Two important evoting events in Sacramento. Can anybody attend?

[Helga Scow Stern]

Could some heroic soul or souls go to these?


February 17, 2005 10 AM
Voting Systems and Procedures Panel and Voting Modernization Board (see below)

Febuary 20, 2005 6-9 PM
CVF President Kim Alexander will speak at the Sacramento MoveOn event "How Electronic Voting Systems Compromise or Enhance the Election Process: Video Invisible Ballots", 6-9 p.m., SEI Union Hall, 1911 F Street, Sacramento, CA
(See the California Voter Foundation Website. http://calvoter.org/index.html
Kim Alexander seems to keep on top of everything going on, and was a Shelley ally. Check out her blog especially for up-to-the-minute reports.)



Voting Systems and Procedures Panel and the Voting Modernization Board Hearings

From MoveOn Sacramento:

From Bay Butler: If you are interested in Black Box voting, the Voting Systems and
Procedures Panel and the Voting Modernization Board makes the rules for
California. They are also the Boards considering sequential voting proposals.
Their next meeting is February 17, 2005 10AM for Voting Procedures Panel
and 2-4 PM for the Voting Modernization Board.
The Agendas look dull, but rarely are.

http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/voting_systems/vsp_agenda_0217b.pdf
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/vma/pdf/vmb/meetings/agendas/vmb_02_17_05_agenda.pdf

Handouts for the meetings are posted to the web the day before the meeting at
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vs.htm
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/vma/agendas.html


Minutes from the January 20-21 meeting are at:
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_vs.htm (scroll down)
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/vma/pdf/vmb/documents/ccrov_05017.pdf

[emlev]

1. kick

[Amaryllis]

2. It's a MoveOn event and they are going to address e-voting? Is MoveOn

finally waking up??

[Helga Scow Stern]

3. Well, it's a local group,

and just maybe someone picked up that it is the center of a huge shitstorm of the voting world as we know it.

[dmac]

22. I was wondering myself where Move on stands on this issue -

however, note the title of the meeting is:

"How Electronic Voting Systems Compromise or Enhance the Election Process: Video Invisible Ballots" - so I guess it is possible to get there and find that they are preaching the virtues of BBV and how our election system has been enhanced because of them. I don't know what to think at all anymore of groups I used to trust implicitly.

[Peace Patriot]

23. Go to Kim Alexander's CalVoter web site.

Yes, she's into promoting electronics in government. But she does talk a good line--seriously--about e-voting.

http://calvoter.org/index.html

[Helga Scow Stern]

4. By the way,

I just read that the EAC voted unanimously today to "investigate" Shelley.

[Amaryllis]

5. POX on EAC! they are evil.

[shance]

6. I thought I read they wouldn't investigate if he resigned?

n/t

[Helga Scow Stern]

7. No, that was a deal the Joint Audit Committee could have made...

this is separate. And this decision was made earlier, 1/26, not 2/15 as I originally thought.

[Peace Patriot]

8. I cannot go to either meeting. (Sacto is a three day trip for me.)

But there must be ways that we can act in support. Letters to board or media. Phone calls.

**How do we contact Bay Butler, MoveOn Sacto?** I'll go to Kim's site and see what's what.

My experience with boards in Sacto is not a good one. My guess would be that, once a policy like e-voting has been dictated by the Gov (direct or indirect), there is absolutely nothing you can do about it at the board level, because they all sit there beholden to the Gov (or he to them), with no one beholden to the citizenry, democracy or good government (or at best one or two tokens). And all you can do is get things into the record, and plan a lawsuit.

However, I know absolutely nothing about these elections panels/boards, and it is WONDERFUL that someone does, and is there. I'll go visit Kim's site right now.

[Peace Patriot]

9. Ojai Person, thanks so much for this info! I haven't gotten to Kim's site

...yet; stopped off first at http://www.sacmoveon.org/#vreform. Did you see their flyer for the Feb 20 event? Excellent! I'll see what I can do to post it here. (Never done that before.) This looks like a great group, and they are right at the heart of the salvation or destruction of our democracy, in Sacto, CA. There are names, phone nos., people we can contact there. Now, it doesn't look like election reform is their top priority. (Top priority seems to be Iraq war.) But they are interested enough to do a whole evening on it, do a flyer and organizing, and possibly they are contacting media. But anyway, we need to connect up with them.

One of the problems, for me anyway, is DISTANCE to Sacto (I'm old, don't drive long distances so well any more, and live way out of the way), yet Sacto is the seat of CA gov't power, and it is where these momentous decisions and events are occurring. It is so great to have an active progressive group right there for whom election reform is important enough to put on an event like this (the Feb 20 presentation).

