Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Wednesday January 18

[stillcool]

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[stillcool]

1. Alabama:Dallas County approves new voting machines

The Dallas County Commission voted unanimously to approve giving Commission Chairman and Probate Judge John Jones the authority to purchase 30 new voting machines to comply with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) at a special called meeting Tuesday.

Election Systems and Software will provide the machines for Dallas County.

ESS currently provides maintenance and support for all of Dallas County's voting machines.
http://www.selmatimesjournal.com/articles/2006/01/18/news/local/news2242.txt

[stillcool]

2. Pennsylvania:Lawsuit aimed at electronic voting

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/philadelphia_county/philadelphia/13648939.htm
By Nancy PetersenInquirer Staff WriterA citizens group in Bucks County filed a lawsuit yesterday in Commonwealth Court hoping to throw a wrench into the county's plans to replace its lever voting machines in time for the May 16 primary.

The lawsuit also states that during the process of testing one system, a Finnish security expert, Harri Hursti, was able to hack into the system and alter results.
The lawsuit states that Hursti has not been used during the testing of any of the other systems certified by the state.
Doug Chapin of electionline.org, a non-partisan clearing house for election-reform news that is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, said that lawsuits over state testing procedures could be the new front in a grassroots campaign against existing electronic voting systems.
"As more people become aware of the role of states in certification testing, this might not be the last lawsuit we see around the country," he said.





Group sues to block electronic voting machine HARRISBURG


Alison Hawkes, Times Capital Bureau

http://www.timesonline.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2305&dept_id=478569&newsid=15949775
- Critics of electronic voting machines have sued Secretary of State Pedro Cortes seeking to block county purchase of the new machines by the May primary and a redo of machine certification.

The Coalition for Voting Integrity, a statewide group with origins in Bucks County, says Cortes, as head of the Pennsylvania Department of State, has not applied uniform standards in certifying nearly two dozen new electronic machines.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Commonwealth Court, points to the department's denial in certification of one of Diebold's AccuVote optical-scan machines, in part, because it didn't pass a hacking test done by a Finnish security expert in June 2005.

The department did not consider or perform hacking tests on other voting machines before certifying them, the lawsuit contends.

"I don't need a (party) committeeman anymore," said the coalition's attorney, Lawrence Otter. "I'll just have a high school computer geek hanging outside the polling place and fixing votes as I see fit."

[stillcool]

3. North Carolina

Cumberland commissioners approve buying voting machines

http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article?id=224587

By Andrew Barksdale
Staff writer


The commissioners unanimously agreed Tuesday to spend $952,093 to buy 78 optical scanners and 102 touch-screen machines from Election Systems & Software, which is the only state-approved vendor. The state last month decertified the county's machines, which are serviced by Sequoia Voting Systems in California


Terri Robertson, director of the local Board of Elections
Robertson had previously said the county could sell the existing machines to another state, but she said Tuesday that Sequoia Voting Systems officials told her they doubt another state will want the machines.

“Not even Florida?” Commissioner Jeannette Council asked jokingly.

County Manager James Martin added, “We'll send them to Iraq,” and laughed.



By Andrew Bell
Published in News on January 18, 2006 01:48 PM

Machines coming for May election

Wayne County voters will have new voting machines in time for the May election, but the county's board of elections members and commissioners say they are not happy about the limited choices or the uncertainty of what costs might still be coming.

On Dec. 21, after Diebold Systems dropped its name from consideration for the bid to supply the state's voting machines, ES&S became the only acceptable vendor in the state, Sims said. This is just one of many reasons he said he is uncomfortable with the decision.

Wayne County Manager Lee Smith said the state's rushed decision to force the voting machines replacement did not help counties that were not expecting the extra bill, the limited choice of vendors or the Friday deadline to approve the purchase.

"The word flaw is an understatement," Smith said. "The state of North Carolina needs to understand it is a severe understatement."

http://www.newsargus.com/news/archives/2006/01/18/machines_coming_for_may_election/index.shtml

[Wilms]

11. NC: Chatham reverses decision on voting machines

Chatham reverses decision on voting machines

BY JENNIFER FERRIS : The Herald-Sun

Jan 17, 2006

PITTSBORO -- The Board of Elections reversed a previous decision Tuesday night and recommended paper ballots for Election Day voting in Chatham County's 21 precincts.

