Best MSM Article on E-Voting Ever! BREAKING: U.S. House Puts FL-13 Court on Notice! MORE...

[BradBlog]

Several pieces -- some breaking -- all very much worth noting today... -- Brad

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

New CA Secretary of State Bowen to Review Every Voting System in Use From 'Top to Bottom', Will Consider Decertification of Machines Approved by Predecessor McPherson
As Tom Elias Writes the Single Best MSM Article We've Ever Seen on the Current State of E-Voting!

Since it's the first time we've ever actually seen anybody in the MSM get this point dead right, we're running his first two grafs in full here:

An anxious time is just about to begin for the two interest groups that have done more than anyone else in recent years to make Californians feel uncertain about the integrity of their elections.

Those two groups: The makers of electronic voting machines of various types, many of whose devices have been shown to be both hackable and problematic in other ways. And county voter registrars who bought those machines largely with many millions of dollars derived from the federal Help America Vote Act, which was more concerned about speed of conversion to new technologies than whether they were trustworthy.

Thank you, Tom! That, and much more to thank incoming SoS Debra Bowen for (in advance), in the MUST READ full article...

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3990

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

And this just breaking...
FL-13 UPDATE: New U.S. House Administration Comm. Chair Sends Letter, Puts Florida Court on Notice Concerning Release of Touch-Screen Voting Machine Source Code in Jennings/Buchanan Election!
Letter Could be Precursor to Congressional Subpeona as Necessary...

FULL UPDATE, LINK TO COMPLETE LETTER:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3991

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

And this important story, in case you didn't catch our early morning alert...
California County Official Who Dared 'Hackers' to Manipulate Voting System Gets Desperate!
Sends Letter to Outgoing CA Sec. of State Attempting to Create New Conditions for Hack Test! Computer Security Experts Deride!
EXCLUSIVE: Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone's Complete Letter to SoS Bruce McPherson

COMPLETE EXPOSÉ: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3988

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

And, finally, this for your bemusement and wild-eyed wonder...
Fox "News" Fair and Balanced Chyron of the Moment...



from: http://www.newshounds.us/2007/01/05/fox_news_banner_on_nancy_pelosi_100_hours_to_turn_america_into_san_francisco.php

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


---
Brad Friedman
THE BRAD BLOG - The uprising continues...
http://www.BradBlog.com
VELVET REVOLUTION's Election Protection Strike Force!
Of the people, by the people, for the people...
http://www.VelvetRevolution.us/ElectionStrikeForce

[blm]

1. GREAT NEWS....thankyou Brad.

You're always there for us, compatriot.

[Patsy Stone]

2. K&R

Thanks, Brad!

:toast:

[Pierre.Suave]

3. Good news

Brad, I have been reading your blog for a long time, I am glad you have it up as a resource and as a place for news about our voting problems.

Lets hope this good news is only the beginning.

J

[BradBlog]

15. Thanks!

...Does it pay anything? Can I melt it down to sell for scrap? I could use it! ;-)

ON EDIT: Whoops, meant to reply to the post about my winning of the Medal of Freedom! :-(

[Pierre.Suave]

16. thats ok

I feel as if i was touched by greatness.

[malaise]

4. You've earned a medal of freedom

for unbelievable hard work re voting machines.
K&R

[madeline_con]

5. Help America Vote Act

Thirteen months after 9/11, the Help America Vote Act is passed. It smacks or RW voting manipulation, IMHO:

To establish a program to provide funds to States to replace punch card
voting systems, to establish the Election Assistance Commission to
assist in the administration of Federal elections and to otherwise
provide assistance with the administration of certain Federal election
laws and programs, to establish minimum election administration
standards for States and units of local government with responsibility
for the administration of Federal elections, and for other
purposes. <<NOTE: Oct. 29, 2002 - >>

[stillcool]

20. kind of makes me wonder...

what other shit laws are on the books...and if anyone... other than the intended beneficiary..will ever know.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

6. Yay yay yay!!!

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[caseycoon]

7. TOO COOL!

Thank you Brad for all that you do.
:yourock:

[jumpoffdaplanet]

8. I wish someone could convince bradblog...

to format their pages to fit on a screen.

