Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Friday 01/13/06

[AuntiBush]

Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.



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

If you can:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.

2. Post stories using the new Spring 2006 Edition of "Election Fraud and Reform News Directory" listed here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x407240

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.



Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Paage (it's the link just below).

[AuntiBush]

1. Ehrlich Commission Supports Vetoes of 4 Election Reform Bills

As Assembly prepares for override votes, leaders contest nonpartisan group's findings

By Kelly Brewington
Sun reporter
Originally published January 11, 2006

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s vetoes of four election reform bills passed last year should be upheld, according to findings released yesterday by a nonpartisan panel appointed by the governor.

The report's release came on the eve of this year's General Assembly session as Democratic leaders vowed to override several of Ehrlich's vetoes, including three of the four election measures. Democrats have called the reforms - which include early voting, absentee ballots on demand and tougher laws against voter intimidation - crucial to ensuring a just electoral system.

The fourth bill called for an independent study that would lead to establishing a voting verification system for the state's electronic voting machines. A similar study is near completion.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.election11jan11,1,2012331.story?coll=bal-local-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

[Wilms]

2. State voting decree irks small towns (the MA Revolt spreads)

State voting decree irks small towns

By Shaw Israel Izikson, North Adams Transcript

Thursday, January 12

CHESHIRE — Like or not, the town is getting a new electronic voting machine.

Last week, the Selectmen sent a letter to Secretary of State William F. Galvin saying they would not buy a machine, which the state is mandating through the federal Help America Vote Act.

At Tuesday's meeting, Town Clerk Christine B. Emerson told the board that the state is paying for the machine, and like it or not, the town would have to use it. She said the machine will come with programming for state and federal elections, but not for local elections. Based on information she received, Emerson said programming for each local election will cost $1,000.

But the Selectmen minced no words in expressing their opinions.

"We don't want it!" Selectman Paul F. Astorino said.

snip

http://thetranscript.com/headlines/ci_3395720

[Wilms]

3. (Then they fight you...) An Electoral System You Can Count On

The piece is written by an unabashedly right-winger. However, rather than dismissing the vulnerability of Election Management Systems, he offers (in considerable detail) an approach to secure them, if only to put an end to "left-wing political rants, boorish allegations and attempts to undermine the legitimacy of Republican office holders".

I don't care for his overall proposed method (though he did offer a few interesting ideas), but a right-winger addressing "Election Fraud" is new to me.





Article: Commentary/Opinion*

An Electoral System You Can Count On

By Gary Krasner (01/12/06)

snip

Politically, it would be an uphill battle to implement my system. State and local election officials want to control "their" turf.

Democrats (in the majority) in large cities will suddenly become stalwart states rights' advocates. Their comrades on the far left have already become complete Luddites on this issue. Since 2001, they've become obsessed over alleged voting fraud. They've donned their tin-foil hats and won't listen to any proposals that involve computers. They see Republican conspiracies and black helicopters everywhere. (They actually believe Senator Paul Wellstone was assassinated by President Bush.) Their only solution is to use paper ballots.

But a return to the Middle Ages isn't a solution. Today, we place our very lives in the hands of computers. Computers are not only used to design planes, trains, automobiles, office towers, and nuclear power plants, they operate them as well. Commerce and banking are all computerized. System security, redundancy checks and backup provisions assure near perfect performance and reliability. When computers fail, others take over. Computers have improved our way of life, and they're the only means to resolve the problems which—commissions that have studied the problem have found—are inherent with paper-based ballots.

So it would be foolish to allow left-wing paranoia and distrust of Republicans in power to sway us from using a rational system that holds a cornucopia of advantages. As a side benefit, under my system, left-wing political rants, boorish allegations and attempts to undermine the legitimacy of Republican office holders would come to a crashing end.


*Ed: Views are those of individual authors and not necessarily those of American Daily.

snip

http://www.americandaily.com/article/11197


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408899

[Wilms]

4. NJ: Mandatory Random Manual Audit Bill Introduced in State Senate

New Jersey: Mandatory Random Manual Audit Bill Introduced in State Senate

By Warren Stewart, Director of Legislative Issues and Policy, VoteTrustUSA

January 12, 2006

Bill Would Create An Appointed "Audit Team" To Select and Conduct a Statewide 2% Hand Counted Audit

State Senator Nia Gill (D-Essex and Passaic) has introduced S. 507 (full text), a bill that requires mandatory handcounted audits of 2% of election results in the state. Twelve states have similar audit provisions and several others will be considering similar legislation this year. Last summer Governor Richard Codey signed a bill into law requiring that voting systems used in the state produce or require the use of a voter verified paper record of every vote. Like that bill, the provisions of S. 507 would not take effect until 2008.

