Grinning BBV Author Subject Of Seattle Times Feature... ... SNAP

[althecat]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001574367_votefraud21m.html



Just look at that smile!

Bev Harris, a middle-aged woman who operates a small public-relations business out of her Renton home, would seem an unlikely person to be at the center of a national battle over electronic voting.

Yet in recent months her muckraking, Web-based journalism has helped energize a growing movement of citizens and computer scientists concerned about the potential for fraud in America's increasingly high-tech elections.

Harris has been vilified as a conspiracy theorist and lauded as "the Erin Brockovich of elections."

Public concern over the integrity of elections was fanned by the spectacle of hanging and dimpled chads on Florida's antiquated punch-card ballots during the 2000 presidential election.

The Help America Vote Act of 2002, aimed at preventing such controversial elections in the future, requires states to replace mechanical voting machines and punch-card ballots with optical scan or touch-screen systems by 2006.

Snohomish County has become the first in Washington to introduce touch-screen voting. King County has used an optical-scan system since 1998.

Harris might have remained obscure if she had not stumbled across something on the Internet.

While seeking information last January about a voting-machine company for a book she was writing, she found a Web site "on about the 15th page of Google." The open, unprotected site held some 40,000 files that included user manuals, source code and executable files for voting machines made by Diebold, a corporation based in North Canton, Ohio.

She had exposed a massive security breach.

READ THE REST HERE...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001574367_votefraud21m.html
******

P.S. I guess being in NZ has some advantages when competing on the first to find big links in websites that publish in the early hours. Snap. :)

[acerbic]

1. READ THE REST WHERE?!

The sleepless masses demand the link!!!!!!

[althecat]

3. Sorry... have edited it now...

I put the image in twice instead... ooops... keen to beat anyone else to the spot.

[DEMActivist]

2. Link to article

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001574367_votefraud21m.html

[althecat]

4. Regarding Scoop's "tabloidisation" of the original story...

I think I should make a few remarks in Scoops defence. This is the offending story described in the feature as Tabloidising the story.

Sludge Report #154 – Bigger Than Watergate!

And yes it does play the story up as much as it could. The purpose of this was twofold.

1. The story was intended as a scene setter. To place Bev's analysis of the insides of the voting programme in a broad political context and to show how serious a context that was.

2. We had to get as much exposure as possible in as short a time as possible to the link to the FTP site. We wanted someone like JHU to do what they did. But how to do so? We needed a big splash. The internet was the only medium we had as nobody else would touch the story. Hyperbole as many here in DU well understand plays very well online and so the story included a bit of that.

And it worked... while nearly everybody thought the headline was OTT, they kept mentioning it and that was good. And along with Bev's more serious analysis it got blogged like crazy, which was what we wanted.

For the record the headline was my choice not Bev's and she said so at the time. But I am not going to shy away from it now. And if we do find evidence in GA of tampering then it is probably true. Plus it always pays to aim high....

Al

[DEMActivist]

5. All I have to say is....

it got the exact effect we needed at that moment. Many thousands of copies of that software got downloaded thanks to that "tabloidization!"

Without it, the Johns Hopkins study would never have happened.

Thank you Alistair!

[althecat]

6. Thanks DemA...

It has been the most enormous fun to be able to help.

[DEMActivist]

8. Hey...just thought of something...

Can you hop on over to Georgia real quick for that Cathy Cox meeting on Friday? We could use a REAL reporter there! :evilgrin:

[althecat]

9. I would love to be there I really would...

We will have to make do with you taking a digital camera and sending lots of pictures of Cathy scowling at you.

:)

[DEMActivist]

10. ROFL, Will do!

You don't think she's gonna be thrilled to see us?

[althecat]

11. I expect she will have baked you a cake... especially....

Nothing like Georgian hospitality I hear. On another matter when is ParanoidPat holding his big demo? Must be soon.

[papau]

20. Thanks - you and Bev are the greatest! :-)

:-)

[althecat]

7. I particularly like the closing paragraphs of this feature...

"It's a David and Goliath kind of feeling," she said.

The ultimate issue, she said, is the future of democracy in a world where politicians and prospective government contractors are able to control companies that count tens of millions of votes.

Without reforms, Harris claims electoral fraud isn't just possible, it's inevitable — and quite possibly on a large scale.