It's is tiring to have to sweep a page back and forth just to read a line.

sigh

[druidity33]

12. yeah...

i have trouble there too. Granted i'm using an older version of Safari, but that's really the only website that i visit that doesn't format at all on my screen. All of the words run on top of each other... it's just unreadable.

joining your sigh

[BradBlog]

14. No convincing necessary (for me)...

I'm guessing you're using either an older Mac or an older version of IE on it. That was some mysterious bug in IE (or in the Mac OS) that I could never figure out.

I used to hear complaints about it with some regularity, but after having made a few design changes, and most folks upgrading either their browser or OS, I haven't heard that it's still a problem. Until now :-(

Not that I'd ask you to change browsers for *me*, but if you try an alternate like Foxfire or Safari or something, I'm guessing the problem won't exist for you anymore. Beyond that, if I knew what to change, I'd be happy to do so.

(P.S. Thanks all for the kind words, btw)

[Pierre.Suave]

19. If it matters to anyone...

I use an apple iBook 12" running 10.4.8 and the latest safari and it displayed fine.

It also works in firefox and camino.

[jumpoffdaplanet]

25. The problem, for me, is when I increase the font

brad uses a small font. Too small to read without increases, even with reading glasses.

And it doesn't take a big increase to make the page wider than the screen.

[BradBlog]

27. There is an Alternate Color/Size Scheme for you to try...

...If you haven't already. In the top-right box, there is a couple of new "SELECT COLOR SCHEME" options. The 'Dark on Light' version uses larger fonts. You might want to try that if you haven't already.

[Pierre.Suave]

31. How much bigger are you making it?

And how big is your screen, and what resolution are you using?

Here is my test, onmy 12 inch screen at 1024x768 resolution.

Safari, let me increse font size 3 times before it stretched the screen.



Camino, I had the same result, same resolution and screen size.



Firefox would only let me increse the font size 2 times before stretching the screen.

[FogerRox]

9. Thanks Brad, good on ya.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. "100 Hours to turn America into San Francisco"?

Cool. Does that mean I will be able to get cracked Dungeness Crab with mayo and sourdough bread just about everywhere in NJ? I can live with that.

On the other hand, I suspect that Hannity is hoping it means ball gags and body modification for him. Which might help his ratings a bit.

[krispos42]

29. A Golden Gate Bridge in every district!

Can't wait for the one in mine. Maybe they can put it across the Mississippi River.

[Peace Patriot]

11. FABULOUS NEWS about FL-13, where 18,000 mostly Democratic votes were

'disappeared' by ES&S, in a contest decided by only 300+ plus votes. ES&S is a spinoff of, and brethren corporation to, Diebold--similar computer architecture (crapass Windows). The two companies, until recently run by two brothers, Tod and Bob Urosevich, together "counted" 80% of the nation's votes in 2004, using TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code, owned and controlled by these two Bushite Corporations. ES&S was initially funded by rightwing billionaire Howard Ahmanson who also gave one million dollars to the extremist 'christian' Chalcedon foundation (which touts the death penalty for homosexuals, among other things). Diebold, of course, was headed by a Bush-Cheney campaign chair and major fundraiser. These are the corporations into whose grimy hands Tom Delay and Bob Ney (abetted by Christopher Dodd and Terry McAuliffe) entrusted our election system, via the "Help America Vote For Bush Act" of 2002.

HATS OFF to Congresswoman JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD, new chair of the House Administration Committee, who wrote the letter! The times they are a-changin'!