While the choice of optical machines to tabulate the county's votes met with crowd approval, the board's decision was not without controversy.

Chairman Audrey Poe announced the board still intends to use touch-screen voting machines at the county's one-stop early voting sites.

After the state decertified every voting machine currently in use in North Carolina, local Boards of Elections were given a limited time to choose new equipment or face losing precious Help America Vote Act grant funds.

snip

http://www.herald-sun.com/chatham/13-690748.html

[stillcool]

4. Arkansas:County getting new voting machinery

http://www.picayune-times.com/showstory.heitml?show=t&k.number=18618&pubname=picayune&headline=County+getting+new+voting+machinery

BY JOHN MILLER

Nevada County will be getting new voting machines for future elections.

Kim Gardner, with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s Office, spoke to the Nevada County Quorum Court Monday, Jan. 9, saying the machines are part of the Help Americans Vote Act, a federal mandate to update voting equipment nationwide.

All counties in the state, she said, will decide how they want to utilize the equipment. The vendor selected to furnish the machines is ES&S Equipment of Omaha, Neb. This will also mean the county will have a new voter registration database.

According to Gardner, there are 13 counties in Arkansas using punch card machines, with nine still using paper ballots. This will no longer be legal, she said, and all are required to upgrade to new equipment.

With the exception of absentee ballots, Nevada County doesn’t use paper ballots, she said, and this is all right.

[Wilms]

5. AZ: Panel withdraws ethics complaint against Arizona state senator

Panel withdraws ethics complaint against Arizona state senator

Jan 17, 2006, 10:16 AM CST

A committee of the Arizona Legislature rejected a request to open an ethics investigation of a lawmaker's use of subpoena power in examining a close primary election.

The Senate's ethics committee voted 3-2 on Monday to withdraw a complaint against Republican Sen. Jack Harper of Sun City West that questioned whether he issued subpoenas to get information that provided a weekly newspaper with an exclusive story.

As chairman of a government accountability committee, Harper issued subpoenas to Maricopa County officials, demanding that they turn over ballots and other material from a 2004 legislative race in which a recount reversed the initial outcome.

snip

The report by Douglas Jones, an elections expert and professor at the University of Iowa, concluded that the only way to settle theories that ballots were altered or miscounted is to look at the ballots themselves.

Harper said he might use the report to seek a court order to get access to the ballots.

snip

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=4372270&nav=HMO6HMaW


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x409640

[Wilms]

7. Election Integrity in Arizona is a Bi-partisan Reform

January 17, 2006

Election Integrity in Arizona is a Bi-partisan Reform

by Michael Shelby, Arizona Citizens for Election Reform

I was in Crawford, TX for the last five days of Camp Casey where I volunteered and got known as “Mike the Medic.” I met Cindy Sheehan, talked with her, and shared her truth, goodness, and sorrow. I joined Cindy at the Washington, D.C. peace march, photographed her at the PDA Convention, and we met and talked and marched together again when she visited Phoenix. I hold only my own mother with as much love and honor as I do Cindy Sheehan. And while I stand with Cindy on immediately ending the war in Iraq, I believe that there is nothing of greater importance to all political parties today than transparent, accurate, and honest elections!

Election integrity is not a partisan issue; Election integrity is a civic responsibility.

Election integrity is why, in Arizona, several citizens advocacy groups (AUDIT AZ; Arizona Citizens for Election Reform, www.aceronline.org; Arizona Citizens for Fair Elections, www.azfairelections.org; MC-CAFÉ), the Arizona Democratic Progressive Caucus, many PDA members, individuals of differing opinions and political parties, legislators from both parties, and even interested media have begun to work together to guarantee elections are honest and accurately counted. Realizing that we are all in this together, that “there’s not just a hole in your end of the boat,” but that the hole in the boat threatens to sink us all, honest Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, and people of all parties are working to help Arizona State Senator Jack Harper (R) get to the bottom of a Republican primary election recount where more votes mysteriously appeared. An as yet unexplained “found” 489 votes changed the outcome of the election. Senator Harper is receiving intense resistance to finding the truth about the recount by the mostly Republican elections officials in Arizona.

