Warren Stewart, Director of Legislative Issues and Policy for VoteTrustUSA calls the Busby/Bilbray election into doubt in his article yesterday, headlined, “Vendor Failures and Lax Security Procedures Call Election Results Into Question In States Across The Country”:
The fact that the official results are “plausible” in California’s special election is beside the point. In fact, if the corrupted results had been “plausible” in Pottawattamie County, there would have been no scrutiny and losing candidates would have been elected. After a publicly observed hand count of the ballots, voters can be reasonably confident in the results of elections in Pottawattmie County. Without a similar hand count of the California special election, voters have no reason to believe the official results are accurate.
Election officials should be held accountable for the voting technology they have advocated.
…
Having used millions in taxpayer dollars to buy unverifiable, error-prone equipment to count the votes in our elections from their friends at ES&S, Diebold, Sequoia, and Hart Intercivic, the burden is on the election officials to prove that those votes were counted correctly.
Is anyone listening to this issue? Is anything being done to check the CA 50 vote?
Run that story up the flag pole to Dobbs and see if it hangs
The statement:
says it all to me.
When any candidate has, or the machine output shows, doubt at a prima facia threshhold, which is very low, then a hand count will supply the election official with the evidence and satisfy that burden of proof.
One liners furnished by Diebold, Sequoia, or ES&S will not satisfy the burden of proof.
His article also says:
and trolls take notice, it was a republican incumbent who was loosing to a student according to the machines.
A simple hand recount instead of one liner “conspiracy theories” denouncements was all it took to fix the doubt and restore confidence.
Nicccccccce work Brad!!!
I don’t think most people are paying attention. To them, ALL computers are “magic black boxes”, so why should their voting machines be any different? I mean, most days, they can log on and get their email with their magic black box.. Getting votes for a day shouldn’t be a problem.. right??
Given most people’s lack of understanding about tech, they buy the crap about “security tape” over the card slots, for example. They figure “if I can’t do it, it must not be something that anyone would do”.. Why do people hold that mentality? Because we’re taught by our Corporate Masters that we, as individuals, are “the best” and “right” and “perfect” (so long as we buy this or that.. and MOST DO buy “this or that”). And since most people feel they are “perfect” and can’t/won’t do it, it must not be something that would/can be done.
Until people with the ability to make sure we’re not screwed by these machines care, it won’t matter. And, we’re seeing that the people with the “ability” end up being just as ignorant as “the masses”. There’s no rule that says you have to be smart or able to think logically to hold an office..
One wonders, since the Sec. of State has just said:
(link here, bold added).
Which seems to be the approach take with elections. There is no guarantee they will be done right, but it is worth it to try.
What kind of thinking is that … rationalization?
Burden of Proof,… that rightfully belongs dumped right in their lap,.. they allowed this farce of a system to be put in place,.. the counting of our votes has become a fiasco.
This voting tabulation is not a sophomoric game of pin the tail on the donkey,… the preservation of our democracy demands vote counting integrity.
They have failed miserably,… our vote counting system is a charade of authenticity and accuracy.
Prove to us you are doing your job at the level of exactitude we demand and rightfully expect.
Why don’t “6 or 7” of us write/call Busby campaign
& DNC and demand they do a recount. Remind DNC we are all watching, and the Dems need to fight back early and every time.
C’mon, Brad, don’t do this. You’ll stir up public outcry. I want people to listen to elevator music. That way the people will be soothed. Calm down people. If you get to the bottom of Ohio and Florida, I’ll be one ruined elevator troll. You can’t do this to me! Now I want everybody to go home, calm down, and listen to elevator music! Relax! Don’t get so stirred up!
KKKSF 103.7FM
Condi, it’s “worth the price” unless you’re the one who’s paying the price. You aren’t. Somebody else is. So your opinion is worthless. Sorry about that.
test
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.
… Txacoli said on 6/14/2006
Geez…now what would happen if Frenkinstein didn’t get any votes in your store, the DLC would be up there with with Hiam and Menachem (the AIPAC version of Guido and Vito) to breaka you fingers 🙂
So, Brad….Is it somehow the fault of the “technology” that poll workers took the voting equipment home? This “error prone” technology remains far more reliable than the technologies we worked with in the past (gosh, has anyone thought to question the “computer code” that counted optical scan ballots? the “computer code” that counted punch card ballots? or the mechanical controls that counted lever machine votes? How about the old paper ballots? Perhaps we should pine away for the days when poll workers could hand pencils to voters, allowing those poll workers to “re-mark” ballots after hours, when voters couldn’t see what was happening.
Brad, I hate to say it, but your ongoing outcry marks you as merely one more marginalized nut case who hasn’t understood the elections process since its early days.
COMMENT #14 [Permalink]
… Doug Allen said on 6/15/2006 @ 5:23 am PT..
Man, I don’t know about you, but I would rather it be paper and pen so they could only flip one vote at a time INSTEAD OF ENTIRE BLOCKS OF VOTES BY FLIPPING A CODE, where are you coming from ?
If I might add
If the Fat cats are going to steal elections, I at least want them to get out of their Lazyboys to do it!!!
I’m unfamiliar with the various technologies involved with ballot counting and “computer codes,” but it seems to me that in light of all that’s transpired, the widespread tactics of voter fraud/intimidation, coupled with the fact that the right’s agenda is so nefarious that they have to rely on theft, mass deception and subverting the people’s will, the only reason for the mass implementation of these touch screen voting systems rests in in software that’s more conducive to tampering/rigging. I mean, the answer is all too plain.
The only ones contorting themselves into positions of bizarre explanations to the contrary are apparently the type who call Brad a “marginalized nut case.”
Doug Allen:
The only “reliable” thing about voting in 2006 is that nitwits like you keep making statements like that one, while our society fails!
Please leave our country so we can pick up the pieces!
re: when poll workers could hand pencils to voters:
I live in a very small town, 4767 people. We still have paper ballots for every election. But if I remember correctly, we mark the ballots with a black magic marker. No erace-ies. If I discover we are using pencil, I will request at town meeting that we go high tech and switch to indelible pens. Sure, each voter has to be careful to mark the right box the first time. Guess I will take my chances.