BBV: This just in - parent company may close Sequoia Voting Systems

[BevHarris]

Thursday June 3, 2004
De La Rue may close Money-Losing Sequoia Voting Systems
By Bev Harris


http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8211-1132020,00.html

"De La Rue lost 8p to 315p, despite Investec Securities, the broker, suggesting caution after noting that Leo Quinn, the company’s new chief executive, may consider the closure of Sequoia, its loss-making US electronic voting business."

Used in Snohomish County, Washington; Riverside County, California, Houston, Texas, purchased by the state of Nevada, and being considered for purchase in the state of New York, this system has recently come under fire by Black Box Voting (http://www.blackboxvoting.org), the leading citizen watchdog group for auditable, trustworthy voting.

A team of university computer security scientists is currently studying the "WinEds" central tabulator produced by Sequoia Voting Systems.

Preliminary work indicates that Spanish language ballots can be tampered with using this software, and that an unauthorized, uncertified program called "reverse.exe" resides on a very unusual location for a voting system (and one that most certifiers would never think to examine) -- the results cartridge itself. The "reverse.exe" program is used for ballots for the visually impaired, but researchers are concerned that it could open up back doors into manipulating the vote process for all voters. This program is referenced in Sequoia user manuals, but has never received a NASED number and has never been certified at all.

Bev Harris

[Andy_Stephenson]

1. Losing money...Sequoia?

say it aint so!

:evilgrin:

[BevHarris]

5. And this just in: Nader challenges Bush and Kerry to get it right

Letter from Ralph Nader to Bush and Kerry:

George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

John F. Kerry
901 15th Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005

Re: Making sure every vote is counted accurately on Election Day

Dear President Bush and Senator Kerry:

I am writing to you to suggest that we jointly agree on the importance of making sure every vote is counted accurately on Election Day 2004. After the controversy surrounding the 2000 election, the United States needs to have a vote count that is beyond dispute in 2004. One of the great risks of the 2004 election is the reliance on paperless electronic voting machines. Computer scientists, security experts and election officials have certainly given us enough notice that there are potentially very serious problems with electronic voting equipment which does not produce a voter verified paper ballot that can be used in random audits on Election Day and in significant recounts.

In order to ensure an accurate vote count the following three steps need to be taken:

1. All electronic voting machines must have a voter verified paper ballot if they are going to be used in the 2004 election. If it is not possible for a state or county to acquire machines with a voter verified paper ballot in time for the election, then citizens should vote on paper ballots that are counted by optical scan machines. This will ensure a rapid and accurate vote count that will avoid all under votes and over votes.

2. Scientifically accurate exit polls should be randomly conducted throughout the United States especially in jurisdictions where electronic voting machines are used. Not only will this serve as a deterrent to intentional manipulation of the vote count, but these exit polls will provide a check and balance that will insure voter confidence in the results. If there is a significant discrepancy between the electronic vote count and the exit poll, a recount of the original voter verified paper ballot should be conducted to ensure an accurate vote count with which the voters can have confidence.

3. All software that is used to count the vote should be open source software, not corporate trade secret software. The collecting and counting of the vote are fundamental requirements for an effective democracy. By having votes counted on proprietary software, voters cannot be sure that their vote is being counted accurately. When the source code of voting software accidentally found its way to the public, computer scientists examined it and found it to be insecure and hackable by both insiders – employees of the corporations counting the vote – as well as by outsiders. Open source prevents this from occurring because by making the source code public tens of thousands of computer programmers can scrutinize it and locate the problems that could lead to an inaccurate vote count.

I have attached my position on paperless electronic voting which discusses this issue in more detail. We must share the goal of having an election result that voters can trust based on an accurate vote count. Joining together for this objective enhances both the proper result and the public’s confidence.

Sincerely,


Ralph Nader

[RedEagle]

25. Bev- Ya Got a Link for the Nader Letter?

Kick!


On Edit: Found One


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/03/politics/main620899.shtml

[Merlin]

2. Here's another De La Rue blurb

De La Rue : Department Of Justice Closes Investigation

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
June 1, 2004 5:13 a.m.

Edited Press Release

LONDON -- De La Rue said Tuesday that it has received notification that the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, has closed its investigation of De La Rue 's Holographics subsidiary relating to the alleged supply of holograms for Visa Banking cards in 1997, in violation of the U.S. anti-trust laws.

