Election Reform, Fraud, & Updates Thread for Friday

[Melissa G]

Election Reform, Fraud, & Updates Thread for Friday

In order to organize and document MelissaB thought it would be a good idea to have a daily thread to place items related to reform, fraud, protests, and other items. This also make it easier to "catch up" when we are away from the computer for a while.

If you see something that isn't here post it with a link to the thread and a thanks to the author. MelissaB is busy for a while so I'm taking over and Need Lots of Help!
Thanks,
Melissa G

Link to previous thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x365978

[Melissa G]

1. E&P: TMS won't syndicate Koehler's "Stolen Election" column

Thanks to Dzika for the post!


E&P: TMS won't syndicate Koehler's "Stolen Election" column



Published: May 05, 2005 2:55 PM ET



Syndicate Opts for Substitute Column About 2004 Election Problems
By Dave Astor



NEW YORK Tribune Media Services didn't syndicate today's Robert Koehler column about alleged voting irregularities in the 2004 election, but allowed him to substitute a piece on the same topic.

"At first I was upset, but it wasn't like I couldn't write about this issue," said Koehler, a TMS editor as well as columnist, when reached today by E&P. "I just wish it would get into the mainstream media more. That would help us have secure elections in 2006, 2008, and beyond."

John Twohey, vice president of editorial and operations at TMS, added: "I'm pleased that Bob's columns on this topic are getting so much attention. It's an important issue." In addition to the many e-mails Koehler has received, the situation involving today's column was publicized on BradBlog.com.

Today's piece was Koehler's third about the 2004 election since April 14. Chicago Tribune Public Editor Don Wycliff responded to Koehler's April 14 column in an April 28 piece, which was referred to in the Koehler column that didn't get syndicated.

(...)

Why didn't TMS syndicate this column? Twohey told E&P that the piece wasn't appropriate for national distribution because it referred to a column (Wycliff's) readers outside the Chicago area may not have seen.


http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000911493

[Melissa G]

2. Utah Lt Gov responds to Dopp column

Public involved in voting machines selection

Gary R. Herbert


I read with interest the recent article in the Daily Herald by Kathy Dopp of Utah Count Votes. Let me set the record straight.

Dopp's assertion that "Utah residents apparently don't get much of a say" regarding Utah's selection of voting equipment is patently false.

Since I assumed the office of lieutenant governor in January, I have publicly invited comment via every major media outlet in the state, as well as many smaller media groups; testified before the state Legislature; hosted a 'Mock Election' for public participation; held an open-forum public meeting; and welcomed formal and informal comment from Utahns all around the state to gather input on this matter. The formal comment period ended at 5 p.m. April 27, and informal comment is always accepted.

Likewise, Lt. Govs. Olene S. Walker and Gayle McKeachnie worked tirelessly to incorporate public sentiment into any decision-making process. In addition, our administrations have spent more than two years working closely with local government officials, the experts who actually run elections.

http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=54430&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

[Melissa G]

3. KY state senator indicted for mail fraud relating to campaign

Posted on Thu, May. 05, 2005





State senator indicted for mail fraud relating to campaign

MARK R. CHELLGREN

Associated Press


LEXINGTON, Ky. - State Sen. Johnny Ray Turner and two others were indicted Thursday for mail fraud and conspiracy to rig his 2000 campaign with bought votes and phantom contributors.

Turner, a Democrat from Floyd County, will not resign from office and expects to be exonerated, said his attorney, Brent L. Caldwell.

"I feel very strongly he ran a clean election," Caldwell said Thursday. "We think we have a very strong case."

Two others indicted with Turner, Ross Harris and Loren Glenn Turner, were convicted earlier of similar charges in a separate case that federal prosecutors said led to the latest allegations.


http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/11572549.htm

[Melissa G]

4. WV Election Fraud Hotline Announced

WV Election Fraud Hotline Announced
Posted 5/2/2005 04:52 PM

Ireland opens election fraud office, hotline.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - More than 150 cities and towns in West Virginia will hold elections this year, and Secretary of State Betty Ireland is on the prowl for fraud.

Ireland unveiled a toll-free hotline and a new task force today to root out vote-buying, ballot tampering, illegal campaigning and shoddy finance reports, among other violations.

