Vote centers have a security downside

[Mary Eberle <m.eberle@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Mayor Hickenlooper,

Because you are evaluating Denver's Vote Centers, I would like you to 
consider the security of votes cast in them as well as the associated 
time factors, costs, and destruction of political organizational 
structure and community spirit.

Please see the e-mail below from Al Kolwicz, Boulder County voting 
activist and computer expert. Al's message is in response to a note 
about an article (linked below) that appeared in the Thursday, November 
9, Daily Camera. The article applauded Larimer County's vote center 
experience last Tuesday; it did not mention Denver's experience.

I urge you to return Denver to precinct-based voting. Inexpensive 
non-computerized devices are available to mark paper ballots for the 
disabled (for example, AutoMark and VotePad). We need to have such 
"low-tech" devices certified throughout Colorado for use in all future 
elections. That way Denver and other jurisdictions can afford to 
maintain precinct-based voting.

Voting activists in Boulder County and elsewhere in the state are ready 
and willing to help with information, testing, and press interviews.

Thank you for taking on the vote centers issue.

Yours sincerely,
Mary

Mary Eberle
1520 Cress Court
Boulder, CO 80304
(303) 442-2164

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: DC Article: "Larimer Shows Up Boulder"
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 09:44:48 -0700
From: Al Kolwicz <alkolwicz@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 'Joe Pezzillo' <jpezzillo@xxxxxxxxx>,  'CVV Voting'
<cvv-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
CC: 'Hillary Hall' <hillary@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,  Dr. Charles Corry
<ccorry@xxxxxxxx>, Barbara Simons <simons@xxxxxxx>,  Harvie Branscomb
<Harvie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Yes, Joe.  I saw the article, [snip].

As you know, the people that I work with are some of the top 
technologists in the country.

We have not seen one peer reviewed study that concludes that vote 
centers can be made secure, accurate and verifiable and provide voters 
with a HAVA compliant and anonymous voting experience.  Until we have a 
chance to evaluate such a formal study, we advise election officials to 
reject vote centers.

Perhaps Larimer County officials should stand in front of a technical
committee of our choosing and defend their system?  I would be happy to
chair this review.

Al


-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Pezzillo [mailto:jpezzillo@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 9:27 AM
To: CVV Voting
Cc: Hillary Hall
Subject: DC Article: "Larimer Shows Up Boulder"


Anybody else see this article?

http://dailycamera.com/news/2006/nov/09/larimer-shows-up-boulder/

[snip]

Joe



Joe Pezzillo
PO Box J
Boulder, CO 80306 USA
jpezzillo@xxxxxxxxx
303-938-8850