De La Rue said it has been formally notified that no charges have been brought against the Company.

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20040601_000775,00.html

(subscription required)

[BevHarris]

3. Also just in: San Diego to drop touch screens

Diebold will provide optical scan systems, for free, this November and up through 2006.


http://www.nbcsandiego.com/politics/3377071/detail.html

"County To Use Optical Scanning System In November.

"Officials have struck a deal with the maker of the machines to provide an optical-scan system that uses paper ballots in the meantime. County Counsel John Sansone said Diebold Election Systems has agreed to amend its contract with the county to provide the machines for free beginning in November and continuing through November 2006.

..."San Diego County bought 10,200 touch-screen machines from Diebold last year for $30.8 million. The county has withheld payment because of the problems that surfaces in the March election."

[Andy_Stephenson]

4. HAHAHAHAHAHA

the worm has turned.

Now about 1.18.18

[Merlin]

6. More Sequoia profitability problem details

De La Rue FY Pft Before Tax, Items GBP58.7M Vs GBP48.7M
Wall Street Journal
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

...
The Sequoia Voting Systems business, acquired in May 2002, supplies electronic voting systems to the U.S. and international electoral markets. It reported a small operating loss in 2003/2004, despite a substantial upturn in volumes in the run up to the U.S. Presidential elections in November 2004 which reflected continued low industry margins.

The U.S. electronic voting systems market has seen intense price competition over the last 18 months, with unit prices falling by an average of 25% during that period. In addition, the uncertain legislative environment and political resistance to the adoption of touch screen technology has also hindered development of the market this year.

The outlook for Sequoia for 2004/2005 is for increased losses, reflecting significantly lower machine sales in a Presidential election period and the need to provide higher levels of support for customers during the November election process. In addition, management is evaluating strategies to mitigate these effects.

In the light of continuing adverse market conditions, during the first half the board accelerated the fair value review of the Sequoia business, which was due to take place in March 2004. It determined that the goodwill was not sustainable and consequently, an exceptional non-cash goodwill write down of GBP12.6 million was announced at the interim results.
...

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,BT_CO_20040526_000306-search,00.html?collection=autowire%

(subscription required)

[BevHarris]

8. Sequoia Voting Systems has pulled out of Ohio

And Hart Intercivic reportedly can't meet the requirements put forth by Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell.

[loudsue]

7. OMG!!!! This is WONDERFUL news!! Congrats & kuddos!

:bounce::bounce: Ding Dong the witch is dead!!! :bounce::bounce:

Bev...and all the BBV Patriots...you are doing/have done a MAJOR service to our Democracy!!

All DUers (or lurkers) who are not yet involved, PLEASE go to www.blackboxvoting.org and www.verifiedvoting.org and get your talking points to go to your county, State and Federal officials and make sure we have a legitimate election for every office!! And while you're there, PLEASE PLEASE donate whatever you can possibly afford.

These changes to the hackable voting machines aren't FREE! There are planes to catch, phone calls to make, printing expenses, web-site expenses and LOTS & LOTS OF ATTORNEYS to pay for. Attorneys across the country are bringing lawsuits on OUR behalf to get these nasty vote-stealing machines outlawed. THIS IS SOMETHING OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE PAYING FOR, AND ISN'T! It's up to "WE, the PEOPLE" to do this if we're going to have a true Democracy!!!

:loveya: Thanks again, Bev, for all you're doing for us!! :loveya:

O8) Prayers for your continued success and safety! O8)

:kick::kick::kick:

[scarletlib]

9. These machines are currently being used in Palm Beach County

The "queen" of election commissioners, Teresa Le Pore, is convinced these machines are infallible.

[BevHarris]

10. ES&S is also using cell phones to transfer votes

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1086254194219440.xml

I found that Diebold was using cell phones to transfer votes by perusing the Diebold memos last fall; this was confirmed by Greg Dinger. Here's information indicating that ES&S uses cell phones too:

Hundreds of votes found in court race

Thursday, June 03, 2004

"MONTGOMERY - Jefferson County election officials said Wednesday they found more than 300 extra votes for Probate Judge Mike Bolin, who is vying for the Republican nomination to the Alabama Supreme Court. But it was unclear if that's enough votes for Bolin to avoid a runoff against retired Covington County Circuit Judge Jerry E. Stokes.

