Democracy for New Hampshire - Voting in NH

BradBlog: "'Hello,' They Lied: NH, TX Sec. of State Officials Continue to Deceive Voters"

Wed, 14 May 2008 10:10:31 -0400

'Hello,' They Lied: NH, TX Sec. of State Officials Continue to Deceive Voters

TX Official Claims 'Machines Not Faulty'; NH Official Claims Not to Know Whether They Use Same Diebold Op-Scan Voting System Seen Hacked in HBO Documentary (It Was)...

Posted By Brad Friedman On 13th May 2008 @ 13:13

Miller-McCune's David Rosenfeld files a good story (1) on the dreadful state of the hackable, insecure, error-prone machinery --- both DRE/touch-screen and paper-based optical scan --- still used across our electoral landscape in 2008.

Despite a few small-ish errors, Rosenfeld succeeds where so many before him have been unable: Properly quoting both the scientists and Election Integrity experts who know what they're talking about, while giving fair opportunity to respond from voting machine company and elected officials who are either in denial, uninformed, or simply willing to lie.

NH's Diebold (S)elections: Does everyone but the NH Dept of State "get it"?

Wed, 14 May 2008 10:10:50 -0400

Clueless in NH? Or just pretending to be? Claiming ignorance is not only absurd but a complete abrogation of responsibilities required in the job.

New Hampshire is another state that, even when faced with the irrefutable evidence, has retained vote-counting machines fraught with risks. Computer scientist Hursti, who was featured in Hacking Democracy, even went to New Hampshire and testified before the Legislature. The same Diebold Accuvote optical scanner shown in the film was used to count more than 80 percent of the ballots in the state's December primary, said David Scanlan, New Hampshire's deputy secretary of state. "I know we use an Accuvote," Scanlan told Miller-McCune.com. "I'm not technical enough to tell you whether it's the same one that was used in the film, but it's possible."

SOURCE: www.miller-mccune.com

Faulty Machines Ready to Count Your Vote

BBV: Diebold is controlling OUR elections

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:01:06 -0400

SOURCE: www.blackboxvoting.org

My records show that YOUR elections district uses the Accuvote voting machine. This is the system hacked in the HBO "Hacking Democracy" film, being shown TODAY on HBO. It also goes by the names "Diebold", "Premier", "Global Election Systems" optical scan or OS. Your voting system uses both the Diebold /Premier machines and the GEMS program for BOTH mailed in votes and polling place votes. It is the Diebold/Premier Accuvote optical scansystem that you will see on HBO, altered in the blink of an eye to change election results without leaving a trace.

The film "Hacking Democracy", showing exactly how my organization, Black Box Voting, actually rigged a voting system like the one your votes are counted on. You'll understand this quite painlessly by viewing the detective story as it unfolds, on HBO or YouTube. The film will be shown on HBO on May 2, 4, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 23, 29, 25, 26 and June 16 -- mostly during daytime hours. Note that several of these showings are on weekends.

Scroll down for NEW INFORMATION on how this voting system may affect you personally in the Nov. 2008 election, and what to do about it.

If you don't have HBO, you can view HACKING DEMOCRACY for free in nine 10-minute segments at YouTube:

BlackBoxVoting Investigates NH Recount: Manchester Ward 5: INFLATED VOTE TOTALS

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:39:33 -0400

BY Jeannie Dean

JANUARY 24, 2008...

DAY 1 of the NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN RECOUNT continues with ANOMALY after gross ANOMALY: MANCHESTER WARD 5, a DIEBOLD COUNTED ward of great interest due to the massive INFLATED VOTE RESULTS yielded from the original Diebold Counted results on election night to the hand RECOUNT results.

This video explores NH State Office's very strange, and even UNLIKELY, explanation for the anomaly, leaving us with more questions than answers...

ED NOTE: This video is not for the faint at heart. This was, by far, the most complex and textured video I've ever tried to birth; like a demon baby invetro, it has been haunting me above all others...

Video: April 18th Ballot Law Commission hearing on NH recount

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:50:24 -0400

Parts 1 & 2 below...

Part 1

Part 2

NH Recount Feb 6 Concord or Keene? NO SEALS!

