Voting System Manufacturer Sues (Kenneth Blackwell limited vendors!)

[truthpusher]

http://www.ohionewsnetwork.com/Global/story.asp?S=2894659&nav=LQlCVvDQ

Voting System Manufacturer Sues

A company which makes computerized voting systems is suing Ohio's chief elections officer, claiming that he unfairly excluded it from the opportunity to provide voting machines to the state.

The lawsuit by Hart Intercivic Incorporated alleges that Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell's changing of bid specifications cost the company the chance to provide direct-recording electronic voting machines to at least six Ohio counties.

Hart says Blackwell's amended decision to limit vendors to providing optical-scan voting machines has frozen Hart out of the process. The Austin, Texas-based company is demanding a trial in state court in Cincinnati to recover at least the $4.3 million it says it spent pursuing Ohio's business.

http://www.ohionewsnetwork.com/Global/story.asp?S=2894659&nav=LQlCVvDQ

[merh]

1. Yuck, yuck, yuck!

Come on everybody - dump on Blackheart - he deserves it. Everybody, let's sue him, the more the merrier! :evilgrin:

[Cocoa]

2. this was a reasonable decision by Blackwell

optical scan is one of the best voting methods. It's reliable, and there's a paper trail.

Whether the decision was legal or not will be up to the courts to decide.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. but it depends on when they changed the specs.

if they did it in the middle of the process then there is some validity to the suit. If they only want their lobbying money back then I have no pity.

[Cocoa]

12. the article is way too short to tell

you're right, this may or not have been legal. We'll see what the judge says.

[truthpusher]

5. But was that why he limited vendors?

[ananda]

6. no, optical scans are not good, either

No, optical scan machines are the ones that caused problems in Florida.

They can be rigged, too.

Sue

[Cocoa]

10. but as I understand it

they fixed it by recounting.

Which as I understand it is a case in point for having a paper trail.

[smartvoter]

13. The tabulating machines are problematic. nt

[KaliTracy]

14. Cocoa...there are a lot more problems with this choice. Here's an

information letter I sent to various media outlets -- this one happens to include another issue regarding their reporting of the recounts. But they posted the entire letter on their "feedback blog"


<snip>
"We need to be aware of the choices being made for Ohio, and demand forums so that we can speak about the choices being made, however, since Kenneth Blackwell won’t even give the Board of Elections a forum to discuss options, there is no chance that the public would be involved in such a debate. One benefit of Optical Scan is that they give a paper ballot, so if a recount is necessary, it can be completed, however that’s provided that the Secretary of State and/or the Board of Elections in each district plays by the rules, which did not occur for the recount in December, as referenced above., , Optical Scan machines are not without their problems. Besides the two vendors, Diebold and ES&S having strong partisan ties (among other problems – see this FAQ http://www.chuckherrin.com/hackthevoteFAQ.htm for more information) there have been other issues with the use of optical scan machines as well.

"Case in point – Just this week it was reported that Ohio recount volunteers have prepared affidavits about observations of several problems during the recount in Clermont County (see report following) that alleges * actual vote tampering * (stickers were placed over some optical scan ovals, and in at least one case, a Bush/Cheney bubble was filled in, while the sticker covered a filled in Kerry/Edwards oval. It seems that more information is coming about problems in Ohio, although to listen to some politicians, "nothing improper happened" here at all. And that may be the case, but without the proper recount protocol followed, and without investigations by the proper law enforcement officials, we will never know."

<snip> see more, with additional links to above report here http://www.wmub.org/feedback/feedbackblog.html

[merh]

8. That is not the issue. The issue is changing the voting specs

so that only the company he wanted to win the bids could win the contract. Now why would Blackheart want one particular company over another??? :shrug:

What are they hiding? :freak:

[cascadiance]

9. But optical scan has screwed write-in candidates...

... when state law requires additional rules on how to fill in ballots that penalize write-ins. Ask Donna Frye why she "lost" the San Diego Mayoral election when she got more votes.

[Number_6]

3. "Suspicious" is his middle name

Kenneth S. Blackwell lately, in case you didn't know, has given an
ultimatum to all the counties in Ohio to start using ES&S or Diebold
machines by the 2006 election. This is what I think I remember from
yesterday's news. Coincidence that ES&S and Diebold are up to their
eyebrows in suspicion from DU, etc. because of ownership by the
Rethug brothers and past performance?

[ottozen]

7. Discovery

should focus on all of the pros and con(vict)s of each and every voting machine/method on the market at that time.

[Botany]

11. Blackwell is running for Gov. in Ohio .......

....... it would be a shame if his office got lots of junk mail that would tie up
their time!


Ohioans For Ken Blackwell
ATTN: Ken Blackwell
829 Bethel Rd., Suite 316
Columbus, Ohio 43214


Please do not pass this information around to pissed of people.


:kick:

[McCamy Taylor]

15. Damn! Is there anyone who isnt suing Blackwell?

:nopity: