Alaska 2004 data apparently has been tampered with...

[Blue_In_AK]

From today's Anchorage Daily News:

Democrats say 2004 election data was altered
By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press Writer

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Democratic Party officials say the 2004 election data they sued the state to get may have been changed this year, and they want to know why.

Party Chairman Jake Metcalfe says a review of the central tabulator file containing that year's raw election results by precinct showed activity on the database between July 12 and 13 of this year. In a letter to Alaska Division of Elections director Whitney Brewster, Metcalfe said he does not understand why the data would be changed after the party petitioned for its release.

"As a result of these modifications, data from the 2004 election appears to have been altered," Metcalfe wrote in his letter, dated Thursday.

In addition, the Democratic party's review showed 293 manual entries were made to the file in 2004 between Nov. 2 and Dec. 2. Manual entries are typically made when ballots are damaged and can't be scanned. By comparison, only 17 manual entries were made in that year's primary election, party spokeswoman Kay Brown said.

<snip>

"If the division cannot produce the correct copy that we thought we were getting, not modified after the fact, we could very well go back to court," Brown said.

Discrepancies in the 2004 election included a district-by-district count that added up 292,267 votes cast for George Bush in the presidential election, while the statewide summary showed 190,889 votes. District-by-district totals gave U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski 226,992 votes, while her official total was 149,446 votes.

<snip>

more here: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/8270887p-8167765c.html

[MadMaddie]

1. Tampering with government data is a felony isn't it....

these guys will stop at nothing...

[Blue_In_AK]

2. It makes one wonder

if Alaska is really as Republican as everyone likes to think it is. I think Tony Knowles is supposed to be in the Senate instead of Lisa Murkowski, and that George Bush used Alaska to pad his popular vote, if he even won here at all. I am so sick to death of these people. What is it about Republicans that makes them ALL think it's okay to lie and cheat to get their way. Didn't their mothers teach them ANYTHING?

[roguevalley]

17. now you see why Loren Leman (R-Satan) didn't run for anything

including governator.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Yep, see my post 13.

I think Loren would look lovely in an orange jumpsuit, don't you? It would go great with his dark hair.

[roguevalley]

19. I would pay money to see that, love. :-D

[Bitwit1234]

3. That was the Security Risk

Remember they said they could not release the voting results because it was a security risk. Everyone wanted to know why Alaska voting results were a national security. Now we see why...so if this was done in Alaska a definetly republican run, republican controlled, what in the devil do you think was done in the rest of the red states.

I suppose that means no matter who is really voted into office, and bush sure didn't get as many votes as Alaska said, then they will probably try it again. And unless the democrats have a way to stop them they will continue to steal elections.

[MadMaddie]

6. You know I am starting to believe that their was more corruption

like Ohio in many states...like Alaska....

Yea they will try it again....but the result may not be as well received because many Repugs see the truth now.....

[Botany]

7. I think the padding was done nation wide.

Very Red Wyoming had 106% voter turn out.

[Tin Man]

12. yeah, the only "security risk" was to the AK Board of Elections

The supposedly fully-automated GEMS database had 293 manual entries logged during the 30 days following the 2004 election - all of these modifcations were entered under the username "admin". Hmmmm, you don't suppose that admin's password might just happen to be "admin" too, do ya?

[Wilms]

4. So it seems....

http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1853&Itemid=113

[Tin Man]

11. Ouch! mods made AFTER suit was filed to produce copy of GEMS db in 2006

Smelling more and more like a felony to me, too...

[Blue_In_AK]

13. I sure hope so...

I'd love to see that fundie, Ichabod Crane-looking Loren Leman (R. Satan, as RogueValley says) doing the perp walk. I think he knows he's in trouble because he didn't run for anything this cycle. (Rather like Ted Stevens' boy Ben who dropped out of the state Senate race just before the FBI raided his office.) It seems Republicans can't help but be criminals.

[Botany]

5. Happened in Ohio too

Party Chairman Jake Metcalfe says a review of the central tabulator file containing that year's
raw election results by precinct showed activity on the database between July 12 and 13 of this year.

Data change of the 2004 vote in July of 2006?

In Ohio, the Delaware County BOE put in a request for new blank ballots from
a company in Dayton, OH associated w/ EES before the ballots from the 2004
were to be examined by Richard Philip Hayes.

When is the media ever going to print the truth? That Kerry won the 2004 election.

[bleever]

8. We must be talking about a felony here.

Staying tuned.

[Helga Scow Stern]

9. Yes, I am staying tuned. n/t

[glitch]

10. Go Alaska Dems! Get the bastards! K & R nt

[mhatrw]

14. How just like Republicans.

First stonewall, then when forced to release information, lie and cheat.

[FogerRox]

15. Vote this up....Easy Kn R, thanks

[blm]

16. No, no, no...election fraud didn't happen - Dems just need to move right

and get those values voters to believe you care about their issues. You know - the way only a centrist southerner can.

[mom cat]

20. The Repukes are such suckers for cover-up schemes

[DemReadingDU]

21. evening kick

[Tin Man]

22. Kick for important story - proof of security faults in Diebold DRE equip

The events in AK are extremely important because, at a minimum, they are a real-world illustration of security failings of current DRE implementations (in this case, featuring Diebold equip).

Anyone who is familiar with software development practices and methodology understands the importance of "configuration management". CM is a set of formal procedures/processes that govern who/what/when/why a particular software product may be modified.

Some of the concepts in CM are just plain common sense... Proper CM operates a bit like your banker - you may make deposits or withdrawls (modifications to software) but you must be a customer of the bank, and you must present ID, you are restricted to interacting with your accounts only (not those of other customers), and there is a record of all transactions, etc.

As one focused example, under proper CM the GEMS db file should be "locked" immediately after the election results are tabulated - from that moment forward, the GEMS db would forever be a static record, similar to a published book or printed statement of account from your bank. The simple fact that Alaska's 2004 GEMS db was ALTERED during 2006, PROVIDES POSITIVE PROOF that the system was/is improperly secure - such an event SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE under a properly designed and managed system.

As a consequence, Alaska's entire 2004 election returns are now in doubt. This case is an important illustration of failures in the current design and implementation of Diebold DRE systems, and a particularly profound example of the (missing) requirement for a "paper trail" to serve as an audit mechanism.