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January 8, 2008 at 02:55:05
ALL Diebold ALL the Time - It's the New Hampshire Primary by Michael Collins Page 1 of 2 page(s) |
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It's the New Hampshire Primary "1st in the Nation" with Corporate Controlled, By Nancy Tobi Introduction. The more things stay the same, the worse they smell
(c) 2004-06 Rand Careaga/salamander.eps
Secret Vote Counting
Democracy for
New Hampshire
By Michael Collins
"Scoop" Independent News
Washington, D.C.
Tomorrow's New Hampshire primary represents a major turning point in the presidential primaries. We've got the rising star of Obama, the stunned Clinton camp, and the populist efforts of the fast moving Democrat, John Edwards, just off a 9% increase in the national polls. At this juncture, the Republican race is less compelling unless you happen to be John McCain or Mitt Romney.
Does Obama's highly favorable corporate media image stack up against reality? Is this the end of Hillary, or at least the beginning of the end? Can Edwards kick in the door with a strong showing and demand coverage? Will Ron Paul embarrass Giuliani by edging him out for fourth?
We'll never know for sure.
Why? It's been nearly eight years since the debacle of Florida and nearly six since the miracle Chambliss win against Cleland. Surely we have reliable, verifiable voting systems in place? It's been almost four years since the nationwide disaster of the 2004 election with irregularities still emerging.
Hasn't all this been fixed?
You'd think so. But, the answer is definitely no. Votes are still taken by voting machines produced by vendors highly sympathetic to the Republican Party. The machines are still off limits to those who want to examine how they operate and observe real vote counting. And good luck if your candidate loses and there's fraud or voting machine problems suspected.
You're out of luck. You can't hire outside experts to look at the mission critical software in the optical scanners (Sec. 1.5). You'll have a great deal of difficulty examining the paper records with voter marked choices. Don't count on seeing any recounts either. Almost all the states have high hurdles before you can request and get one of these simple verification tools (See Appendix 2).
Even with a relatively accommodating state like New Hampshire, only candidates can request a recount, but recounts are almost unheard of in presidential primaries. Citizens are not allowed to request and get recounts in the "granite state."
We may have 'paper records' with the paper forms counted by New Hampshire's optical scan voting machines, all made by Diebold. We surely don't have access to those forms unless there's a recount. The presence of 'paper records' with optical scans means nothing if citizens can't examine them directly; if citizens can't request and get a recount quickly. It's all in the hands of the candidates and parties despite the fact that the election belongs to the citizens.
Here's voting rights activist Nancy Tobi with an incredibly succinct analysis of New Hampshire's primaries and the 81% of votes counted by Diebold optical scanners.
NH: First in the Nation with Corporate Controlled Secret Vote Counting
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| 12 comments |
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Voter Fraud
Ron Paul supporters are very concerned, there has already been protests and police coming to Ron Paul rally's calming "rabid" supporters down that are screaming "Fraud!". Several Ron Paul bloggers have boards for volunteers to work on at polls on fraud, and while Diabold may be a friend to the neocons and neocliberals, it is not a friend to Ron Paul, who does not give corporations more rights than the individual. by Jeanette Doney (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 307 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 at 8:18:45 AM  (0+)
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Reply: Skepticism of governent is a good stance
In the case of the Paul campaign, there could be nothing more essential in these primaries. The Republican Party is clearly hostile to his mere presence in the debates; in the campaign, for that matter. Probably because he's speaking the truth on Iraq and an imperial foreign policy. What are the Republicans without that? There are any number of resources that they can go to for help, groups just interested in clean elections - for everybody. Good luck and nice work with "Sean of the Dead." What a great day for the truth;) by Michael Collins (130 articles, 20 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 484 comments [42 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 at 3:31:37 PM (0+)
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Why
I wonder why the candidates themselves are not complaining? by Michael Chavers (53 articles, 0 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 198 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 at 1:25:36 PM (0+)
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Reply: Why? Because the candidates know the truth
They are not complaining because they know it's a non-issue. The more imporatnt question is "why" don't the people with a solution in search of a problem know the same? by Tom Murphy (3 articles, 5 quicklinks, 16 diaries, 2103 comments [55 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 at 1:53:56 PM (0+)
