Tuesday, December 13, 2005
While you blinked...
Walden O'Dell, paragon of non-partisan virtue ("I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president"), has resigned as CEO of election machine manufacturer Diebold.
BradBlog.com was quick to post that story yesterday, along with an accurate prediction of its scoop today: shareholders have brought a securities fraud class action suit against Diebold. Here is a press release from the legal team representing the class. Reuters also published this brief.
Late Tuesday afternoon, BlackBoxVoting.org announced even more bad news for Diebold:
Amid all of this, the Eureka Times-Standard joins the Humboldt Advocate and the Humboldt Sentinel in breaking the silence about the GAO report. Here is the brilliant conclusion to the T-S piece:
1 comments
BradBlog.com was quick to post that story yesterday, along with an accurate prediction of its scoop today: shareholders have brought a securities fraud class action suit against Diebold. Here is a press release from the legal team representing the class. Reuters also published this brief.
Late Tuesday afternoon, BlackBoxVoting.org announced even more bad news for Diebold:
Due to security design issues and contractual non-performance, Leon County (Florida) supervisor of elections Ion Sancho told Black Box Voting that he will never use Diebold in an election again. He has requested funds to replace the Diebold system from the county. He will issue a formal announcement to this effect shortly.Leon County, FL has been on election reformers' radars since the BBV crew performed a successful test hack there last summer. The promised forthcoming announcement is not yet on the County's website though it does include this special report attesting to the successful hacking.
Amid all of this, the Eureka Times-Standard joins the Humboldt Advocate and the Humboldt Sentinel in breaking the silence about the GAO report. Here is the brilliant conclusion to the T-S piece:
The GAO report covers concerns for the worst that could happen in U.S. elections, and provides evidence of the discrepancies that have happened. It goes on to say: "Nevertheless, there is evidence that some of these concerns -- including weak controls and inadequate testing -- have caused problems with recent elections, resulting in the loss and miscount of votes."And all of this is simply superbly timed to coincide with the GuvWurld campaign launched Monday night, aimed at bringing pressure on and possibly producing resignations from elections officials in the 17 counties where Diebold admitted (p.3) to installing uncertified software in voting machines. Discussion site Democratic Underground has taken notice of the campaign and various election reform groups and coalitions are expected to be on board shortly.
So, with government-verified facts like this, how are voters like you and I supposed to believe in the official results announced each election day? Do we put blind faith in our existing voting technology, go on about our daily lives and hope for the best in a so-called "democracy" with unverifiably elected leaders? Or, shall we care enough about ensuring the foundations of our democracy, by looking deeper into our broken voting system, asking our officials to ensure conclusive election outcomes, and working to establish an accountable government that genuinely represents us?
To learn more about Diebold and GEMS software, other voting technology discrepancies and possible solutions, please visit: www.voterconfidencecommittee.org, guvwurld.blogspot.com, or www.blackboxvoting.org
1 comments
1 Comments:
The beginning of the end of Diebold? I wish I felt like celebrating, but I don't. I can't stop thinking that these people stole our democracy. What's a fit punishment for that?
Jane
By 
, at
12:29 AM
