January 3, 2007 at 08:10:47

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HCPB Implementation Strategy 2007

By Rady Ananda (about the author)     Page 2 of 3 page(s)

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When it comes to security, accuracy, cost, and recountability, an HCPB system is superior to all others. A summary of the major expert reports on various voting systems can be found at: http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_rady_ana_070102_overview_of_major_ex.htm

Research shows that paper ballots are by far the most secure system. Admittedly, absolute security is impossible. Instead, we design our systems so that it becomes too prohibitively expensive to hack.

Decentralization provides more security. When results are hand-counted and reported at the precinct, we dampen the potential for election fraud at the county, state, or remote level.

Paper ballot systems are also far less expensive than electronic systems that require upgrades, maintenance, and special storage and handling using expensive, environmentally-controlled warehouses. With the abysmal failure of electronic systems to provide us with discreet, recountable, voter-prepared ballots, we have grounds to stop payment on maintenance and upgrade contracts, and put our public money to better use elsewhere.

Some folks suggest that elections will devolve into chaos if we don't use electronic tabulators. New Hampshire begs to differ, as do those of us who have run parallel elections. It takes less than 10 people to run and count an election in a precinct of 500 people – one worker for every 50 registered voters.

When precincts are combined into a single polling location, even fewer election workers are required. Our parallel election at Whetstone Recreation Center accommodated four precincts with over 3,400 registered voters. We started at 6 AM and finished counting at 2 AM. Only twenty-four people were needed to complete this project. That's one worker for every 140 registered voters. Admittedly, we were overworked, so I would suggest one worker for every 100 registered voters.

Poll worker salaries are far less costly than computers. I prepared a cost comparison between State-run elections for the past 6 years and our HCPB system run by citizens in November, using the same categories of expenses. Our HCPB system cost $3.67 per voter, half that of the official election using electronic voting systems.

There's plenty of evidence, from 2006 alone, to show complete product failure, especially under Ohio's election conditions. Franklin County's machines reported more votes than voters in two-thirds of the precincts. Putting insecure voting systems into bureaucracies that cannot or will not maintain chain of custody is an invitation to fraud. It's not surprising machine reports exceed voter signatures.

The Free Press is compiling observation reports from around Ohio, and elsewhere, and will soon publish a report card on Ohio's Midterm Elections. I've posted a few election reports, including recount observations, and a summary of major expert reports, providing citations below.

With the mountain of expert reports damning electronic voting systems, and the investigative evidence showing impossible official results, there is no justifiable reason to continue voting on such systems.

It's long past time to cut our losses and begin fresh, with a system we can all rely on with much more confidence. Hand count paper ballots at the precinct, before all who wish to observe. It's the most secure, the most accurate, and the least expensive.


Author's relevant pieces:

"Summary of Major Expert Reports on Electronic Voting Systems," Jan. 2, 2006 http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_rady_ana_070102_overview_of_major_ex.htm

"DREs, Magic, and other Sleights of Hand: Recount and Audit Observations from Franklin County, Ohio December 2006," Jan. 2, 2006 www.FreePress.org

"Election Observation Report," Nov. 9, 2006. Election Day actions at a 4-precinct polling site, including observation at one of Franklin County's five election data collection centers, with pictures. http://tinyurl.com/y5y9h7 aka
http://www.guvwurld.org/Election Reform/Rady Ananda - Election Observation Report OH - 11-9-06.pdf

10-8-06 Map of Ohio showing vendor & technology by county http://tinyurl.com/ydk828

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