She says citizens can call the election and vote fraud unit's hotline, 1 (877) FRAUD-WV, during normal business hours. They can also file a complaint form available on her office's Web site.


http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=2537

[Wilms]

5. Nevada committees take up election reform

May 5, 9:04 PM EDT

Nevada committees take up election reform

By ELIZABETH WHITE
Associated Press Writer

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- Senate and Assembly committees considered election-overhaul bills Thursday, but neither panel took a vote on the measures that could move up the state's primary, tighten rules on provisional ballots and impose new voter registration rules.

AB455, considered by the Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Committee, seeks to clean up problems from last fall's presidential election, when allegations of voter fraud were brought against an Arizona-based GOP operative who ran a voter registration drive in Nevada.

Some former workers for Voter Outreach of America, run by Nathan Sproul, said they were told to register only Republicans. Others said completed Democratic registration forms were thrown out or ripped up.

Under AB455, counties would number all registration forms and keep track of what groups distribute them. Those who register voters also would be required to write their name on a receipt kept by the person registering to vote.

Larry Lomax, Clark County's registrar of voters, said that part of the bill would have helped a lot last fall.

more....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NV_XGR_ELECTION_BILLS_NVOL-?SITE=NVREN&SECTION=HOME

Thanks to NVMojo for the discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366608

[Wilms]

6. Hundreds wiped off vote register

Last Updated: Thursday, 5 May, 2005, 17:16 GMT 18:16 UK

Hundreds wiped off vote register

Hundreds of people in west London have been prevented from voting in the general election by a clerical error.

Hounslow Council said several hundred people could be affected after names were deleted from the electoral register in two constituencies.

A spokesman added that the full extent of the problem would not be known until an audit had been carried out.

The mistake was uncovered last Thursday but under election guidelines it was too late to resolve it before polling.

"That weren't no coyote. It was a fox!"

More--

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4518189.stm

Thanks to Wiley50 for the discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366618

[Wilms]

7. (AZ) Prop. 200 bouncing new voter sign-ups

Prop. 200 bouncing new voter sign-ups

Pima County turned down 59 percent in last 2 weeks
By C.J. Karamargin
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Failure to provide proof of citizenship is forcing Pima County election officials to reject an unprecedented number of voter registration forms.

Over the last two weeks, the county has rejected 59 percent or 423 of the 712 registration forms it has received from prospective new voters, said Registrar of Voters Chris Roads.

"We rejected none during the same period last year," when six times as many people were registering because of the presidential election, Roads said. "There was nothing in the law that required a rejection."

New this year are the citizenship requirements contained in Proposition 200, the anti-illegal- immigration initiative passed by Arizona voters last November.

<more>

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/73883.php

Thanks to tyedyeto for the discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366654

[Wilms]

8. Syndicate Opts for Substitute Column About 2004 Election Problems

Published: May 05, 2005 2:55 PM ET

Syndicate Opts for Substitute Column About 2004 Election Problems

By Dave Astor

NEW YORK Tribune Media Services didn't syndicate today's Robert Koehler column about alleged voting irregularities in the 2004 election, but allowed him to substitute a piece on the same topic.

"At first I was upset, but it wasn't like I couldn't write about this issue," said Koehler, a TMS editor as well as columnist, when reached today by E&P. "I just wish it would get into the mainstream media more. That would help us have secure elections in 2006, 2008, and beyond."

John Twohey, vice president of editorial and operations at TMS, added: "I'm pleased that Bob's columns on this topic are getting so much attention. It's an important issue." In addition to the many e-mails Koehler has received, the situation involving today's column was publicized on BradBlog.com.

Today's piece was Koehler's third about the 2004 election since April 14. Chicago Tribune Public Editor Don Wycliff responded to Koehler's April 14 column in an April 28 piece, which was referred to in the Koehler column that didn't get syndicated.

(...)

Why didn't TMS syndicate this column? Twohey told E&P that the piece wasn't appropriate for national distribution because it referred to a column (Wycliff's) readers outside the Chicago area may not have seen.

More--

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000911493

Thanks to dzika for posting the discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366638

[Wilms]

9. Action Alert From VelvetRevolution and VoteTrustUSA

Velvet Revolution and VoteTrustUSA are leading an effort to get citizens to tell the National Institute of Standards and Technology to listen to the voters rather than the corporations that sell voting machines.