"The votes, and an additional 40 votes for Stokes, were missed in an initial count because of a technical problem with a voting machine, authorities said.

..."There was a problem with the transmission of information from the machine's modem through a cell phone to the downtown courthouse Tuesday night.

"...The inspectors use the modems and a cell phone to transmit tallies to a central computer at the Mel Bailey Criminal Justice Center. The inspectors also print out a copy of the machine's results at the polling place by using the machine's memory card.

"Afterward, the inspector and poll workers copy and sign the printout. The memory card and modem are stored in locked room; a printout is placed in a sealed vault.

"Machine No. 88:

"In this case, the chief inspector at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center inadvertently left the two memory cards at the polling site, and the oversight wasn't discovered until nearly 10 p.m. By that time, the building was locked.

"The inspector did transmit election results using the machines' modems. However, there was a data transmission problem with the modem from machine No. 88, and results in 14 Republican races at the end of the ballot were skewed. Probate Judge Alan King said the Democratic races were not affected, nor were the results from the other voting machine at the Civic Center."

...

[belle]

11. Wow! Once again, thank you, Bev, for all your work on this!

[Trajan]

12. Wow ....

You amaze me Bev ...

And the rest of the DU/BBV crew, I feel so ashamed at my own lax contributions (other than cheering from the sidelines): YOU GUYS ARE THE FUCKIN BOMB ! ....

Bev ? .... blackboxvoting.org IS the leading citizen watchdog in the field: because of you .... and there is no doubt as to the contributions of many others here: Andy, Pat, Red, Althe, Eloriel and the rest: a VERY HEARTY three cheers for you all ....

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE ! ...

I so adore ya's ....

And especially you Bev: ... thank you ....

<edit: glad I could change that .... >

[BevHarris]

13. Woops. The ".com" site has nothing to do with me. It's ".org" only

Blackboxvoting.com contains only David Allen's musings. It now has nothing to do with my original research, or with the nonprofit entity, Black Box Voting.

Sorry about the confusion. I will leave it to the board of directors of Black Box Voting to litigate with David.

Bev

[Trajan]

15. ACKS ! ....

THAT'S what I meant, of course ....

----->>>>> http://www.blackboxvoting.org <<<<<-----
^^^^
THAT place: not that silly other .com place ....

Damn that David ...

NOW Im pissed off again ...

Chuckles ....

Love ya Bev ...

[BevHarris]

17. No problem. MORE IMPORTANT:

Hey, I just looked at the full story on that ES&S cell phone transfer and miscount. Sounds like bullshit, frankly.

This is EXACTLY what the Black Box Voting Rapid Response Team will be doing in August and September, and November. We will be focusing on catching machines in the act of miscounting and getting the word out immediately!

Please join up. You need not live in the area that you choose to monitor. Join by emailing [e-mail] - put "volunteer" in the subject.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Excellent thread!

[Gold Metal Flake]

16. reverse.exe

Hmm. WHy would it be called that? Not an intuitive name for something having to do with the visually impared. And it's unusual placement. If you were to have some election results, and triggered that program, what would happen? Hmm.

[BevHarris]

18. Particularly ironic to have a high risk program hidden

which is purportedly for the blind -- since organizations for the blind are pushing so hard for these machines. But you'll read something about that soon...

[RedEagle]

19. Kick

[harmonyguy]

20. This really needs another - kick

[BevHarris]

21. Here's one for you, HarmonyGuy

Remember folks: August, September, November: Black Box Voting Rapid Response Team swings into action doing citizen audits, catching machines in the act of miscounting, speeding the info to the press and to litigators.

Okay, HarmonyGuy, in my book is this election official named Mildred Alsdorf, in Glenwood Springs Colorado if I remember right. She blithely wrote a memo telling everyone ES&S was sending a replacement chip, no worries. I commented that Mildred might get a lawsuit, seeing as how changes in the chip should be certified. Of course, ES&S adds a layer of concern by taking it upon itself to do the local programming of the ballots for all its customers -- of particular interest now that the Florida ES&S program was caught fudging the audit data, which therefore reflects on ES&S headquarters, not just some local programmer.

