Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Saturday 5/21/05

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

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

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=371233#371391

Link to previous Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=371114&mesg_id=371114


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

Residents protest voting that leaves no paper trail

About 60 turned out for a demonstration against Volusia's plan to buy touch-screen machines.

By Kevin Connolly | Sentinel Staff Writer

Posted May 20, 2005

DELAND --

-snip-

Well, we're actually hoping to get the attention of our county councilmen and show them that we want our voter verifiable paper trail because we believe that's the most important thing towards making votes count," Powell said in front of the county's historic courthouse.

County Council members, meeting nearby Thursday on the second floor of the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center, have heard the concerns of paperless voting foes during previous meetings held during the last few months.

And, in some cases, council members share protesters' concerns about buying devices that do not produce paper ballots that can be double-checked in the event of recounts or close elections.

But, as council members said during a key meeting last month, they simply have no choice because of new laws that require them to provide disability-accessible voting devices for elections after July 1.

-snip/more-

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-locvprotest20052005may20,0,7866600.story?coll=orl-news-headlines

Issues at a glance in the gubernatorial election challenge

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

On Monday, the trial begins in Republican Dino Rossi's legal challenge to the election of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire. The magic number in the case is 129, the margin by which Gregoire beat Rossi in the final, hand recount of 2.9 million ballots.

Republicans hope to prove that when all the mistakes in the election are corrected, Rossi beat Gregoire. Democrats hope to show that when all the mistakes are corrected, Gregoire beat Rossi by an even wider margin.

>>>snip

Though they lack a smoking gun - a memo telling election workers to destroy Rossi ballots, for example - Republicans say they will argue that fraud tainted the 2004 election.

"One way or the other, fraud is going to be a factor," Rossi spokeswoman Mary Lane said Friday. Whether Bridges will allow the GOP to go down that road remains to be seen.


More: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Election%20on%20Trial%20Issues


Oops! I should have replied to the OP. Sorry!

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Discussion/Keep Kicked:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1798234

MIKE: SCRAP PAPER TRAIL FOR VOTE BOOTHS

May 21, 2005 -- Technology is so advanced these days that there's no need for paper backups when the city buys new electronic voting machines, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday.
"I would do it without a paper trail," Bloomberg said on his weekly WABC radio show.

"If you are worried about honesty in computers and their reliability, don't get in an airplane, because you'd never get off the ground, don't get on a subway, don't get in your car anymore."

Bloomberg's position puts him at odds with his Democratic rivals, who argue that a paper backup is necessary and prudent.

But the mayor said computers are "phenomenally reliable" these days.

"Sure, you're always going to have a breakdown. You're never going to have a set of voting machines that is 100 percent reliable, but you can come pretty close."

More: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/46910.htm

Errors Found in Two More Reading Voting Machines

< View a video clip of this news story >
(requires free Real One Player - click here for help)


WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS ON THE BERKS COUNTY ELECTION ERRORS.
ELECTION OFFICIALS NOW SAY THERE ARE EVEN MORE PROBLEMS WITH VOTING MACHINES FROM THIS PAST TUESDAY'S PRIMARY ELECTION.

69 NEWS WAS FIRST TO TELL YOU ON WEDNESDAY THAT THERE WERE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH TWO VOTING MACHINES IN TWO PRECINCTS IN NORTHWEST READING.


NOW, WE'VE LEARNED THAT THE PROBLEM IS BIGGER THAN WAS FIRST REPORTED BY BERKS ELECTION SERVICES, COUNTY COMMSSIONERS AND THE COMPANY THAT RUNS THE MACHINES, DANAHER (DAY-nuh-HAR) CONTROLS.
AFTER AN EXTENSIVE AUDIT AND REVIEW OF ALL 368 VOTING MACHINES, DANAHER SAYS TWO ADDITIONAL VOTING MACHINES IN TWO DIFFERENT PRECINCTS HAVE TURNED UP WITH PROBLEMS.

