CT DUers-Help Choose Voting Machines!!!!

[drbtg1]

(My apologies if this has already been posted. I haven't seen it.)

There has been a mass mailing from the CT Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz. It is asking people to "help choose Connecticut's new voting machines by visiting a demonstration location near you"

You can see the mass mailing for yourself here (pdf file):

http://www.sots.ct.gov/ElectionsServices/HAVA/HavaPDF/SOSDemoMail.pdf

They are calling for people to come out to the following places, dates, and times to check out the machines:

11/14 10am-9pm Manchester-Buckland Hills Mall
11/15 10am-8pm North Windham-Eastern CT State Univ.
11/16 9am-8pm Woodbridge-Jewish Community center of Greater New Haven
11/17 9am-8pm Bridgeport-Bridgeport City Hall
11/18 9am-8pm Southbury-Southbury Town Hall

Folks, I have no idea if they know about Wally O'Dell, Diebold, GEMS software, voter verified paper ballots, et cetera. BUT THEY NEED TO KNOW! AND WE ARE THE ONES TO DO IT!

The mass mailing states:

"To our knowledge, this is the first time the public will be asked to participate in the purchase of state equipment. Hopefully, this will set a new standard as we look for ways to improve the integrity of and public confidence in the way the State of Connecticut buys equipment. Your opinions are very important because we must pick the most accurate, fair and secure voting system. I hope you will voice your opinion."

Please bring the facts to one of these locations during the week and let them hear the truth.

Thanks.

For more info:

http://www.sots.ct.gov/ElectionsServices/HAVA/IntroHAVA.htm

[JanusAscending]

1. Hi!

I got one in the mail, and I'm going....prepared, to the one in Southbury. I've met Susan B. and may have some clout. We'll see what they have to offer!!

[truckin]

2. TrueVoteCT (TVCT) has been trying to educate and influence

SOTS Bysiewicz for over a year with little success. Her office and the Department of Administrative Services has issued an RFP that calls for one DRE per polling place to give access to the disabled. TVCT has tried to convince her to amend the RFP to include ballot marking devices and optical scanners but she refuses to consider this. You can see some of the back and forth we have had with her by visiting www.TrueVoteCT.org .

I plan on being at the Southbury demo also and please let me know if you still think you can influence her after reading her responses to our requests.

[JanusAscending]

5. Ct. Sec. of State

I plan on speaking with her on Monday, and will post her reply as soon as I do. I'm not sure what time I will be in Southbury, but I may be able to narrow it down next time I post. I checked your profile, and you don't seem to have one???? DC

[truckin]

7. Did you get a chance to visit TrueVoteCT.org? It will give you

a good idea of where the SOTS is coming from on this issue.

[drbtg1]

9. self delete

n/a

[drbtg1]

8. very interesting site.

Thanks for posting about this. Something to study over the weekend.

[NewJeffCT]

3. I'm going to try to go on Monday

to the one in Manchester. Any other DUers going to be there? I'd likely go around 7pm.

[Nutmegger]

4. I'll probably be there

on Monday too but in the afternoon. I just found out about it after visiting my town's website.

[bigwillq]

6. Thanks for this info.

I'm going to try and go to the one in Greater New Haven.

[NewJeffCT]

10. Bysiewicz does know about Diebold & O'Dell

I heard her last year on Colin McEnroe's show on WTIC mentioning specifically about how O'Dell said he was going to do everything in his power to help Bush carry Ohio.

[LynzM]

11. Went to the one tonight at Eastern....

Which is *not* in North Windham; I don't know where the heck they came up with that address. Anyway.

Sadly, I don't remember all three of the companies, but I definitely gave Diebold lower ratings, and honestly. Their printout was crap, hard to read, and the mechanics of it were poor in comparison to the other machines there.

[NewJeffCT]

12. In Manchester

They said the lines were 2 hours long to test the things. I got there too late, however.

[JanusAscending]

13. OK! What's everyones consensus?

I went to Southbury around 1PM. The line was rather long, but it took me only a half hour to check out all of the machines, and write my critiques for each one. The guys demonstrating the Deibold machines, looked like "greazy gangsters", and their "shpiel" was just as suspicious! They have no paper trail at all, and I gave them zeros across the board. I don't recall the name of the other "touch screen" machine. It did show a paper receipt of your ballot, and it had very good access for disabled people, and those with vision problems. I gave them a "fair" critique. I felt that the ELECTronic 1242 made by Danaher Controls here in Ct. and designed by the Veeder Root Comp. to be by far the superior source. Instructions less complicated for older voters ( set in their ways) and more familiar looking as they resemble the old lever machines. Give the most privacy, and leave a paper receipt that is deposited directly into a plastic bin. You need no card to access it, as the other two models do. Any other opinions out there in regards to this? By the way, as you said Jeff, Susan is aware of the need for a paper trail!!!! She's a "sharp cookie" and is not going to let Ct. be led down Ohio's crooked path!!

[truckin]

14. No optical scan and ballot marking devices were presented!

I agree that the Danaher machine is the best of the three but it is the best of the worst, in my opinion and in the opinion of most who are familiar with this issue. The RFP process has been seriously flawed since the SOTS only called for proposals for DREs. Why would she not consider optical scan with ballot marking devices for the disabled which is less expensive and more reliable and accessible?

Here is recent correspondence that a member of TrueVoteCT, who is a computer scientist at Trinity College, has had with the SOTS:

Letter to the SOTS:
http://truevotect.org/resources/Morelli-letter-to-SOTS-2005.09.19.pdf

SOTS response:
http://truevotect.org/resources/SOTS-Morelli-response-2005.10.05.pdf

And before I am accused of being a freeper or something worse, if there is such a thing, please note that I was a Democratic candidate for the Board Of Finance in my town a couple of weeks ago and I have been nominated to my town DTC. However, the issue of the voting machines is much more important than party affiliation and I fear that Secretary Bysiewicz is leading the state in the wrong direction in this regard.

[KoKo]

15. Good Gawd! If Connecticut is pushing these machines what hope do we

have! I'm in NC and we are fighting a huge battle about these machines...but I used to live in Conn. (Greewich and Ridgefield) and being here in the Red State...it's shocking to know that Conn. is ready to go with DRE's and it's one of the "bluest of the blue." (Of course you have Liberman...but Geeze...what about your State Dem Party?

Anyway...I'm an "OuttaStater" on this thread but was checking places I've lived to see how you all are doing with complying with HAVA because we are in such a battle here in NC...