Diebold Added Secret Patch to Georgia's 2002 Election, Whistleblowers Say

[AtLiberty]

Diebold Added Secret Patch to Georgia E-Voting Systems in 2002, Whistleblowers Say

By Matthew Cardinale,
News Editor,
Atlanta Progressive News
(September 28, 2006)

(APN) ATLANTA – Top Diebold corporation officials ordered workers to install secret files to Georgia’s electronic voting machines shortly before the 2002 Elections, at least two whistleblowers are now asserting, Atlanta Progressive News has learned.

Former Diebold official Chris Hood told his story concerning the secret “patch” to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for Kennedy’s second article on electronic voting in this week’s Rolling Stone Magazine.

Hood’s claims corroborate a second whistleblower who spoke with Black Box Voting and Wired News in 2003...

http://www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlantaprogressivenews.com%2Fnews%2F0091.html

[Fredda Weinberg]

1. As I recall the incident, they applied Microsoft updates n/t

[Wilms]

2. Not according to the article.

What is the basis of your recollection?

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. I guess you overlooked this part

“They claim to have changed the operating system and not the tabulating software. We believe the law says the systems have to be re-certified with a patch of any kind. The State did not certify those patches. The State took Diebold’s word,” Favorito said.

This is consistent with what I researched at the time.

[Wilms]

4. I saw that.

But did(/where did) Diebold claim those changes to the OS were MS patches?

Did they mention which MS patches? And why the patches were considered neccessary? And why they thought the software didn't need to be reviewed, thereafter?

And why they wanted to keep the SoS out of the loop?

:shrug:

[Fredda Weinberg]

5. I guess you had to be paying attention at the time

The patches were necessary for exactly the reason specified: there was a problem with the system clock. Definitely an OS problem and applying the service pack was appropriate.

[Wilms]

6. That linklessly answers two of my questions...

...and failed to address three.

Perhaps someone in the audience who was "paying attention" may want to take a crack at it.

[Fredda Weinberg]

7. Anyone else remember Bev Harris fleecing DUers?

I do ... she did it with just this kind of baseless accusation, repeated over and over.

I've pointed out where the article confirms my version; if you don't like it, I understand - Harris never accepted the truth either.

[Wilms]

8. "where the article confirms [your] version" doesn't answer relavant ?'s

So it's misleading to suggest it's a wrap.

Additionally, my questions don't have anything to do with bbv.

[Fredda Weinberg]

9. Ah, here's Diebold's statement

The patch was an operating system modification, not a modification to the tabulation system as implied in this article.

http://www.diebold.com/dieboldes/pdf/rollingstone92306.pdf

[Wilms]

10. Thanks for the link.

But it does not include info on the specific patch. And while they may want to argue the OS is not subject to Federal review, folks here will argue, at least, that the reissuance of software requires re-certification.

[Fredda Weinberg]

11. Folks here were fooled once - but not by me

There was no reason to recertify the Diebold software after an OS service pack was applied. Of course you can try to make the argument, but don't complain when your accusation doesn't gain traction.

[Wilms]

12. I'm rarely surprised at the inability for these issues to gain traction.

Nor do I have to be impressed by bbv to question Diebold.

[Fredda Weinberg]

13. I've had no problem getting traction on real issues

but this report is a rehash of a baseless accusation that was easily refuted at the time.

[Wilms]

14. We'll see, Freeda.

Your really workin' this one...as if it struck a nerve.

[Fredda Weinberg]

15. Ah, flame bait ...

This ain't work ... work was explaining the Florida central voter file scrub - and making sure the debacle wasn't repeated. Work was getting out the word about DREs - long before it became an issue at DU.

Now? My mother's not dying in the next room - I've got lots more patience than I did back then. I'm back home in NYC and just picked up my Master's in Information Systems this morning.

Struck a nerve? You wish.

[Wilms]

16. Is it me or do you mostly show up to defend Diebold?

And to tell us how hard you work, and how much, and who, you know?

Sorry 'bout your mom. Congrats on your Master.

[Fredda Weinberg]

17. It's you

Because I've mentioned several times that I've been working *with* the mainstream media against DREs. I've also dropped this link before

http://www.wordsunltd.com/voting_machine_fiasco.htm

Which is my report on ES&S's political connections in Florida.