"You come up with $50,000 for a programmer with a gambling problem and say, 'Can you do this for me?' It's going to happen."

*****

I think a good news feature is a bit like a fine wine. The aftertaste is critical... and the reporter here is leaving the reader in no doubt that there is plenty more to come in this story.

[sendero]

12. Bev Harris.....

.... is a heroine!

I'm absolutely amazed at one thing I learned from this article. She found the code on Google? That is beyond astounding!

It is one thing to leave an open anonymous FTP site up, it is another to have said site linked to your main page (or any published page) in such way that it get's spidered by Google's bots.

Not only that, but it takes at least a month generally for a spidered page to appear in the search results, although that period can be shorter if you happen to hit them just before they reindex.

Incompetent does not begin to describe Diebold's actions here.

[DEMActivist]

14. Well, let's be fair....

Someone might have submitted the link to Goggle.

Like a competitor, maybe? Or a prankster? Or a hacker?

It does happen......

:evilgrin:

[althecat]

13. Georgia Greens Welcome Investigation of E-Voting

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0308/S00272.htm

GA Greens Welcome Investigation of Computerized Voting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21st, 2003

Georgia Greens Welcome Investigation of Computerized Voting
Call for Open Source Software and Voter Inspected Paper Ballots

"We welcome Governor Perdue's call for an investigation of the state's computerized election machinery," said Badili Jones, Co-Chair of the Georgia Green Party and of the Green Party of the United States. The Georgia Party today announced its endorsement for passage of Senator Nadine Thomas' SB-340 which would restore integrity to Georgia's elections.

Secretary Cox has scheduled a series of briefings at Governor Perdue's request to re-examine the state's new computerized voting machines. The first one is for members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation and will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, August 22nd, 2003 at the Center for Voting Systems at Kennesaw State University.

In recent actions the Georgia Green Party endorsed not only the Thomas bill in the Georgia Senate, but also HR-2239 by Rep. Holt in the U.S. Congress as well as the sign-on resolution being circulated by Dr. David Dill, founder of VerifiedVoting.org and a political scientist with Stanford University.

"We regret that Secretary Cox could not hear our earlier appeals on this matter," said Hugh Esco, the Party's political coordinator and the Chair of the Voter Choice Coalition, a multi-partisan advocacy group first organized in 1999 to push for open access to the ballot. In 2003, the Coalition expanded its agenda to call for proportional representation and an audit-able computerized voting system.

"We hear from a lot of folks who question whether voting can make a difference. It is vital that we protect the integrity of the elections which give legitimacy to our self-governmence," said Esco. "It is a shame that an on-air phone call from Illinois has more leverage with our elected officials than do Georgia citizens."

At its May 17th, 2003 Annual Convention in Pooler Georgia, the Georgia Green Party adopted amendments to its Platform, including the following provision:

We advocate that the new electronic voting machines implemented during the 2002 election cycle be retrofitted with printers to provide for a voter-inspected paper trail, which will be collected and tabulated to confirm the validity of preliminary results generated electronically. We insist that the election machinery be driven by open source and peer reviewed software, open to inspection by any voter.

In other positions adopted as a part of the Party Platform by earlier Conventions, the Georgia Green Party says that creating true democracy in Georgia will also require open access to the ballot, democratically and publicly financed election campaigns and the use of proportional representation to ensure that elected officials serving in the executive enjoy majority support and that deliberative bodies represent the entire public discourse in proportion to the support each political perspective enjoys among the electorate.

Secretary Cox is scheduled to brief members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation at 10:00 am, Friday, August 22nd, 2003 at the Center for Voting Systems at Kennesaw State University. Subsequent Friday morning events are now being planned for members of the Georgia General Assembly, and for members of the public.

-- 30 --

For background information:
http://www.voterchoice.org/auditableballots.php

[DEMActivist]

15. Go Hugh, go Hugh, go Hugh!!!!

"We hear from a lot of folks who question whether voting can make a difference. It is vital that we protect the integrity of the elections which give legitimacy to our self-governmence," said Esco. "It is a shame that an on-air phone call from Illinois has more leverage with our elected officials than do Georgia citizens."

DUer seemslikeadream will go down in history as "the caller who saved democracy in Georgia!"

