Two years after her state as much as handed George Bush the 2004 election, Ohio’s Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner confirmed on November 14th, 2007, something most of the state’s voters already knew, or suspected. Announcing the results of an independent and scientific audit, Bruner stated that anyone with the savvy and know-how, with a magnet and a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) could have altered and/or compromised the election tally.
The study, demanded statewide by suspicious Ohio citizens, was commissioned after ex-Secretary of State Ken Blackwell’s exit from office. Blackwell was a one-time stockholder in the former Diebold company (now Premier Election Solutions). Blackwell was responsible for handing Diebold the contract to supply Ohio with voting machines, which was later reported during his failed run for Governor.
The $1.9 million study revealed “critical security failures” as reported by Ohio's Current Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner last Friday.
The report stated that machines manufactured by Elections Systems & Software, Hart Intercivic and Diebold, and ones used in Ohio’s elections in 2004, were vulnerable to being hacked, altered, or simply having its tabulations erased.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner went so far as to recommend that touch-screen machines used by Cuyahoga County (Cleveland metropolitan area) be dumped before the Ohio primary in March. Instead she favored paper ballots tabulated by computer. Cuyahoga County’s elections commissioner is said to be weighing the issue, and plans a vote on the 17th.
These are the very same unreliable machines, which potentially would be used to tabulate Ohio’s 2008 presidential results.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - brian
'Blackwell was a one-time stockholder in the former Diebold company (now Premier Election Solutions). Blackwell was responsible for handing Diebold the contract to supply Ohio with voting machines, which was later reported during his failed run for Governor. '
Indeed...this should have raised the red flag of a conflict of interest!
This is the SAME US that pretends to be a showcase of democracy....and dictate to other countries what it cant do itself.
2 - Jet in Columbus
Indeed Brian, Indeed....
3 - Jet in Columbus
As Secretary of State, Blackwell had no one looking over his shoulder except the Republican Party.
Click on the URL in the body of the article that links to my other article on Blackwell.
4 - Dave Nalle
Very important to point out there that not one word was said to sugges that any fraud DID take place, just that the machines were vulnerable.
Dave
5 - Jet in Columbus
Yeah, you're right, just because the election figures went contrary to almost every poll in the state (except for republican ones of course) and a little thing called "undervotes" were reported (less votes than were recorded as cast), that's nothing to get suspicious about.
6 - Jet in Columbus
From the Secretary of State's website...
The Evaluation & Validation of Election-Related Equipment, Standards & Testing report, known as EVEREST, is a comprehensive review of voting systems revealing startling findings on voting machines and systems used in Ohio and throughout the country. The Ohio study tested the systems for:
- risks to vote security,
- system performance, including load capacity,
- configuration to currently certified systems specifications, and
- operations and internal controls that could mitigate risk.
The $1.9 million study, paid for using federal funds, was structured to allow two teams of scientists, corporate and academic, to conduct parallel assessment of the security of the state's three voting systems - Election Systems & Software (ES&S), Hart Intercivic and Premier Election Solutions (formerly Diebold) - in both voting and board of elections environments. Separate research was conducted on each voting system's performance, configuration and operations and internal controls management. A bipartisan team of 12 election board directors and deputy directors advised the study and evaluated all reports, participating with the secretary in making recommendations for change.
While some tests to compromise voting systems took higher levels of sophistication, fairly simple techniques were often successfully deployed.
"To put it in every-day terms, the tools needed to compromise an accurate vote count could be as simple as tampering with the paper audit trail connector or using a magnet and a personal digital assistant," Brunner said.
The researchers in the Ohio study didn't address the issue of probability of attack, leaving that to the determination of state and local officials. The researchers commented that with the lack of technical measures in voting system design, its integrity "is provided purely by the integrity and honesty of election officials." (p. 20, Final Report of Academic Researchers.)
"It's a testament to our state's boards of elections officials that elections on the new HAVA mandated voting systems have gone as smoothly as they have in light of these findings," Brunner said.
Testers looking at the performance of the voting systems used in Ohio and in many locales throughout the country, identified numerous risks to election integrity ranging from minor to severe, according to the review.
Also, those examining how voting systems were configured in the field found risks such as the use of materials like memory storage and printer paper that had not been certified by the voting system manufacturers; a lack of standardized equipment testing and that revisions to voting system software for all systems and counties were not documented or tracked, the review said.
7 - Dave Nalle
The researchers commented that with the lack of technical measures in voting system design, its integrity "is provided purely by the integrity and honesty of election officials."
Which is exactly where the integrity of a paper ballot system rests as well. They aren't exactly tamper proof.
Dave
8 - Jet in Columbus
Kinda proves both our points, don't it?
Now, about all those people who supposedly voted for every candidate except President?
