A report on pre-entered "default" options in Snohomish County, WA

[eridani]

John Gideon has commented that "automatic selection" may or may not be an official setting of Sequoia machines (could be a line of BS put out by an election worker casting about for an excuse for not knowing what was going on)--he is checking on that. However, this is not the first time that "default" options have been attributed to Sequoia machines.

http://web.northnet.org/minstrel/youngstown.htm

In addition, there was a specific problem with the Sequoia AVC Edge machine(not used in Ohio) where voters actually saw preselected default choices presented to them.

With touch screen machines, it is possible to set up a default choice for Bush that would not be seen by the voters. Their votes would be automatically cast for Bush unless they successfully overrode the default choice of the computer. Likewise, if they deliberately chose not to vote for president, their votes would be counted for Bush."

For any doubting Thomas on our voting system here in America, here was my experience this morning:

While I voted absentee ballot for the presidential election, I enjoy heading down to the polls, where I "cast my ballot but not necessarily the vote I intended" this morning Interesting that before even having the opportunity to vote on the I-330 Initiative or for the Court Judge of Appeals, my voting machine already had I-330 marked "yes" and Judge Leach was checked for Court of Appeals.

I contacted the Snohomish County Auditor's office to voice my concerns, and Sharon told me "Your machine was out of calibration and was set on 'automatic selection'." I had no idea a voting machine would even have a program of "automatic selection", so would the machine always default to its programmed setting and over-ride my vote? If you have a definitive answer on that question, I would love to know the answer. My stylus was not working as well, so the poll worker recommended that I use my finger to vote. I am pretty certain what finger needs to be used now that the entire farcical experience is over.

Phone calls went out to the Secretary of State, the Seattle Times, The Post-Intelligencer, "No-on I-330", and letters to Jay Inslee, Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, and President Carter. Every individual, who wishes to participate in our democratic process, should walk away from the polling booth assured that their vote registered and registered correctly. This is very troubling, whether you are Republican or Democrat. --- Glenda

If you care to read the entire experience, here is the letter sent to my Representatives.

Today on 11-8-2005, I voted at 621 – 164th St. SE in Mill Creek, WA (44th Legislative District). At approximately 8:40 AM, my electronic voting machine card was inserted. Immediately, there was a problem. The stylus would not respond, while attempting to vote on the first initiative (auditing of government) located in the upper left hand corner of the first page of the ballot. The page was divided into quadrants. Realizing I needed help, I started to step back slightly, when I noticed a green “YES” check mark for I-330 in the lower right hand corner. Explaining to the poll worker that my stylus was not working and that I-330 had a green check mark, I said, “I haven’t even had a chance to vote on that initiative yet, as I just got here. This is the reason people lack faith in the system.”

She erased the “yes” vote and told me that it usually worked best to place pressure with your finger on the screen rather than using the stylus. I completed that page, pressed next, completed the 2nd page, pressed next, and when the next page flashed on the screen, there was already a green check mark by “Leach” for judge of the appeals court. I hadn’t even voted yet. I erased the mark, finished voting, and left the polling site extremely upset.

I called the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office at 9:24 AM (425-388-3444) and Sharon answered. Explaining to her my voting experience, she asked if I had reported the machine to the workers. I stated, a woman had come over to help me with my difficulties. Sharon said, “The machine is out of calibration, and it is doing an automatic selection”. I told her I had the number of the machine in question #18578 DRE. She stated she would report it. When I asked why the machine would have an automatic selection program, she said I could talk to the elections manager, Carolyn Diepenbrock. The transfer went into Carolyn’s voice message, where my concerns were aired. I haven’t heard back as of late this afternoon.

I then proceeded to contact the Secretary of State (360-902-4151) with my concerns. Suz (?) returned my call to say that she spoke with the Snohomish auditor’s office, who assured her that the machine had been fixed and everything was working. Regarding my concern of an accurate count of my vote, the auditor’s office assured Suz that with all the controls in place to test the machine before the vote, to test them after the vote, the tally after the election is over, and with all the “controls” in place that my vote was counted correctly - still skeptical.

I called the “No on I-330” campaign (206-697-4744) and Karen returned my call. She had a similar call from another Snohomish precinct. She asked for my details.

I have also placed calls to the Seattle Times (206-464-2111) and the P-I (206-448-8000) and Rep Jay Inslee and to my candidate in the Judge’s race (Dwyer). Even if the “automatic selection” program had “voted” to my liking, I still would have called to voice my concerns. It gives the impression of fixed election results. This is NOT the principles of this country. These machines need to go!

Letters will be sent to Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell. I am serious about the clean-up of our elections. Every individual, who wishes to participate in our democratic process, should walk away from the polling booth assured that their vote registered and registered correctly. This is very troubling, whether you are Republican or Democrat.

Further contact information besides phone numbers

Snohomish County Elections/Voting Division
3000 Rockefeller Ave
Mail Stop 505
Everett, WA 98201
1-800-562-4367
http://web5.co.snohomish.wa.us/ContactUsForm/

Sam Reed
Washington Secretary of State
Legislative Building
P.O. Box 40220
Olympia WA 98504-0220
Phone: [phone]
sreed {at} secstate.wa.gov

[wakeme2008]

1. kick and nom. nt

[Festivito]

2. automatic selection? I think I might have called the police.

I'd like to have those words on the record.

There's a lawsuit to stop those machines in here.

[yourout]

3. This would be like getting a paper ballot that was preselected and...

you had to erase the first selection if you wished to change.
This is NOT Democracy in action......!

[Land Shark]

4. Earlier rpts in this county are also available at EIRS and this link

<www.votersunite.org/info/SnohomishElectionFraudInvestigation.pdf>

which i say is an extremely fine piece of work, one of the best evidence of election irregularities, setting the standard for a whole new field. I'm biased, but i'm not the only one saying that. ; )

Even LandShark's evil twin thinks the above study is worth a study and nice big cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy.

[eridani]

5. "Page cannot be found"

Please check the link.

[eomer]

8. Corrected link:

http://www.votersunite.org/info/SnohomishElectionFraudInvestigation.pdf

[eridani]

9. Thanks--this is really a classic

Mythbreakers is an amazing piece of work as well.

[eridani]

6. Further word from John Gideon and Land Shark

John Gideon--I got a response back from a computer scientist who is on the California State Voting Systems Panel and who is very familiar with the Sequoia voting systems. He essentially says there is no "automatic selection" that can be set when the touch-screen goes out of calibration. However, the below email tells what happened in a bit of a different light and I understand now what the problem is.

It is apparent from reports across the country that when the touch screens go out of calibration they tend to go to a default selection. Could this be "automatic selection"? Also from these reports we are learning that the default seems to be nearly always the Republican candidate. This has been true for the past two years and probably before that.

I am going to send this question to a larger group of computer scientists in hope of finding an answer.

Land Shark--Sequoia DRE serial number 18578 did not require recalibration during the general election of 2004. So, this is not necessarily an issue of repeat "lemons" going out of "calibration".

The notion of "calibration" itself makes a series of assumptions about what is going on. There is a NIST technical assessment of touch screen calibration problems pointing out that this can be either a true miscalibration via various circumstances, or it can be a deliberate form of election fraud. I should ask myself the question as a lawyer: Hmmm, I wonder if I can demonstrate publicly how to touch the screens of a touch screen voting machine in order to throw votes to my opponent without offending the law in any way?

[freeplessinseattle]

7. kicked and nom (nt)