Also, the Arizona State Democratic Party has adopted two election integrity initiatives, led by PDA members, of the Arizona Democratic Progressive Caucus. The first was to form an Election Integrity Committee, the only of its kind at the state party level in the U.S. The second was passage of the Resolution for Public Oversight and Transparency of Arizona Elections to Block Purchase of DRE Voting Machines. Senator Harper, a Republican, has reached out to the Democratic Party Chair, Senator Harry Mitchell (D), to form a bi-partisan Election Integrity Caucus in the Arizona State Legislature. Support for this unprecedented bi-partisan Election Integrity Caucus in the Arizona State Legislature is gaining support from both sides of the aisle.

No good deed goes unpunished.

snip

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_michael__060117_election_integrity_i.htm


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x409640

[Algorem]

6. Blackwell tells religious leaders to ignore complaints

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-22/1137602652261220.xml&storylist=cleveland

1/18/2006, 1:11 p.m. ET
The Associated Press

HARTVILLE, Ohio (AP) — A group of pastors who have complained to the Internal Revenue Service about two evangelical churches' support of GOP gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell are trying to unfairly pressure the churches, Blackwell says.

"You tell those 31 bullies that you aren't about to be whupped," Blackwell told a luncheon attended by 450 religious leaders on Tuesday. The secretary of state said that "political and social and cultural forces are trying to run God out of the public square."

Blackwell was the only candidate for governor invited to address the event sponsored by the Ohio Restoration Project, led by the Rev. Russell Johnson, pastor of Fairfield Christian Church in Lancaster.

Johnson and Blackwell denied allegations in the complaint filed Monday by the ministers, who say Johnson's group and World Harvest Church in Columbus led by the Rev. Rod Parsley should lose their tax-exempt status because they improperly used their churches and affiliated groups for partisan politics...

[Wilms]

8. Ehlers' Chairmanship: An Opportunity for Election Reform?

Ehlers' Chairmanship: An Opportunity for Election Reform?

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

January 17, 2006

“It is crucial that voting systems be easy to use, accurate, verifiable, secure, and reliable”
Rep. Vernon Ehlers, July 24, 2004

With the resignation of Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) from Chairmanship of the Committee on House Administration, Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) will assume leadership of the committee to which most election reform legislation is referred. Election reform advocates are hopeful that under the chairmanship of Rep. Ehlers, the committee will finally consider legislation to ensure the security and verifiability of elections. While evidence of the unreliability and insecurity of electronic voting machines has mounted steadily in the past three years, culminating in reports submitted by the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Research Service, common sense proposals like requirements for voter verified paper records and mandatory audits have languished under the chairmanship of Rep. Ney.

With his explemplary reputation as an authority on science and technology issues established through his oversight of Congress’ transition to the internet age in the mid-90s, his advocacy of math and science education and research funding, and his promotion of improved voting system testing and certification procedures, Ehlers has demonstrated a clear understanding of computer security issues and the need to safeguard the integrity of elections.

snip

Fellow physicists Ehlers and Holt have joined on two occasions in writing “Dear Colleague” letters in support of science and mathematics funding. In 2003 together with Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) they wrote to the House Appropriations Committee to call for increased funding for math and science education. Last year, Ehlers and Holt co-authored a letter supporting increased funding for the National Science Foundation. Hopefully they will be able to work together on the passage of Rep. Holt's Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act as well.

snip

In 2004, as Chair of the House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards, Ehlers held a hearing entitled "Testing and Certification for Voting Equipment: How Can the Process Be Improved?". In his opening statements at the hearing Ehlers noted that, in spite of testing administered by Independent Testing Authorities, in each election there are incidents of voting machines that "fail to perform properly causing confusion in the polling places and concerns over the potential loss of votes.” He went on to say that “these incidents have raised concerns about the reliability of the testing process, the credibility of the standards against which the machines are tested, and the laboratories that carry out the tests.”

snip

http://votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=748&Itemid=26


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x409546

[Wilms]

9. CA: State sets deadline for voting machine inspections

State sets deadline for voting machine inspections

Greg Kane
Record Staff Writer

Jan 17, 2006

SACRAMENTO - The company that manufactured 1,600 touchscreen voting machines sitting unused in a San Joaquin County warehouse has until Feb. 1 to have its software inspected, Secretary of State Bruce McPherson said Monday.

