Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org and VoteTrustUSA.Org
Jan BenDor, a Pittsfield Township Michigan deputy clerk, is so concerned about the Diebold machines used in her township that she filed a formal complaint with the Washtenaw County Election Commission on Monday. Ten percent of machines failed in a recent test, she claimed. She also cited changes Diebold made to the machines, including installing modems, without providing written documentation of the work. “I’m a voice in the wilderness,” she admitted, saying that some have accused her of paranoia. “I’m more concerned about normaloia than paranoia. That’s when you think everything is OK, no matter what.” / Washington Co. Arkansas has decided to put ES&S out the county’s ballot programming business. They will buy their own equipment and do the job themselves. / Ohio is holding special elections in 27 counties, including Cuyahoga, on Tuesday….
**”Daily Voting News” is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in “Daily Voting News” may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**
“normaloia …. That’s when you think everything is OK, no matter what.”
That’s a great new word! Seems to apply to a large section of our populace!
Looks like another train wreck in Ohio!
The gerrymandering, which has been for the most part under the radar, is morphing into ‘normaloia’ (I like that word too).
Almost every political gimmick and trick in the politician playbook, such as gerrymandering, which tend to make it more and more difficult for the voting public to hold incumbents accountable, is not being slapped down hard by the courts.
It has been more like a slap on the wrist.
The reason they give is that it is too difficult for them to figure out how to determine when gerrymandering is illegal and when it is not!
Nevertheless they found some of Tom DeLay’s efforts to be illegal, and have redrawn a congressional district in Texas, after the US Supreme Court held that DeLay had violated the Voting Rights Act:
(link here).
Installing modems?
Thats great, now Diebold can access the voting machines remotely and outsource evote maintaince to India.
skeptic94514
“…outsource evote maintaince to India.”
Can’t wait ’till I have to call tech support!
And why do they need modems in the first place?
Good Point Bluebear2, The modem would allow you to dial in via a remote access, kind of 1990s.
However, we are well into the new decade. Rf Diebold enabled wireless capability and did not tell anyone, (wireless is built in on many systems), all a Diebold tech would have to do is drive up to a polling place to “up grade” or “repair” an operating evoting system.
Has anyone checked for wireless capability in our installed base of systems?
I don’t use wireless – too easy for someone to get in. Granted – if someone wanted to, they could hook onto my phone line and tap into my DSL stream, but that isn’t as easy as parking around the corner with a laptop and wireless receiver.
Thats the point. Wireless worries me the most. Its easy to drive up, make the changes and drive on to the next set of voting machines. My guess is that in 2007 we will be reading on how wireless was a factor in the 2006 elections. By that time its too late.
We have to go to hand counted ballots only…. TODAY