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RE: 46 DAYS TILL ELECTION DAY! - CAN WE PROTECT THE VOTE?
Pete,
I think that the number of ways that a provisional ballot can be
disqualified is greater than the number of ways that an absentee ballot can
be disqualified.
To vote by absentee:
1. I would include a brief note stating my objection to DREs and having to
resort to and absentee ballot.
2. I would check every single detail of the ballot and the return envelope.
3. I would then grudgingly hand-carry my voted absentee ballot and
personally deposit it in the absentee ballot container, realizing that it
might not be counted.
4. Then I would start making calls to the clerk's office -- two or three
times per day -- asking was my absentee ballot qualified for counting?
5. After the election results are posted, I would once again check with the
clerk to see if my ballot was counted.
6. Finally, I would also write a letter to the editor criticizing the clerk
and expressing my displeasure with DREs.
Pardon the quickly phrased language.
Al
-----Original Message-----
From: Pete Klammer [mailto:pklammer@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 2:37 PM
To: AlKolwicz@xxxxxxxxx; 'Robert Mcgrath'; cvv-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
bob.mcgrath@xxxxxxxxxx; cmehesy@xxxxxxxxxxx; donna@xxxxxxxxxxxx;
mlambie@xxxxxxxxxxx; PKlammer@xxxxxxx; peter.raich@xxxxxxxx;
TresCeeA@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: 46 DAYS TILL ELECTION DAY! - CAN WE PROTECT THE VOTE?
By "vote in person on a paper ballot" are you still excluding provisional
ballot?
--
Pete Klammer, P.E. / ACM(1970), IEEE(SA,P1583), ICCP(CCP), NSPE(PE)
3200 Routt Street / Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033-5452
(303)233-9485 / Fax:(303)274-6182 / Mailto:PKlammer@xxxxxxx
"Either Be Good, or Else Be Careful, but Do Have Fun! "
> -----Original Message-----
> From: alkolwicz [mailto:alkolwicz@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 12:35 PM
> To: 'Robert Mcgrath'; cvv-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
> bob.mcgrath@xxxxxxxxxx; cmehesy@xxxxxxxxxxx;
> donna@xxxxxxxxxxxx; mlambie@xxxxxxxxxxx; PKlammer@xxxxxxx;
> peter.raich@xxxxxxxx; TresCeeA@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: 46 DAYS TILL ELECTION DAY! - CAN WE PROTECT THE VOTE?
>
> Bob,
>
> I think that you understand that votes on absentee ballots
> are counted, in
> those counties that use optical scan at all, using the optical scan
> equipment.
>
> I hope that you correct your promotional materials to remove
> the suggestion
> that people who have a chance to vote in person on a paper
> ballot should
> vote absentee.
>
> People might be better off voting absentee than they are
> voting by DRE. But
> they are not better off voting absentee when they can vote
> early or in their
> precinct using a true paper ballot.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Al
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Mcgrath [mailto:mcgrath_mcnally@xxxxxxx]
> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2004 8:35 AM
> To: AlKolwicz@xxxxxxxxx; cvv-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
> bob.mcgrath@xxxxxxxxxx; cmehesy@xxxxxxxxxxx; donna@xxxxxxxxxxxx;
> mlambie@xxxxxxxxxxx; PKlammer@xxxxxxx; peter.raich@xxxxxxxx;
> TresCeeA@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: 46 DAYS TILL ELECTION DAY! - CAN WE PROTECT THE VOTE?
>
> Al,
>
> We have been unable to figure out how to get the county
> election officials
> to offer paper ballots in precincts where DRE's are used. We
> have heard
> stories of how central tabulators in precincts using optical
> scanners can
> just as easily be corrupt. I am willing to let voters who
> vote on paper and
>
> have that optically scanned continue to do so, but it
> continues to be a risk
>
> relative to whether there is any chance for audits of those
> optical scans.
> 50 pre-selected ballots compared against optical scanners is hardly a
> significant comparison, but that is what they've reduced us to.
> >
> >Bob,
> >
> >
> >
> >You are making a big mistake encouraging voters, who have
> the option to
> >vote
> >on a paper ballot in their precinct, to vote by absentee
> instead. Many of
> >them will lose their vote altogether.
> >
> >
> >
> >For voters who have the choice of voting using a paper
> ballot in their
> >precinct or in an early voting location - they should do so.
> >
> >
> >
> >Al
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Al Kolwicz
> >
> >
> >
> >CAMBER
> >
> >Citizens for Accurate Mail Ballot Election Results
> >
> >2867 Tincup Circle
> >
> >Boulder, CO 80305
> >
> >303-494-1540
> >
> >AlKolwicz@xxxxxxxxx
> >
> >www.users.qwest.net/~alkolwicz
> >
> >http://coloradovoter.blogspot.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _____
> >
> >From: Mcgrath, Bob___PAIC_Mkt [mailto:bob.mcgrath@xxxxxxxxxx]
> >Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2004 4:37 PM
> >To: Mcgrath, Bob___PAIC_Mkt
> >Subject: 46 DAYS TILL ELECTION DAY! - CAN WE PROTECT THE VOTE?
> >
> >
> >
> >Weekly Newsbrief
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Two events You Can Support:
> >
> >Sunday, Sept. 26 - "Just Desserts" Forum features Films & Desserts
> >
> >Arvada United Methodist Church, 68th & Carr St.,
> 303-421-5135, 7:00 - 9:00
> >p.m.