I don't think I can do anything for Feb. 17 (tomorrow). I have to work today. But we'll see. I'll go see if Kim needs something...back in a minute.

[Peace Patriot]

10. Well, this is somewhat heartening (from Kim's weblog)...

"In a departure from the prickly relationship between county election officials and Shelley -- who greeted them upon entering office by telling them there was a 'new sheriff in town' -- McPherson said he wanted to make local registrars his 'partners in reform.'

"That may be difficult. McCormack, the Los Angeles registrar, has adamantly opposed the paper trail system and has suggested the new requirement should be suspended, if only temporarily.

"McPherson reiterated his support for the paper trail system Friday, noting that he was a co-author of the legislation -- which passed the Legislature unanimously -- that created the requirement in the first place."

(--appears to be from an SF Chron article)

-----

I remember now why I visited Kim's site months ago, and didn't go back. She's quite an advocate of e-voting, and doesn't question it, just seemed to want VVPB, etc. I was more into people like John Kinney at the time (hungerfordemocracy.org -- hunger strike for paper ballots).

But, just as with everything else in the USofA and in CA, we're forced to be putting out brushfires amidst a huge conflagration. Brushfires are not unimportant in a huge conflagration--putting them out may save particular things, people, animals, valuables, AND, they can be deliberately used as backfires or to make firebreaks to fight the big one.

Anyway...the brushfire currently is: totally paperless, totally unverifiable, totally unrecountable, totally inauditable voting systems--as insanely advocated by Connie McCormack, LA County elections head, and as SANELY opposed by Kim and the ENTIRE STATE LEGISLATURE, it seems, who voted UNANIMOUSLY last year for something that Kim describes as a "voter verified paper record" (--not sure if that's a ballot, that is, would it take precedence over electronic tally in any recount?).

Kim's weblog is VERY INFORMATIVE. http://calvoter.org/news/blog/index.html

And you're right, she's been supportive of Shelley.

I'm roaming around her site. Haven't found any action items for tomorrow's hearing yet...

[Peace Patriot]

11. Anybody know how to post a pdf here at DU?

I want to post the MoveOn-Sacramento group's flyer for their Feb 20 presentation on e-voting. The flyer is at

http://calvoter.org/news/blog/index.html

Can't figure out how to do it.

Note: Ojai Person posts the basic facts about the Feb 20 presentation, above, in her main post.

[Peace Patriot]

12. Here's CalVoter's mission statement. This is what put me off...

"The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization promoting and applying the responsible use of technology to improve the democratic process."

Promoting.

-----

On second look at the presentation she's doing for MoveOn-Sacto...

"How Electronic Voting Systems Compromise or Enhance the Election Process..."

Enhance.

Given what we know about the 2004 election, how could anyone describe electronic voting as in any way "enhancing" the democratic process?

-----

Current Major Donors

Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation
The Pew Charitable Trusts

Past Major Donors

Apple Computer, AOL Time Warner Foundation, Arkay Foundation, California Cable Television Association, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Columbia Foundation, Digital Equipment Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, Intel Foundation & Corp., Joyce Foundation, Markle Foundation, Pacific Telesis, Pew Center for Civic Journalism, Piper Fund, Rockefeller Family Fund, and Vodafone-US Foundation.

----

Kind of like NPR...

----

I'm looking around her site for if/how she addresses the matter of Wally O'Dell and H. Ahmansen and Chuck Hagel "counting" all our votes (or in the case of Chuck Hagel, 'selecting' himself).

[Peace Patriot]

13. ...seems like good advice...

"How You Can Help

"Visit VerifiedVoting.org to find out how to get involved in your local area. Become an expert on your local voting system, and get informed about voting system certification on the California Secretary of State's web site. Subscribe to CVF's email newsletter CVF-NEWS to stay informed. If your county will be using paperless touchscreen voting machines this November, request an absentee ballot and vote on paper this November."

http://calvoter.org/issues/votingtech/index.html

----

What I'm finding objectionable is items like, "Become an expert on your local voting system." Not that we shouldn't do that. We ARE FORCED TO, in order to restore our democracy. But, but, but...why should voters have to become "experts"? CalVoter doesn't seem to ever question that.

----

And I'm still looking for their position on open source code.

[Peace Patriot]

14. OK, here it is: open source code. I'm back on board with Kim, at least as

...to her position on this.

Voting Technologies - Part of the Solution, or Part of the Problem?

Forum for Newly Elected Women Legislators, sponsored by the Center for American Women and Politics
Thursday, November 20, 2003, 7-9 p.m.
Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC

Kim Alexander’s Remarks:

Good evening, and thank you for inviting me.

Are new voting technologies part of the solution, or part of the problem?

This is an important subject. What we do about voting technology now will have consequences for decades to come.

