Election Reform, Fraud & Related News May 24, 2006 Millionaire Edition

[kpete]

Election Reform, Fraud & Related News May 24, 2006 Millionaire Edition

Message from stillcool47 - I no longer can do the daily thread with Kpete....a week ago last Sunday we were flooded out of our house and evacuated. We've been in a motel, and just yesterday moved into an apartment, that we will be moving out of at the end of June. Our various utility accounts, as well as our sanity, is in limbo waiting to be restored. I had thought it would only be a short time before I would be back to life as I knew it...but that appears to be incorrect. Kpete...please accept my apology for bailing out on you. Peace to all...and I'll see you when I see you...

Arizona proposal gives voters chance at $1 million
By the Associated Press

PHOENIX — Would you vote for a chance at $1 million?

A political activist thinks his proposal to pay one voter $1 million will drive people to the polls in Arizona.

Dr. Mark Osterloh, a Tucson ophthalmologist, has filed a petition to put the idea before state voters on this year's ballot.

The $1 million awarded to one randomly selected voter after each election would come from unclaimed Arizona Lottery prize money. A voter could get one entry in the drawing for voting in the primary and another for the general election.

"What's the worst thing that could happen? Everybody who's eligible to vote could be voting," Osterloh said.
more at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/content/news/daily/0524vote.html

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[kpete]

1. King County likely will switch to all-mail voting in 2007.

All-mail voting likely next year in King County
By Sharon Pian Chan



Seattle Times staff reporter

King County likely will switch to all-mail voting in 2007.

The change was approved Monday by a full committee of the Metropolitan King County Council, and the full council vote could take place on Tuesday.

In the 2005 general election, 75 percent of ballots were cast through the mail.

"The public is way out in front of the electeds on this and they've made it very clear that they like the convenience and thoughtfulness that voting by mail provides them," said Council President Larry Phillips, D-Seattle.

The change would take effect in next fall's primary or general election.

Critics of the current system that includes both poll and absentee voting say it is a waste of resources to run 500 polling places and to train 4,000 poll workers and volunteers for each general election.

more at:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003014881_votebymail24m.html

[kpete]

2. E Voting Zaps Quick Totals

E Voting Zaps Quick Totals

By The Morning News And The Associated Press

New electronic voting and tabulating machines delayed vote tallies by hours in Benton and Washington counties. Benton County election officials were still counting at 12:30 a.m. They had partial results from all precincts. Washington County finished unofficial counting about midnight. Election officials around the state struggled with a host of problems.

Benton County
Election officials in Benton County experienced more than a few hiccups:

• Jim McCarthy, Benton County election coordinator, said there were 17 iVotronic, also known as the electronic voting machines, that poll workers did not know how to shut down because they did not receive enough training. He said election officials had to go back and check the votes on those particular machines.

• Russell Odell, Benton County election commissioner, also complained of not having enough time to train the workers. He said there was not enough time between the filing dates and early voting for the primary election.

"The state legislature failed in giving us the proper time frame as far as getting the ballots for early voting," Odell said.

more at:
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2006/05/24/news/01azelection.txt

[kpete]

3. Issues With Electronic Voting Machines Prompting Delays

Issues With Electronic Voting Machines Prompting Delays

POSTED: 10:48 pm CDT May 23, 2006
UPDATED: 10:55 pm CDT May 23, 2006

BENTON COUNTY, Ark. -- Arkansas' primary elections have come and gone with only a few minor problems reported throughout the day, officials said. Most of them were associated with new electronic voting machines.

Our Elections Section

However, officials reported a vote-counting delay Tuesday night in Benton County. Again, officials said, the problem centers on electronic voting machines.

Officials said it's taking longer than expected to print out electronic ballots at the end of the day. They said they're also having the hand-count some of the paper ballots because they are not properly feeding through the machine.

Benton County officials said they are working as fast as they can to resolve the issues. However, they said there is no timetable as to when vote counting will be completed.

more at:
http://www.thehometownchannel.com/news/9264589/detail.html

[kpete]

4. Glitches bug machine vote

Glitches bug machine vote
BY ROBERT J. SMITH

Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Arkansas’ first stab at an electronic election day started with equipment glitches. When touchscreen voting did work, voters gave it rave reviews.

