Dean's Ballot-Box Conspiracy Theory

[bigtree]

DEAN'S BALLOT-BOX CONSPIRACY THEORY

By VINCENT MORRIS
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/16415.htm

January 22, 2004 -- MANCHESTER, N.H. - Howard Dean unleashed a new line of attack yesterday by hinting at Republican corporate conspiracies to steal elections.

Discarding his old stump speech, slipping-in-the-polls Dean took an Oliver Stone-ish shot at the GOP hierarchy, telling New Hampshire voters about his fear that new high-tech voting machines will be programmed to steal ballots from Democrats.

The former Vermont governor warned the head of Diebold, which makes electronic voting machines, may rig his equipment so that ballots from Democratic voters are not counted.

Dean flew home to Vermont yesterday feeling sick and exhausted.


I got this article straight from the BBV site. Sorry for the Murdoch news connection.

[Trajan]

1. Let's NOT tie the BBV issue ...

to a specific candidate .... that would be a travesty ...

IF: ... Someone can 'show' that a specific candidate was hurt in a specific instance (which may apply in this case), then fine: ... pursue whatever remedies are deemed fit ...

But DONT toss out the baby with the bathwater: ... Diebold 'Magic" has been seen before ... and it is presumed to reflect a REAL effort to subvert the voting process ... What happened in Georgia 2002 is a prime example ...

The 'fact' that a vote can be manipulated is FAR more critical than the impact on one specific candidate ...

DONT toss out the possibility of Diebold/ESS fraud, simply because you dont like Dean .....

Its real: .... and its BIGGER than Dean ...

[Eloriel]

2. Don't ridicule something you know nothing about

Here's a little help for ya:


Md. computer testers cast a vote: Election boxes easy to mess with
In Annapolis, tales of trickery, vote rigging
http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-te.md.machine30jan30,0,4050694.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

By Stephanie Desmon
Sun Staff
Originally published January 30, 2004


For a week, the computer whizzes laid abuse - both high- and low-tech - on the six new briefcase-sized electronic voting machines sent over by the state.

One guy picked the locks protecting the internal printers and memory cards. Another figured out how to vote more than once - and get away with it. Still another launched a dial-up attack, using his modem to slither through an electronic hole in the State Board of Elections software. Once inside, he could easily change vote totals that come in on Election Day.

"My guess is we've only scratched the surface," said Michael A. Wertheimer, who spent 21 years as a cryptologic mathematician at the National Security Agency.

He is now a director at RABA Technologies in Columbia, the firm that the state hired for about $75,000 to look at Maryland's new touch-screen voting machines scheduled to be unveiled in nearly every precinct in Maryland for the March 2 primary.

The state has no choice but to use its $55 million worth of AccuVote-TS machines made by Diebold Election Systems for the primary. The old optical scanners are gone.

-- more --

Md. Vote Machines Flawed, Consultant Says
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-voting-machines,0,30387.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

By TOM STUCKEY
Associated Press Writer
January 30, 2004, 4:01 PM EST


ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Computers that Maryland voters will use in the March primary contain "vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious individuals," according to programmers who tested the equipment.

Hackers could easily compromise 16,000 touch-screen computers in precincts statewide, Michael Wertheimer of RABA Technologies told a state legislative committee on Thursday.

RABA's report, which focused on hardware, is the latest study by computer scientists to conclude that electronic systems pose significant security risks.

Dozens of states are rushing to replace punch-card and lever systems with modern voting equipment to qualify for federal matching funds through the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

-- more --

======================

Now, bear in mind three things.

First, while these articles are about the MD machines, the results apply to ALL Diebold touchscreens.

Second, Diebold GEMS software is used on the touchscreens but ALSO their optical scanning machines.

Third, the kind of vulnerabilities (errors, malicious code, internal or external hacking) found and documented by the Hopkins Report, the SAIC Report and now the RABA report apply equally to any other computerized voting machine, no matter who its made by, as well as to internet voting.

If you give a fuck about your democracy, you would do well to get up to speed on this issue and quick.

You see, forget about Kerry and Dean and all the other Dem candidates. George W. Bush doesn't NEED to care which core constituency he pisses off to the max. The fix is in and he knows it. Florida was just a warm up -- and they learned in FL NOT to let the vote counts get too close so that recounts are either automatically triggered or requested by the party(ies).