NIST is developing standards for voting machines that will be forwarded to the Election Assistance Commission for review. The NIST process has been clearly favoring the views of the corporations first.

By visiting Velvet Revolution at http://www.velvetrevolution.us/mailing.php?Mailing=02FA807D5000506022D32 you can send them a letter telling them that we want a voter verified paper record for recounts and audits that is inexpensive and simple to use -- and not to let the manufacturers set their own rules.

For more on the problem with NIST's process read "Is the NIST Technical Guidelines Development Committee Working for You, the Voter?: Voting Machine Rulemakers Poised to Violate Their Public Interest Mandate" by John Gideon http://www.dissidentvoice.org/May05/Gideon0505.htm

or on Lynn Landes' site at http://www.ecotalk.org/NIST-EAC.htm

Thanks to John Gideon for prompting:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366667

[Wilms]

10. National Election Reform Conference Inspires Attendees

National Election Reform Conference Inspires Attendees

Experts, Activists, and Legislators meet to "Save our Democracy"

by Vickie Karp, Coalition for Visible Ballots

The National Election Reform Conference to Save our Democracy was held in Nashville Tennessee on April 8th to 10th, 2005. Vickie Karp, National Chairperson of the Coalition for Visible Ballots attended the conference and provies this informative report.

I was fortunate enough to attend the first ever National Election Reform Conference in Nashville last week, hosted by Bernie Ellis and his organization, the "Gathering to Save Our Democracy". This group is to be commended for their initiative in taking on such a formidable task as organizing this major event. They only came together as a group last December 12th after the Capital 51 March spurred protesters of our November election to hold rallies in approximately 30 states across the country-a very successful national effort initiated and coordinated by Kip Humphrey of Houston, Texas (who was also in attendance at the conference.) I was in Nashville to represent both Black Box Voting and the Coalition for Visible Ballots, and to learn everything I could from the preeminent experts presenting there.

The event was compared to the first Continental Congress; this notable Nashville conference brought election reform activists and political figures from 30 states together to cover a number of important issues surrounding the critical election crisis in our country.

Complete article:

http://www.solarbus.org/election/articles/050506-karp-nashville.shtml

Thanks to Gary Beck for posting:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366673

[Wilms]

11. Resigned EAC Commissioner Soaries on Hardball Tonight - 7 PM ET

Airs Friday, 7 p.m. ET

Can hanging chads, voter fraud and election lawsuits be stopped?

President Bush appointed Reverend Deforest Soaries to find out. But why is the reverend quitting so soon?

Soaries plays Hardball with Chris in an exclusive interview.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697

Thanks to dzika for posting:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366711

[Wilms]

19. Dzika Posted the Video

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366791

[Wilms]

22. Partial Transcript

Thanks to icehenge:

-snip-

MATTHEWS: Did we get an honest election count in 2004? Did the president really carry Ohio?

SOARIES: I think the Election Assistance Commission is beginning now to answer some of those questions. We’re still gathering data. We’ve never counted how many people vote in a presidential election.

MATTHEWS: Do you believe that Ohio truly went for the president, or it’s a doubtful question?

SOARIES: No, I think Ohio definitely went for the president. The problem is we don’t know how many people didn’t vote because of long lines. The problem is we just don’t know what we don’t know nationally.

-snip/more-

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7762913

[Wilms]

12. NEW HAT IN THE RING FOR 2008 ALREADY!

NEW HAT IN THE RING FOR 2008 ALREADY!

By Vickie Karp

Austin, Texas May 5, 2005

When my cell phone rang last Friday as I was on my way to take care of some real estate business, I didn't recognize the area code or number. "This is Vickie", I answered, curious.

"Vickie, this is Karl Schwarz."

Karl Schwarz, the interesting and imposing gentleman I meet at a local citizens' group meeting a couple of months ago here in Austin, in town to promote his new Bush-bashing book, "One Way Ticket to Crawford, Texas". I had purchased a copy, introduced myself to him after his talk, and told him I work as the Chairperson of the Coalition for Visible Ballots, and with Bev Harris of Black Box Voting (as a Board member of this non-profit) . "Oh, yes, Bev!" he'd responded with a smile. "I just spoke with her last week! She is doing great work!"