> >
> >"Trouble in Paradise" & "Invisible Ballots" Movies & Q&A on
> Protect Your
> >Vote
> >
> >Come see Trouble in Paradise, a movie detailing the problems
> continuing in
> >Florida in the 2002 elections, showing why fair elections in
> 2004 may not
> >be
> >possible. This will be followed by clips from Invisible
> Ballots, a film
> >produced by True Vote Maryland, a citizens activist group similar to
> >Coloradoans for Voting Integrity, detailing the problems
> with electronic
> >voting machines. Desserts and coffees, teas and other
> refreshments will be
> >provided with time to meet and discuss the films. We will
> be asking people
> >to support the Sept. 29th rally.
> >
> >Wednesday, Sept. 29 - "Don't Let the Computer Eat Your Vote" Rally
> >
> >West Steps, State Capitol, downtown Denver, 12 noon - 1:00 p.m.
> >
> >Come join with other citizens to express your desire for trustworthy
> >elections in November. We will be asking for voter verifiable paper
> >ballots
> >with 1% automatic manual audits of all machine-counted
> ballots, to ensure
> >there are no opportunities for malfunctions or malfeasance
> in this year's
> >critically important elections. Come hear various political
> candidates
> >from
> >major parties discuss their support of verifiable voting and
> sign a pledge
> >for trustworthy elections. Co-sponsored by the Coloradoans
> for Voting
> >Integrity and the Rocky Mt. Peace & Justice Center of Boulder.
> >
> >This critical election, 1/3 of Colorado voters will use
> insecure electronic
> >machines with no possibility of recount. Many others will
> have their votes
> >counted by optical scan machines, which are subject to the
> same problems of
> >error and fraud as electronic voting machines. The
> Secretary of State has
> >ignored the petitions of 14,000 Coloradoans for voter-verified paper
> >ballots
> >in all elections. We demand paper ballots, hand counted.
> Please come out
> >and
> >help protect our elections. Carpool from Boulder at Table
> Mesa Park and
> >Ride
> >at 11 a.m.(Table Mesa Road I-36). For more information, call
> >303-444-6981x5.
> >
> >
> >
> >For more info on this issue, go to
> >http://www.verifiedvoting.org/resources/hr2239_volunteers/Int
> roduction-5-pa
> g
> >es.pdf or to www.cfvi.org
> >
> >
> >
> >Other Actions:
> >
> >CFVI has explored legal action but has been unable to pursue
> a lawsuit due
> >to unavailability of Colorado-based facts with which to bring such a
> >preliminary injunctions. Our actions will instead now focus upon our
> >HOTLINE, collecting HAVA COMPLAINTS, ruthlessly pursuing MEDIA AND
> >ADVERTISING, and building COALITION WITH OTHER GROUPS.
> >
> >
> >
> >We are now in need of funds to execute an ad campaign about
> our hotline and
> >to educate the public about verifiable voting in Colorado.
> We have tried
> >approaching the media and they have turned a deaf ear or
> have mocked our
> >efforts as that of "whiners, critics, liberals and
> progressives who don't
> >understand the security measures already in place by our
> great leaders."
> >
> >
> >
> >We have been meeting weekly for the past month, developing outreach
> >campaigns to county election officials, to political candidates in
> >Colorado,
> >and pursuing our U.S. Congressional representatives. We can
> still use your
> >help in telephone or personal follow-up to the information
> packets that
> >have
> >already been sent to over 350 individuals who can make a
> difference by
> >speaking out or by opting to offer voters a choice of paper
> ballots in the
> >polling place. If you can help make phone calls or talk to
> any of these
> >candidates or county election officials, we NEED YOU!
> >
> >
> >
> >Our Current Advice:
> >
> >Due to our inability to halt the use of un-auditable
> electronic voting
> >machines, and due to our inability to call for a
> statistically significant
> >manual audit of all optical scanners, we are calling on all Colorado
> >citizens to do the following:
> >
> >
> >
> >1. Vote absentee. Order your absentee ballot by October 3rd.
> >
> >2. Cast your absentee ballot IN PERSON, AND AS LATE AS
> POSSIBLE (THE DAY
> >BEFORE OR THE DAY OF THE ELECTION).
> >
> >3. Encourage everyone you know to NOT vote early or vote in precinct
> >voting.
> >If someone misses the absentee deadline, have them vote provisional.
> >
> >4. Those voters voting provisional should go to the precinct
> location and
> >submit themselves WITHOUT ID so they will be given a
> provisional paper
> >ballot. Those people will be given a phone number to call
> to see if their
> >ballot was counted within 12 days after the election. Due
> to the extremely
> >tight races in this year's elections, it is likely that
> there will be court
> >challenges over provisional ballots, but at least they will
> be on paper.
> >
> >5. If you must vote on a machine, or if you are given a
> paper ballot to be
> >optically scanned, again, try to vote provisional. Optical scanner
> >tabulation software can just as easily be hacked into or
> compromised as the
> >electronic voting machines.
> >
> >6. If you experience or know of anyone who experiences any
> problems in
> >voting on election day, we will be providing a voter hotline
> to call with
> >such reports. There is also a Protect the Vote Hotline
> operated by People
> >for the American Way. Both hotlines will be advertised and
> promoted via
> >the
> >media before and during election day.
> >
> >7. We will be facilitating election complaints using the
> Help America Vote
> >Act provisions. Stay tuned for details on this.
> >
> >
> >
> >This is the election of our lifetime. Please vote as if
> your life, and the
> >life of our democracy, depends upon it.
> >
> >
> >
> >Bob McGrath, Director
> >Coloradoans for Voting Integrity
> >355 Teller Ste 200
> >Lakewood, CO 80226
> >Tel. 303.231.1031
> > <http://www.cfvi.org> http://www.cfvi.org
> >
>
>
>
>