I enthusiastically support your attention to this race --- and your call for a true and honest accounting.
You are right, there is no way that we can know unless they count the votes by hand.
I don't know how they can do that now, but we must continue to insist, as you are doing in this series of posts, that they must prove it to us, if they want to say that she won. Let's see their proof. Let's count every ballot yet uncounted, and then demand that they show us that the votes were really cast and counted as they say.
I applaud your position on this.

Dammit, how many more times is this going to happen? I live in that district, and have absolutely *NO* faith in the current system. They sent the damn things home with the poll workers!!!! Morons!!!!

Completely hackable (in multiple ways) pieces of crap that don't even work right to begin with. I got called many, many times about that race, but it was almost always from people supporting Busby. Sure, Bilbray, a REPUBLICAN, and a LOBBYIST, is going to beat Busby.
Sheesh!

-- Chris Hooten

Brad,

Something is rotten in San Diego.

Please see my analysis (comment #46 in your June 8th Blog). However, the numbers on the San Diego website are different (worse) than the reported numbers in the L.A. Times (I used to do my analysis).

There may be verifiable proof of fraud via statistical analysis. The vote totals for the "special election" do not equal the vote totals for the "primary election" for the 50th Congressional District. The discrepancy is over 17K. There are 500 precincts in this district (per the San Diego website). If we can obtain the vote totals for these 500 precincts for several races, we can do some interesting stat work. (Although the numbers appear to be a moving target, my original analysis is still worth investigating).

IF the vote totals for assembly races in the district are close to the "special election" vote totals, then there is probable cause to investigate possible vote fraud (17K phantom votes). The same test should be conducted on the two (2) propositions races and any local office that effects all 500 precincts (other than Judge races).

17K votes is too large a variance between the special and primary vote totals. I cannot accept that 17K people voted in the special election and not the primary election for the congressional seat.

IT IS "REMOTELY POSSIBLE" that there may be the visible "footprint" of a tablulator computer subroutine that goes somthing like this:

IF VOTE for CANDIDATE V17 in RACE V2 = 1 and VOTE for CANDIDATE A07 in RACE V1 = 0, then add +1 to total for CANDIDATE A07 in RACE V1.

This would result if applied statewide, in the "blessed by the vote god" party having a zero defector rate in RACE V1. Hard to detect on a statewide level (would be assumed to be caused by voter error (spoiled ballot or refusal to vote on a given race) rather than tabulator fraud), but with a potentially deadly effect on the "unblessed" party's chances of ever winning RACE V1.

Where is Busby on this?

Brad,

Thanks for what you're doing.

How were those 8,000 votes distributed?

The numbers were just updated, now 35455 remain to be counted.

Taking a look at the new distribution now.

Brad,
Pull out the stops on this one. All my instincts tell me Busby won this election. The comments by Michael Daniels above make good sense to me.
This is our best chance of exposing (if nothing more) the unreliability of these voting machines before the mid-term elections in the fall. If the Dems have any hope of regaining the House and the Senate, these problems have to be exposed now.
I see there are some people on this blog who say they live in the precinct. Please contact Ms. Busby and ask her to do a paper recount.

Another potential anomaly is the special election vote count for the Libertarian Party. The vote was equivalent to 25% of the primary election vote count for ALL LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATES STATEWIDE!

Since the "Credited" special election vote totals for Bilbray EXCEEDED the total primary election republican vote totals, where did all of the new Libertarian votes come from???

I can't post to democratic underground. Can someone forward (crosspost) my comments (above) and from the July 8th blog to democratic underground (to expand interest in an effor to investigate).

It's interesting to contrast the vote breakdown for the CA50 primary held on 6/6 compared with the CA50 runoff.

Run off
69617 R
63489 D
7519 I + L

Primaries (total across candidates)
68392 R
51889 D
605 I + L

In addition, there's a gap of roughly 20k voters who didn't vote in any of the parties primarys in CA50.

Something tells me that if the data from the primary results, exit polls, and the runoffs are examined in comparison, they'd tell some tales.

There is some excellent vote analysis, Brad, you should pay attention to it. I think these guys know what they're talking about. What if you can prove vote fraud by statistics, right now? Not 2 years from now?

San Diego Mayoral Exit Polls Show 4% Shift To GOP

COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As it stands, 33,045 ballots have been counted with +9,298 to Bilbray and +7,902 to Busby. By itself, that doesn't seem suspicious. What was the breakdown of the 8,000 votes?

"So far, I've been unable to get any comments from "quotable sources" at the Registrar's office on the reported updates. Very few in the office, apparently, are allowed to speak on record to the press for some reason."