Seems, what HAVE you done? :evilgrin:

[seemslikeadream]

25. Too too kind DEMActivist

What have I done? I just made a phone call.

[ewagner]

28. Seemslikeadream

We hear from a lot of folks who question whether voting can make a difference. It is vital that we protect the integrity of the elections which give legitimacy to our self-governmence," said Esco. "It is a shame that an on-air phone call from Illinois has more leverage with our elected officials than do Georgia citizens

If this turns out the way I think it will, you deserve som knd of medal. True patriotism involves more than waving a flag; it means being an involved, critical thinking member of society. 'dream, you are a model patriot!

Good work. :toast:

[seemslikeadream]

30. Just a victim of my Irish heritage

My great grandmother Bridget keeps me up at night with tales of her life, forced to leave County Wexford an orghan at 14.

[althecat]

16. Seemslikeadream has another fan....

This para from the above is worth highlighting...

"It is a shame that an on-air phone call from Illinois has more leverage with our elected officials than do Georgia citizens."

[seemslikeadream]

23. Kia Kaha, althecat

Kia Kaha

[dusty64]

21. Its about time more

of the third parties have gotten involved, their silence has been deafening (I won't even mention the Democrats). Hope this goes somewhere finally!

[Eloriel]

26. No, no silence in GA

Hugh (of the GA Greens) has been on this from well before when WE were on it. He was trying to tell SoS Cathy Cox, just as he said, at least 2 years ago that she was on the wrong track. He'd tell her every time he encountered here, which was a lot since he spends a LOT of time down at the Capotol. And, at every turn, she'd ignore him.

Further, he was right there for DEMActivist and me from the get go. He's a sweetheart, a right smart fella, lifelong activist, and all around Good Guy.

And the GA Libertarians have jumped on this too. We probably should've tried to get them involved earlier, but they're involved now. As DA puts it: when you've got the Libertarians AND the Greens joining up against you, you gotta know you're in trouble.

Eloriel

[althecat]

17. Link to smiling Bev on Scoop Front Page...

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/#usa

[DEMActivist]

18. Get back to the top

Start DUers' day with a smile.

[Booberdawg]

19. Way to go Bev!

:toast: :party: :bounce: :toast: :party: :bounce: :toast: :party: :bounce:

I don't post in the voter scam threads but I try to keep up on reading each thread. Mind boggling.

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication.:thumbsup:

[BevHarris]

22. Aarrgh that picture. Hairdresser and a diet needed - but in general

the article was much more balanced than I expected. He did a lot of work, but did miss something very VERY important: The Scoop article published a link to a download site for the Diebold files. That single act has led to sweeping changes.

And one more thing was ironic: I started calling Ellen Hanson and Dow Constantine of King County to set up a demo of the rig, and explain to them some of the security risks we face here. They studiously avoided talking to me at all, even after I issued a public challenge on the radio, twice.

One day before the Seattle Times article, Ellen Hanson suddenly decided she wanted to meet with me. The way she wants to do it is to pack a room with her people, and computer techs, and have me come down alone. I mentioned that I'd be bringing a computer person too, then, since I am not a programmer. She didn't sound excited about that at all.

They also didn't mention that I demonstrated the Microsoft Access hack in front of a photographer, the reporter, and the Seattle Times tech guy. It was displayed on a big screen and they took a bunch of photos. The computer guy was in position, so I actually directed him through it. He started out saying in his opinion it was fine to use MS Access, if set up correctly. By the time I had him overwrite and add passwords and started guiding him into overwriting votes, he turned somewhat green and asked to leave.

(I would bet he's got the Seattle Times set up on MS Access).

The demonstration went beautifully and the photographer said, "Wow, that proves you can rig an election."

That was indeed the whole point of the story. They left it out.

A similar demonstration has now been done before the press in California, and another will soon follow in Georgia. Perhaps the Seattle Times was not the right venue. Perhaps CNN?

Go DemActivist!

[leftchick]

24. well, CNN is in Atlanta

isn't that convenient for the Georgia demo? Someone needs to tell newsguyatl when it is. :)

on edit: Bev, you look great!

[ibegurpard]

32. Isn't it funny how we get pictures of people in our heads?

For some reason I pictured you as a brunette with glasses.
:shrug:

[Generic Other]

35. All of us who have spent Bush years as online activists need to diet!

We'll get back in shape when he's out.