THEY ARE IN THE 16TH WARD, PRECINCT ONE, AND THE 19TH WARD, PRECINCT TWO.

BOTH ARE IN READING.

THAT MEANS, AN ADDITIONAL 264 VOTES CANNOT BE COUNTED, FOR NOW.

ON WEDNESDAY, DANAHER ADMITTED TO MAKING MISTAKES WITH TWO OTHER VOTING MACHINES IN TWO OTHER PRECINCTS, LEAVING ANOTHER 199 VOTES UNCOUNTED.

Link: http://wfmz.com/cgi-bin/tt.cgi?action=viewstory&storyid=3828

Friday, May 20, 2005


From Left: Harvey Wasserman, Bob Fitrakis, Cliff Arnebeck, Stephanie Miller, Greg, and Susan Truitt at today’s Stephanie Miller Radio show.

The Chairman of the Ohio Honest Elections Campaign is Clifford O. Arnebeck. Cliff is also the Co-Chair of the Alliance for Democracy as well as the Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee for Common Cause-Ohio. Cliff is also counsel for the NAACP Voter Education Fund in a state RICO case.

http://www.ohiohonestelections.org/>http://www.ohiohonestelections.org/

MIKE: SCRAP PAPER TRAIL FOR VOTE BOOTHS

By DAVID SEIFMAN

May 21, 2005

Technology is so advanced these days that there's no need for paper backups when the city buys new electronic voting machines, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday.

"I would do it without a paper trail," Bloomberg said on his weekly WABC radio show.

"If you are worried about honesty in computers and their reliability, don't get in an airplane, because you'd never get off the ground, don't get on a subway, don't get in your car anymore."

Bloomberg's position puts him at odds with his Democratic rivals, who argue that a paper backup is necessary and prudent.

-snip/more-

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/46910.htm

Bloomberg "would do it"

BY DAN JANISON
STAFF WRITER

May 20, 2005, 7:33 PM EDT

Bloomberg on his weekly WABC radio show Friday took a position that departs from his opponents' -- and it may mean that he's more bullish on computer technology than anyone else in the field.

In discussing the need to replace antiquated voting machines, the mayor spurned the widely-made argument that any new system should be backed up by a "paper trail" to help ensure that it cannot be rigged.

"I would do it, personally, without a paper trail," the mayor said. "If you are worried about honesty in computers and their reliability, don't get in an airplane because you'd never get off the ground.

"You're never going to have a set of voting machines that's 100 percent reliable," he said. "But you could come pretty close in terms of protections for the public and making sure nobody can tamper with it."

-snip/more-

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/brooklyn/nyc-camp0521,0,2027115.story?coll=nyc-manheadlines-brooklyn


Thanks to Amaryllis for posting the discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x371550

Voting machine question sparks 'violent' disagreement on board

2005-05-19

By Nick Claussen

Athens NEWS Associate Editor

The continuing saga of electronic voting machines for Athens County took another strange twist on Tuesday when the Athens County Board of Elections chose a new type of voting machine for the third time. Now the question is, will this be the final time?

-snip-

The board was scheduled to vote on the new machines, and Gwinn, who chairs the Board of Elections, said she thought the group should go ahead and vote.

"I violently disagree," Mottl replied. He said he had not talked to Stevens, but said he could try to get hold of him later in the day. Mottl added that he had to get to a doctor's appointment and did not think the board should vote on the issue without Stevens being there.

Lavelle and Gwinn briefly discussed how they favored the Election Systems & Software machines, though, and then put the issue up for a vote. The board voted 2-1 for the ES&S machines, with Mottl voting against them.

-snip-

http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=20659

Wash. election challenge puts politics on trial

By Rebecca Cook
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:19 a.m. May 21, 2005

WENATCHEE, Wash. – In a nondescript courtroom in this small farming town, America's electoral system is about to stand trial.

The battle over Washington's contested governor's election touches on many of the questions that divide this country between rural and urban, Republican and Democrat, red and blue – and echoes frustrations of the past two presidential elections.