Many touch-screen voting machines weren’t ready when polls opened, leaving Northwest Arkansas’ earliest voters casting traditional paper ballots.

Washington County Election Commission Chairman John Logan Burrow estimated that 40 of the county’s 57 polling sites did not have their electronic machines running by the 7: 30 a. m. start of voting. Problems persisted through the morning, and the electronic machine at the First Church of the Nazarene in Springdale didn’t switch on until 1 p. m., Burrow said.

“It’s a daunting task to start them up for the first time for anybody,” Burrow said. “It’s just like the first time you ever turn on your computer, and you discover this thing called Windows, and it’s more complicated than you ever dreamed possible.”

more at:
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/155551/

[kpete]

5. Voting problems in Arkansas

Voting problems in Arkansas

May 24, 2006 05:17 AM PDT

LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Election officials around the state struggled with a host of problems tonight that delayed vote-counting and left major races unsettled.

The state has added thousands of new machines to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act and some counties had problems making them work. At least 15 counties cited problems in tabulating ballots. Cleburne and Phillips counties reported technical problems in tabulating votes. In Lawrence county, officials realized they had given voters ball point pens and began to overwrite all the ballots again with felt-tipped markers so the machine could read them. Other counties reporting problems were among the state's most populous, including Pulaski, Washington, Jefferson, Benton, and Craighead, plus Arkansas, Carroll, Howard, Independence, Pike, Polk and Woodruff. Pulaski County election director Susan Inman said workers were having problems printing out election results from machines.

Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Charlie Daniels said he would talk with Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Nebraska, the company that provided equipment to 72 of Arkansas' 75 counties under a 15 million dollar contract with the state. Problems with the voting equipment meant that four Arkansas counties didn't meet requirements under the federal Help America Vote act to have electronic voting screens for the disabled.

more at:
http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=4942711

[kpete]

6. Press voting machine issue

Wednesday, 05/24/06
Press voting machine issue

State election officials should insist on provisions such as extended warranties or better prices on new voting machines that, as it turns out, aren't exactly new.

The vendor Election Systems & Software Inc. put language for "used equipment" into a Tennessee Voting Equipment order form without the permission of Tennessee officials. As it turns out, the machines will not have been used much — only once in last week's Pennsylvania primary — before making it to the Tennessee counties that chose ES&S equipment to purchase.

The reason for the glitch appears to be the time element and demand for new voting equipment in response to the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002. But it was disingenuous of the company to plan to send slightly used equipment for the state's Aug. 3 elections. New equipment would arrive by the Nov. 7 elections. Few state or county election officials involved in the transaction seem particularly disturbed at the situation, nor is there reason to believe the machines won't do the job they're expected to do. But the business should have been more forthcoming about its actions.

States across the country are still reeling from the voting problems in the 2000 presidential election. Issues related to close contests and disputed vote counts have popped up across the nation. Attention is on the accuracy of voting machines like never before. It's easy to understand the demand put on vendors, but that's no cause to change language in an order form without permission.

more at:
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/OPINION01/605240383/1008

[kpete]

7. Phillips Co. Reports Problems with Voting Equipment

Phillips Co. Reports Problems with Voting Equipment
Posted: 5/23/2006 8:53:51 PM

Problems with new voting equipment have delayed tabulation of votes in at least one Arkansas County. Phillips County election officials put a note on the courthouse door in Helena-West Helena this evening saying they would be unable to count ballots until Wednesday.

Andrew Bagley, a justice of peace candidate, said the note told the curious that tabulation of votes would be delayed, quote, "because the vendor failed to supply a chip for the tabulator," unquote.

Deputy Secretary of State Janet Harris said state officials and technicians for Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Nebraska, which provided the equipment, had been working on the Phillips County issue all day. She said the company plans to reprogram a chip and drive it back to the county Wednesday.