But why was the distinguished gentleman from Arkansas (now Georgia) calling me? But I had a quick response: "Why, Karl! It's good to hear from you! I just started reading your book two nights agoit's fascinating!" (all of which happened to be true.)

-snip/more-

http://coalition4visibleballots.homestead.com/KarlSchwarz.html

Thanks to Gary Beck for posting:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366689

[Wilms]

13. (UK) Broadcasters hail success of joint (EXIT) poll

John Plunkett
Friday May 6, 2005

BBC and ITV news chiefs were celebrating today after their first-ever joint exit poll proved remarkably accurate in predicting Tony Blair's sharply reduced majority.

"Frankly it was pretty staggering," said Sue Inglish, the BBC's head of political programmes. "For various reasons we have not been able to do it before but it was a real collaborative effort that paid off for all of us."

The broadcasters' joint poll suggested Labour would win a historic third term but with a majority of just 66 seats, fewer than most newspaper polls had been predicting.

With fewer than 25 constituencies still to declare at midday today, Labour can be confident of a majority of between 64 and 66 seats.

-more-

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1478206,00.html

Thanks to nodictators for posting in LBN:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1450055

[Wilms]

14. This Saturday's BRAD SHOW on the Air!...

This Saturday's BRAD SHOW on the Air!...

LIVE Saturday Night: 7p - 11p ET (4p - 8p PT)

Guests booked so far (subject to change as breaking news requires): Robert Koehler of Tribune Media Services on his spiked Election Reform column,

Carol Towarnicky of Philadelphia Daily News on her Gannon/Guckert column,

John Bryne of RAW STORY on Bush-Cheney's new ties to DeLay scandal,

Ted Kalo General Counsel to John Conyers' and the U.S. House Judiciary Committee ...

More to be announced soon... See BradShow.com for more details.

Please help support The BRAD SHOW and The BRAD BLOG by making a DONATION. I hate to have to ask, but right now, your support is the only way that I can keep going with all of the above!

http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001377.htm

[Wilms]

20. Station Guide

IBC InterNet:
http://www.ibcradio.com/CMN.htm

IBC AM Radio:
http://www.ibcradio.com/radiostations.htm
http://www.ibcradio.com/USA_NODES.htm

IBC Satellite (KU band, Telstar 5, frequency 11836):
http://www.ibcradio.com/satellite.htm

IBC Shortwave Radio (7.300 Mhz):
http://www.ibcradio.com/shortwave-radio.htm

IBC Cell-Phone:
http://www.ibcradio.com/mobile-broadcast.htm



Contribute:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr

[Wilms]

15. (WA) Gregoire signs election reform package

Gregoire signs election reform package

By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press writer

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday signed a batch of bills introduced as a result of her contested election, including measures that will streamline election standards across the state and enhance voter registration records.

Her signatures on the eight bills come as the legitimacy of her office is being questioned nearly 200 miles away in a Chelan County court.

"Last year we had a very difficult and very close election for governor," she said before signing the bills. "There were problems in some areas and with these new laws we're taking necessary steps to see if we can't address those problem areas and restore public confidence in our state's election system."


Under the measures, counties will have an easier time switching to all-mail voting; those with touch-screen voting machines must produce a paper record of votes; and the secretary of state's office will review county election procedures every three years.

-more-

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2005/05/04/news/the_west/wedwes03.txt

[Wilms]

16. Putin Blasts U.S. On 'Democracy' (Questions 2000 Election)

Putin Blasts U.S. On 'Democracy'

May 6, 2005

(CBS) On the eve of a meeting with President Bush in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashes out at the American president, raising questions about his election in 2000 and his decision to go to war in Iraq.

-snip-

The Russian leader then points to what he believes are drawbacks to America's own brand of democracy, including the Electoral College system.

"In the United States, you first elect the electors and then they vote for the presidential candidates. In Russia, the president is elected through the direct vote of the whole population. That might be even more democratic," says Putin.

"And you have other problems in your elections," he tells Wallace. "Four years ago, your presidential election was decided by the court. The judicial system was brought into it. But we're not going to poke our noses into your democratic system because that's up to the American people."

-snip/more-

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/06/60minutes/main693422.shtml

Discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366733

[Wilms]

17. Voting Machines in CT discussed on 99.9 & 99.1 Sunday 5/8/05

Any CT residents on this forum can listen to an hour long discussion about the CT RFP for DRE voting machines and SB55, a bill in the CT legislature which would require a voter verified paper record of every vote cast.