Note: Bush gets plenty of rest and exercise while we worry about the state of the union!

Bev, you look like Miss America to me this morning. I'm even going to go buy a paper this morning!

Cheers and a BIG thumbs up!!

[Eloriel]

27. Bwaaaahaahahahah

Diebold issued a statement that said it was "shocked and disappointed" over Rubin's conflict of interest.

Oh, I suppose THEY'RE the only ones who are allowed to have conflicts of interest? Rubin's ONE "conflict of interest" (a technical advisory post that was resume filler fluff) is an eyelash compared to their stable of elephants.

And I DO mean Elephants.

Eloriel

[never cry wolf]

29. THANK YOU ALL

Especially Bev and DA!!! OH, and seemslikeadream, i followed the threads closely since your call, seems like you got the snowball rolling!!

[seemslikeadream]

31. I'm just proud to be one of the Flakes

in that snowball!

[The Night Owl]

33. Someone should make a Michael Moore type of documentary about BBV.

How cool would that be?

I would love to see filmed or videotaped interviews with nervous looking politicians, Diebold honchos, and election officials all in denial about the BBV issues. Documenting the whole BBV campaign in film format would also be a good way to present it to the masses.

By the way, has 60 Minutes shown any interest in BBV issues?

[KoKo]

34. Let's hope this keeps getting picked up by more and more papers

and by more websites. You all have done great work: Bev, DemActivist and all the other DU'ers who have kept on top of this. And Truth is All who pounded into our heads here on DU with post after post.

I don't understand all the technical computer stuff.....but enough to know that any computer or software can be hacked......our votes are too precious to allow this tampering to go on.

:toast: to all of you!

[RedEagle]

37. I'm Angry About Adler's Quote

The minute it gets political....talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

While we all have too much to do, I want to remind everyone that the fly in VoteHere's ointment is the Spillane case against them. This will haunt them until they make him fold or buy him out.

Here's another case of the little guy against big, corporate money. You can go to Dan's site at:

http://www.libertywhistle.us/

Dan and I have talked and sometimes he's a little hard to follow, (because he skips over things he knows that we don't yet) but he's on this thing from the beginning where it looks like HAVA was negatively impacted by lobbying.

I feel this is an important case and another front in the fight for honest voting. VoteHere is the company promoting the "alternative solution" to paper. It's a farce that cannot conduct the kind of verifible, state and nationwide audits that elections call for.

Dan needs help, especially any pro bono legal help he can get. VoteHere, of course, has all the money and lawyers that it's BOD affiliates with Cheney and Carlyle can give them.

I'm sick and tired of big money, big corporations winning out.

Don't neglect this battle too.

[Skittles]

36. SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO BEV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alfredo]

38. Way to go gal!

this story should not die.

[Octafish]

39. Great article!

Keep up the good work, EVERYBODY!

Congratulations on a good read to the "Erin Brockovich of elections!!!!"

[RedEagle]

40. Kicking This Back- We're Not Done Yet!

Kick!

[Zan_of_Texas]

42. well

Nice article, Bev. It keeps on and on and on. Woo hoo.

I'm loving that the demostrations are going well. Turned green, eh??!?!? Get THAT on color tv!

And gee, it IS hard to exercise and eat right when the Doomsday guys are plotting the downfall of regular people like us.

Meanwhile, maybe each of us should do a pushup or jumping jack, each time we read of a lie from the administration, or a kickback, or a corrupt deal.

We'd all be buffed!

[WHAT]

41. This is not a partisan issue...

It has to do with the legitimacy of our government!

As the mother of three children who voted three different ways in the 2000 s/election, I find it most disconcerting that some would try to reduce this issue to partisanship. All of my children had valid reasons for voting the way they did and could come-up with well-reasoned arguments to support their political perspective. The fact that reason and perspective (each individual vote) could be disregarded by possable rigging of an election is what frightens and angers me.

On behalf of my children and myself...within the framework of having one's vote count toward shaping a vision of the future...You look beautiful to me, Bev.!

ps. I think I'm going to try to write a letter to the editor, something I've never done before. Thanks again for your work.

[govegan]

43. Bev is beautiful!

This is almost too good for words. I am just so glad to see these issues being pressed. Much appreciated DemActivist, RedEagle, seemslikeadream and others!