I’m here to explain the problems with paperless, computerized voting systems as they are currently deployed in the United States, as well as ways we can address those problems.

Over the past several years, and especially throughout this year, I have been an outspoken critic of paperless, computerized voting systems. I came to this point of view reluctantly. I wanted to believe for a long time that election officials and vendors had all the details worked out and I wouldn’t have to think or worry about voting technology. I was also reluctant to question the judgment of election officials or undermine their credibility.

But common sense won out. Common sense tells me that there is no good reason for voters to trust one hundred percent computerized, paperless voting systems run on secret software....

----

"...no good reason for voters to trust...voting systems run on secret software...."

http://calvoter.org/issues/votingtech/pub/1103KAremarks.html

[Peace Patriot]

15. Here's what Kim said about e-voting in July 2004...sounds pretty good:

"With e-voting systems, it’s as if we’re trying to eliminate fraud and error by eliminating the ability to detect it. It’s like trying to solve your accounting problems by eliminating your accounting department." - Kim Alexander, Address to the Commonwealth Club

http://calvoter.org/issues/votingtech/pub/0707KACOMremarks.html

She's right about that. It's the BushCons way: You got a problem?, eliminate the accounting department.

...like they just eliminated Shelley.

Well, it's going to be interesting to see just how McPherson has been subverted by, or gets subverted by, the Bush Cartel (or doesn't? one can hope). It may be that redistricting is the thing we should be looking at. They will sell that as good government--just as they sold Wally O'Dell and H. Ahmanson counting our votes as good government.

McPherson seems to still be a strong advocate of a Voter Verified something (I'm not sure if it's actually a ballot). He co-wrote the legislation that was unanimously passed by the Leg. One fight will be whether this gets excused--in L.A. County, for instance--for 2006. It doesn't look like McCormack is going to get away with that. But we'll see.

These developments need to be CLOSELY WATCHED. Fine tooth comb. Laser vision. And we need to be prepared for ACTION.

ACTION PLAN (for the moment):

--connect with MoveOn-Sacto, get them all of our information on the 2004 election (I'll work on this tomorrow)

--find out about McPherson nomination hearings

--continue to bombard legislators and media with 2004 election info, especially all the PhD's and their various reports (I'll continue tomorrow--and will get our LETTER OF THE WEEK, short and long version, prepared and uploaded)

--more donations to Kevin Shelley Defense Fund, stay on top of EAC investigation/hearings (if any)--don't let them crucify this great public servant (the first...the FIRST in the country to demand e-voting accountability, according to Kim)

-------

CalVoter's VERY insider CA and US money establishment connections (the list of donors--and speaking to the Commonwealth Club is no small deal!) continue to make me uneasy. Is she window dressing? Is she a genuine public advocate? She seems to be saying the right things...at least about the brushfires! But what about the main event: Election 2004? (tax cuts and war profiteering for the rich for four more years). And what about most voters being unable to understand how/where/by whom their votes are counted, and having to become "experts" to even begin to understand it?

My gut feeling: It's Boston Tea Party time. The naive or corrupt will scream about the money (billions committed to e-voting). But TEA was no small deal back in Boston on the eve of the Revolution. It was the centerpiece of the economy, as computers are today.

[Peace Patriot]

16. Election Rigging TEACH IN, Oakland, Feb 26, with Bob Fritakis!!!!

ELECTION RIGGING 101
A National Teach-In
On the 2004 election and what we must do to restore democracy

With Bob Fitrakis
Ohio Attorney, Editor, Columbus Free Press
(one of the four attorneys fighting sanctions in Ohio for Moss v. Bush)

Saturday, Feb. 26th
10am - 4pm
1st Congregational Church
2501 Harrison St. Oakland

$10 suggested donation
please bring lunch
more information to be posted soon at: www.democraticrenewal.com

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=327393#328110

[Peace Patriot]

17. For those who want to catch up with the Kevin Shelley situation, here's...

...Ojai Person's compilation of all DU threads.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=325113&mesg_id=325113

[Helga Scow Stern]

18. Good info on CalVoter, Peace Patriot.

I wish I could go to Sacto tomorrow, but I'm in S. CA. I hope that someone goes and tells us what happened.

[Peace Patriot]

19. KICK! n/t

[Peace Patriot]

20. sfexpat2000, what do you think think about re-writing your letter to SF...

...Chron to focus on the Oakland teachin? See compilation thread at...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=325113#325318

If you're interested, I'll meet you at the compilation thread at 4 pm today (Pacific Time), after I've finished the LETTER OF THE WEEK posting.

[sacxtra]

21. Interesting time and date on this post

Just after my post here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3131191#3131320

Not acusing anything. Interesting timing.