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Will they never learn? Do they want to learn? I am offended that the EAC would bring back to the technical standards fold long-time members of NASED's Voting Systems Board, who for years let flagrant problems just go by and put the final stamp of approval on flawed systems:
Donetta Davidson Britt Williams Paul Craft
Williams, of course, of Diebold/Georgia fame and Craft is hugely responsible, behind the scenes, for Florida. Why are these people being "rewarded" for letting down the voters and the country?
Anyone else on this list that needs to go?
I think Ron Rivest is a good guy but why not Barbara Simons? And where are the experts in checks and balances, some good accountants? Where are offcials with their eyes open, like Freddie Oakley and Kevin Shelley? And where are the CITIZENS? Why don't we have any representation? Susan Marie Weber, Bev Harris, Lynn Landes, Victoria Collier- where are the people who will ask the questions and demand accountability that can be employed by ANY citizen? (Voter verified paper ballots and lots of random auditing)
Citizens at the grass roots level are responsible for exposing the dangers and continue to unravel the threads of problems in our electoral system.
It's OUR vote, dammit, and why are WE not represented on this committee?
You don't have to be a "technical" expert (I sincerely doubt Davidson is) to provide the input needed to insure a balanced, accountable system, to say, "Wait a minute, this is a representative democracy and as such, every citizen should be able to participate in the process- and that is NOT just voting."
With all due respect to the others, without some balanced, outside-of-the-technical-realm input, we're going to end up with another technological, anti-democratic boondoggle.
I think that the EAC should reconsider Davidson, Williams, and Craft. Employing the same people that had a hand in the system as it currently is, is counter-intuitive. Time for some new blood. We can't come up with new solutions with the same old ingredients.
U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION1225 New York Ave. NW Suite 1100Washington, DC 20005
U.S. EAC FORMS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE TO CREATE NEW VOTING STANDARDS
For Immediate Release Contact: Bryan Whitener
June 17, 2004
(202) 566-3100
The Chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announced the formation of the 15-member Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC)during his testimony before the House Administration Committee today. EAC Chairman DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. said that the TDGC will be charged to work during the next nine months to draft important standards for all voting systems used in the United States. “The appointment of this committee marks the very first time the federal government has become involved in voting on this level. We spent much of our nation’s history determining who should vote. We now turn to the issue of how people vote,” said Chairman Soaries.
The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requires the EAC to develop voluntary voting system guidelines for voting systems and voting equipment used in the States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. It also requires the EAC to oversee the testing, certification and decertification of election equipment used in federal elections. HAVA mandates that the TGDC draft these important guidelines for consideration by the EAC Standards Board and Board of Advisors, and for ultimate consideration and adoption by the EAC.
Voting System Standards were last adopted in the United States by the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in 2002. EAC Commissioner Paul DeGregorio, a former local election official from Missouri, stated: “State and local election officials, as well as voter advocates eagerly await the adoption of these important voting system guidelines. The crucial research and open discussion that will take place by the TGDC and the EAC over the next year will be helpful to all election officials, advocates and all Americans. The intense scrutiny that newer voting systems are now receiving makes it clear that these guidelines are sorely needed.”
The guidelines drafted by the TGDC will enable the EAC to offer guidance to States and election authorities that will use some of the $2.3 billion dollars of federal HAVA funds year to purchase new voting equipment in 2005.
As required by HAVA, The TGDC will be chaired by Dr. Arden Bement, the Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST will provide technical and administrative support to the Committee. Other members of the TGDC come from HAVA-required groups, including representatives from the American National Standards Institute, the National Association of State Election Directors, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Board (commonly referred to as the Access Board), the EAC Standards Board, the EAC Board of Advisors, and individuals with technical and scientific expertise.
A list of members of the TGDC is attached.
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*The U.S. Election Assistance Commission was created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). The Commission is charged with administering voluntary guidelines for election requirements under HAVA, maintaining a clearinghouse of information regarding election administration procedures including testing and certification of election equipment, and administering the Election Assistance and Help America Vote Programs. The EAC commissioners are DeForest B.Soaries, Jr., Chairman; Gracia M. Hillman, Vice Chair, Paul DeGregorio and Ray Martinez III.
Technical Guidelines Development Committee
Chair Dr. Arden Bement Acting Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Gaithersburg, MD
Donetta Davidson Colorado Secretary of State Standards Board ( EAC ) Denver, CO Alice Miller Director of Elections-District of Columbia Standards Board ( EAC ) Washington, DC Sharon Turner Buie Director of Elections-Kansas City Board of Advisors ( EAC ) Kansas City, MO Helen Purcell Maricopa County Recorder Board of Advisors ( EAC ) Phoenix, AZ
James (Jim) R. Harding Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Board Tallahassee, FL
James Elekes Architectural and Transportation Barrier Compliance Board North Plainfield, NJ Ann Caldas Director Procedures and Standards Administration American National Standards Institute (ANSI) New York, NY
H. Stephen Berger TEM Consulting, LP- Chair, IEEE SEC 38 (Voting Syst. Stds.) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Georgetown, TX Dr. Brittain Williams Retired professor- Kennesaw State- University of Georgia National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) Tucker, GA Paul Craft Florida Department of State, Voting Systems Division National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) Tallahassee, FL
Dr. Ronald Rivest Professor, MIT-Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Cambridge, MA
Dr. Daniel Schutzer Vice President & Director of External Standards and Advanced Technology, e-Citi, CitiGroup Stamford, CT Patrick Gannon President and CEO, OASIS Billerica, MA
Whitney Quesenbery President-Usability Professionals' Association High Bridge, NJ
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or
concerns at 866/747-1471 (toll free) or directly at 202/566-3118.
Bryan Whitener
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
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