Secretary of State Charlie Daniels says he wants to find out why a $15 million contract with ES&S for the voting machines wasn't completely fulfilled by the time voting started in party primaries.

more at:
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=67B5C35E-7DF9-482D-991D-05EB591752EB

[kpete]

8. Voting machines a touchy topic

Voting machines a touchy topic
By Anne Danahy

BELLEFONTE -- This year's primary elections are over, but the debate about which voting machines Centre County should buy shows no signs of fading.

Several voters told the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that voting machines that produce a verifiable paper trail are crucial to elections. Because of that, they said, the touch-screen system that was one of two systems the county leased for the primaries should be dropped. They recommended the county stick with the optical-scan system that uses paper ballots.

The touch-screen system appeared to be the more popular system with voters last week.

According to the Office of Elections, 9,903 voters, or 54 percent of those who cast ballots, used the touch-screen system. The other 8,302 voters, or about 45 percent, filled out paper ballots that were read by the optical scanner.

more at:
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/14651827.htm

[kpete]

9. Systems' security worries counties, municipalities

Posted May 24, 2006

New voting machines cast doubt

Systems' security worries counties, municipalities

By Susan Squires
Post-Crescent staff writer

When they go to the polls in September, disabled adults — no matter what their handicap — will be able to vote independently on new machines mandated by the Help America Vote Act.

But there is much disagreement among counties, municipalities and watchdog organizations about the security and reliability of the votes they will cast.

The state Elections Board has certified four voting systems for use in Wisconsin, starting with the September partisan primary. Using federal money, Calumet County towns and municipalities have opted for machines manufactured by Diebold Election Systems. Waupaca and Outagamie county communities, with the exception of Appleton, are buying Sequoia Voting Systems machines.

Controversy has dogged both the Diebold and Sequoia systems.

more at:
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/APC0101/605240752/1003

[kpete]

10. Governor’s camp warns of lawsuits over early voting, electronic machines

Governor’s camp warns of lawsuits over early voting, electronic machines
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

by Thomas Dennison

ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s personal attorney expects to see lawsuits over the state’s touch-screen voting system and its controversial new early voting law.

David Hamilton, an attorney with Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver in Baltimore, backed up Ehrlich’s prediction that a lawsuit would be filed ‘‘in the fairly near future” over the early voting law.

And he is not alone in saying that security flaws in the voting system and concerns over early voting are ripe for challenges in state and federal court.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties are already ‘‘lawyering up” in preparation for this fall’s high-stakes elections, according to sources.

more at:
http://www.gazette.net/stories/052406/montcou194117_31941.shtml

[kpete]

11. Primary Malfunction

Primary Malfunction
Editorial | Better tighten up the process

For want of the right screwdriver, the franchise may have been lost for hundreds of Philadelphia voters in last week's Pennsylvania primary election.

That dramatic plot line doesn't make for a successful election - as city elections officials were quick to admit after the May 16 vote.

Rightly embarrassed by the breakdown of more than 200 touch-screen voting machines, the city commissioners who run elections now pledge a thorough investigation.

Will it take until mid-summer to get a definitive answer, as Deputy City Commissioner Edward V. Schulgen suggests?

more at:
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/opinion/14651228.htm

[kpete]

12. Phillips County Reports Problems; Sec. of State to Review Contract

Phillips County Reports Problems; Sec. of State to Review Contract
Tuesday May 23, 2006 9:27pm

Little Rock (AP) - Problems with new voting equipment have delayed tabulation of votes in at least one Arkansas county. Phillips County election officials put a note on the courthouse door in Helena-West Helena this evening saying they would be unable to count ballots until tomorrow.

Andrew Bagley, a justice of peace candidate, said the note told the curious that tabulation of votes would be delayed, quote,"because the vendor failed to supply a chip for the tabulator."

Deputy Secretary of State Janet Harris said state officials and technicians for Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Nebraska,which provided the equipment, had been working on the Phillips County issue all day. She said the company plans to reprogram a chip and drive it back to the county tomorrow.

