This is a peaceful way to send a message: "We don't want your touch screen machines unless they produce a voter verified paper ballot."
For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Contact: Kim Alexander or Rachel Zenner
(916) 441-2494 or (530) 750-7650
Voter Group Issues Warning On Electronic Voting Systems, Urges Use Of
Absentee Ballots In Certain Counties
Absentee Ballot Request Deadline Is February 24
Davis, CA -- The California Voter Foundation (CVF) is urging voters
in counties where electronic, touchscreen voting systems are used to
instead vote by paper absentee ballot in the March 2 election.
Citing security concerns, questionable oversight practices and an
inability to conduct meaningful audits of election results on the
paperless systems, CVF president Kim Alexander said voters in 14
California counties that use touchscreen voting systems should
immediately request an absentee ballot from their county elections
office. Applications for absentee ballots must be received by
Tuesday, February 24.
"Our advice," Alexander said, "is to cast your votes on paper."
"Voters who do not want to entrust their ballots to risky,
inauditable technology have a choice -- they can reject the paperless
touchscreen system and instead vote absentee using a paper ballot.
We are encouraging voters who live in electronic voting counties to
exercise that choice this election," Alexander said.
California counties using electronic voting systems on March 2
comprise 40 percent of the state's electorate. They include Alameda,
Kern, Merced, Napa, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, San
Diego, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, and Tehama.
Ballots cast on electronic voting machines do not allow voters to
verify how their vote is recorded, as there is no paper record.
Although Secretary of State Kevin Shelley has announced he will
require a voter verified paper record of every digital ballot cast,
this requirement will not take effect until July 2006.
Election security concerns related to electronic touchscreen systems
have been heightened due to a number of recent developments:
-- The State of Maryland commissioned an independent study to test
the security of Diebold's voting system. The computer security firm
they hired was easily able to hack into the system, record multiple
votes and alter vote counts on the machines - both on site and
remotely. The Maryland report is the third independent investigation
of Diebold's software to discover serious problems. The Diebold
system studied is the same one used by several California counties.
-- After learning that some counties used an uncertified version of
Diebold's software in the October 7, 2003 Recall election, the
Secretary of State's office launched an investigation into all 17
counties using Diebold voting equipment. Although the investigation
is still pending, preliminary results show that all counties using
Diebold voting equipment were using uncertified versions of Diebold
software during the October and November elections.
-- In response to growing concerns about electronic voting security,
California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley issued a directive to all
electronic voting counties outlining additional security steps,
including parallel monitoring and posting of official results outside
polling places at the close of polls. However, ten county registrars
are refusing to cooperate with this directive, insisting that
existing security and oversight is adequate.
-- Four counties -- Kern, San Joaquin, Solano and San Diego -- will
use Diebold's new TSx machine for the Primary, despite the machine's
lack of federal approval. There is no guarantee the machines will be
federally approved by March 2.
Voters can mail in their absentee ballots prior to the election or
return them to their polling place on Election Day. "Absentee voters
who return ballots to their polling places can experience the
excitement of Election Day, get their "I voted" sticker and cast
their votes with confidence that their ballot is backed up on paper,"
Alexander said.
The nonprofit, nonpartisan group is also encouraging voters to
participate in election monitoring activities at the precinct and
countywide level, such as:
* Volunteering to serve on local "Election Observer" and "Logic and
Accuracy" oversight committees;
* Witnessing pre-election "Logic and Accuracy" testing and the
post-election "manual count" verification process;
* Monitoring polling places, poll closings, and Election Night vote
counts at the county election office.
Any irregularities should be reported to the Secretary of State's
toll-free "Voter Protection Hotline", 1-800-345-VOTE.
More information about the March 2, California Primary, California
voting systems, and voting technology reform is available from the
California Voter Foundation's web site,
http://www.calvoter.org. CVF
is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advancing the repsonsible
use of technology to improve democracy.
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The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization promoting and applying the responsible use of technology to improve the democratic process. CVF-NEWS is a free, electronic newsletter featuring news and updates about the California Voter Foundation's projects and activities.
Contact the California Voter Foundation by:
phone - (530) 750-7650
web -
http://www.calvoter.orgemail - info@calvoter.org
U.S. Mail - 222 D Street, Suite 6B, Davis, CA 95616
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* To subscribe to CVF-NEWS, visit
http://www.calvoter.org/cvfnews/ and complete the online subscription form, or send an email to cvfnewslist-subscribe@calvoter.org .
* To unsubscribe, write to cvfnewslist-unsubscribe@calvoter.org .
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Copyright California Voter Foundation. Redistribution of this newsletter is encouraged if it includes the entire message.
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