Okay, Harmony, here we go: In Mildred's district, they just overturned a new election because -- get this -- the optical scan ballot itself says to use lead pencil, but the envelopes they put the absentee ballots into said to use black pen. HarmonyGuy knows -- he has studied the propensity of optical scan machines to get persnickety about which writing implement is used. What happened was that lots and lots of votes did not get counted. They did a recount. Still didn't get counted. Did a hand count. Overturned the election.

Too many people followed instructions and used black ink.

As far as I know, Mildred -- just as clueless as ever -- is still plugging along in Colorado.

To join the Black Box Voting election monitoring team, email [e-mail] with "volunteer" in the subject. You don't necessarily need to monitor in your own area -- much work needs to be done matching data to known figures as it comes in.

In Arkansas on May 18, in Prairie County, a great turnout for the primary would have been 50%. But 117% was the actual turnout. This is the type of discrepancy our team will be spotting for rapid response.

[harmonyguy]

22. How long has Ms. Alsdorf been doing it that way...?

If she was new to the job, people might understand a screwup, but how long have they been using those scanners in that county? I wonder...... Surely they knew to print the same instructions on both the ballot and the envelope. So much for the checks and balances....

From:
http://www.postindependent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040503/VALLEYNEWS/40502008&rs=2

"Durham found several problems in the way Alsdorf’s office ran the election. Those problems included errors due to conflicting instructions in ballots; inadequate training and supervision of election staff; failure to follow procedures regarding clearance of election judges; incorrect segregation of mail ballots prior to count; and at least one elector being denied access to the ballots for that elector’s proper ward.
---snip
“If I do have one comment about the election and its outcome, it’s just this: People have to realize that their vote does count and one vote makes a big difference,” Davis said.

“Our people are dying overseas, and what are they dying for, they’re dying for freedom, for democracy.
“We need to honor that, we need to cherish that and we need to do what we can do in this country for that ourselves, which is to be active and take part in the process,” he said.

HG

[harmonyguy]

30. Ok, I'll answer my own question.....

Ms. Aldorf has been the Garfield County Clerk since 1978.
source para 10
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~64~2151660,00.html

ES&S has been authorized to conduct business in Colorado since 1994.
source (REALLY long link)
http://www.sos.state.co.us/cgi-forte/fortecgi/frte_corporationProdAccess1420191E271F081C28242323257720?serviceName=corporationProdAccess&templateName=corporation/publicinquiries/detailforms/pq_corp_detail_outer_form.forte&id=19941110807&source=corporation&sos_www=www.sos.state.co.us&frte_corporationProdAccess=1420191E271F081C28242323257720

Assuming it took a year or two for ES&S to win the business, that would mean that the clerk, should have about seven or eight years of experience with election processes, and should be familiar with what should be printed on the envelopes. Inquiring minds want to know WHO authorized the change in the process and WHY?

OR, have elections in Garfield County been subject to such *USAakes in the past?

HG

[harmonyguy]

23. Back at ya !! Here' three for YOU !

The importance of HAND recounts - y'know the things that most of the current crop of DRE's DON'T produce...

If it weren't for being able to perform an actual reCOUNT, rather than just a rePRINT, the results would have been flat-out wrong.

In 1997, Vermont State representative Sydney Nixon was seated as an apparent one vote winner, 570 to 569. Mr Nixon resigned when the State House determined, after a recount, that he had actually lost to his opponent Robert Emond 572 to 571.

In 1989, a Lansing, Michigan School District millage proposition failed when the final recount produced a tie vote 5,147 for, and 5,147 against. On the original vote count, votes against the proposition were ten more than those in favor. The result meant that the school district had to reduce its budget by $2.5 million.

In 1997, South Dakota Democrat John McIntyre led Republican Hal Wick 4,195 to 4,191 for the second seat in Legislative District 12 on election night. A subsequent recount showed Wick the winner at 4,192 to 4,191. The State Supreme Court however, ruled that one ballot counted for Wick was invalid due to an overvote. This left the race a tie. After hearing arguments from both sides, the State Legislature voted to seat wick 46 to 20.