Its a matter of national security doncha know?

:hehe: :laugh:

The required 1% RANDOM choosing of 1% of the precincts must be publicly observed.

Citizens must insist NOW the RoV detail the process he INTENDS to use, then check that process with the requirements of the election code. If it is not in compliance insist that it is, and threaten a lawsuit if it is not made in compliance. File a complaint with the Secretary of State, District Attorney, and the Attorney General. Both the AG and the SoS are running for election this November, make this a campaign issue.

When the 1% mandatory audit is conducted make sure media, citizens, and candidates are in attendance.

Depending how the mandatory audit is conducted, and its results, will then set the stage for a recount. Any elector (voter) can demand a recount.

Did/ do any of the qualified parties have their legally sanctioned two qualified technical experts in attendance during any and all phases of the election?

Finally, a word to any Demcratic Party "leaders" who might stoop to read a "blog". This is where your grassroots support has gone. You might be willing to be the minority party for the next 50 years but we the citizens of this country and this world cannot afford it.

It is the height of foolishness to worry about voter outreach and getting voters to the polls if the voting process is manipulated by those in power so even if you can get 100% Democratic voter turnout you still lose.

I was told to get over it in 2000, 2002, the Davis Recall election, the March 2004 Primary, and then the Novembr 2004 General election. I will not get over it because the problem is getting worse, not better. Trying to hide or ignore the problems and the fraud because Democratic leaders do not want to discourage voter turnout is just plain stupid.

Finally, Raw Story has the links of all the shit I've been babbling about for months
The IRI, NED,Etc., are the ones controlling the voting outcomes in america, I knew there was a goddamned tie
Karl Rove, Jeff Gannon, everybody we know and love has direct connections to each other through these nafarious organizations
Brad this is super important, check it out
One quote from "Karl Roves dirty tricks" alma mater
"that with sufficient organization, the act of voting becomes less a basic right than a tactical maneuver."

LINK HERE

Busby 2006=Kerry 2004

Busby 2006=Hackett 2005

Brad Friedman 2006=Cobb and Bednarik 2004

News Media 2006=News Media 2004 and 2005

American Democracy 2006=Third Reich 1936

I have to add that all they need are the major Voting machine companies and the control of what the Media puts out to pump their bullshit to distract the American people and Voila! 51% to 49% doesn't raise any suspiscions
You guys may think its nuts, but I know I'm right

Brazen thieves, aren't they?

Take 'em to court. Make sure it's all public.
Count everything with painstaking accuracy, by hand.

Rake 'em over the coals for every anomaly and inaccuracy.

It's the only way we'll take back our government (if it was every really 'ours').

With the passing of every 'election' where the Republicans seem to miraculously win, despite polls or any statistical logic, and the Democratic party fails to challenge anything I'm losing faith that we have a Democracy and I hate that. Let's fight (I say that from several thousand miles away) to make sure the elections are done right.

Mark H, Read Raws Salon Link here
I believe it said they got 44,000 of them little Democracy killers running around loose, even a couple of Miss Americas Link Here

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Brad:

I've got a question about the actual protocols that they use to safeguard the machines from tampering.

I've heard you say that they use "sealing tape" and locks to block physical access to the machines.

I would like to know more about how you feel these safeguards are insufficient.

Thanks!

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Keep the spotlight on this, Brad. Now...or when it's too late Nov. 2.

This Busby thing is a TEST...to see right now, how much the GOP can get away with on Nov. 2. If this isn't investigated, California will slowly turn RED. Sit and take it up the ass, or do something about it.

Why the HELL did Busby CONCEDE?

4,000 vote difference? I'd be fighting for a fucking recount!! What the hell is a matter with the Democrats!!!????? Why aren't they fighting??????

No wonder I can't stand them anymore!!!!!!

ARGH!!!!!!

Let this happen unchallenged with no recount, and watch all the "PATTERNS" of GOP 51%-49% victories in California!!!!!!!!!!!

That`s what I have been wondering that it will be same old thing in Nov. When and why can`t there be paper back up ballots Iguess will be with luck if things change.

This is a classic example of how the republicans plan to remain a big majority in the house and senate plus steal the presidency
for the 3rd time.

Gore, Kerry, Hackett, and Busby. Wonder if they suddenly came into money before they ran for office. We have to fight despite the candidates.

Gore was supposed to demand a recount of the Supremes?

Yes, the democrates are whimps, bought and paid for, or republicans.

