Guest Blogged by John Gideon
In August Vote-PAD learned that the California Secretary of State had decided to deny them certification that would allow Vote-PAD’s voting assistive devices to be used in the state of California. They did this even though some counties had already contracted for Vote-PAD or were in the purchase process and even though Vote-PAD showed clear and convincing evidence that the testing process was biased. This denial by Bruce McPherson and his underlings led to the now famous “Off With Their Heads” blog here at The BRAD BLOG.
On Monday Vote-PAD issued a press release to inform the public that they had filed a formal complaint with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board. According to the press release, Vote-PAD “asserts that the Secretary of State violated a number of State and Federal protections during the Vote-PAD certification process: ‘a violation of the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitutions of both the United States and the State of California, a breach of contract, a violation of the California Administrative Procedures Act, a violation of the Election Code provisions governing voting system certification and an abuse of discretion in the Secretary’s authority to certify voting systems.'”
The full press release follows…
10/16/2006 9:56:00 AM
To: State and City Desks
Contact: Ellen Theisen of Vote-PAD Inc., 360-437-9922 or ellen@vote-pad.us
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ — Vote-PAD Inc. today filed a formal claim with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board Asserting that the Secretary of State violated a number of State and Federal protections during the Vote-PAD certification process: “a violation of the due process and equal protection clauses of the Constitutions of both the United States and the State of California, a breach of contract, a violation of the California Administrative Procedures Act, a violation of the Election Code provisions governing voting system certification and an abuse of discretion in the Secretary’s authority to certify voting systems.”
The Vote-PAD, recently used in the Wisconsin primary election, is a non-computerized device designed to help people with disabilities hand mark a paper ballot. Six California counties were hoping to use the Vote-PAD this November, but on Aug. 25, Secretary of State Bruce McPherson refused to certify it for use in California.
Ellen Theisen, President of Vote-PAD Inc., said, “With no guidelines or regulations to follow, the Secretary’s staff just made everything up as they went along — the joint application process with the counties, the test plan, the method of evaluation and even the criteria they used to recommend denial. What they came up with was unprecedented and contrary not only to usability testing principles but to common sense as well.”
“Furthermore,” Theisen added, “their ad hoc plan was administered by people unqualified to conduct usability testing, their record-keeping was haphazard, and their analysis of the data shows a lack of due diligence.”
The claimant is seeking one of three remedies:
1 — A valid certification test of the Vote-PAD conducted as soon as possible at the State’s expense, or
2 — Prompt certification of the Vote-PAD, based on a valid evaluation of the data collected in the test conducted during the summer; also at the sole expense of the State, or
3 — If the State rejects the other remedies, compensation in the amount of $33,277.65 to Vote-PAD Inc., for expenses associated with the certification testing process.
“The actual cost of the Secretary of State’s invalid testing of Vote-PAD is incalculable,” Theisen said. “If the denial of certification is allowed to stand, it denies California counties and their disabled citizens a verifiable, auditable, cost- effective way to cast their ballots.”
“We believe the State also owes compensation to the counties that requested the certification of the Vote-PAD and were eager to use it in November, since the boondoggle has forced them to settle for expensive and unreliable electronic equipment instead. But that’s not part of the claim we filed.”
Read the details supporting the claim here:
http://www.vote-pad.us/CA-BOEClaimAttachment.asp
http://www.usnewswire.com/
This is off topic.
Wondering why Bush and Rove were upbeat?
OCTOBER SURPRISE!
I just heard this on
http://thomhartmann.org/eve/for...1/m/3261040312
Thom Hartmann
Democrats are being purged from OHIO and several other states voter roles.
From the DailyKOS
http://www.dailykos.com/storyon...0/18/85915/109
Blackwell purged Ohio Voter Rolls Oct 1st
One other thing.
In the Sacramento Area, I also heard that absentee voters have got two ballots or no ballots , instead of part a and part b of their ballots.
Check your ballots to make sure you got both parts!!!
Note: Feel free to move these two articles to a more appropriate thread. Even re-write them if you want.
I thought it was more important to get the WORD OUT.
Phil,
In your comment #2 I thought I would add a site link to read the whole story.
Here it is;
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums...tml?1161188004
I hope this helps get the work out. BTW, LA county registrar has purged 11% of the voters list.
We must keep up with all that is going on and if you can help on Election day as a poll worker go here, (http://couragecampaign.org/entr...n-crisis-mode/), they have a list of numbers you can call to volunteer or even get paid for working the polls.
🙂
Phil
I checked my ballot last night as soon as I saw the report on TV. Mine was fine.
And to think that The Sacramento Bee – that “bastion of all that is liberal in California” has actually come out to endorse that slimeball Bruce McPherson.
Sheesh, what’s this world coming to!
Here’s to Ellen Theisen, suing the California S of State. They wouldn’t actually want safe, efficient, affordable voting for the disabled, that was not controlled by international corporations–would they?
Vickie Karp
http://www.hackedelections.com
OT,.. but California,..
Rep. Doolittle,.. the next Abramoff criminal yet to be convicted was repeatedly asked to join in on a debate,.. but his schedule would not permit it. To the end of the race,.. at the last minute,.. with only 24 hrs notice he agreed,.. due to time constraints this debate was not given much media exposure.
Listen to Doolittle,.. attack,.. attack,.. attack – his opposition is all he can do,.. he avoids meaningful discussions of the real and important issues. Is there any surprise with clowns like this that the political discourse is akin to a schoolyard fight. He discusses nothing of substance only vomiting up the party talking points.
Video clip of Rep. Doolittle’s debate.