Washblog || Urgently Need Disabled Voters

Urgently Need Disabled Voters

By zappini
Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 01:23:48 PM PST
Section: Washington State Topic: Election Integrity

Contact info for 2 disabled voters each in Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties. This is part of the effort to overturn the improper certification of the Diebold and Hart/Intercivic electronic voting machines for use here in Washington State.

Please forward contact info to John Gideon at 360-377-4925 or jgideon {AT} votersunite {DOT} org.

Background

John Gideon of Voters Unite has filed a HAVA complaint in Washington State. He claims that both the Diebold AccuVote TSx or the Hart/Intercivic eSlate DREs (direct recording electronic) fail to satify HAVA's accessibilty requirements for disabled voters.

Thus far, a judge agrees with all of John's claims. However, the judge is requiring John to demonstrate that there are disabled voters who intend to use these DREs in the upcoming election.

These disabled voters may be contacted to verify their existence. But they will not be required to testify or participate in any other way.

Without these 6 names, this HAVA complaint dies.

Resources

Washington Voter Files HAVA Complaint

Does the EAC Really Care If Voting Machines Are Accessible?

Help America Vote Act of 2002

Voting System Standards/Guidelines

Voters Unite

Commentary

Among all the reasons the Diebold AccuVote TSx were improperly certified (e.g. fraud used during federal approval, use of prohibited code, doesn't meet reliability requirements, vendor's history of bad behavior, etc), the failure to meet the HAVA accessibility requirements is the most ironic.

HAVA specifies that disabled people have the ability to vote in private. That's a terrific goal which is widely supported.

Unfortunately, electronic voting machines such as the Diebold AccuVote TSx eliminate the secret ballot. So voting is no longer private. For any one using these machines.

Almost as bad, these machines don't meet the requirements for disabled access. For instance, it doesn't support the sip'n'puff interface required by severely disabled. There's also no way for a blind person to verify their ballot (the machine reads back its electronic record, not what's recorded on the paper audit trail).

Our nation has spent billions of dollars for machines that are unreliable, unverifiable, and don't actually satisfy the laws necessitating used to justify their purchase and use.

It's sad.

Especially since there are proven, low-cost alternatives which do permit the disabled to vote in private.

< Two more Ft Lewis Stryker soldiers killed - Cantwell to rally support from veterans | Pam Roach says no nose rings in Sumner! >

Urgently Need Disabled Voters | 7 comments (7 topical)

King County

Just to make the connection... King County bought roughly 500 Diebold AccuVote TSx machines.

They were used for the first time during a special May election. They are being used for this year's primary and general election.

If King County's Executive and Council successfully move us to forced mail voting, these are the machines that will be deployed at the "super poll sites" around the county. (Numbers thrown around thus far are between 9 and 20 sites.)

At that time, our county will have eliminated the both the secret ballot and public vote count. Your only choices as a voter will be a virtual ballot or an insecure mail ballot. (Admittedly, this possible future of voting in King County has a nice symmetry to it.)

by zappini on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 01:30:02 PM PST

* 1 5.00 1 *

Can we simply destroy them by Pen, 08/30/2006 11:56:34 PM PST (5.00 / 1)

Irony

There's an angle here that might not be obvious, so I feel compelled to point it out.

Most disabled people vote absentee.

Therefore, it's very tough to find a disabled person intending to vote at a poll site. Rightly or wrongly, the judge deciding this complaint, as I understand it, wants to know that someone, anyone would be effected by our state's failure to follow the rules in certifying these machines.

Which makes me a bit curious: Why did we buy these machines?

King County spent millions of dollars on expensive, error-prone, untested, and unverifiable electronic voting machines that very few people intend to use. There are low-cost, proven alternatives that enable the disabled to vote in private (e.g. the Vote-PAD and ES&S AutoMark).

It's a curious bit of logic.

We need to buy these machines to meet HAVA requirements.
The machines don't actually meet the requirements.
But that's okay, because no one uses them anyway.

by zappini on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 04:58:11 PM PST

* 2 5.00 1 *

Better question is WHO bought them? by Pen, 08/30/2006 11:58:41 PM PST (5.00 / 1)

counties buys approved by sec of state by m3047, 08/31/2006 07:40:53 AM PST (5.00 / 1)

Zap

From some of what I've read here at the Washblog, you should have no problems finding 'disabled' people who vote.

heh heh ;)

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

by Belltowner on Wed Aug 30, 2006 at 08:39:26 PM PST

* 3 1.00 1 *

Goldmark Campaign

O/T but Golmark campaign newsletter came this morning and he's still shy $15,000 for campaign goal. Please help if you can!

by mainsailset on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 07:25:40 AM PST

* 6 none 0 *

Urgently Need Disabled Voters | 7 comments (7 topical)

RE-ELECT
ALEC FISKEN
Seattle Port Commission

FISKEN'S PORT WATCH
Environmental Issues

REAL CHANGE
HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT PROJECT

PIRATE TELEVISION
Challenging the Corporate Media Blockade

Watch Live or Archived Shows:
Seattle SCAN
South End PSA

Photo courtesy of photographer/thankyoult.org
THANK YOU, LIEUTENANT WATADA

WA PEACE LINKS

ABUSE OF POWER
Inspired by Rob McKenna's Fake Attorney General Letterhead
GIF of Letter

PNW TOPIC HOTLIST

Blog Directory

WELCOME AND FAQ
ABOUT

Login

Make a new account

Recommended Diaries

Political Graphics 101: 34th LD lit deconstructed
As part of my highly opinionated, ruthlessly honest series on political graphics, I zero in on campaign lit from the 34th.
By dinazina (6 comments)
Gulliver's Travels
Jeb Bush came to town today and stopped by to speak with the Microsoft Political Action Committee. Most memorable metaphor on
By BryceM (8 comments)
WA Insurance Commissioner Says: Don't Believe the Hype (Yes on R -67)
Today I received the email copied below from Mike Kreidler, Washington State's Insurance Commissioner. It contrasts interestingly with the letter full
By noemie maxwell (2 comments)
Here in Douglas County who you are still seems to carry a lot of clout.
Commissioner Dane Keane has done it again! This time he has damaged a county vehicle while apparently under the influence. Although
By Dixie (3 comments)
John Edwards In Seattle - Why You Should Be There
Hello everyone. My name is Michael, I live in Puyallup, and this is my first time posting here. I wanted to
By Michael 4 Edwards (14 comments)
West Seattle Neighbors' 9-11 Antiwar newspaper ad
ON 9-11-07, the Robinson newspapers (West Seattle Herald, etc) will display this half-page ad, paid for by West Seattle Neigbors
By dinazina (9 comments)