Dear Commissioners,
The Denver Post article below may interest you as you contemplate
spending millions for scanning devices for voting in Boulder County.
We could use the Swiss Ballot System for much less cost but with much
higher accuracy.
Sincerely,
Mary
Mary C. Eberle
1520 Cress Court
Boulder, CO 80304, USA
(303) 442-2164
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Why we can't trust vote counting computers or mail in balloting
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2005 21:43:39 -0700 (MST)
From: Evan Daniel Ravitz <evan@xxxxxxxx>
To: cvv-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 2005 19:58:14 -0700
From: Dr. Charles E. Corry <ccorry@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: Why we can't trust vote counting computers or mail in balloting
Article Launched: 12/05/2005 01:00:00 AM
State's eye on vote scanners
Colorado Secretary of State Gigi Dennis might seek new machines in 10
counties after hand recounts changed two results last month.
By Karen E. Crummy and Michael McCollum
Denver Post Staff Writers
http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_3279155
After a hand recount changed the outcome of two elections last month,
the Colorado secretary of state may order 10 counties to get new
voting machines before next year's high-stakes gubernatorial
election. [EJF note: Why not just do hand counts from the beginning?
Cheaper, more accurate and reliable.]
Secretary of State Gigi Dennis wants "assurances from the
manufacturers that there won't be any problems next year," said Dana
Williams, a spokeswoman for Dennis.
The state will "then decide if we should continue using the
machines," Williams said.
At issue are the Optech III-P Eagle machines, sold by Election
Systems & Software and Sequoia Voting Systems.
A post-election audit in November led Dennis to order a hand recount
in the 10 counties that use the machine. In at least two counties -
Clear Creek and Chaffee - the recount changed the outcome of races.
Election officials around the country have reported problems with the
machines.
On Friday, Detroit officials ordered a recount of about 230,000
ballots cast in the Nov. 8 election. Allegations of voter fraud and
procedural mismanagement, including the operation of the Optech
machines, have been cited.
"The machines have a history of significant problems," said Bev
Harris, director of blackboxvoting.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit
group dedicated to tracking voter problems.
Michelle Shafer, spokeswoman for Sequoia, said many of the problems
occur when mail ballots are fed into the machines.
"They are meant to be used in a controlled environment, like in a
precinct, where people use the right pencils and pens," she said.
When voters mail ballots, they often use a different color of ink or
circle names, she said, leaving the machine unable to read them.
Megan Tauton, the elections clerk in Elbert County, said that's what
happened with the few discrepancies she found between her county's
hand count and the automatic tabulations.
During the manual count, the county was able to discern voter intent,
something the machines can't do.
"The computer only reads properly filled out ballots," she said.
The majority of the 10 Colorado counties said they had faith in their
voting machines and that the difference between the hand count and
the scanning was insignificant.
"We just had a few differences, mainly with people not following
directions," Huerfano County Clerk and Recorder Judy Benine said.
"We've used them for seven years, and we haven't ever had a problem
with them."
But election officials in other counties said they had no confidence
in their machines.
In Chaffee County, Hugh Young was declared the winner of a Salida
City Council seat after the hand recount determined he beat incumbent
Ron Stowell by three votes. Stowell had been declared the winner by
three votes.
Clear Creek County found 97 votes that had not been included in the
initial machine vote. A ballot question regarding a local school
district initially won by six votes but after the hand recount lost
by 18 votes.
"I have no confidence in the machines, and we're looking to have them
replaced," Clear Creek County Clerk and Recorder Pam Phipps said.
In Park County, the outcomes remained the same, but "quite a few"
undervotes appeared during the recount, Clerk and Recorder Debra
Green said.
The 13-year-old machines, she said, are worn out.
The secretary of state's office says it understands the concerns,
which is why it is looking into the matter.
"We would rather be safe than sorry," Williams said.
The 10 counties that had hand recounts are Bent, Chaffee, Clear
Creek, Custer, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Park, Pueblo and Sedgwick.
Staff writer Karen E. Crummy can be reached at 303-820-1594 or
kcrummy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
.