Here we go boys & girls. Diebold is coming to DuPage County

[orleans]

article from local paper, the Sun/Jan 5-11 2006

"DuPage County buys touch-screen voting machines
by charles Menchaca

To meet a federally mandated Jan 1 deadline, the DuPage County Election Commission held a special meeting Dec. 29 and approved the purchase of electronic voting machines.

The commission will receive a grant of no more than $4 million to purchase 732 Diebold TSX touch-screen machines, one for each precinct in the county.

Under Help America Vote Act rules, the commission was required to have a voting system by Jan 1 for early voting in the March 21 primary. The commission was also required to provide terminals for use by people with disabilities to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Robert Saar, commission executive director, said the machines are federal and state certified for both requirements. Although optical scanning will still be used at polling places, Saar said anyone can use the touch-screen machines to vote.

"It works seamlessly with the paper system we have," Saar said, referring to the optical scanners used in the county. Votes on a paper ballot are counted by the scanners, DuPage has used this method of electronic voting since 2001.

The commission's board met with vendors this fall to decide on a voting system that can produce a voter-verified paper audit. The machines will produce a printout of voter's touch-screen choices. This paper will be locked away after the election.

The commission approved the agreement in a special meeting less than 10 minutes long. Vice Chairman Jeanne McNamara addressed the residents' doubts about the system.

"We share your concerns that a vote cast be a vote counted. We cannot, will not, and have not relied upon unsubstantiated rumors, allegations and innuendos regarding the system selection," McNamara said.

Saar said the commission's decision came down to the wire as it investigated claims made against the systems. He said the commission was most impressed by Diebold.

"They have a proven track record to get the work done," he said.

Absentee voting for the March primary begins Feb. 9. Early and grace-period voting begins Feb. 22."

end of article.

ah yes, diebold. as saar said: they have a proven track record to get the work done.

WE KNOW! WHO CAN FORGET??

[Warakurna]

1. Diebold in DuPage

Unfortunately, DuPage remains under the heavy-handed rule of the GOP good old boys and this subject has fallen under the radar of all but the most involved voters. As a precinct committeeman I have had numerous dealings with the election commission and on the whole find most of the staffers to be very decent people. While recent election results have shown substantial gains for Democrats the republican machine is well entrenched and organized. Voters can and will be enlightened when Democrats get back to basics and organize in a grass roots door to door manner. Putting a familiar neighborhood face to the party lets voters know that they aren't alone in their questioning of the business as usual manner in which the county is run. Diebold is just one symptom. Try getting a list of county contracts to compare to political donations. It is far past the time for DuPage Democrats to be satisfied with "making a good showing" and to undertake the fundamental work necessary to educate the voters and show them how the present regime actually works against their interests.

[orleans]

2. thanks for letting my thread be your first post

welcome to DU

http://reedyforcongress.com/index.html

at least we have someone here in the 13th district who is gonna run against judy biggert! that's the good news.

and the bad news? well, as you said: "DuPage remains under the heavy-handed rule of the GOP good old boys and this subject has fallen under the radar of all but the most involved voters"

sigh.

[AtLiberty]

7. DuPage County taxpayers paid rightwing talking head $30,000?

http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/1954/15764.html

[barb162]

13. welcome to DU

yeah, the Dem voters in DuPage ran about 30-40 % as I recall. Schillerstrom and the gang won't give up easily, they really are entrenched.

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Warakurna!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Inland]

3. But there's going to be a paper receipt produced.

Doesn't that solve all the potential objections?

[orleans]

5. apparently the paper receipt has solved all potential

objections--except for mine and a few other patriots around here. obviously it meant the world to the few who wanted to beat the cash-cow deadline for diebold and stuff more cash into the diebold pocket.

[Steve A Play]

6. It may have solved the problem of objections

but did it actually solve the issue of everyones' vote really counting? I guess it all depends on what the Illinois Election Code says about how the paper ballots are treated during the canvas or a subsequent recount.

Steven P. :kick:

[Inland]

8. I'm going to hope you know what it says.

I would assume that the paper record is THE record, not the 0's and 1's on the computer system. Therefore when a recount is demanded, it's all paper?

[HopeFor2006]

14. I don't know about Illinois, but

in Minnesota a recount can only be demanded if the margin of victory is close enough to warrant. If enough votes are stolen, then there is no chance for a recount and the paper record becomes irrelevant.

[mopinko]

16. emphatically NNNOOOOO!!!!!

first of all, a paper trail and a paper ballot are not the same thing. it is a piece of cake to write the program to print one thing and count another. second, a paper trail is not a ballot legally. it does not carry the same weight in the law as a ballot.
but trail or ballot, it matters not without good audit procedures, and we have none.

[BobFly5]

18. Im currious

I am currious as to how the Dibold units communicate with ones we have now. With the scan ballots we have now, we get a print out as soon as your precint closes. Are the touch screens going to have the same printout. This is going to be bad, I can't wait to see how this screws christeen

[DanCa]

4. Another reason to get Blago reelected

Topinka Birkett wouldn't stop this one. Infact if Blago isn't reelected you can bet that they'll suck down our electoral votes during 2008

[Radical Activist]

9. If Blago isn't stopping it now...

Why should I believe he'll suddenly leap into action after he's elected? It will be too late then after all the money has been spent on new machines. What's he doing right now?

[DanCa]

10. Let see what's Blago been doing?

He's purused health care for kids, gotten stem cell research passed in our state, has stood up against the religious right at every turn, and is preparing for a nasty reelection campaign. And he'll take on diebold too. Give the guy a chance he's only human he's not superman you know. And i think it's laughable that a repuke administration would do anything to stop diebold form taking over. You know diebold helps out repukes not dems.

[Radical Activist]

11. The question was about voting machines.

What's he doing about voting machines right now? Nothing I guess.

[DanCa]

12. I dont know to be honest

Is there a Blago Legislative record somewhere so we can check it out? :)

[mopinko]

15. just in time to help elect more corporate dems

hmmm
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2367394