Republican Dino Rossi is challenging Gov. Christine Gregoire's victory in the closest statewide election in national history, alleging widespread problems including illegal votes cast by felons and dead people.


>>>snip

Add to those regional tensions the continuous parade of errors from the King County elections division – officials acknowledged finding 94 uncounted ballots in boxes as recently as last month – and you get a Republican brew of suspicion and resentment that resembles how Democrats felt after President Bush won the 2000 and 2004 elections.

"For me there is a distinct parallel. I felt we should have had a revote in Florida," said Josef Kunzler, a John Kerry supporter who voted for Rossi and describes himself as an ardent "Dinocrat."

The 23-year-old blogger hopes Washington can hold a new election that will stiffen the spines of voters nationwide – both Democrats and Republicans.

"If we do get a revote, they can have hope," he said. "We can challenge this kind of garbage going on, we can crack down on voter fraud ... Stand up and draw the line."


>>>snip

The trial is focusing on problems involving human error in vote counting that are similar to allegations raised in Ohio last year and in Florida in 2000.

If the Republican challenge succeeds, experts say it would encourage more election challenges in close races across the country. Both national parties have rushed to the aid of their candidates and raised much of the millions of dollars the case has cost so far.

More: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050521-1119-electionontrial.html

Saturday, May 21st, 2005

From Newsweek Controversy to Downing Street Memo
Forum on Media Bias to be Held Tuesday at 1pm
Broadcast Live on Air America Radio's Al Franken Show

http://www.johnconyers.com/vertical/Sites/{EF00C507-612C-4BA3-84C0-446C97F7E413}/uploads/{783D5269-5DF5-4A99-B14D-401ED14EF0A3}_WEB.jpg

Yesterday, I announced that I would be holding a forum Tuesday about media bias. Regular readers of this blog are well aware that I have had substantial concerns about the lack of coverage of the Downing Street Memo and the Iraq war generally, and the excessive coverage of pseudo-scandals like the Newsweek matter, Michael Jackson trial, and "runaway bride" stories. This is a critical time to take a step back, evaluate what is going on with media bias and why, and discuss how it can be changed.

Is the cause of the decline of the media ideological bias, effective bullying of reporters by the right wing, or something else? Is it simply that the news media are less concerned about their societal responsibilities and more concerned about the bottom line of the corporations that own them, and the sponsors that provide profit to them? And what is the answer? The fairness doctrine? A boycott? More robust alternative media? I hope to have an in depth conversation about these matters.

The bottom line: our democracy is premised on informed choices. Without accurate reporting, voters are left with skewed and spun misinformation, and the kind of government that results from deception.

I am very honored by the participants who have agreed to join me in this conversation. (I would note that I have invited representatives of the networks and cable networks but none have agreed to attend.)

The crusading Brad Friedman has all the details.

Link: http://www.conyersblog.us/

Opinion

An intriguing idea for election reform goes to a vote today in British Columbia

By Matthew Soberg Shugart

Posted on Tue, May. 17, 2005

Fair elections are a cornerstone of democracy, but are California's elections fair? Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said our electoral system is ``rigged to benefit the interests of those in office, not the interests of those who put them there.''

Since legislators are the ones who draw the lines that define legislative districts, that result is no surprise. Schwarzenegger advocates the creation of a non-partisan panel to draw district lines.

This is well-intentioned, but it is very feeble compared with the opportunity voters in British Columbia have today. They can adopt a system that removes the incentive to gerrymander and represents minority viewpoints better.

-snip-

But if approved, British Columbia's reform would ``blow up the boxes'' of politics-as-usual far more than Schwarzenegger's plan. If the voters agree, their 79 provincial legislators will no longer be elected from 79 separate districts. Instead, adjacent districts will be combined into multi-member districts. The plan is called BC-STV, for British Columbia Single Transferable Vote. It is similar to STV systems already used in Ireland and Cambridge, Mass.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/11665975.htm