New Post on Palmer Report...Wisconsin

[Farmgirl1961]

New post on Palmer Report


Tampered seals on Wisconsin vote counting machines now being blamed on “modems”
by Bill Palmer
On Thursday we reportedreported that a recount observer for third party candidate Jill Stein had photographically documented five vote counting machines in St Croix County with tampered seals. In a familiar refrain which is growing all too tiresome, Wisconsin officials are once again blaming it all on "modems."

The primary Green Party observer in St Croix County posted the following today to a Jill Stein recount group on Facebook (direct link here: "I was the primary Green Party observer yesterday in St Croix County, where there has been reports of tampered ballot counting machines. The seals on the machines were broken by the manufacturer when they installed modems. They are working on getting an affidavit but it is the weekend." (photo credit: photograph of St Croix recount posted by observer Rosemary Ann).

The explanation in and of itself sounds plausible, and more information appears to be forthcoming from the county officials. But what stands out is that this is the third separate instance of Wisconsin officials using modems to explain suspicious circumstances. Another recount observer in Kenosha County reports that officials are blaming modems. And last week, Palmer Report was the first to report that a Wisconsin elections official also blamed a "modem" error for incorrectly padding Donald Trump's vote total in Sauk County.

The sheer number of instances in which Wisconsin elections officials are blaming "modems" for everything from tampered seals, to impossible vote totals, stands out as noteworthy in and of itself. While vote counting machines do in fact use modems to remotely pass along their totals, these modems are verging on becoming a too frequently used excuse. As the Wisconsin recount continues, election officials in the state may have some further explaining to do.

[triron]

1. knr

Thanks for this. Why would modems need to be installed within ballot counting machines?? Seems external modems would accomplish whatever it was that needed to be complished.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Ouch,something smells and

it ain't Limburger Cheese.

[liberalla]

3. I'll have to remember that one... next time I need an excuse....

'sorry, it was the modem'

'The Modem Did It!'

[zonkers]

4. Yeah, that's the ticket.

[Ellipsis]

5. Why would they need modems?

Are modems allowed?

[Nwgirl503]

6. From the pics the observer posted

the broken seals aren't even in an area where modem access would occur. I googled the model number and found some pics....

http://www.essvote.com/products/13/1/Digital-Scan-Tabulators/ds200%C2%AE/
(2nd pic shows a panel, with an inset lock, above the serial number labels)

https://www.google.com.mx/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/clerk/DS200%2520Procedures/U3400_SOP00_DS200.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwig4aDZ1tvQAhWGKCYKHYNtAhwQFgg0MAI&usg=AFQjCNESGjcUGjA00rWzaXEv-KhjiaVHGQ
This pdf on page 46 shows how the modem door should be sealed and on page 79 it shows the panel for the modem jack.

From the pics the observer posted
http://www.jill2016.com/wendy_st_croix_county
it looks as if the broken seals are on the right side of the machine (looking at the machine from the back). In her pics you can see what appears to be a panel door above the serial number labels, which is I believe, from the pics posted on the links, where the modem is.

Granted, IDK if the machines the observer posted pics of are different than the machine specs on the links, but the places of the broken seals is certainly strange in her pics. And the seals are over screws. Screws that look to be ones the secure the upper and lower shells together.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. In Soviet Russia, Modem dial YOU!

[triron]

8. knr

[.99center]

9. The seals on the machines were broken by the manufacturer when they installed modems.

What is the manufacturers reason for not replacing the seal? Most if not all electronics manufacturers replace the seal after servicing or repairing the device. It's hard to believe that the company wouldn't view computers that count our votes as worthy of a simple replacement sticker.

[Farmgirl1961]

10. New Post on Palmer Report...Wisconsin (update)

New post on Palmer Report


Hundreds of uncounted votes in Milwaukee already uncovered by Wisconsin recount
by Bill Palmer
With the statewide recount in Wisconsin still getting underway, and most counties not yet having posted any revised vote totals on the state's official election website, reports on the ground from designated recount observers have proven to be crucial in tracking the progress and developments. For instance in Milwaukee County, the state's largest county, the recount has already caused hundreds of previously uncounted votes to now be counted.

Ana Ortiz-Monasterio Draa, a Wisconsin recount observer representing third party candidate Jill Stein, posted the following information to the Facebook group which observers have been using for information sharing:

"The county election board did their hearings for disputed ballots at the front of the room. The only large number of votes that was in dispute was 500+ City of Milwaukee votes they were going to toss because the ballots were not signed. I argued the case against the Trump volunteer from NY. The board followed their precedent of not disenfranchising voters because of poll workers errors, accepted the votes."

Her post can be found in the comments section of this Facebook post. In other words, these five hundred votes were ignored during the original vote totals, but will now be included. With Hillary Clinton having received two things of the original vote in Milwaukee County, it's likely that the vast majority of these five hundred new votes are also for Clinton.

This likely explains why the Trump campaign observer, who rather curiously flew in from New York just to act in that role, tried to fight so hard to prevent the five hundred votes from being counted. But as the observer states above, these votes will count. With a statewide margin of only around twenty thousand votes, fairly small changes such as this block of five hundred votes can potentially add up to change the winner of Wisconsin.

[Farmgirl1961]

11. And the Wisconsin updates from Palmer Report keep coming...

New post on Palmer Report


Wisconsin recount observer says Waukesha County is double-counting Donald Trump votes
by Bill Palmer
As the statewide Wisconsin recount continues to get underway, the recount observers representing various presidential candidates have been sharing their first hand experiences online. Observers in some counties have found no issues at all, while others have reported concerns and suspicious incidents. But one recount observer Waukesha County is now making the flat out accusation that county officials are purposely double counting Donald Trump's votes and pulling other shenanigans during the recount.

The accusation comes from recount observer John West, who has been documenting his experiences on his own publicly visible Facebook page. On Sunday evening he flatly declared that "I'm calling out fraud." West went on to make the following specific accusations: "Waukesha County Wisconsin is obstructing the recount blatantly. Making up rules to shut out allowed observers. Double counting Republican ballots. Taking machines out and returning machines that break down after midnight hoping to avoid any observers."

In the comments section of his own post, linked above, he went on to elaborate that "They aren't invalidating clear duplicate and unsigned ballots that were mailed in," thus explaining how the double-counting is taking place.

These are serious accusations of improper behavior, which if proven true would represent criminal fraud. We're reaching out to Mr. West to determine what evidence he has in terms of documenting the behavior in question. But the mere fact that a Wisconsin observer is making these accusations is newsworthy in and of itself, as he claims to have witnessed all of the above with his own eyes. This is particularly notable in that Waukesha is one of just twelve Wisconsin counties (out of seventy-two) which have are refusing to a hand recount, instead relying on a machine recount.

The official Waukesha County vote totals, according to Politico's tally, have Donald Trump ahead by 66,320 votes. These flatly declared" target="_blank">accusations by the recount observer call into question whether Trump legitimately received as many votes in Waukesha as the official numbers claim. Considering that Trump only leads in Wisconsin by around 20,000 votes statewide, any significant shift in Waukesha's totals could give the state to Hillary Clinton.