(New York) City Resists (New York) State on Voting-Machine Program

[Bill Bored]

That's right; we are NOT with the program! So K&R for the NY Dems who are finally growing spines!:kick:


http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/city-defies-state-on-voting-machine-program/

City Resists State on Voting-Machine Program
By Jennifer 8. Lee

A long-delayed effort by New York State to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act, enacted after the 2000 election debacle, is encountering resistance in New York City, where officials insist on keeping the mechanical-lever voting machines that have been a mainstay of local elections since 1962.

-snip-

The city’s Board of Elections says the voting system it used last year — in which the traditional lever voting machines were supplemented by the use of ballot-marking devices accessible to disabled voters — met the goals of the federal law. Indeed, the city board takes the view that participation in the pilot program is in fact not allowed.

“Participation in the pilot program proposed by the State Board of Elections is not authorized by state law,” said Gregory C. Soumas, the Democratic elections board commissioner for Manhattan. “Any expenditures for voting systems incurred pursuant to the state board’s pilot program are not authorized by law.”

-snip-

Mr. Kellner, of the state board, called the resistance unrealistic. “There are some citizen advocates who want to keep the lever machines forever,” he said. “That is just not an option that is available to the state or the counties at this time.”

Mr. Soumas, of the city board, noted that 2009 is not a federal election year, and he maintained that the Help America Vote Act does not apply to local elections. He extolled the virtues of the mechanical-lever machines. “The mechanical-lever machines are universally agreed as accurate,” he said. “While it may take longer to certify the result, accuracy is our goal and we should not be in a hurry to be wrong.”

[Me.]

1. God I Love This City

K & R

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. recommending. New Yorkers will not be screwed

they didn't just fall off the turnip truck like some of us.

[Bill Bored]

3. Forgot this lovely photo:

Photo by Michael Nagle for The New York Times
New York City and the surrounding suburban counties are not taking part in a pilot program for new voting machines.

Oh, and when you see that "X", it really means your vote is being counted inside.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. Sorry BUTTTTTTT

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. the trojan horse is the Sequoia Image Cast

isn't it a scanner AND ballot marking device of some sort?

If it becomes the proverbial camel's nose in the tent, then it wouldn't take much
to spread them, since it marks AND counts votes.

[Bill Bored]

6. It's a DRE that happens to use paper ballots as the user interface.

It takes "pictures" of the ballots the way DREs are supposed to record what was on the touch screen. The voters can only verify the ballots however -- NOT the computer-generated image files.

Some of our more rabid anti-lever zealots who claim to be in favor of "Verified Voting", and of course some election officials who don't want to count paper ballots, have even proposed using these computer-generated IMAGE FILES to audit elections INSTEAD OF THE PAPER BALLOTS!

Someone ought to 86 their Kool-Ade refills and send them home in a taxi!
I think they've had QUITE ENOUGH TO DRINK!


Caption: NY Election Commissioners and "VV" Groups Favoring "Auditing"
of Computer-Generated Ballot Images

The ES&S DS200 is another such creature. A DRE in scanner's clothing, also authorized for use in the 2009 pilot -- though still not certified.

[clear eye]

7. But 2010 IS a federal election year

So in order to continue to resist, the boroughs (AKA counties) must pass a resolution, like this one to demand that NYS rescind ERMA, and keep the levers. The City Board of Elections action, nice as it is, only delays things one year. By 2010, the e-machines will have been declared approved using finagled data from the "pilots".

Kellner, once an outspoken opponent of the machines, has buckled under the enormous pressure. Many county officials are having those kind of dreams about all that lovely federal money coming in and the big dollar contracts they will control. All that mouthwatering potential for kickbacks into campaign coffers. See what already happened last year in Westchester County, NY:

County Lawmakers OK Building Purchase

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5278/is_/ai_n27976388/

The building was bought expressly to store e-voting machines in climate-controlled conditions. Note the line in the article where Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner reveals that the building costing $12M was bought from a large contributor to County Exec. Spano, and would sell on the open market for only $1.5M at the time it was bought.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

8. could you post an article like this at OpEdNews.com?

also, at the end of article suggest action.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. NEW YORKERS TAKE THIS ACTION

NEW YORKERS, TAKE ACTION! www.etcnys.org

New York has the last transparent, secure, accurate and reliable electoral system left in the nation.
Join citizens, county legislators, county election commissioners and political parties in saving our lever voting system!

TAKE THESE FIVE STEPS TOWARDS PROTECTING NY ELECTIONS:

(1) Seek resolutions from your local government.
Here is a copy of the first resolution to keep our lever voting system, unanimously passed in Dutchess County, NY -PDF version available here and now being considered by other county legislatures -- and with your help, across the entire state!

(2) Send a letter to your legislators. Here is a sample letter letter to use.

(3) Send copies of this letter to all members of government.

(4) Sign and circulate this petition:

(5)See our website and blog for action alerts and updates

New Yorkers Contact Your Representatives and Boards of Elections -
Find helpful contact links below!

Click here to contact the NY State Board of Elections
Click here to contact your County Executives and Legislators
Click here to find your county Board of Elections
Click here to contact your State Senator
Click here to contact your Assembly Member
Click here to contact Governor Paterson
Click here to contact your Member of Congress
Click here to contact Senator Schumer
Click here to contact Senator Gillibrand

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. Uncertified voting machines are risky - don't be a beta test

[Bill Bored]

11. .