9 - JustOneMan
Yawwwnnnnnn...this is like a bad dream all over again...Al Gwhore..and John "I was for it before I was againts it" Kerry....lost...get over it...
In addition...I though your John Denver review was much more insightful and "timely" than this OLD story...
JOM
10 - Jet in Columbus
#9 is like listening to a radio station that keeps playing the same song over and over and over and over.
I'm relieved that I haven't lost my most loyal of fans.
The announcement was made yesterday, read the article again...
Hugs and Kisses
Jet
11 - Dave Nalle
Now, about all those people who supposedly voted for every candidate except President?
I actually don't find this surprising. If you don't like the presidential choices - understandable in 2004 - you might still vote for local candidates.
Dave
12 - Jet in Columbus
That sounds like squirming Dave...
Very unbecoming.
(:^p~~~~~~~~
13 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Yet another article about a country that has lost its way - and the fault can be split between the leaders and the people who allow them to
stealmanipulate elections.Good to see you writing about politics again, Jet. This and Marlowe's piece about needing another FDR make a good pair to read together....
Dave, I'm surprised that you can't see the obvious - that crumbs of goodies tossed out by politicians (like contracts) are supposed to result in something good somewhere for them.
14 - Jet in Columbus
I think one of my favorite sayings apply here Ruvy?
Whose the bigger fool; the leader, or the people who follow him blindly?
15 - Glen Boyd
Nice to see your voice back in the fray Mr. Jet. So does this mean that you will be returning to writing on more of a regular basis? Anyway, welcome back.
-Glen
16 - Jet in Columbus
I've got a few operations for my eyes, leg, and congestive heart failure, but hopefully my recovery during Jan-Nov of next year will be productive.
I appreciate the nice words Glen.
thanks
Jet
17 - Jet in Columbus
Actually Ruvy, I've learned out of necessity what not to waste my energy on...
18 - Jet in Columbus
New Jersey huh?
... that explains a lot
19 - Dan
Actually, the only legally confirmed account of cheating in Ohio I've heard about was by a couple of democrat election workers in Cuyahoga county.
Interestingly, they were caught rigging a sample recount, to avoid a larger recount. I guess it was like cheating to avoid being caught cheating.
20 - Jet in Columbus
Provide a link to the story before you make unsubstantiated statements like that. If you dare.
21 - Dave Nalle
Here's the story Dan referred to, Jet.
It's also hard to ignore the fact that the overwhelming majority of election fraud indictments nationwide involve ACORN and people working for ACORN to promote democratic candidates.
Dave
22 - Baronius
"If you dare." Always amusing, Jet. You imply half a dozen federal crimes based on the possibility that they could have happened, but ignore the ones that did.
Look, if Diebold machines were easy to hack, they'd be losing a fortune on bank machines. ATM's are money boxes that sit out on the street all night and never get robbed. Anyone who can build those can write voting software. But please, keep fighting old battles rather than learning from them. Republicans will concede the 2000 and 2004 elections if you write one more article.
23 - Dan
"It's also hard to ignore the fact that the overwhelming majority of election fraud indictments nationwide involve ACORN and people working for ACORN to promote democratic candidates."
And that's just when their caught. Even then, corrupt democrat partisan prosecutors sometimes fail their responsibilities to prosecute. That's what happened with some of the rogue prosecutors Bush had to fire.
24 - Jet in Columbus
Non-votes included any candidate votes not counted (i.e. hanging chads, other spoilage) and no vote cast for president. In some states, the undervote percentage is well below one percent. Ohio recorded near the highest rate in 2004. The Ohio e-vote non-vote percentage was near normal, at 0.76% compared to 1.90% for punch card voters. However, precinct level analysis indicates that many punch card precincts had normal non-voting percentages. Non-voting distribution is skewed rather than normal and correlates with Kerry support.
The non-vote rate is more than three times the normal expectation in precincts with highest Kerry support. Suspiciously, where cross-voting reduces Kerry's vote the most, the non-vote rate is highest. The rate jumps significantly in precincts which reported more than 70% Kerry support.
In Cuyahoga County, Kerry lost a very high, non-random proportion of the uncounted votes. This cross-voting/undercounting concentration where it lowers Kerry's tally the most raises suspicion of irregularities and presents yet another mystery, "Why is undervoting concentrated in locations with the highest Kerry support?"
25 - Jet in Columbus
Mr. Nalle, any website that would display the following, would NOT be considered a balanced or even vaguely credible source of information...
"Every week, the RNC should take out an add showing the (crime of the week by Democrats) It would do two things, 1. it would show what we all know is the truth that Democrats are crooks.
2. Show how the MSM does NOT put a (D) next to their names.
If the MSM does not cover it, then some how you have to pay to shine the light on the truth!"