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:37:32 -0400

GOP Candidate Howard gives a no-show at Ballot Law Commission, shutting down challenge to NH Primary results

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:11:47 -0400

Updated April 21 by ntobi: Video evidence of the Commission "hearing" last Friday discloses that the Secretary of State filed a motion to dismiss stating that the petition to appeal did not fit within the bounds of the Dept. of State's understanding of reasons a candidate can appeal a recount to the Commission. As expected by the voting rights advocacy community who have been following this story, the Secretary of State had intended to use this motion to short circuit the hearing by contending that the Commission would only review "contested ballots" from the recount. No more, no less. Because NH's election laws are so unacceptably ambiguous, the Secretary of State could certainly make this contention. However, given the statements from Mr. Howard's petition to appeal, had he decided to follow through with it, Mr. Howard's could just have easily contended that - in fact - ALL the ballots in the recount were being contested due to the absolute absence of ballot security and a secure ballot chain of custody, the absolute absence of any procedures to reconcile numbers of ballots printed and distributed with the numbers of ballots cast, the absolute absence of procedures to reconcile numbers of ballots cast with numbers of voters checked in, and the absolute failure of the Dept of State to follow state law requiring the delivery of secure ballot containers to NH cities and towns. The Dept of State may well feel they have dodged this bullet. But dodging bullets is not a strategy to ensure election integrity. The eyes of the nation have been startled by what they witnessed during the conduct of the NH recount. Voting rights advocates nationwide continue to analyze the numbers, documents, and data coming from the recount. This story is far from over.

The Myth of Verified Voting: How GOP strategists & J. Abramoff transformed America's elections and the reform movement itself

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:46:07 -0400

BY Nancy Tobi

Printer Friendly version

For the published version of this article and more about elections in 21st century America, read the newly released Loser Take All, edited by Mark Crispin Miller.

The Myth of Verified Voting: How GOP strategists and Jack Abramoff transformed America’s elections and the election reform movement itself

K Street Lobbyists and Election Reform

In 1995, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Republican strategist Grover Norquist launched the “K Street Project.” (i) Named for the Capital Hill street housing many lobbying firms, the Project gave lobbyists direct access to Washington lawmakers through weekly policy and strategy meetings. The most infamous K Street lobbyist was Jack Abramoff, who worked for the firm Greenberg Traurig. Abramoff, now in prison, took money from his American Indian tribe clients, and laundered it to Congressional Representatives in return for legislative and policy favors aligned with the Project’s political agenda.

But this was not just any money laundering enterprise. Abramoff’s dry cleaner was converting money to election fraud.

Election Integrity Activists Statement Regarding Candidate Albert Howard's NH Recount Appeal

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:54:57 -0400

For Immediate Release -- Election Integrity Activists Statement Regarding Candidate Albert Howard's NH Recount Appeal

April 10, 2008

Albert Howard, the Republican candidate on whose behalf we wrote the Petition for Appeal of the New Hampshire recount, yesterday severed his ties with the election integrity volunteers from EDA, the Coalition for Visible Ballots, and several other groups who have been offering assistance regarding the upcoming April 18th hearing with the Ballot Law Commission. He has indicated that he has secured his own attorneys and prefers to move forward without our involvement or assistance. We take that to include all our support, data, evidence and witnesses.

Given Mr. Howard's recent YouTube video initiating a fund raising campaign for a million dollars "to start off with" for legal fees in his recount battle, claims he has made regarding the recount appeal process and potential outcomes, concerns about his methodologies and other aspects of his behavior, we have determined that severing all ties with him is in the best interests of our election integrity community as well.

NH Election lockdown begins: the "official" response to NH recount investigations

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:04:27 -0400

NH officials have decided to respond to the evidence exposed by citizen watchdogs in the NH recounts pointing to serious breaches in security, procedures, and laws. Yes boys and girls, they are going to make things even less transparent.

SOURCE:Nashua Telegraph

Getting recount may get harder

Albert Howard, you could be the last also-ran candidate for president to get a statewide recount of the primary vote.

The Ann Arbor, Mich., Republican received only 44 votes in the primary on Jan. 8, but New Hampshire law allows any finisher to request a recount. Those who don’t come within 3 percent of the winner have to pay for it.

As The Sunday Telegraph first reported, Howard got the $60,000 to make the request from an online fundraising effort led by a hard-core North Carolina supporter of GOP candidate Ron Paul, a Texas congressman.

Analysis: e-voting's success rests on chain-of-custody issue

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:43:29 -0400

For a real-world case where the ballot chain-of-custody issue was a complete and unmitigated disaster, look no further than last month's New Hampshire state primaries. Bev Harris and her team of activists went to New Hampshire with cameras in hand, and they captured on video a perfect storm of arrogance, indifference, and incompetence on the part of New Hampshire's elections officials.....If you're a member of the media who's covering the elections beat, then grill elections officials about chain of custody and report the results to the public. The "hacking" stories may sell papers and draw traffic, but chain-of-custody issues are just as critical. And if you're a concerned citizen, then get involved....

SOURCE: Ars Technica

Analysis: e-voting's success rests on chain-of-custody issue

By Jon Stokes | Published: February 21, 2008 - 05:41AM CT

BlackBoxVoting Investigates NH Recount: 3-28-08: Chain of Custody Investigation: Ballot washing?

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 17:03:23 -0400

BY BEV HARRIS

SOURCE: BlackBoxVoting.org

An original investigation by Black Box Voting

Last week, I described a way to alter ballots using the techniques used to remove ink from old, archival paper documents and old books. Archivists and custodians of rare books and documents are generally familiar with these techniques, because they are needed to restore documents.

These techniques have been adapted by modern-day criminals to "wash" the writing off of checks, and this is why it's dangerous to send checks by putting them in your mailbox with the little red flag up. Criminals have learned that they can remove the ink -- the amount written and the payee -- without disturbing the information printed on your check by the bank.

BALLOT WASHING

Archivists know this technique as a document repair method, criminals know it as "check washing." If you have the right chemicals, can you remove votes from ballots, allowing election-riggers to "re-vote" the ballots before they are counted, recounted, or audited?

Yes. We have been able to remove votes marked in ink from ballots without leaving a trace. Using this technique, insiders can alter votes on ballots.

HAVE INSIDERS EVER ACTUALLY BEEN CAUGHT TAMPERING WITH BALLOTS?

Yes. We now know that an aide to Maine Speaker of the House John Martin, together with a legislative aide, pleaded guilty in 1994 to rigging ballots in a recount structured almost identically to the New Hampshire presidential primary recount. Ballots had been packed up in cardboard boxes "sealed" with tape (a practice that the media called "an invitation to ballot-rigging") and transported to a central location for a recount.

The state attorney general and the Maine secretary of state were criticized for stonewalling the investigation after the insiders were caught red-handed, and the speaker of the house was not prosecuted, though he was alleged to have had inside information. The ballot-riggers got a few months in jail, a $2000 fine, and a sentence for community service. At least one of the perps did not pay all of his fine nor complete his community service requirement. Next time you're told to "trust" election insiders, laugh at that, ignore the advice, and keep asking sensible follow up questions!

In response to this "ballot-gate" scandal, the state of Maine invested $60,000 in more secure ballot boxes and changed policy to store them in an evidence vault used to secure evidence in pending criminal cases.

New Hampshire has known of this incident for at least 14 years, but failed to act to secure its own ballots.

BlackBoxVoting investigates NH Recount: Election Reality TV: Face to Face with the Recount Guys

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:46:14 -0400

Bullitt County, Kentucky citizen Kathy Greenwell confronts the New Hampshire Secretary of State face to face; an investigator is hired - he interrogates the citizens instead of investigating violations of election law; Hoppy speaks out

BlackBoxVoting investigates NH Recount: Election Reality TV: 9 Minutes on the Road w. Butch & Hoppy

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:40:41 -0400

A dizzying trip following the New Hampshire ballot pickup van as "Butch & Hoppy" collected ballots for the 2008 recount of the presidential primary -- you decide: Evasive manuevers or can't find a map?

BlackBoxVoting Investigates: NH Recount - State orders police dogs to keep citizen observers at bay during ballot delivery

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:10:57 -0400

SOURCE: BlackBoxVoting.ORG

Election Reality TV: The Jeannie Dean video

Police dogs assigned, ballots in the dark, and the State of New Hampshire denies having any information about the K-9 Unit assignment. Then changes their mind when this video hits YouTube, says they are "looking for the records." Sarasota citizen Jeannie Dean provides graphic evidence about the state of your democracy right now. And if you still believe citizen sovereignty is intact, Google "Thomas Jefferson" and see if you still believe this is what the founders meant to create.