The bill calls for the creation of an audit team selected by the Attorney General, the chief state election administrator under New Jersey law. The number and composition of that team is undefined except that one of the members should have "verifiable expertise in the field of statistics". The team will conduct random hand counts ofvoter verified paper records in at least 2% of the election districts in federal and state elections. Hand counts would also be made of the results of at least one voting machine in each election district. Votes cast in electronic voting machines, provisional ballots, absentee ballots, and the ballots of military and overseas federal election voters would all be included in the audit.

The bill does not provide a specific trigger mechanism for additional hand counts, should the initial audit reveal inconsistencies. Rather it leaves it to the Attorney General to determine if such discrepancies "show cause for concern". The action to be taken in that event, including the possibility of further handcounts, is similarly left to the determination of the Attorney General.

The randomness of the selection process is prescribed in the bill by requiring that the "selection of the election districts and county and municipal elections to be audited shall be made…on a random basis using a uniform distribution in which all districts…have an equal chance of being selected…except that at least one voting machine in one district shall be selected for an audit in each county in the State". Similar language appears in legislation currently before the Pennsylvania Assembly.

snip

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=720&Itemid=113


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408847

[Wilms]

16. Text of NJ mandatory VVPB audit bill- please crtique

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408936

[Wilms]

5. Live On-Line Chat w/Bob Fitrakis Friday here on Election Reform @ 9pm EST

Election Reformers, get your questions ready because DUers will be able to pose their election reform questions to Bob Fitrakis, <freepress.org>, tomorrow, Friday January 13 at 9 pm EST(to allow you left coasters to participate).

Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408819

[Wilms]

6. CA : Clean Money and Fair Elections Act (A.B. 583) from Act For Change

Californians, tell the Assembly: Support Clean Money!

Contributed by the California Clean Money Campaign

The rise of Jack Abramoff and his cronies is the natural result of a broken campaign finance system that forces candidates and elected officials into a perpetual pursuit of campaign contributions.

Here in California, the cost of campaigning is stuck in an ever-escalating upwards spiral, creating an election playing field where only the rich or those who can raise millions of dollars can compete, and a "pay-to-play" government endebted to deep-pocketed donors and corporate interests.

But things do not have to be this way. The states of Arizona and Maine -- and very recently Connecticut -- have adopted sensible and proven campaign finance reform: "Clean Money" full public funding of election campaigns. With Clean Money, elected officials are accountable to the public, because the public -- not wealthy interests -- pays for the candidates' campaigns. Because Clean Money makes elections a competition of ideas rather than a war of wallets, more good people of modest means can run viable campaigns.

This month, Assembly Bill 583, the Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, will finally be voted on in the California State Assembly. This bill will help establish a Clean Money system of public funding of election campaigns for statewide and legislative races in California. This bill needs and deserves our support.

Call to action

Write your Assemblymember to support AB 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act.

snip/petition

http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=20174&afccode=n20txt


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408824

[Wilms]

7. NC: Chatham County BoE Selects The Wrong New Voting Machine Option

North Carolina: Chatham County Board of Elections Selects The Wrong New Voting Machine Option

By Nick Meyer, NC Coalition for Verified Voting

January 12, 2006

This editorial appeared in The Chatham Journal on January 11, 2006. It is reposted with permission of the author.

Pittsboro, NC - On Wednesday evening, January 4, 2006 the Chatham County Board of Elections held a public forum to address the decision the County must make (as mandated by the State) on new voting machines for the county. The attendees of the meeting came from both parties and were made up largely of folks who have worked hard in Chatham County elections as poll workers. In a long presentation, by a sales representative of the vendor, both systems (the Optical Scan Tabulation System and the Direct Record Election System DRE) merits were shown. A spirited question and answer session followed. The BOE was unable or unwilling to present the forum with a cost estimate. A member of the BOE told a reporter that the decision would not be made solely on cost.

The attendees were asked to register their opinion of which system they preferred on little blue cards that were collected and tabulated by the BOE. The group overwhelmingly (53-14) indicated a preference for the Optical Scan System.

Yet on the morning of Friday, January 6, the BOE unanimously recommend that the county buy the DRE voting machines instead. The BOE maintained to the same reporter that they decided. on the basis of cost over a ten year period as presented in a written estimate that was eventually distributed to attendees.

