Watchdog group highlights flaws in DuPage elections

[AtLiberty]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/315484,6_1_NA28_BALLOT_S1.article

Watchdog group highlights flaws in DuPage elections

March 28, 2007
By Paige Winfield Staff Writer
Naperville Sun

Lax security and illegal destruction of public records by the DuPage Election Commission leave the results of last November's election in serious doubt, contend members of the Illinois Ballot Integrity Project.

Leaders of the organization - which acts as a whistle-blower for election commissions across the state - claim the commission has violated the Local Record Act by failing to obtain permission from the secretary of state to destroy election materials.

Project members also point to five alleged security breaches they say compromised the integrity of election results in DuPage, while not directly violating state or federal law.


The Illinois Ballot Integrity Project is alleging that the DuPage Election Commission allowed the following security breaches during the November 2006 election:


• Dozens of memory cards containing election results were not returned securely to commission headquarters on Election Night. One observer estimates as many as 80 memory cards were left at polling places. Eventually, two-thirds of these cards were returned that night, but roughly 25 stayed out all night long, leaving the data compromised.


• Touch screen machines left out all night at polling locations throughout the county.


• The commission failed to conduct criminal background checks on the technicians who had access to memory cards, machine components and the tabulation room.


• The commission did not conduct a hand-counted audit of early votes cast on the touch screen machines.


• Five palm pilots containing private voter information were reported missing by an election judge after judges' training in October 2006. It is unknown if the devices were found or if the information contained on them was altered.

*snip*

The commission allowed "serious breaches in the chain of custody" during the election, Jean Kaczmarek, co-chair of the project's DuPage chapter, told the County Board on Tuesday.
"Unless changes in the process take place, there will continue to be little or no confidence in the election results," Kaczmarek said.

*snip*

[truebrit71]

1. In Dupage County?

Colour me surprised.... :eyes: