Decertification / Recertification Decisions Issued August 3, 2007, by Secretary of State Debra Bowen

[tiptoe]

Source: California. Secretary of State Debra Bowen

Diebold Election Systems, Inc.

• Withdrawal of Approval/Conditional Reapproval (pdf)
  
  WITHDRAWAL OF APPROVAL OF
  DIEBOLD ELECTION SYSTEMS, INC.,
  GEMS 1.18.24/AccuVote-TSX/AccuVote-OS
  DRE & OPTICAL SCAN VOTING SYSTEM
  AND CONDITIONAL RE-APPROVAL OF
  USE OF DIEBOLD ELECTION SYSTEMS, INC.,
  GEMS 1.18.24/AccuVote-TSX/AccuVote-OS
  DRE & OPTICAL SCAN VOTING SYSTEM
  
  Whereas ...
  
  Whereas ...
  
  Whereas ...
  
  ...
  
  Therefore, I, Debra Bowen, Secretary of State for the State of California, find and determine, pursuant to Division 19 of the Elections Code, as follows:
  
  For the reasons set forth above, the Diebold Election Systems, Inc., voting system, comprised of GEMS software, version 1.18.24, AccuVote-TSX with AccuView Printer Module and Ballot Station firmware version 4.6.4, AccuVote-OS (Model D) with firmware version 1.96.6, AccuVote-OS Central Count with firmware 2.0.12, AccuFeed, Vote Card Encoder, version 1.3.2, Key Card Tool software, version 4.6.1, and VC Programmer software, version 4.6.1, which was previously approved, is found and determined to be defective or unacceptable and its certification and approval for use in subsequent elections in California is immediately withdrawn, except as specifically provided below.
  
  1. In order to provide accessible balloting to voters with disabilities in compliance with HAVA, jurisdictions may use not more than one AccuVote-TSx per polling place on Election Day. To protect voter privacy, jurisdictions are required to ensure that at least five persons voluntarily cast their ballot on each such device over the course of Election Day.
  
  2. The AccuVote-TSx may be used in early voting prior to Election Day, subject to the following restrictions:
  ...
  
  3. The election official must reset the encryption key used for all AccuVote-TSx units to change the key from the factory default setting to a unique value for each election prior to programming any units.
  
  4. ...
  (See: Page 5 of 12 )
  
  
  Hart InterCivic
  
• Withdrawal of Approval/Conditional Reapproval for Hart System 6.2.1 (pdf)
  
• Voluntary Withdrawal of Certification of Hart System 6.1 (pdf)
  
  Sequoia Voting Systems
  
• Withdrawal of Approval/Conditional Reapproval (pdf)
  
  Elections Systems and Software, Inc.
  
• Rescission and Withdrawal of Approval (pdf)
  
  Read more: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vsr.htm
  

[EFerrari]

1. Thank you, tiptoe.

[aquart]

2. Withdrawal/conditional approval?

Do I really have to read them to find out what that means?

[aquart]

3. Okay, I looked at the first one, Diebold.

As near I can tell, she slaughtered them. I will be fascinated to see if they can meet the recertification requirements.

When would she like to run for governor?

[fooj]

4. Aren't they opening up an office in San Diego? I hope this stops them.

[Peace Patriot]

5. Calif. Tightens Voting Machine Security

Source: ABC News, Forbes, & Guardian


Calif. Tightens Voting Machine Standards
California Tightens Security Standards for Some State Voting Machines

By STEVE LAWRENCE Associated Press Writer
SACRAMENTO Aug 4, 2007 (AP)

California's secretary of state placed rigorous security conditions on voting equipment used in dozens of counties and limited the use of two of the most widely used machines statewide.

(MORE)(--if you can bear to read AP's semi-informative, pro-corporate take on it)

--------------

Forbes and the Guardian also published the AP article

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/04/ap3987528.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6827035,00.html

Read more: http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3447008

---

Google News has 152 articles on this subject, just the top few on the current news, others are prior news stories/background and related news.

http://news.google.com/?ncl=1118621529&hl=en

The war profiteering corporate news monopolies outdo themselves in being blase about this, the most important U.S. news story in about 60 years (--since VE and VJ Days), if not the most important U.S. news story ever. But then they have been in collusion with the election thieves all along, so it shouldn't surprise us. AP giving the "corporate side" of voting machines run on "trade secret," proprietary programming code, owned and controlled by rightwing Bushite corporations, with virtually no audit/recount controls, is kind of like giving "Alberto Gonzales' side" on torture.

Also, I wonder if the Republicans claiming the Democrats "stole" a vote in Congress is covering flak for this Debra Bowen announcement. Surely they knew it was coming. It puts ALL our elections--but especially THEIR elections--in question. How DID they get elected? Hm?

[aquart]

6. We know how. We always did.

[Peace Patriot]

7. Bowen places tough restrictions on voting systems

Source: San Mateo County Times

Bowen places tough restrictions on voting systems
By Edwin Garcia, MediaNews Sacramento Bureau
Article Last Updated: 08/04/2007 01:07:28 AM PDT

SACRAMENTO — Expressing concern over hacking and other security issues, Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced late Friday night she was decertifying a number of electronic voting systems — but that she also would immediately recertify them, subject to added security measures, including time-consuming manual recounts.