Ultimately, the republicans will take over California. That is why Arnold and Bruce McPhearson is in charge. And that is why the Democrates are whimps.

My response to:
https://bradblog.com/archives/00002934.htm#22

Re Comment #20: Protocols for "safeguarding the machines.

They are supposed to use "security tape" that is serial numbered, and will show if it has been tampered with.

The "locks" use the identical key throughout the country!

The Procedures for Use and the Certification with Conditons required that the doors to the main election memory card and the power switch be covered with a serial numbered "security tape". In San Joaquin County only the main election memory card door was covered with such tape. The other door with the power swtich was not.
Behind that door is also a PCMCIA port. Anyone could install a modem card, wireless, card, or other similar card, power up the unit, and access the entire electronic circuitry.

With the power on there is also other ports available to access the inside of the machine, including a serial port.

Worse, the entire case cover can be removed by removing 8 phillips head screws (see Hursti II Report at www.blackboxvoting.org). After doing that, all the ports, including the main election memory card, can be accessed without disturbing the security tape over the memory card door, and bypassing even the universally identical locks. To prevent that the Procedures for Use required that security tape be placed over the seam on the case. Black Box Voting recommended sealed the screws retaining the cover, which recommendation was ignored. In San Joaquin County it was not. I cannot confirm if it was in any other counties.

The Certified Approval for the Diebold TSx is based upon certain "conditons" be met. If they are not, the Approval is negated.
The equipment must be used according to the Procedures for Use which were revised in early May to reflect the new findings of Hursti I & II Reports. That included the appropriate seals.
The use of the voting system must comply with the March 22, 2006 Adendum released by NASED. If it is not, the NASED Qualification is "negated". One of the Conditions required in the SoS Approval was NASED Quailification.
Asz used in this election the Diebold TSx was not compliant with the Addendum, thus it was used illegally.

In some counties these machines were sent home with poll workers several days n advance of the election, and dropped off at polling locations prior to the election (overnight).

Perhaps Brad would create a page containing copies of these documents so people can read the documents for themselves. Also pictures showing the failure of abiding by the Conditions.

init funny how banks don't have a problem with diabold counting and distributing billions of dollars and makes near 0 mistakes....isn't that just the strantgest thing? the fix is in and diabold et al are the method and part and parcel of that fix.

Below are the numbers for the uncounted ballot discrepancy according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website.

On Wednesday morning, there were a reported 68,500 absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted for the entire county. At this time there were 122,273 votes cast for the Dist 50 runoff election.

On Thurs. night, the website was updated. There were now 66,500 ballots that remained to be counted and a new total of 130,416 votes for the Dist. 50 runoff.

There were 2,000 less ballots (for the entire county), yet the Dist. 50 runoff totals increased by 8,143 votes. If anything, since Dist. 50 is a fraction of SD County, the vote total should be a fraction of 2,000, not a multiple.

As per CA law, all absentee ballots must be received by the registrar of voters or at a polling place location by 8:00PM on Tuesday night, so unless they "found" some additional ballots on Wed. or Thurs., then something fishy is going on here. If they did "find" additional ballots, why have they not reported this?

06/07/06 @ 8:01AM 68,500 ballots remain
Candidate Votes Percent
Paul King 1,875 1.53%
Brian P. Bilbray 60,319 49.33%
Francine Busby 55,587 45.46%
William Griffith 4,492 3.67%
TOTALS 122,273 99.99%

06/08/06 @ 5:00PM 66,500 ballots remain
Candidate Votes Percent
Paul King 1,995 1.53%
Brian P. Bilbray 64,554 49.50%
Francine Busby 59,021 45.26%
William Griffith 4,846 3.72%
TOTALS 130,416 100.01%

You know what? When Republican Rossi lost to Gregoire, he dragged it on for MONTHS!!! The Dems just concede at lightning speed. I actually admire the Republicans for that.

The GOP is stealing elections at an alarming rate, and the Dems just concede. This is not the party I want in office, either. I'm sick of this "lesser of 2 evils" crap.

START FIGHTING BACK, WHIMPY DEMS!!!!!!!!

MAKE A F***ING STINK, LIKE REPUBLICAN ROSSI DID!!!!!!!!!!!!

DEMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHOW YOUR VOTERS THAT YOU ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Busby is letting her voters down by not contesting this, and conceding. Maybe if this goes on, and she wins, she'll say, "Well, I already conceded."

F***ING START FIGHTING, MAN!!!!!!!!