Now someone wise-acre (tfhp?) will probably insist on asking me for a link to support these wild stories of close calls and recounts. Well folks, here it is, courtesy of our good friends over at the Federal Election Commission.

http://www.fec.gov/pages/faqvdayeprocedures.htm

HG

[BevHarris]

26. Thanks for these examples. And as for Ms. Alsdorf...

She is an example of why we need to open up scrutiny of our vote counting, bring in citizen audits (another hint: join the Clean Voting Crew, a rapid response election monitoring crew coordinated by Black Box Voting -- email [e-mail] with "volunteer" in the subject)

I keep hearing that we have procedural safeguards which protect the election even if software is flawed. But the procedures, indeed, are often skipped. Citizen auditors will force the tightening up of procedures. In the mean time, election officials will continue to really hate the idea of having the people involved in "We, the people."

Those election officials who run a tight ship will shine this fall. Or there are those like San Bernardino County's Scott Konopacek, a former national security type who helped Snohomish County buy Sequoia machines, then went to California where his county bought them too. He said at a recent California voter panel meeting that he had heard that "some group" was setting up citizen auditing of the election.

"If I catch any of them," he said, "I'll throw them out." He was referring to the audacious idea that Black Box Voting now has over 100 poll workers and election judges who have agreed to monitor for us. Including alliances, we have over 2,000 Crew Members so far.

Let me say first that our citizen auditors, Clean Voting Crew, alliances with other community groups like Election Protection in Texas, our Rapid Response Team (hotline) -- job one is to make sure the election runs smoothly and the voter gets to vote. But it is our absolute knowledge that procedures aren't being followed, and machines are miscounting, that gives us our own mandate:

Immediate reporting of discrepancies in procedures and counts, coordinating with elections officials, the media, and litigators.

This time, and I mean August and September primaries, the machines will either get it 100% right or we'll push for last ditch reforms by November.

And you know the machines will not get it right.

Bev

[Andy_Stephenson]

33. HG were you ever able to dig more dirt up...

on that individual we talked about?

[harmonyguy]

34. Still digging......

there's not a lot of info out there under either name, at least not much that I've been able to find.

HG

[hunter]

38. Programs hidden in the "results cartridge?"

That's almost like finding a little man hidden in an actual ballot box...

The voting machine companies still pretend these results cartridges are just like ballot boxes, and promise if election officials treat them like ballot boxes, they won't be tampered with. But they are not like ballot boxes, not at all...

[NightTrain]

24. You rule, Bev!

Thank you for continuing to fight the good fight! America needs millions of more citizens with your devotion to justice. :yourock:

[dusty64]

27. One of the evil three gone, that

is good news. Now, if only diebold and es&s would follow suit.

[BevHarris]

28. Not gone yet. Considering ditching the division.

Somehow I think that they'd sell it, not close it. One would expect to see Diebold sell the division at some point too. The question is: To whom?

[RedEagle]

29. Sequoia Partnered with VoteHere.....

....wonder who they might sell to?

Making money has never seemed to be VoteHere's problem, they dig into deep pockets from somewhere. Adler, who implied that there is a Diebold connection to the alleged VoteHere hack- but how would he know?

VoteHere, maker of electronic, no paper verification scheme.

If Diebold goes down, finally, and VH picks up Sequoia.....

Just one of the possibilities, and only that.

[BevHarris]

31. Okay. looks like this info is under a gag order

deleted the post. Salute to Agent Mike.

[Andy_Stephenson]

32. Sorry ma'am...

that is not a lucky penny...more like a bad apple.


:hi: Agent Mike...How are things going? Find that hacker yet? Try looking here http://www.votehere.com/

[RedEagle]

35. Well, There Are Too Many Unaswered Questions- And Nothing To Do With BBV

Why does the SS want the information about the BBV site, but nothing from Verified Voting or any of the other voting advocate groups?

And why the heck are they even questioning Bev when Adler said VoteHere observed the hack and knows the name and address of the alleged hacker?

And why is Adler so sure it is political and that there is a connection to the Diebold memos?

Adler's statements were all over the press about that alleged hack at the time.

Why are they not following up with Adler instead of Bev? Why any gag order at all if Adler knows who did the hack?

Bev's site was taken down once on rather dubious rationale.

Is this another attempt to take it down again, perhaps in time for the November elections?

Hey Mike- if you want answers, talk to Jim Adler. After all, he certainly gave the press a lot of information. :hi:

[Andy_Stephenson]

36. "talk to Jim Adler"

yes indeed...he seems a bit shady to me.

[loudsue]

37. Back up

:kick::kick::kick::kick:

[RedEagle]

39. Kick