I maintain that this estimate contains some obvious errors and omissions.

snip

That the Board of Elections did not supply any comparative cost estimates (or indeed, estimates of any kind) at the public forum Wednesday night seems to me nonfeasance.

That the estimates used to make their recommendation to the County Commissioners are so flawed in structure and detail seems to me misfeasance.

If the over-estimates of the costs of the optical scanning system and the under-estimates of the costs of the DRE system are in anyway an attempt to justify a preconceived decision on their part, that would be malfeasance.

snip

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=726&Itemid=30

[Algorem]

8. OH-Dem Candidate for Blackwell's job says it’s time for honest elections

http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=21435

By BETH L. JOKINEN

LIMA — ...

Brunner, a former Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge, was legislative counsel and deputy director for former Secretary of State Sherrod Brown. She said she was dismayed in 2004 to see Blackwell use his job as secretary of state to campaign for State Issue 1 and for President Bush’s re-election.

“When I worked for Sherrod Brown back 20 years ago, it was understood, and we had a creed and we had a code that we could not go out and promote someone’s election, especially when we were counting the votes,” she said.

Brunner also talked about a state bill that would require people to provide identification when they vote. She urged people to tell their legislators to reject the bill, comparing it to the way blacks were disenfranchised after the end of slavery. Voting stipulations were put in place such as allowing a person to vote only if their grandfather or father was able to vote.

“They called that election reform back then, and it’s exactly what this bill is trying to do,” she said, saying that recent scandals involving the Republican Party have those in power wor-ried. “So if you can’t win fair and square, you change the rules so you can still stay in power, and I’m convinced that’s what they’re doing.”

[Wilms]

9. AZ: Computer Scientist Releases Report on Maricopa County Voting Machine..

Arizona: Computer Scientist Releases Report on Maricopa County Voting Machine Problems

By Warren Stewart, Director of Legislative Issues and Policy, VoteTrustUSA

January 12, 2006

Jones Report Questions the Quality of State and Federal Oversight of Voting Technology

Douglas Jones, a highly respected computer scientist who has written extensively on the history and technology of voting, has released a report detailing the results of his investigation of voting machine problems in Maricopa County Arizona (Phoenix). Dr. Jones, a professor at the University of Iowa, was invited on December 20, 2005 to perform extensive testing on the county's 8 Optech 4C vote tabulating machines. These machines are used to scan absentee ballots, which make up approximately half of all ballots cast in a typical election in Maricopa County.

The circumstances surrounding the request for Dr. Jones' report have created some controversy in Arizona. Sen. Jack Harper (R-Surprise) is investigating voting irregularities in the 2004 District 20 primary. Harper initially requested that the State Senate to fund the report, but when Senate President Ken Bennett denied his request, Harper arranged to fund the investigation privately by the Phoenix New Times. The newspaper agreed to pay $3,000 for Jones to examine voting machines used in the 2004 District 20 primary race and Jones, was allowed to inspect the machines last month as a result of Harper's subpoenas

snip

Jones suggests that only by hand examination of how actual voters mark their ballots can we determine how the thresholds on the voting machines ought to be set. Jones also suggests that when a recount differs significantly from the first count, only a hand examination of the ballots can determine whether the machinery was out of adjustment or whether ballots might have been altered.

snip

http://votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=718&Itemid=113


Link to Jones' Report (it's a .pdf)

http://www.votetrustusa.org/pdfs/Arizona_Folder/ArizonaDist20.pdf



Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408914

[Wilms]

14. AZ: Voting expert says ballots from primary should be examined

Voting expert says ballots from primary should be examined

Harper to face ethics panel

Casey Newton
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 13, 2006 12:00 AM

A voting-technology expert is calling for the examination of ballots cast in a District 20 primary election, saying it is the only way to quell concerns that the ballots were tampered with.

While the report gives support to those who have questioned the handling of the September 2004 recount, the circumstance of its release could mean trouble for the state senator who sponsored it.

"Without empirical examination of a random sample of voted ballots, there is no way to decide between the hypothesis that ballots have been altered and the hypothesis that ballots were miscounted by poorly calibrated machines," University of Iowa Associate Professor Douglas Jones wrote in a report released Thursday.

snip

"I'm very alarmed that Dr. Jones believes one of the options may be fraud," said Harper, R-Surprise.

snip

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0113capitol-harper13.html

[Wilms]

10. Mark Crispin Miller on radio TODAY (Friday) 4:30pm Eastern

Mark Crispin Miller on WGDR radio today at 4:30 talking about his book, Fooled Again with host Jim Hogue.