[Wilms]

18. I am aware you've posted several times.

As about your work with Palast. Thanks for the CV.

And as I thought I have made clear in my replies, it is your postings here with which I generally disagree.

As with Alaska, your arguments are in favor of limiting public disclosure.

My argument, shared by many, is for transparent elections.

Apparently, you do not share that view.

[Fredda Weinberg]

19. Nuts. Alaska was a good example

Every accusation proved groundless on examination - all you had to do was check the official web site for explanations of the figures. Diebold released the state from its confidentiality agreement and the controversy faded away.

For the umpteenth time, I agree with Rebecca Mercuri: use voting machines to produce optically scannable ballots.

[Wilms]

20. At large issue was disclosure.

And you argued mightily against it...even after Diebold released the state.

I'll leave computerized optically scannable ballots to one side for the time being.

[Fredda Weinberg]

23. Really? Once again, facts prove you wrong

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2480100&mesg_id=2480103

All I did was mention the Diebold had released the state. No argument from me whatsoever.

On the other hand, here's the thread before Diebold relented

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=410440&mesg_id=410440

Once again, consistent with my memory.

[Wilms]

28. Your second link confirms my assertion.

Thanks

[Bill Bored]

29. When did Rebecca Mercuri say THAT?

You must have her confused with Avi Rubin, who perhaps does not think voters know how to use a pen and paper!

If you're going to scan the ballots, why not let the voters mark them by hand?

The whole point of the VVPB is for the ballot to be voter-verified. Using a machine to mark them does not guarantee this, except perhaps for those who are incapable of marking the ballot by hand and must rely on machines and scanners to mark and read back the marks respectively. (So much for voting "independently" per HAVA but it may be the best we can do. Tactile ballots and Vote-Pads might actually be better for many disabled voters.)

[Kelvin Mace]

25. Jeez

My argument, shared by many, is for transparent elections.

Apparently, you do not share that view.

Why? Because she disagrees with your interpretation of the facts? Since when is this a crime? Since when is not agreeing with a specific viewpoint prima facia evdeince that she opposes trasnparent elections?

That is a hell of a leap in logic.

[Wilms]

26. Actually, "your interpretation of the facts" is more inline with mine.

"But the problem was an OS patch and how Diebold handled it gives rise to these types of suspicions, thus Diebold has only itself to blame for it's reputation."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=451326&mesg_id=451370

[Kelvin Mace]

24. She is NOT defending Diebold

she is simply pointing out the facts, which are the facts.

Personally, I disagree somewhat with her on the severity of the issue. I don't think you make ANY changes to a voting machine and fail to inform election officals, which is what Diebold did.

But the problem was an OS patch and how Diebold handled it gives rise to these types of suspicions, thus Diebold has only itself to blame for it's reputation.

I am getting a little tired of seeing people being accused of working for Diebold just because they do not accept the Bev Harris orthodoxy.

[Wilms]

27. It seems we agree when you say...

"I don't think you make ANY changes to a voting machine and fail to inform election officals, which is what Diebold did."

I am getting a little tired of seeing people being accused of supporting bbv just because they find Diebold orthodoxy suspect.

[Peace Patriot]

21. Diebold's lies and secrecy are red flags, pointing to extremely suspicious

unauthorized meddling with Diebold machines just prior to the 2002 election. And Bob Urosevich was directly involved (head of Diebold ops, brother to Tod Urosevich of ES&S, a spinoff of Diebold--together these two counted 80% of the votes in the 2004 election, under a veil of corporate secrecy, with ES&S funded by rightwing billionaire nut Howard Ahmanson).

Get this (later in the article)...

"Whistleblower Accounts

'With the primaries looming, Urosevich was personally distributing a ‘patch,’ a little piece of software designed to correct glitches in the computer program,' Rolling Stone Magazine reported.

"'We were told that it was intended to fix the clock in the system, which it didn't do,' Hood told Rolling Stone. 'The curious thing is the very swift, covert way this was done.'

"'It was an unauthorized patch, and they were trying to keep it secret from the state,' Hood told Rolling Stone.

"'We were told not to talk to county personnel about it. I received instructions directly from Urosevich. It was very unusual that a president of the company would give an order like that and be involved at that level,' Hood told Rolling Stone.