Here's my laundry list for the Dems, for me to keep voting for them, and not turn to a 3rd party:

1. Start contesting close elections.

2. Speak out publicly for a pullout from the Iraq War.

3. Speak out publicly about vote fraud on electronic voting machines.

4. Be the "opposition" party, and stop doing things like voting for Judge's Roberts & Alito.

5. SAY that if you get the majority, YOU WILL IMPEACH BUSH.

ALL -

I'm getting pounded from all directions with email, tips, information, etc. All the while working phones to/with sources and other media sorts, etc.

Even while preparing for a huge turnover in BRAD BLOG software late-night tonight.

Keep making noise. Posting info. Etc. I'm trying to keep with all, and will have more on this soon. As usual, I'd rather get it right than quickly....

Secretary of State returns show most recent result is Busby winning

http://vote.ss.ca.gov/Returns/usrep/5000.htm
100.0% ( 500 of 500 ) precincts reporting as of Jun 10, 2006 at 2:57 pm Busby 46.5K and Bilbray 39K

and losing on another page with a larger vote total for each and an earlier date
http://www.ss.ca.gov/ele...ions_cd50_genresults.htm As of June 9, 2006 at 7:27 a.m. Bilbray 64K and Busby 59K

What I've been running into is disbelief that the County Election officials would actually skew the voting returns to ensure that Republicans would stay in office. When I point out that the CA SoS and 11 Counties are being sued for using Diebold voting machines, there's not much reaction. Maybe what's needed is a huge sign posted over each Diebold machine which states "THIS IS A REPUBLICAN MACHINE MADE BY REPUBLICANS, SOLD TO REPUBLICANS TO ENSURE REPUBLICAN VICTORIES AND PAID FOR BY TAX PAYERS. IN A CLOSE ELECTION THE RESULT WILL ALWAYS FAVOR THE REPUBLICAN BY ONLY A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS SO AS TO AVOID A RECOUNT". I'm sure that these signs wouldn't last very long, but it's worth a try.

Re: "Secretary of State returns show most recent result is Busby winning " in comment #39, you're looking at the Primary results, not the Run-Off results.

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(#30) Jody Holder:

Thanks so much! Unbelievable!

Keep up the great work, Brad!
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Can't someone get atty general Bill Lockyer to look into this? Isn't election fraud a felony?

I lived in San Diego during the special mayoral election. For the prior five years that I lived in my voting district in Pacific Beach the polling place was always in an easily-accessed church on Cass St, a primary through street in that neighborhood. For the special election however the polling place was inexplicably moved to Bird Rock Elementary, which is about a mile north toward La Jolla and hidden away on a back street behind the ongoing major construction project on La Jolla Blvd. Even long-time residents of PB wouldn\'t know where this school is, and indeed I had to look it up on a map. What a surprise then that the demographic in PB is young and beach-and-party oriented, and is thus a stronghold for local hero activist and icon of the surfing community Donna Frye (wife of CA surfing pioneer Skip Frye,) who was the early favorite in that mayoral election which was ultimately \

Continuation of message above. (For some reason my entry was truncated upon submission?)

... which was ultimately "won" by the republican real estate developers' (THE dominant force in SD politics) hand-picked candidate in something of an upset comeback campaign. The next year the polling place in that district was moved back to its usual location in the church on Cass. That Busby may have been cheated in San Diego North County C-50 would not be surprising to me in the slightest.

Chuck Garner said:

That's not the point. The point is, the counts have been irreperably tainted because the machines were sent home with poll workers. It is impossible to know if the count is accurate or not, without a full recount of all of the paper ballots and "paper trails". Here's some early "Talking Points" to help explain the probem. To be filled out with more details soon:

+ There is NO CONFIDENCE in the announced result of the Busby/Bilbray race due to massive breaches in the chain of custody of the Diebold voting machines by sending them home with poll workers days and weeks ahead of the election. In violation of the CA Sec. of State's own security warnings. Not to mention common sense now that we have confirmed proof (admitted to by Diebold) that these machines are highly vulnerable to tampering and hacking if they are left with unsupervisored physical access. Only a complete hand recount of ALL of the paper ballots and "paper trails" can possible offer any measure of confidence...and then, only if the chain of custody for the ballots themselves has not been breached.

+ The SD County Registrar of Voters has the responsibility to provide accurate and verifiable elections and to be able to prove that their results are correct. At this time, they cannot prove that. Not without a full manual count of the ballots.

+ Make the SD County Registrar of Voters prove the numbers they are reporting are accurate. They cannot do so. Period.

+ We pay (yes, all of America, due to the billions of federal dollars allocated to places like San Diego County via the Help America Vote Act) for these elections. And the officials we pay to run them, have the obligation to do so securely and accurately. In San Diego county, that obligation was breached by the Registrar of Voters office allowing these machines to leave their own physical custody for days and weeks at a time.

I sent a link to this site to Francine Busby, who I know. She sent this statement back in reply:

Concession and Recount

Many of you have called to express your interest in a recount.

On election night and for several days following the election, observers from both parties from Washington D.C as well as local monitors have been carefully observing the counting of ballots.

While there were a few reports of malfunctioning machines, there was not widespread reporting of problems on election day. All absentee, provisional and damaged ballots were accounted for and are continuing to being counted.

I conceded as part of my statement following election night because the margin of difference was beyond the amount to trigger an automatic recount. Should the Secretary of State find reason to certify me as the winner, I would be declared the winner despite my original concession statement.

Thought we all wanted to win this race, we can be proud of the fact the we garnered over 45% of the vote despite $5 million in relentless negative assaults and kept Bilbray under 50% in a district that should have been theirs for free. This was a huge victory in itself. With your continued support, we will keep up the pressure through November.

Francine

I was one of those poll workers with the title Assistant Precinct Inspector-Equipment, which meant that I was responsible for setting up and taking down the Diebold touch-screen voting machines. This time they were used only for disabled voters. We got 0 at precinct 190510.
Not much of a test since if we cannot get Bruce McPherson pushed out as Schwarzenegger-installed Secretary of State,
we will ALL be made to vote on them. As stated by others, I took the machines home for an entire week. The so-called security seals over the memory card easily came unglued, suffering NO DAMAGE when I unlocked the memory card door and removed the memory card. So if I had a key or a way of opening that door, I could have accessed the memory card and replaced it without anyone noticing.
I am very eager to help in any effort to recount all votes in the 50th race BY HAND. I will try to see if local progressive groups have any movement going to do this. Please post anything you find out about any such attempt so I can volunteer.

I have a tape and a manual of the procedures to be followed on election day by poll workers. This might come in handy for anyone that needs this information in order to check up on various counts, tapes, ballots, etc, most of which are signed by the Precinct Inspector (who was in charge of the Diebold scanner (which counted all of the paper ballots) and by the Assistant Precinct Inspector- Equipment. Part of the information which should be requested could be the names and phone numbers of all such volunteers, so you could take depositions or get them to verify their signatures on results tapes.

I think it is better for VOTERS rather than candidates to question the election results and to require hand recounts of ballots. In my precinct the turnout was abysmal, so we would only have to count about 120 ballots total.

- Patricia Gracian

Thank you so much, Brad - for standing bolt upright on this extremely vital issue when most people seem only able to sit on pablum-fed asses and presume Fox News will let us know if anything important has happened to our world. All who know what is at stake - read: those who visit your blog - desperately hope democracy can be resuscitated, even after having the life kicked out of it by so many corrupted elections. What happens to a country when a majority in power has gotten there through corrupt means?

Hi, I was a Precinct Inspector during 06/06/06 and yes I had the scanner at home for about a week. The other questionable activity was getting the ballots. That was done on Saturday 06/03 and the "pickup place" gave me the 1000 or so ballots without any proof of ID. They didn't even had a list with names for P Inspectors.

It was possible to mess with the scanners/voting machines, but there are around 1900 precincts in district 50. One needed to have at least half of those precinct Inspectors on the plot to accomplish any kind of fraud. Very difficult to do.

I think that we are missing the point looking for fraud at the Precinct level. It would be much easier when the totals are integrated with other Precincts. You only need one person at a remote computer controlling the "tabulator". That tabulator will produce the partial and grand totals defined a priori by the person in charge. It would modify the minimum numbers of precincts to avoid suspicion and will generate a list of Precincts which were not touched so they could be selected for the 1% "random" check.

So, what if you insist in getting Precinct 123456? Even if that were one of the Precincts altered, the tabulator will provide the unadulterated totals for that precinct (and therefore pass the audit) and mess with another Precinct results to keep the grand totals to be the same. So, one could ask to audit every single Precinct, a couple at the time, and one would unlikely find any discrepancies.

Diabolical? Yes and....relatively easy to do.

My store is the voting place for our precinct in Carmel Valley. The machines are dropped off by a moving company a day or two before the election, and remain with us for a day after the election. Talk about time alone with the machines! There is no one around anywhere the entire three days.

I was tempted to vote everyone in our precinct against Dianne Feinstein, just to give the old witch a scare.....but, alas, I am one of those honest progressives.