Secretary of State Charlie Daniels says he wants to find out why a $15 million contract with ESS for the voting machines wasn't completely fulfilled by the time voting started in party primaries. Officials in four of Arkansas' 75 counties were not able to use the touch-screen voting machines provided by ESS, which meet the requirements of the Help America Vote Act.

more at:
http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0506/330402.html

[kpete]

13. Election-day problems many

Election-day problems many
By Jennifer Turner Staff Writer #``[e-mail]

Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006

BENTONVILLE — From casting votes to counting them, problems were common in Tuesday’s primary elections.

The latest results, although still incomplete, came in at 10:35 p.m. Those results included all paper ballots from all precincts. The only votes not counted were ones on a dozen electronic machines that election commissioners were still in the process of counting at 11:44 p.m.

One reason for the delay was that results were coming in separately from each precinct — from electronic machines and paper ballots. The totals from each had to be merged to form a final precinct total, and workers would not post the numbers until they had the total.

Election Commissioner Russ Odell blamed much of the problems on a lack of preparation time after a new system was purchased in March as part of the Help America Vote Act. The act requires all counties to replace punch-card voting and provide ADA-accessible electronic machines at each polling place. "Whenever you put a new system in, you have to redo the whole methodology," Odell said.

more at:
http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/35138/

[kpete]

14. National Photo ID For Voting Fails

May 24, 2006
National Photo ID For Voting Fails
Per Electionline.org:

This morning, the U.S. Senate conducted two roll call votes related to the voter ID amendment (SA 4085) proposed by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky:

The first vote -- a motion to table the amendment -- failed, 49-48. A record of the roll call vote is here. On the second vote, the Senate invoked cloture (i.e.. agreed to limit debate) on the underlying immigration bill (S. 2611). The vote was 73-25 and the roll call is here. As a result of cloture, the McConnell amendment falls as a non-germane amendment to the bill.

more at:
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/05/naitonal_photo.html

[kpete]

15. Greg Palast knows who stole 2000 and 2004, and how they’ll take 2008, too

News
It’s Baker, not Rove
By Elaine Wolff
05/24/20

Greg Palast knows who stole 2000 and 2004, and how they’ll take 2008, too

(excerpts)

I was thinking about the fact that even with the revelation about AT&T releasing phone records to the NSA, the disapproval rating for that was only in the 50s.

Well, people don’t understand the whole game here. So who cares, someone sees phone bills if they get the bad guys? But they aren’t getting the bad guys. First of all, the bad guys weren’t American. This is all building databases so that they can work the next election. They haven’t figured out who we voted for yet.

You think they’re trying to figure out exactly who voted for who

No, what they’re doing , databases are the key to manipulation of elections, and we saw it in the 2000 election when the company ChoicePoint used its databases to scrub out thousands of black voters — the story I broke. In 2004, you had something called caging lists, hundreds of thousands of names the Republican Party put together of black voters to challenge on the basis of their addresses.

In ’08, the story is eliminating the Hispanic vote, because despite George Bush and his pseudo-attempts to get the Hispanic vote, he ain’t winning the Hispanic vote. You know that in Texas very well. It’s still a solid Democratic demographic especially lower-income Hispanics.

Who is the architect, as Bush might say, of these plans?

We love to have a Professor Moriarty deep in a tunnel pulling the switches. That’s why people were so entranced by the idea of stealing the vote by computer, when it’s done by dumber stuff than that. You don’t need a Mr. Big to come up with this stuff. First of all, the Mr. Big in this administration who does come up with most of the evil plans isn’t Karl Rove. Karl Rove is just a soft-handed little schmuck. There are much bigger Texans than that. Jim Baker is behind this stuff. I really should write a book called “Jim Baker Knows Where You Live.” Baker is very much behind so-called “election reform.” And you can’t separate his push for so-called election reform — which means taking away brown people’s votes and black people’s votes, and he represented the Republican Party in Bush v. Gore — he’s pushing for the ID requirement big-time.

more at:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16682683&BRD=2318&PAG=461&dept_id=484045&rfi=6

[DemReadingDU]

16. Interesting article

not many are voting, but 83% vote yes!