BBV: Some info for the activists

[shirlden]

Today I downloaded the RFP and The Valuations Finding Report from the Ohio Secretary of State on the purchase of electronic voting machines for Ohio. The RFP is 60 pgs plus 9 changes and the Valuations Report is 244 pages, so I have not had the opportunity to read these as closely as I would like. However, a couple of things that may be of interest are :

1. Diebold scored the highest in the evaluations. The RFP reads like it was written by Diebold, so it is no wonder they would score the highest.
2. Here is the info Diebold gave the state on verification by ITA on software and firmware.
7. When was your last major upgrade?
RESPONSE: Our latest upgrades have been both the GEMS software and the AccuVote-OS and
AccuVote-TS firmware. The GEMS software latest version to pass through ITA and receive a NASED
number is GEMS 1.18.18 with NASED number N03060011818. The AccuVote-TS R6 with firmware
version 4.3.15 is the newest version that has passed ITA testing and received a NASED number of
010702-4.3.15-1990. The AccuVote-OS Optical Scan with 1.96.4 firmware is the latest version to pass
through ITA testing and receive a NASED number of 010701-1.96.4-1990. All 3 versions listed above
passed through the ITA testing in May of 2003. These upgrades were only to the GEMS software and
firmware for both the AccuVote-OS and AccuVote-TS. There have been no major hardware changes to
either the Optical Scan or Touch Screen product since the AccuVote-TS R6 Touch Screen was introduced
and certified in 2001.

I have not checked to see how this correlates to the "memo's" and other evidence the activists are working with.

3. This one made me a bit nauseous.
Under Systems Requirements "To guard against fraud, systems shall not produce individual paper records that voters could remove from the polling place" NO PAPER BALLOTS
:argh:

4. In years 3, 4 and 5 of the contract Diebold will charge the state a software license fee for each year of $888,075.00. We just keep giving and giving. With maintenance fees and this fee, I can see why so many companies want to sell voting machines. We never stop paying.

If there is any evidence in these two files helpful to any activist, please let me know and I will try to find it.

[TacticalPeek]

1. $888,075.00!

Software piracy!

This is a fairly trivial application, honestly.

Governments can be such suckers for slick, connected salesmen.

Hell, our tax dollars are paying thousands of government programmers as I type. I'm certain that with a handful of coders and 6 months R&D, we could have a secure, reliable, open source, standard solution running on off-the-shelf hardware. The government would provide the code and machine specs, and on-going support costs would be greatly reduced.

I'd hate to hear what these robbers get for a toilet seat.

[4dog]

8. How much does it cost to run an election the old way?

Take it rhetorically if you like, but I would be curious. Printing paper and counting it by hand, plus a little more for security, seems so cheap. When you can get a better result for less money, it should be a big seller.

[hunter]

11. $888,075 to rent software that counts...

How much do you think they would pay to rent dogs that bark?

[DEMActivist]

2. Don't you love it?

Our government's aren't BUYING software to run these machines - they're RENTING IT.

[shirlden]

6. Yes they are renting it,

but shouldn't the money be going to Bill Gates??

[DEMActivist]

3. BTW, the OHIO RFP is a DUPLICATE of Georgia's

They just did a global search and replace on the word "Georgia" with the word "Ohio."

Review what the documents say about "Software Souce Code Escrow" to see if they have to submit the source code to an independent Escrow Agent. I'd be interested what that says.

[TacticalPeek]

4. The way RFP's are frequently done:

The potential buyer gets a bunch of sales literature and unsolicited proposals together about the system they need to acquire. Then he does a Chinese menu amalgam of features and functions, which may (or not) favor a certain package he wants. Then some vendors receive an "RFP" which is often a barely disguised redo of their sales literature. Bingo, the cash drawer is open.

The fact that OH and GA RFP's are identical means that one should be titled "My Buddy's RFP". Or else, everybody is getting a "sample" RFP from the vendor, totally defeating the function of a true RFP.

[shirlden]

5. Doesn't surprise me...

Were you aware that Larry Singer ,as GTA in Ga ,who had a big hand in the Georgia Diebold scheme, resigned in Nov 2002, and popped up in Ohio a few weeks later on the Sec. of State's Board of Advisors for the voting machine project.

Will check out that source code "escrow" and let you know

[DEMActivist]

7. Yes, I was aware of Mr. Singer's appearance

But I was told he quit a couple weeks ago, right in the middle of a public meeting when the press started asking tough questions.

I was told he just stood up, resigned "because I can't make all the meetings" and walked out without answering the reporter's question directed to him.

[shirlden]

9. Congratulate me....just made the 700 club

on my own thread.

Do I get to be a Fundie now ?? Is that the reward ??

:dunce:

[RedEagle]

10. Important info here

Kick!

[TrogL]

12. Where are these downloadable?