Schwarzenegger Vetoes Election Integrity Bills…Absentee Ballot Blues: Santa Barbara Mayor warns of lost ballots in Vote-by-Mail election, and 800 Franklin County OH voters told to redo absentee ballot requests… Panel to evaluate Hawaii elections chief’s work…Bo Lipari report on New York’s Voting Machine Pilot Part 1…Paperless voting spreads in Texas…Wisconsin Lawmakers approve plan to study…
TTBR Investigators letter to EAC – fix vulnerabilities before systems are certified and sold…More Media complaining about a low turnout elections but as usual forget their own part in stoking voter interest….Minneapolis election could take 8 weeks to count…Recount Confirms Voting Machines’ Tally In Pott County Nebraska…Instant Run-Off Voting Debate Returns in Burlington.. Common Cause…
We write to you on behalf of those individuals listed below from the California Secretary of State’s Top-To-Bottom Review (TTBR) in 2007. The TTBR was an unprecedented, in-depth evaluation of California’s voting systems, which allowed investigators to gain a better understanding of their vulnerabilities. As you know, the EAC recently certified Premier’s Assure 1.2 voting system as conforming to the 2002 Voting System Standards (VSS). This system was tested by iBeta Laboratories (iBeta), one of the accredited Voting System Test Labs (VSTLs). According to the posted test plan—the roadmap for a VSTL’s evaluation of a voting system during certification testing—for Premier Assure 1.2, iBeta interpreted the TTBR studies of the Premier system’s predecessor to have “concluded that the vulnerabilities within the system depend almost entirely on the effectiveness of the election procedures.” On the basis of this interpretation, iBeta developed a test plan that called for “no additional testing” of the Premier system’s security properties. The EAC approved this plan. Taken together, iBeta’s misunderstanding of the significance of the TTBR findings and the EAC’s approval of a test plan that was designed around this misunderstanding, represent a missed opportunity to use the testing and certification process to improve voting system integrity and reliability.
Larimer County Colorado voting by mail in Nov…Colorado allows all mail elections in odd years…Fulton County GA Elections backroom debacle – “There is no practical way to know how many Fulton County voters,who requested absentee ballots, ultimately did not vote,” Attorney Norman Underwood … Audit questions thousands spent by the Palm Beach County elections office…Lawsuit…
The Senate Rules and Administration Committee will examine Diebold sale…California Top-2 ballot measure would shrink ballot access…Corporate ‘personhood’ must be challenged in Citizens United v FEC…Recount in West Haven CT ends lawsuit…Florida withholding $67 million 2002 HAVA funds from counties…Federal Bill to help military vote goes to conference…H.R.1719 the Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2009…
U.S. House Passes Military and Overseas Voter Act…Verified Voting comments on voting system guidelines…Disenfranchised prisoners used to gerrymander districts… Maryland’s new voting machines on track…Post election audits proposed for Massachusetts…Minneapolis explains ranked choice voting process…New York’s 23rd Absentee ballots missing Congress candidates..Voting glitch in Franklin Co Tenn…Courts best resort for Tennessee paper ballot law?….Should Judicial…
Famous cyber expert Rop Gonggrijp says: “electronic voting does not work.” …..E-Voting Investigator Harri Hursti wins Pioneer Award from EFF…Albuquerque Muni Election -confusion and accessible equipment broken and not set up…Early voting increases campaign costs… Florida spends $700K on single candidate contest…Hamilton County OH suspects absentee ballot fraud… New Jersey’s unfair ballot design discriminates…Allen County…
What do voting machines, laser speed guns, and parking meters have in common?…Voter machine monopoly promotes election fraud…Is Ken Blackwell ignoring the facts about voter registration?…”In Citizens United v. F.E.C., the court could wipe out a longstanding ban on corporate spending on federal elections, which would allow big business to swamp democracy.” ~ NY Times…
Kenneth Blackwell of Ohio 04 fame wants a BIG overhaul of US.voter registration. system..Early voting makes candidates work harder, spend more in ST.Petersburg FL… NY voting system tests, Final day finds bug.. New York’s military votes at risk but help available from Overseas Vote Foundation. Tennessee courts may trump lawmakers in Tennessee voting machine decision.…
John Oxendine, GOP rival of Georgia SOS Karen Handel did not like the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the use of the paperless voting machines. Oxendine’s reaction: ”With all due respect and appreciation for the Supreme Court of Georgia, I am deeply disappointed in the decision today to reject the challenge to touch-screen electronic…
Common Cause Tennessee filed a suit today to compel the State of Tennessee to comply with the paper ballot law. “Tennessee voters deserve a voting system that they know will accurately record and count their votes” said Dick Williams, Chair of Common Cause Tennessee. “That is why the legislature passed this bill in 2008 and…
The threat of internet voting looms closer as the Defense Authorization bill (S1390), that allows for military email voting, is on the verge of passing from a conference committee. The dangerous idea of email/internet voting has spread to North Carolina: the popular NC paper, the Greensboro News and Record ran an OpEd that endorses having…
The group Voter Action is challenging the merger of Election Systems and Software and Diebold. “This transaction threatens the democratic process itself,” Voter Action’s letter states. “The ES&S/Premier acquisition is absolutely unique in its potential for disturbing U.S. election processes and results.” Meanwhile, Diebold is cutting jobs at touchscreen factory in Lexington NC. Could ES&S…
Georgia’s State Supreme Court threw out the e-voting case because the voters could not prove fraud on the paperless voting machines. What a pity. After all, the whole point is that we voters should be able to prove that our election results are legitimate, but without a tangible record of the vote we cannot do…
We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the most recent iteration of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (1.1). We understand that the goal is to move forward on specific elements from the prior draft which were widely supported. The exclusion of some key principles warrant great concern and if left out of any approved version going forward, will delay progress toward greater reliability of voting systems. We support the comments made by A Center for Correct, Usable, Reliable, Auditable and Transparent Elections (ACCURATE), and add our comments on three main points below.
