BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Major E-Voting Critic, Attorney Named Dep. SoS for Voting systems in CA!

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Mon Jan-08-07 09:29 PM
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BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Major E-Voting Critic, Attorney Named Dep. SoS for Voting systems in CA!

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Major E-Voting Critic, Attorney Named to Key Voting Systems Oversight Role by New CA Secretary of State!
Debra Bowen Appoints Lowell Finley of Election Integrity Watchdog Group VoterAction.org to Role of 'Deputy SoS for Voting Systems Technology and Policy'
News Seen as Very Good for Voters, Very Bad for the Nation's Electronic Voting Machine Companies...

It may not be a very good day in the corporate offices at Diebold, but The BRAD BLOG has learned some big news that may well indicate today is a very good day indeed for the voters of America and specifically in California.

As incoming Sec. of State Debra Bowen was sworn in to her new office just moments ago, The BRAD BLOG can now reveal that one of the nation's top critics of unverifiable electronic voting systems --- and a key player across several states in the legal battles against voting machine company's such as Diebold, ES&S, Sequoia Voting Systems and Hart Intercivic --- is today being named by the new California Sec. of State Debra Bowen as Deputy SoS for Voting Systems Technology and Policy.

Lowell Finley, the lead attorney for the non-partisan voting machine legal watchdog organization VoterAction.org will be named to the position today.

In his new position, Finley will oversee testing and certification for all voting machine technology in the State of California. As well, in a phone call this morning, Finley confirmed that he would be working closely from within his new role with key national associations like the National Institute for Science and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission (EAC).

Finley and VoterAction.org have filed a number of landmark lawsuits in several states, including in California, over the past year or so, demanding an immediate halt to the use and purchase of Direct Recording Electronic (DRE/touch-screen) voting systems, decertification of many of those systems, as well as improved processes for certification of such systems.

Bowen has been a dogged critic of former Secretary of State Bruce McPherson during her candidacy and in her role overseeing the Elections Committee as State Senator in the California legislator. She has criticized his lack of oversight and lax testing procedures, and has championed a "Voters Bill of Rights" for the Golden State.

While a suit by VoterAction.org filed against former SoS McPherson and several CA Registrars of Voting, concerning his certification of Diebold TSx touch-screen systems is still pending in state court, the disposition of that suit will likely change due to the fact that the lead defendant, McPherson, is no longer in office.

Finley, who has been one of the attorneys representing voter plaintiffs in the contested election in Florida's 13th Congressional district in Sarasota, had one of his most recent and notable successes last September when a Colorado judge ordered a complete review of certification procedures for voting machines in the state. The court found the man placed in charge of testing and certification didn't have the qualifications necessary, and performed little or no testing. That man, John Gardner, had been appointed by former CO Sec. of State Donetta Davidson, who has now been appointed by George W. Bush to head the U.S. EAC.

The news of the appointment will undoubtedly be of concern to the major Voting Machine Companies who received little oversight from the former Sec. of State McPherson.

"I wish I was a fly on the wall in the offices at Diebold as they learn of this appointment. I'm sure jaws will be dropping and damage control will be ramping up," John Gideon of election watchdog organization VotersUnite.org told us today. (Gideon is also a frequent Guest Blogger here at The BRAD BLOG.)

Finley told us that "VoterAction's work goes on unabated, and there will be an interim legal director, fully qualified to step into my role in the Sarasota case and the other pending cases."

"While the news of this appointment was, at first, a shock because I initially saw us losing an integral part of the Election Integrity community, that shock turned to happiness as I realized that Lowell would be stepping into a position where his actions would influence the actions of elections officials nationally," said Gideon.

In addition to the Florida and California cases, VoterAction suits are still pending in Ohio, Pennsylvania and on appeal in Arizona. A lawsuit by the group in New Mexico after the 2004 Election was seen a key factor in a new state policy which banned DRE voting systems and required a paper ballot for every vote cast.

Finley will take the position in ten days, pending approval from the VoterAction Board of Directors. Bowen was sworn into office at 2pm this afternoon. News of several of her plans for office, including a "top to bottom review" of voting systems certified by her predecessor and her view that voting machine "sleepovers" with pollworkers prior to Election Day are in fact "illegal", was covered in this BRAD BLOG story posted late last week.

Diebold has not immediately returned our call seeking comment on the appointment. We'll update this story if and when appropriate.
URL: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3999