Diebold's optical-scan and touchscreen machines - known respectively as the OS and TSx - use memory cards that critics say could allow outsiders to manipulate ballots. The state asked Diebold last month to submit the software for federal inspection before it can be certified for use in the June 6 primary.

snip

McPherson said there have been no threats from the U.S. Department of Justice to penalize those counties for violations but added it would be naïve to think it wouldn't happen.

His message for county elections officials who didn't meet the deadline: "If you get sued, we are going to be right there with you."

snip

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060117/NEWS01/601170325/1001


01/17/2006

State won't relax rules for e -voting machines

By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER

snip

But he said he will not loosen state rules for voting systems, considered among the nation's toughest.

"We cannot cut corners and lose the trust, the integrity, of the vote. If we do that, we've lost everything," he told reporters.

snip

Only one voting system has earned state and national certification, but it has shown problems with accurate recording and tallying of votes.

McPherson said ES&S is fixing those problems, which affected Solano, Merced and potentially other counties, such as San Mateo and Contra Costa, that use ES&S equipment.

"They have stepped up to the plate," McPherson said. "It's not as much of a system problem as it was a service problem."

snip

The firm anticipates running its latest voting machinery through California's most rigorous test — a massive, mock election involving dozens of machines — sometime in February. If the system is approved, the new Sequoia machines will be used in San Francisco and be considered for purchase by Alameda County along with products from Diebold and other vendors.

snip

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3409931


Discussion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x409638

[stillcool]

10. Texas:Voter Education Program Kicks Off...

Three-Day, Nine-City Tour


ttp://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/prn/texas/3595048.html

Jan. 18, 2006, 8:40AM
(PRN) Secretary of State Roger Williams Launches New Statewide Initiative to Make Voting Easier, Faster and More Secure
"I am a true believer that every Texan should make their voice heard by going to the polls and casting a ballot. Thanks to the Help America Vote Act, we now have the technology to make voting easier, faster and more secure," said Secretary Williams.

In many counties across the Lone Star State, punch cards and optical scan voting systems are being replaced with innovative, electronic voting systems. The change comes as Texas implements the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush in 2002. HAVA was enacted as a response to voting issues that came to light during the 2000 presidential election.

[stillcool]

12. Roberts questions McCain-Feingold campaign restrictions

http://www.gazetteextra.com/campaignfinance011806.asp

By Frederic J. Frommer
Associated Press

Wisconsin Right to Life wanted to run ads in 2004 calling on Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl to oppose the filibusters. But the McCain-Feingold law banned ads that identify federal candidates two months before a general election, and Feingold, a Democrat, was facing re-election that year.
At a Supreme Court hearing Tuesday, the Wisconsin anti-abortion group claimed the ads should have been exempt because they constituted lobbying, not electioneering. But the Bush administration, defending the law, argued there's no practical difference.
Chief Justice John Roberts expressed doubts about the law's restriction. Questioning Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, Roberts raised a hypothetical case in which a group runs an issue ad every month. Does the ad, he asked, become illegal in the months before an election
Both Breyer and Ginsburg voted to uphold McCain-Feingold in 2003, along with Justices David Souter, John Paul Stevens and Sandra Day O'Connor, who is retiring. If Roberts votes against the restriction in question, that sets up the possibility of a 4-4 deadlock if O'Connor is off the bench by the time the court issues its new ruling.

In that case, the court could either affirm the U.S. District Court's ruling in 2004, or schedule new oral arguments with Samuel Alito on the bench. Alito is expected to win Senate confirmation to replace O'Connor this month.

The case is Wisconsin Right to Life v. Federal Election Commission, 04-1581

[Wilms]

13. .