[BurtWorm]

3. You know you've reached a certain precipice

when you start quoting a Murdoch publication as Gospel against an candidate you don't like. Especially when the issue is voting system integrity. Don't go over that precipice, big tree! Come back!

[bigtree]

6. Your right

I'm back. Can you post some actual facts about the New Hampshire system without innuendo to clear the air? I think a strong case can be made about the screwy systems around the country. And the incredible mix of systems. We need uniformity.

New Hampshire is no stranger to recounts. They have been trying to reform their system since the '80s. I believe you would get more support in this if it didn't involve such an alert state such as New Hampshire and if your appeal didn't focus on a state that has been so responsive to your concerns about a paper trail.

[BurtWorm]

9. The beauty of NH is that they do have a paper trail.

We can test the accuracy of the vote count because of that.

[bigtree]

14. I wouldn't second guess the NH Democratic Party.

They Know how to run an election. How will it look if we are still contesting our own election at the same time we are questioning Bush?

I can support all efforts to reform the ballot. I don't think, however, that we should cast aspersions on our own party.

[BurtWorm]

15. We're not contesting. We're verifying.

There is a difference. (Delegates are at stake here, by the way.)

[bigtree]

18. How can you verify without contesting?

And what about the resulting stink that the media would make of our party, no matter what the result?

There has to be a way to do our fixing of the systems without casting aspersions on our primary contests, already over and done with.

[BurtWorm]

19. You simply count the votes.

The only thing Dems have to fear is if an anomaly actually does arise. Is that what Kerry supporters are afraid of? Why should they be afraid if they're confident the contest was clean? Why wouldn't they welcome naked corroboration of the legitimacy of their win?

[Straight Shooter]

4. The NY Post? I won't believe it until it's in the Washington Times

Bwaahahahahahahahah

[milkyway]

5. I'm feeling sick and exhausted after having to look at a link to the

Murdoch NY Post. I live in New York and I avoid even catching a glance at that repulsive rag as I walk by a newsstand. I can't believe how many New Yorkers get their news from the Post when there's a reasonable tabloid in the Daily News. The News is not exactly my idea of what a newspaper should be, but it's good for what it is. I read it along with the Times every day. Murdoch's Post makes Murdoch's Faux News look like McNeil-Lehrer.

BTW, again Dean has the guts to stand up front for truth and justice and let the wingnuts laugh at him. That's my kind of guy.

[bigtree]

8. Sorry about tha source

Frustration gets the better of me sometimes.

[mzmolly]

7. Diebold is a major campaign contributor to Bush and co...

And they have promised to support * in the coming election. Furthermore, without a paper trail, the numbers can be toyed with rather easilly.

I don't know about you, but trusting my vote to a Republican sympathizer makes me feel a bit *sick and exhausted* too.

The bad news for Diebold ... were watching this time. :hi:

[killbotfactory]

10. Isn't this a right wing source?

Come on...

[bigtree]

12. From the front page of BBV

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. hmm, I wonder if Dean

said anything about this BEFORE the New Hampshire primaries?

Anyone know?

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. Yes he did, he addressed it to some extent on October 18th, 2003

at a speech in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. I'm going to see if I can find anything on it. :hi:

Wish me luck. I've been keeping track of what all the candidates have had to say on this, and I give those who address it major kudos!! :)

[milkyway]

20. The original NY Post link was before the NH primary 1/22 nt

[ngGale]

13. Diebold--thought everyone already knew about...

Diebold's connection to the Republican party. Dean is right.

[SeattleRob]

16. typical right-wing technique

You make fun of any reasonable questions by invoking the word, "conspiracy." Throw in a reference to Oliver Stone or
"the grassy knoll." Don't discuss any of the substance behind
the question.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

21. Truth is stranger than fiction at times... It sounds weird but it happens.

There are documented cases. I don't know if someone could "steal" an entire election that is lopsided - but "steal" a few close precincts or wards - yes it is possible.

[shance]

22. Of course they could. Did you forget the 2000 election?

Its even easier with electronic voting and there is no trail.

Whats the point of stealing a few precincts if you are not attempting to win the election?