TrueVote MD releases docs detailing Diebold failures, violations of law

[Amaryllis]

PRESS RELEASE: TrueVoteMD.org CoZeese, Linda
March 9th 2006

TrueVoteMD Releases Documents Detailing Diebold Failures,
Violations of State Law, Questionable Ability to Count Every Vote

Questions raised about the accuracy of the SBE’s public statements


Takoma Park, Maryland. Today, TrueVoteMD.org released more than 200 pages of internal State Board of Elections (SBE) documents showing voting machine failures, use of uncertified software in violation of state law, security flaws, and the likelihood of lost votes.

“The documents draw a picture of a troubled technology, and an in-experienced company, which is unable to securely and accurately count votes, as is required by state law,” said attorney Kevin Zeese, Co-Founder of TrueVoteMD.

The SBE has consistently stated that the Diebold system is secure and accurate but litigation documents produced under court order tell a different story. “When you compare the SBE’s public statements with internal SBE documents, it is evident that legislators, the media and the public have been misled,” said Zeese who oversaw TrueVoteMD’s preparation for document release. The question now is, ‘What is going to be done?’”

TrueVoteMD’s report entitled: State Board of Election’s Documents Detailing Diebold’s Questionable Ability to Count Every Vote, includes correspondence, memos, emails, and spreadsheets from the State Board of Elections, the Local Boards of Elections and Diebold between the years of 2002-2006. The documents cover seven key areas of concern for the election integrity community.

EXHIBIT-1: New Security Threats: the Hursti Hack and California’s re-testing of Diebold
EXHIBIT-2: History of security vulnerabilities with the Diebold TS machines
EXHIBIT-3: Five Month Lockdown After November 2004 Meltdown
EXHIBIT-4: Machine Malfunctions: zero vote totals, freezes, crashes, mis-calibrations, blank memory cards, battery failures, encoder failures, etc.
EXHIBIT-5: Candidates/races not appearing on ballot.
EXHIBIT-6: Uncertified voting systems in March 2004 primary.
EXHIBIT-7: Use of uncertified voting systems

“Diebold should be booted from our state and the state should pursue breach of contract litigation,” said Linda Schade, Executive Director and one of five co-founders of the group. “What is most disturbing to me is the fact that our elections agency prefers hiding these problems rather than solve them. I find the allegiance to Diebold baffling and dangerous.”

Most of the documents were produced in discovery as part of a lawsuit filed by eight Maryland legislators and voters, including Ms. Schade Lawyers for the case confirm more documents are expected to be released over the next ten days.

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documents show a pattern of an elections administrator trying to control the public image of a voting system in chaos.

http://www.truevotemd.org/

[mom cat]

1. Thanks for this post. K&R

[BeFree]

2. Finally.

That makes two suits, now. First one was in California, and diebold paid a tidy sum in damages. Looks like this suit will knock 'em to their knees.

Ya know, some one here said a while back that there was a lot of good stuff coming down soon. Whoop, here it is! Better late than never, eh?

Can you imagine someone trying to control the public image of a voting system in chaos? Wait, we've seen a bit of that right here from a few DU members. They're going down. They won't go without kicking and screaming, but they are going down. Finally.

[Wilms]

3. K&R n/t