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Reply: Oddly enough, they rarely do complain
The "conspiracy theory" defamation used to tar those who exercise critical thinking and their rights has been effectively established. Cadidates don't want to look like they're crying foul. In NH and many states, the candidates is the only party allowed to request a recount. Silly isn't it. These are our elections - we have a right to review every step of the process before, during and after any election. Sorry to the "rulers" if this is inconvenient. Very good question you asked. by Michael Collins (130 articles, 20 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 484 comments [42 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 at 3:27:58 PM (0+)
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Reply: Politicians have a different top priority than the public
The vast majority of voters want the real winner to prevail. It just makes sense. Who participates in a rigged game? It would be like betting on professional wrestling. The vast majority of the candidates think of their future in politics. To complain about an election forcloses the future, to a large degree, because you're called a spoiled sport, cry baby, etc., just like Gore was. Not much future in that. Look at Paul Hackett's (D) special election in OH in 2005 against Jean Schmid (R). It was a total mess. Hackett kept quiet and ran for Senate a few months later. As for "they know the truth" - that's faith based and incorrect syntax. Truth is simple in elections. How many ballots to how many candidates - verifiable from the primary data. With the optical scan system, the paper forms voters mark are not 'official.' The official results are from the computerized optical scan tally machines. If we had a tight chain of custody and full public access to the forms voters marked and if we were able to recount those voter marked paper forms, the result would be the truth. In NH and almost every other state, this is not a right at all and in some, it's against the law. When secrecy is built into a process, the question is why? Part of the answer: to keep whatever is going on a secret, the province of the "rulers" who don't have to bother proving that they were actually elected. It's bipartisan and it's anti democratic and anti intellectual. by Michael Collins (130 articles, 20 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 484 comments [42 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008 at 12:26:15 PM (0+)
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Voter Fraud
If this were any other country than the USA we would be screaming that the elections were rigged. When the vote count is secretly held under the auspices of a private corporation, it stinks worse than a dead fish under the summer sun. Whatever is actually going on, the set-up reeks of impropriety and has no place in a democracy. (If, indeed one can still call this a democracy...) by memary (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 70 comments) on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2008 at 5:26:33 PM (0+)
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WHO PICKS THE NEXT PRESIDENT ?
THIS IS A FIXED GAME AND THE MEDIA DECEPTION AND MISINFORMATION LETS THE AMERICA VOTER"( THINK)" THEY CAN PLAY. IT ALL OVER BUT THE TALKING ABOUT IT. THE END MY FRIEND. by RICHARD SHADE (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 460 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008 at 3:03:58 AM (0+)
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Reply: ...and Hillary weeped.
We're getting very close. This was such bad theater and such an absurd outcome, there is always the small risk that it will blow up in their faces. One can hope, still, I think. They are relentless, aren't they... by Michael Collins (130 articles, 20 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 484 comments [42 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008 at 12:28:22 PM (0+)
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Reply: We snabbed them!
Ron Paul rEVOLution has found voter fraud in NH...1500 supporters are mobilied on www. Daily Paul alone...the bloggs are running wild with organizing. It's great. Check it out, offer services. ;)) by Jeanette Doney (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 307 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008 at 2:38:30 PM (0+)
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ALL Diebold ALL
The reason America is still using the E vote is that somone in the State is selling the results to a candidate for money ,he / she guarantees the win by dave stanley (5 articles, 1 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 286 comments) on Wednesday, Jan 9, 2008 at 6:25:45 PM (0+)
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Crime Syndicate
Dear Ladies and Gentleman, You need to ask yourself, why hasn't Gore, Kerry or even Max Cleeland never asked for a recount. The answer is there are part of this crime synidicate. Both parties are conspiring against the United States, (not of America). You can bett the farm that Senator Obama would request a recount. It's time to exterminate these coachroaches from our political system. by gerard styles (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 8 comments) on Friday, Jan 11, 2008 at 3:54:50 AM (0+)
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