"The 'patch' was applied to about 5,000 polling places in Fulton and DeKalb Counties in 2002, Rolling Stone reported."

(snip)

"Two patches were applied in June and July 2002 respectively while (Rob) Behler (second whistleblower) worked in the Diebold warehouse; another patch was applied in August 2002 after Behler left the warehouse, Wired News reported.

“'Behler said Diebold programmers posted patches to a file-transfer-protocol site for him and his colleagues to apply to the machines,' Wired News reported.

"Diebold officials first denied any patches were applied in an interview with Salon in 2003, according to Wired News.

"'We have analyzed that situation and have no indication of that happening at all,' Joseph Richardson, Diebold spokesperson, is reported to have told Salon at the time.

"This story later changed." (MORE)

http://www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlantaprogressivenews.com%2Fnews%2F0091.html

----------------------------

In other words they lied through their teeth.

---------------------------

The article gets even better and more damning in the parts about Diebold shill Cathy Cox (GA Sec of State). Diebold hid the patches from her (or only spoke to her in a dark alley?), no doubt as cover for her (so she didn't have to act). Then, AFTER the election, somehow she finds out and queries Diebold in a letter asking THEM to assure her that the patches didn't need to be certified and as to what the "overall impact" of the patch was "to the voting system."

Now there's vigilance for you.

God, the malfeasance and corruption here is unfriggingbelievable! And it is even more profound than this searing article reveals. Because the whole "certification" process itself is a crock of election theft industry shite. Testing and certification of these crapass, insecure, insider hackable voting machines is done IN SECRET by THE INDUSTRY.

--------------------------

THROW DIEBOLD, ES&S AND ALL ELECTION THEFT MACHINES INTO 'BOSTON HARBOR' NOW!

BUST THE MACHINES--VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER!

If enough people do it--if everybody who despises the Bush Junta (60% to 70% of the American people) votes by AB, the reign of these diabolical machines will be OVER!

------------------------

See my posts on the Absentee Ballot protest at
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2851762&mesg_id=2851762
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2854648

------------------------

Election reform resources:

Here is a list of states and their current voting systems, for reference. All e-voting systems are run on TRADE SECRET, PROPRIETARY programming code. The biggest of these democracy-killing corporations--and the most Bush friendly--are Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia.
http://electionline.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1099

For an overview of the 2004 election theft, see:
"Was the 2004 Election Stolen?" by Robert Kennedy Jr. 6/1/06
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen
"Secret Vote Counting Crammed Down the Throat of Democracy, " by Michael Collins (DU's Autorank) (--a searing election reform article for New Zealand's Scoop.com)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x971363

Information on electronic voting:
The Princeton study (2006) (e-voting machines extremely hackable)
http://itpolicy.princeton.edu/voting/
(comment on the Princeton study) http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3467
www.votersunite.org (MythBreakers - easy primer on electronic voting--one of the myths is that HAVA requires electronic voting; it does not.)

Activist and informations sites:
www.UScountvotes.org (statistical monitoring of '06 and '08 elections--they need donations)
www.votetrustusa.org (news of this great movement from around the country)
www.votersunited.org (good general info, and state links)
www.verifiedvoting.org (great activist site)
www.solarbus.org/election/index.shtml (fab compendium of all election info)
www.freepress.org (devoted to election reform)
www.bradblog.com (also great, and devoted to election reform)
www.TruthIsAll.net (analysis of the 2004 election)

Read this and you will never vote on another electronic voting machine in your life:
"Poll Shock," by Bob Koehler (11/24/05)
http://commonwonders.com/archives/col321.htm

[Fredda Weinberg]

22. You forgot KSU

Dr. Brit Williams of Kennesaw State University has to be part of your conspiracy as well.

[Bill Bored]

30. Hey Fredda, I didn't even read Peace Patriot's post and I can tell

you Brit Williams and Merle King ARE DEFINITELY part of a conspiracy!

They WROTE those fricking crap voting system standards and threw out all the public comments against them. Over 6,000 of them in 2005! And they got a $175,000 no-bid contract from the EAC to do it too!

So if you want to talk about conspiracies, explain to me how a couple red-state "engineers" get to write the voting systems standards for the whole frickin' country without a public bidding process or the necessary expertise to do it?