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
CAMBER
is a
dedicated group of volunteers who are working to ensure that every voter gets
to vote once, every vote is counted once, and that every ballot is secure and
anonymous.
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Colorado’s
election division is up to new mischief. It has opened the door for election
officials to purchase voting equipment that is not secure, accurate, verifiable
and transparent. The administrative gimmick being used to authorize this
travesty is Emergency Rule 45. ACTION is needed to prevent this travesty.
September 15th, the Secretary of state announced an October 31st rulemaking
hearing on the subject of draft
Rule 45 -Rules Concerning Voting System
Standards for Certification.
October 3rd, the Secretary of State approved and enacted as an Emergency Rule,
an identical Rule 45 -Rules Concerning
Voting System Standards for Certification. There was no hearing
announcement, no draft, and no public hearing on the emergency rule. It was
done in the back room.
What does this mean? It means that the Secretary of State may legally use the
October 3rd emergency rule to get around public opposition to the September
15th rule. If public opposition were to delay adoption of the September 15th
rule, then the identical, October 3rd emergency rule is the law. The public is
shut out.
Emergency Rule 45 can be used by election officials to purchase voting
equipment that does not meet the standards sought by competent Colorado
professionals and does not conform to Federal Guidelines. The emergency rule
can be used by the elections division to help equipment vendors sell
untrustworthy equipment and lock up the Colorado
market for the next decade. Rule 45 is a bad deal for Colorado.
Analogous federal standards are currently under development by the Election
Assistance Commission. These standards have been heavily criticized by computer
and security professionals for many of the same reasons as is rule 45.
Along with experts in security, privacy, computing, software and quality, CAMBER has recommended a major redirection of the
approach being taken by the EAC – see CAMBER
recommendations to the EAC.
Interested members of the public should review the draft
Rule-45 and make comments to the Secretary of State well before the October
31st hearing. Demand that officials provide complete answers before the hearing
is closed.
CAMBER is develping comments for the
October 31st hearing. So that we may track what is happening, please send a
copy of your comments to AlKolwicz@xxxxxxxxx
.
Regarding the October 3rd Emergency Rule, CAMBER filed
the following objection:
October 8, 2005
Dear Ms. Dennis:
We are in receipt of your October 3, 2005 “Notice of Temporary Adoption”
of Emergency Rule-45 – Concerning Voting System Standards for
Certification.
We wish to file the strongest possible protest and beg that you withdraw
this rule before it adversely affects the people of Colorado.
Aside from the fact that we were not notified of this pending action and
aside from the fact that the rule can and surely will be used to
disadvantage the people of Colorado,
the rule is not competently formed. If implemented, it would deprive the
public of equal protection under the law. It would legitimize actions that
are not in the best interests of, and would cause irreparable injury to,
the public. It would result in excessive cost to the taxpayers.
We ask that you immediately rescind your temporary adoption order until
you have had an opportunity to hear and respond to the public’s concerns.
Al Kolwicz, CAMBER
.
--
Posted
by AlKolwicz to Colorado
Voter at 10/09/2005 01:20:00 PM