Sends Thousands of Hackable Diebold Machines Home with the Students on 'Sleepovers' for Weeks on End!
By Brad Friedman on 11/6/2006, 2:27pm PT  

This just in from poll worker Patti Newton from San Diego, where Registrar Mikel Haas has been sending all of their pre-programmed, election-ready, hackable Diebold touch-screen systems home with poll workers on "sleepovers" since Oct. 16th.

Newton reports the machines have been going to high-school kids who have also been recruited to be in charge of those machines tomorrow! Have we mentioned that San Diego's Mikel Haas is amongst the worst most irresponsible Election Administrator's in the country?! From Newton...

I just got off the phone with one of the (San Diego) North County Poll Worker Recruitment Specialists (PWRS) --- I vented my frustration at being teamed with three (3) teenagers with no election experience. To add insult to injury, I am relegated to the job of ASSISTANT Precinct Inspector (this is my third election this year)!

The PWRS told me that Mikel Haas directed recruiters to place every single teenager who applied. I believe they were actively recruited because they are receiving extra credit (in high school classes) in addition to being paid. She did not confirm or deny the answer to my question, "Did Haas put the teenagers first in line as Touchscreen Inspectors?" Her evasion was answer enough. I asked her if teens having voting machines in their custody for three weeks made her nervous. "Yes, a little." She stated she was "just a peon" and following directions from ROV Haas.

It is obvious my PI has not cracked the cover of her election guide and made no attempt to contact me or the others to arrange to set up the poll tonight. She has not contacted the other workers. The two phone numbers I've (not my PI) actively sought for one worker are both wrong numbers.

These kids have no sense of urgency nor do they seem to take any responsibility. Perhaps Mikel Haas is smarter than we think.

But wait, she followed up with more!

Just got off the phone w/ another PWRS who stated there are 2,000 high school and college students as Touchscreen Inspectors. Supposedly they are AP (Advanced Placement) students. The reason they recruited them is because last June they lost poll workers in droves because they were uncomfortable with the technology so they thought younger was better.

...

I called a co-worker from the June election who said she and the other worker opted out (after six years of service) for that reason.

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