John Voket interviewed Michael Fisher and George Barnett of TrueVoteCT and the show will air on Sunday from 6:00 - 7:00 AM on 99.9 STAR FM and from 7:00 - 8:00 AM on 99.1 WPLR.

The show will be posted to the TrueVoteCT.org website in the future if you wish to listen but don't want to get up at the crack of dawn on Sunday.

Thanks to truckin for posting the discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366743

[Wilms]

18. (IO) ...Hopes to keep voting precinct (The Deprecinctification of America)

Panama still hopes to keep voting precinct

By: 05/05/2005

COUNTY -- Panama residents are continuing the fight to keep a voting precinct in their town.

-snip-

On the table is a proposal to eliminate a number of voting precincts as the county gears up to purchase new voting equipment as mandated by the federal government. The move will save dollars in the long run, county officials said, as they won't have to purchase as many machines.

-snip-

Some residents in the Panama area are hoping to keep a voting precinct there. The supervisors had received a few phone calls in support of keeping a Panama precinct open, citing increases in gas costs for voters to travel and a potential decrease in the number of patrons who vote.

-snip/more-

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14473878&BRD=901&PAG=461&dept_id=130069&rfi=6

Discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x366775

[Wilms]

21. Our electoral system is in tatters. Here's what we can do to fix it.

Sierra Magazine

10 Steps to Better Elections
Our electoral system is in tatters. Here's what we can do to fix it.

by Steven Hill

THE U.S. ELECTORAL SYSTEM is our nation's crazy aunt in the attic. Every few years she pops out and creates a scene, and everyone swears that something must be done. But as soon as election day passes, we're happy to ignore her again — at least until the next time she frustrates the will of the people.

Under a fair, equitable, and democratic system of voting, Al Gore would have been elected president in 2000, and George W. Bush would still be whacking weeds in Crawford. In 2004, even though Bush won the popular vote by some 3 million ballots, the election was still tarnished. Florida replayed its 2000 debacle with attempts to purge African-American voters from the rolls, and voters who requested absentee ballots but never received them were barred from voting in person.

There were hundreds of complaints of voting irregularities in Ohio, with voters in some black precincts waiting in lines at polling places for seven hours because of voting-machine shortages. Some voters were required to show identification, even though the demand was illegal. Approximately 92,000 ballots failed to record a vote for president, most of them on the same type of discredited punch-card systems that malfunctioned in Florida in 2000. Ohio election officials may have improperly disqualified thousands of the 155,000 provisional ballots cast. Bush won the state — and thus the presidency — by 118,000 votes.

ALTHOUGH THE UNITED STATES PRIDES ITSELF AS A beacon of democracy to the rest of the world, for the second time in a row our presidential election appeared bumbling, if not outright fraudulent. Sergio Aguayo, an election observer and political scientist at the Colegio de Mexico in Mexico City, told BusinessWeek that the partisan way our election was run "looks an awful lot like the old Mexican PRI," referring to the notoriously corrupt ruling party that dominated Mexican politics for seven decades. President Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center monitors elections around the world, said that in Florida, "some basic international requirements for a fair election are missing."

More:
http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200505/tensteps.asp


Thanks to Amaryllis for posting the discussion:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=366844#366848

[Wilms]

23. Discrepancies found in 35 percent of Miami-Dade precincts

Jessica M. Walker
Daily Business Review 06 May 2005

In the latest South Florida election mishap, workers in 35 percent of Miami-Dade County's 749 polling places last November filed counts of voter signatures that differed from the number of ballots cast on the touch-screen voting machines, a new analysis has found.

On Nov. 2, election workers in 260 polling places submitted data to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections office that did not match up with the total number of touch-screen ballots reported by the canvassing board, according to a study conducted by the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

Out of those 260 polling places, 23 submitted totals that were off by more than 50 voters, while 68 submitted totals that were off by more than 10 voters. In one polling place, the difference was 1,284. That polling place was one of five that showed very large discrepancies. The coalition is studying those five for possible clerical errors.

full article:

http://www.votersunite.org/article.asp?id=5354


Thanks to Gary Beck for posting the discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=366891&mesg_id=366891

[Wilms]

24. kick n/t