31, 2005

We have just passed the fifth anniversary of the culmination of the most tragic election in our nation’s recent history.
After we went to the polls in November 2000, it seemed as if the country was ripping apart. There were numerous problems with counting votes in a very close election, but appeals for careful recounts were shouted down (“Sore-Loserman”). The chaos was magnified by the press, who love a good fight. Americans abandoned fairness for partisan sniping that divided the nation. There were few voices of reason.
After only sporadic and incomplete recounts, the Supreme Court, itself sharply divided, purportedly settled the matter on Dec. 12, 2000.
The tragedy is that we didn’t have the will to do the hard work of assuring that all our votes were counted. We Americans acted like fans of bitter football rivals, only worse. After the dust settled, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights investigated and found “an extraordinarily high and inexcusable level of disenfranchisement with a significantly disproportionate impact on African Americans” (www.usccr.gov).


http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/news/opinion/13521421.htm