(snip)

Bowen's much-anticipated decision, which faced a midnight deadline under California election law, was expected to happen Friday morning. But it was delayed for hours, leaving many county elections officials on pins and needles into the night, without a hint of what to expect.

The announcement comes a week after releasing the results of a "top-to-bottom review" Bowen ordered of three voting systems, which concluded that hackers working under certain conditions could tweak election results.

(MORE--but not a whole lot--corporate "journalism" at its worst)

Read more: http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_6543327

---

Oh, those poor corrupt little babies "without a hint of what to expect"!

Don't you just bleed for them?

[Silver Gaia]

8. Here's the Sac Bee's article about this, too

http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/308452.html

:bounce: :toast: :bounce:

I voted for her, too! And stayed up til the wee hours watching the results of that election until I knew she'd won. :D I knew she wouldn't let us down. This is an historic decision.

Edited to change redundant info after threads were merged.

[xchrom]

9. ...

:woohoo: recommend:woohoo:

[Peace Patriot]

10. CA State curtails e-voting: L.A. decertified; restrictions on 2 others

Source: Sacramento Bee

State curtails e-voting
L.A. system decertified; restrictions on two others
By Kevin Yamamura - Bee Capitol Bureau

Last Updated 1:09 am PDT Saturday, August 4, 2007
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A13


California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, bowing to fears of computer fraud, Friday decertified Los Angeles County's electronic voting system and sharply curtailed the use of two other machines that California counties had hoped to use to conduct the February 2008 presidential primary.

She said she would allow unlimited use of one system, Hart InterCivic, as long as security and auditing safeguards are implemented.

But in the case of two major companies -- Diebold Election Systems and Sequoia Voting Systems -- Bowen said she would allow just one machine per polling place, apparently to provide an accessible option for disabled voters.

(MORE)

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/308452.html

---

The article contains a nonsensical statement by the president of the Calif. Assoc. of Clerks and Election Officials (a group that has been highly corrupted by Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia lobbyists, and that, in my opinion, qualify as some of the worst traitors to democracy we have ever seen in public office). Here's what their president, Stephen Weir, said,

"Weir said Bowen is moving the ball 'in the wrong direction' because she used an improper system to test the machines. He said her decision essentially tells 'the voting community out there "your voting system is damaged, but we're going to fix it." That doesn't feel good to me." --Sacto Bee

Did you ever read anything so stupid? Really, these people deserve 'tarring and feathering' and a swift exit on a rail.

Here's some of the good news:

"Bowen's decision could have a ripple effect on dozens of other states that use the same voting systems if officials there follow her lead and rely on the UC research."

[tiptoe]

13. Should never use outside experts to test systems: Republicons are sufficient. nt

[tiptoe]

11. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen Decertifies Diebold, Hart Intercivic and Sequoia Voting...

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen Decertifies Diebold,
Hart Intercivic and Sequoia Voting Systems — Late Submitted
ES&S "InkaVote Plus" Used in Los Angeles to be Reviewed

Source: California Progress Report

After two months of unprecedented analysis of California’s voting systems and related security procedures, Secretary of State Debra Bowen today announced some of those systems can continue operating in 2008 in California while others are too flawed to be widely used.

Each of the systems that went through the top-to-bottom review has been legally decertified, and then each of them has been recertified with the addition of a number of conditions. The primary reason for taking this step is for clarity, ensuring that everything associated with a particular system is in one single recertification document that is easy for the public, elections officials, and others to follow and understand.

The Diebold, Hart InterCivic and Sequoia direct recording electronic (DRE) systems were all decertified. The Diebold and Sequoia DRE systems were recertified solely for the purposes of conducting early voting and to allow counties to have one DRE machine in each polling place on Election Day for the purpose of complying with disability access requirements of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Furthermore, these DRE systems will be required to comply with increased security and post-election auditing procedures. The Hart InterCivic DRE system was also recertified but will only be required to comply with increased security and post-election auditing procedures. The Diebold, Hart InterCivic and Sequoia optical scan systems were all decertified and recertified, and will be required to adopt increased security and post-election auditing procedures.

“The systems we use to cast and tally votes in this state are the most fundamental tools of our democracy,” said Secretary Bowen, the state’s chief elections officer. “My decisions have a bias towards voting systems that score the highest with two very important measuring sticks: transparency and auditability. Applying proper auditing procedures to optical scan systems that are easier for voters to see and understand gives us the ability to begin rebuilding the voter confidence in the systems we use to conduct elections.”
...


Read more: http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/08/california_secr_1.html

[tiptoe]

12. Salute to SoS Debra Bowen!

:patriot:

[fed-up]

14. "Diebold Election Systems, Inc...is found and determined to be defective or unacceptable..WITHDRAWN"

hip, hip, hooray!!!

[Trillo]

15. Best news I've read in a long time! K&R. n/t