I was very interested to hear of the stonewalling or nonchalant indifference of our King County Council members.

I might even have to pick up a copy of the Seattle Times today. Now how much is it? It's been so long, and of the two mainstream rags, the P-I is generally more liberal most of the time, imho.

I was reading Cornel West last night and love this quote:

"I am a radical democrat who believes that it is important to preserve those nonmarket values that convince ordinary people that it's worth taking a risk to fight for democratic principles."

Fight on, my friends, fight on.

[Eloriel]

48. Nonmarket values

Perfect.

I get so annoyed at privatization -- I think it's the wrong direction (which shows my socialist leanings!). And I get sick and tired of hearing "the market" lionized.

This is a PERFECT term to use to fight back with. Privatizers don't want to admit, don't want to THINK, that there are things which should not be privatized (e.g., most govt services, actually), things which should not be commoditized (e.g., water), things which should not be subjected to "market forces" (e.g., ideas).

Tht's why I cannot STAND the term "marketplace of ideas." No!!! Ideas don't NEED or want a marketplace. They're ideas; they largely should be "free," free to share, free to use, free to adopt, free to fly. And those "ideas" that aren't or shouldn't be are covered intellectual property law (copyright and trademark -- and actually, ideas can't by copyrighted, tho the language they're fixed in can), and things like non-disclosure agreements.

I hate the term because it at once tends to unnecessarily and inappropriately validate "the market" while extending its greedy reach, AND cheapens the realm of ideas by insinuating that ideas should somehow be commoditized. Bah!

/rant

Eloriel

[angka]

44. fine article that raises a salient question.

particularly in light of the fact that we're having this conversation on a site called democratic underground.

jim adler of votehere summed the problem when he stated that while he agreed factually with the bbv research, taking it to a politically 'inflammatory' level is where he gets 'off the bus.'

now, there's two things to deal with there: despite this apparent conflict of interest on the part of dr. rubin that was so expeditiously exploited by diebold and its defenders, and despite the occasionally politically charged venues in which much of the early bbv information has come out, it retains undeniable credibility even among interests that would otherwise probably discredit it. that spells 'victory' in my view.

the problem is this endless concern about the 'alarmist' tone of bbv information, and the worry that legitimate interests will shy away from this issue because it is potentially divisive and 'inflammatory.' the idea being that if it's a polarized group of left wingers (perhaps with predilection for conspiracy theory) driving this investigation, nobody will take it seriously in the end.

the only response to this is to believe in the correctness of your position and fight. this bbv inquiry isn't taking place in a vacuum. there are many crimes for the corporate right wing to answer for—and if the truth comes out about these other abuses of power over which we share outrage, it might serve to make people more understanding of how perfectly election fraud would fit into such treachery. at some point the aggregate weight of these facts will trip the breaker in the minds of apolitical people, and then they'll be wanting clean election systems to throw the moneychangers from the temple with. if fact, there will be nothing more vital to the process, will there?

since i firmly believe their day is coming, i am quite comfortable with election reform being a 'progressive left' issue. i look forward to the day when the only people still defending these lawless clowns (who even lie when they call themselves 'conservative') are either in on the scam, or mindless whackos like dale gribble from 'king of the hill.' and i say thank god for the left wing and its devotion to the often thankless task of saving this country from opportunistic fascism, day in and day out.

[Sperk]

45. Bev, I really am in awe of what you have accomplished....

who do you want to play you in the movie? Make sure they mention DU!! You're the best! :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce:

[shance]

46. So Bev when are we going to see YOU run for president?

:)

What a truly great day to see some highly overdue recognition come your way!!

You are a leader and another reason why this country is still great.

Thank you***

[oasis]

47. Thanks Bev, Dem Activist and all the DUers that hung in there.

[4dog]

49. kickety-kick

[oasis]

50. A BBV boost

:kick:

[oasis]

51. Kick

n/t

[stickdog]

52. Hey, bev, don't I know you from somewhere?

Great job.

Now if we could only manage to get what is patently obvious to anyone with both integrity and sufficient knowledge of this issue into these articles ...

I know that you've come so far. I know that it's probably asking too much. But there is really only one side to this story, and the press keeps pretending that there are two -- even when they know better.