1. SOFTWARE INDEPENDENCE
Software independence (SI), or the “quality of a voting system or voting device such that a previously undetected change or fault in software cannot cause an undetectable change or error in election outcome,” is the foundation of an auditable voting system. Verified Voting strongly supports software independence. Leaving out this core element from the prior draft in the current VVSG 1.1 will delay essential progress in voting system reliability and security. We strongly recommend the reinstatement of the principle of software independence into the VVSG to be enacted as quickly as possible. For security, nothing is as crucial as auditing an auditable voting system. Without the ability to detect changes or problems in the voting system confidence in the integrity of electoral outcomes is unfounded.
Diebold return our money: group says Diebold should refund $100 million to California taxpayers.Extreme fundraising? South Carolina politician holds a “Machine Gun Social” to raise funds.Unintended consequences? The House legislation meant to defund ACORN may apply to a wide range of organizations and corporations.Mass. fills seat left by death of Senator Edward Kennedy. Boulder County…
ES&S Diebold shotgun wedding comes to a halt: Federal Judge Robert Kugler in Camden, NJ., agreed late Friday to hear a request for an emergency injunction that could halt Election Systems & Software’s Sept. 2 announced acquisition of Diebold Inc.’s Premier Election Solutions. “…when one considers ES&S’ reckless performance as an election provider the real…
Sarasota County officials thought they saw the last of ES&S after booting them out 2 years ago. Now, unless the Justice Dept intervenes, Sarasota officials will once again have to deal with a vendor they ditched thanks to ES&S’ purchase of Diebold:“I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt as much as I…
Internet Voting Whack-A-Mole continues: Australia considers internet voting. Oshawa Ontario politicians want internet voting but will put it off until 2014.London plans to use electronic voting in 2012.The Justice Dept is probing ACORN and meanwhile ACORN is suing the film producers who secretly recorded embarrassing videos.Is New York ready for voting machines yet? A local…
The ES&S Diebold monopoly is a problem, but it is also a symptom of the way the US runs elections. “ES&S acted like a monopoly even before it decided to become a monopoly,”~Ion Sancho, Supervisor of Elections in Leon County Florida. “We need to deploy a system that our election administrators and voters can understand…
ES&S purchase of Diebold “The Most Ominous Monopoly”. Congratulations to Brad Friedman, who has a piece about the Acorn controversy published in the Guardian UK.Florida has a bill, HB 131 that would allow overseas voters to cast ballots by email.New Jersey’s early voting (by mail) could diminish effect of “October Surprise”? Boulder Co releases report…
Our apologies. A representative of the Florida Voters Coalition advised me that I had incorrectly referred to the Florida Voters Coalition in the first paragraph of this blog, when I should have referred to the Florida Fair Elections Coalition. The only change is within the first paragraph, and typed in bold: Concerned citizens: Florida is…
Concerned citizens: Florida is set to adopt a dangerous rule that that could make voter caging easier. The Florida Department of state has issued new notice regarding the proposed rule 1S-2.041 “to address and eligibility records maintenance.” The Florida Fair Elections Coalition warns that “If Florida passes proposed Rule 1S-2.041, it will permit officially sanctioned…
Plug pulled on electronic voting trials in Australia, deemed “too expensive“.Conversely, Bangladesh considers electronic voting trials to save money.Meanwhile, in the US there were voting machine problems reported in NY and OH.Internet Voting? “Given its current architecture and engineering, the Internet provides neither high assurance data security and integrity, nor reliable information transmission protected from…
An Indiana appellate court threw out the law on voter ID that the US Supreme Court had said was constitutional, saying that it violated Indiana’s constitution.A federal lawsuit Demands More Equal Population for U.S. House DistrictsThe United States is one of few democratic nations that place the entire burden of registering to vote on individual…
Comedy Central in the voting news: When Jon Stewart makes fun of you, you’re in trouble and last night he made fun of the Acorn video scandal. Stephen Colbert comments on “Citizens United v FEC”. Videos of both.DRES and cost overruns: The Kane County Illinois elections Clerk requests additional $1million to run elections but says…
A Hawaii Judge issues order blocking the use of direct record electronic (DRE)voting machines. She saw them coming: Putnam Co Tennessee Election official argues that no qualified voting machines will be federally certified in time for the 2010 election and that by the 2010 census, new requirements would likely be issued and those machines would…
The Diebold sale to ES&S has hit the fan:Senator Schumer seeks DOJ probe of Diebold’s sale of voting-machine business.Hart Intercivic files antitrust suit against Diebold and ES&S. See “Your Once-Public Elections & Your Once-Public Elections on ES&S Monopoly Steroids” ~ Brad Friedman of Bradblog.Again, why is “Citizens United v FEC” so important? “Campaign money and…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2009 SCHUMER URGES JUSTICE DEPT. TO PROBE DIEBOLD’S PROPOSED SALE OF ELECTION MACHINE BUSINESS TO ITS BIGGEST COMPETITOR; SAYS DEAL COULD HAVE ‘ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES’ FOR HOW AMERICA VOTES Schumer, As Senate Rules Chairman, Raises Flags Over Proposed Merger On Antitrust Grounds Says Deal Could Give One Company Control Over 75…
ES&S charged Vanderburg Co IN $120 for carboard boxes containing tape, forms, rubber bands and pens – Election workers could make this same “kit” for $1.00 each. Kinston City Council NC candidate offers hotdogs and handshakes to lure early voters.A Illinois elections clerk writes: “A Dangerous Proposal for Voter Registration.” In Kentucky, a guilty plea…