AND WHAT A RELIEF to have a California Secretary of State acting in the public's interest, for God's sake--and a woman of great intelligence and lifelong commitment to open government! We managed to get rid of that slimeball McPherson, and despite Diebold, elected DEBRA BOWEN! Clearly her vote was much bigger than we know. And, although I would like to see her throw every goddam Diebold/ES&S/Sequoia election theft machine into Long Beach Harbor--or the Sacramento River!--and she is not likely to do that--at least not right away*--it is wonderful to have her on the case. A for-instance of her concerns--besides planning a complete review of every voting machine in California (which is going to send the corrupt election officials in this state scampering for cover)--is making recounts easier and cheaper. And HOORAH to that! What good is a paper ballot if it never gets counted? This shows that she is looking at ALL the ways that We, the People, are disenfranchised.

I am overjoyed at DEBRA BOWEN'S election! Shows you we can win against the odds, and the machines--if we just hang in there!

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

*(The Bush Junta and assorted creeps and corporate news monopolies in California "swift-boated" the previous Democratic CA Sec of State--Kevin Shelley--out of office, on entirely bogus charges, ruined his career, made it impossible for him to do his job or to recover--his punishment for moving fast to save the 2004 election from election fraud. He sued Diebold and decertified their touchscreens in May 2004, six months before the election, and demanded to see their source code. They delayed responding until after the election, then they got him. Don't ever underestimate the Dark Lords we are dealing with!

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

THANKS, BRAD, FOR ALL THE NEWS! KEEP THE GOOD NEWS COMING!

How about that EAC, huh?-- shutting down Ciber Inc (secret industry voting machine "testing" lab) LAST SUMMER, for lousy "quality control"--just before the most important Congressional elections in our history--and NOT TELLING ANYBODY?

Jeez, these people.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3048758

[Peace Patriot]

13. Re: Pelosi. Check out that smile! Is that from the City of Light or what?

They can't spoil it. It's shines too bright. They'll have to go back to their rat-holes and figure something else out.

I am now a Pelosi fan! That smile did it. And ya'all see that "anti-surge" letter she and Reid sent to Bush? It is a WOW letter. Yeah, maybe there's some back room deal going, or they can't enforce it, but at least THEY SAID IT, and said it OFFICIALLY, and said it very well, indeed. And that is a beginning. I hope they have a whole Magna Carta of letters lined up to send over to the Usurper! Certain things NEED TO BE PUT IN WRITING--for now, and for all time!

Pelosi-Reid letter on Iraq:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3050941

[In Truth We Trust]

17. K&R Hand Counted Paper Ballots NOW! Nothing More Nothing Less!

Thanks Brad!

edit to add:

I am sooo glad Debra Bowen won in spite of the presence of source code. I hope she doesn't get the Kevin Shelly treatment from the dark side.

[Stevepol]

18. It's happening by Golly. Democracy's Hummer is about to get some traction

and power its way out of the mud and slime and quicksand of idiotic judges and bribed elections officials.

IT'S HAPPENING!!

[diane in sf]

23. Democracy drives a hybrid! (eom)

[Wilms]

21. How fun! n/t

:D

[nicknameless]

22. Great stuff, Brad.

K&R

[Pastiche423]

24. One day, I am going to read one of your posts

and it will say...

The United States of America has rejected all touch screen voting systems!

When that does happen, you will have been a great part of making it happen.

I live in Oregon where we have Vote by Mail. I love voting in the comfort of my own living room. Recently, our local news has been reporting that other states have been asking about our voting by mail.

Since we began voting by mail, the percentage of people voting has increased dramatically. (Can remember the #s.)

I hope all states will follow our lead.

Soon.

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date and for of your passionate work!

[BradBlog]

28. That day is not far, I believe...However...

Pastiche423 said:

One day, I am going to read one of your posts

and it will say...

The United States of America has rejected all touch screen voting systems!

When that does happen, you will have been a great part of making it happen.

I don't think that day is particularly far away if the Holt bill keeps moving in the direction it's going. That's the good news...