Then at about 5:30: a discussion of "The Vermont Resolution" or What should the states do to prepare for the event of martial law and other blatant usurpations of power by the federal government? (with its author Mike Mitchell)

listen online:
http://www.wgdr.org


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408916

[Wilms]

11. CA State Sen Bowen on radio Sunday, 10:35 AM Pacific

Senator Debra Bowen will be on KLSD Radio in San Diego on Sunday, January 15, at 10:35 a.m. to talk about electronic voting issues.

She’ll be on with the KLSD Watchdog, Craig Elsten.

If you’d like to listen on-line, you can do so by going to http://www.klsd1360.com/streaming.html


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408909

[Wilms]

12. Live On-Line Chat w/Bob Fitrakis Friday here on Election Reform @ 9pm EST

Election Reformers, get your questions ready because DUers will be able to pose their election reform questions to Bob Fitrakis, <freepress.org>, today, Friday January 13 at 9 pm EST(to allow you left coasters to participate).

Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408819#top

[Wilms]

13. CA: Sonoma, Mendocino, other counties join Alameda's request to Legislatu.

Mail-only vote in primary possible

Sonoma, Mendocino, other counties join Alameda's request to Legislature

By BLEYS W. ROSE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Friday, Jan 13, 2006

The June primary in Sonoma, Mendocino and other counties could be conducted entirely by mail - with no polling places open - if the Legislature approves a plan gathering steam across the state.

The idea for emergency legislation allowing counties to conduct absentee-only balloting stems from Alameda County, where officials are concerned their new electronic voting machines aren't working well enough to use in June.

Because of those concerns, Alameda has asked the Legislature for special permission to substitute mail-only balloting for the traditional system of polling places.

Now Sonoma County and others that long have supported mail balloting because they believe it is more efficient want to be added to the legislation.

snip

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060113/NEWS/601130304/1265


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408918

[Wilms]

15. NM: Governor Proposes Legislation Requiring Paper Based System In Every C.

New Mexico: Richardson Calls For Paper Ballots Statewide

By Warren Stewart, Director of Legislative Issues and Policy, VoteTrustUSA

January 12, 2006

Governor Proposes Legislation Requiring Paper Based System In Every County

At a press conference in Santa Fe today, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said that he will propose legislation that requires a paper ballot voting system in all counties and asking that lawmakers allocate $11 million to help pay for needed software and voting machines. According to an Albuquerque Journal article Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and Attorney General Patricia Madrid support the switch to the paper ballot system. The press conference was attended by many election reform activists including representatives of Verified Voting New Mexico and United Voters of New Mexico, two groups that have labored tirelessly for verifiable elections in the state. Richardson generously invited activists, clerks, and legislators to speak at the press conference and their was uniform praise for the Governor's proposal.

Richardson noted that New Mexico currently uses 6 different sytems, a situation that results in added costs and complications in assembling election results. He observed that irregularities in New Mexico's election data had received national attention and through his proposed unified system, he intended New Mexico to lead the nation in trustworthy election processes. Richardson also pointed out that a uniform paper based systems will save the state in the long run in spite of the initial cost of implementation, a fact born out by numerous studies from states across the country.

Attorney General Madrid emphasized the need to end legal-theory based election challenges that seem to becoming more common around the nation with a system the voters can trust and leaves behind a paper ballot that have been verified by the voter. She pointed out that if this bill is passed as proposed in this outline that it would probably moot the current injunciton being brough to stop the implementation of certain DRE system, since "it gives them everything they are asking for". Her legal spokesman noted that despite the attourney general's leadership on guiding the proposed legislation, in the meantime the state is legal obligated to contest the injunction since it confilcts with the SOS's plans for meeting the current NM laws).

Speaking for Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron who was unable to attend the press conference, State Election Director Ernest Marquez said that if lawmakers approve the proposed legislation it would be possible to have a paper ballot system in operation statewide across in November — depending on whether enough ballot tabulating machines, software and other equipment can be quickly purchased. In addition to the funding proposed by Richardson, New Mexico is already in receipt of over $9 million in federally funding for voting system upgrades.

snip

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=723&Itemid=113

[Febble]

17. Thread started here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x408941

[Wilms]

18. Thanks for linking. nt