I live in Oregon where we have Vote by Mail. I love voting in the comfort of my own living room. Recently, our local news has been reporting that other states have been asking about our voting by mail.

Since we began voting by mail, the percentage of people voting has increased dramatically. (Can remember the #s.)

I hope all states will follow our lead.

I don't. The fact is (which many people don't realize) that absentee ballots are usually counted via op-scan systems which use secret software just the same as their touch-screen brethren. Even in Oregon.

And worse than op-scan at the precinct (or even central op-scan where the ballots come in from the precincts on Election Day) ballots that come in via absentee don't even have the "paper trail" that occurs when votes come in via the precinct where the number of voters are counted/tracked, etc. Absentee ballots via mail are scanned straight into the tabulator without any way to track how many came in, etc.

That's quite dangerous as the easiest way to defraud the system, by far, is via absentee mail-in ballots.

The system seems to work quite well in Oregon, but that seems due to the good work of your SoS Bradbury. What the voting folks on the ground in OR tell me is that many of the good decisions that occur to help keep things straight in OR is due to his good executive decisions. Not due to legislation. So if you lose Bradbury, you may lose a significant amount of the confidence you have in your system. Not good.

Also, remember, that with op-scan as frequently inaccurate as it is, without appropriate audits (whatever amount is determined will return a 99% scientific certainty that the op-scanned results are actually accurate), there is no reason to trust op-scan numbers.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln...how was the play? ;-)

[Pastiche423]

30. Is there now any difference

between absentee ballots and the paper ballots we use in Oregon? I used absentee ballots prior to moving to Oregon (I am disabled) and they weren't the same. I think both used opti-scan tabulators, though.

The way it has been explained to Oregonians, we place out ballots into the secret envelope, w/our signature on the envelope. Both are then placed in another envelope.

When the envelope is received, the secret envelope is removed and the signature is matched w/our signatures on file. The ballot is then sent to be counted. This doesn't seem to be what you described.

It has been my hope that Bill Bradbury's MS will remain as non progressive as it has in the past. I know both Bill and his wife, Katie. They are great people and very approachable.

[BradBlog]

32. Not that I know of...

Pastiche423 asked:

Is there now any difference between absentee ballots and the paper ballots we use in Oregon? I used absentee ballots prior to moving to Oregon (I am disabled) and they weren't the same. I think both used opti-scan tabulators, though.

All jurisdictions, of course, are slightly different, but the central idea is (usually) the same. The absentee ballots from elsewhere are essentially the same as the "mail-in ballots" used in Oregon. All generally op-scanned upon receipt.

I welcome any Oregonians who'd like to go into more detail on any specific differences I may not be aware of. (Oregon has some excellent Election Integrity advocates on the ground, btw. See OregonVRC.org)

The way it has been explained to Oregonians, we place out ballots into the secret envelope, w/our signature on the envelope. Both are then placed in another envelope.

When the envelope is received, the secret envelope is removed and the signature is matched w/our signatures on file. The ballot is then sent to be counted. This doesn't seem to be what you described.

It's pretty much what I described. Or meant to, anyway. I didn't discuss the way the signature matching and/or secret envelopes, etc. are handled. The end result, in any case, is that the paper ballots are then op-scanned.

Since there's no real way to determine how many ballots *actually* came in, it wouldn't be all that difficult to make a few of them disappear as needed. Or even add a few as needed. That's more difficult to do when, say 264 voters show up to vote and sign into the book at a poll on election day. There will (or should) be 264 votes from that precinct. Much more difficult to track how many votes *should* be there, for any particular precincts voters when it's all done by mail. If that makes sense.

Brad

[HCE SuiGeneris]

26. If we are to have any faith in U.S. government

ever again, the overhaul of the current voting system MUST occur. Thank you for your constant dedication to push for this reform. Have to give you a cheesy :yourock: gif! Keep on keeping on Brad!