We MUST stop Roy Barnes from taking over the DNC.
As an activist on the issue of electionic voting, I have had some exposure to the ex-Governor of Georgia (Roy Barnes) who brought these machines into our state in 2002.
If you care about solving the electronic voting problem, and stopping it, you must not allow Roy Barnes to take over control of the DNC. Because the moment he does, Diebold and electronic voting become the owners of our party. Let me be specific:
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Shortly after the 2002 debacle in Georgia, I was investigating the specifics of the Diebold contract. Then we discovered
Rob Behler and his account of uncertified software patches. I phoned Roy Barnes at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society to enlist his assistance, the conversation went as follows:
ME: (explaining Rob Behler's account of rigged voting machines)
BARNES: Is this man ready to sign a sworn statement?
ME: He already has.
BARNES: Did you take this story to the national media?
ME: Not yet.
BARNES: Thank you for letting me know.
And he hung up. Click! End of conversation.
As our investigation continued, it became clear that the Georgia Secretary of State (Cathy Cox), the Governor (Roy Barnes) and the Governor's appointee to the Georgia Technology Authority (Larry Singer) had prepared legislation and a presentation (see here and here - both links PDF docs) to the Georgia legislature within 2 months of the Florida 2000 election debacle with the assistance of Diebold. Despite the fact that 53% of Georgia's voters were already using electionic voting (optical scan), and the factual data showing Optical Scan Precinct Count had the lowest error rate of all voting machines in place, Cox, Barnes and Singer convinced the Georgia legislature to replace the voting machines with a statewide DRE system owned by Diebold.
If we allow Roy Barnes to take the chairmanship of the DNC, our concerns about electronic voting will go unaddressed and Mr. Barnes will continue to work against the rights of the voter with Diebold in the seat beside him.
As a candidate for the Circuit Court in the July 20, 2004 Georgia primary, Howard Mead fell victim to Diebold and their shining example of shoddy work - they printed his name as "Thomas Mead" on absentee ballots. Howard was Roy Barnes' legal adviser in 2002 and deeply involved in bringing Diebold to Georgia. In an August 2004, Atlanta Journal Consitition article, Mr. Mead admits Georgia made the wrong choice with these machines:
Take two ballots and call us Nov. 3: A Barnes aide comes down with an expensive case of buyer's remorse
Howard Mead was strolling through the state Capitol the other day. He had an appointment with a photographer -- part of his revived campaign for a seat on the state Court of Appeals. We still don't know when the new election ordered up by the state Supreme Court will be held.
When he's not campaigning or earning a paycheck, Mead often spends time passing on news articles that question the wisdom of electronic voting.
It is strange, because Mead was legal adviser to Gov. Roy Barnes, who in 2002 approved and budgeted the $54 million needed to buy the touch-screen machines, at the request of Secretary of State Cathy Cox.
Mead has a darn simple explanation for the contradiction. "We were wrong," he said. Mead now thinks the state should have held out for a system with a paper-ballot back-up. We're sure Cox will be glad to hear the news.
The Georgia Supreme Court agreed with Mr. Mead in July and overturned that race, forcing it back on the November ballot.
Please help me get this information out to the public to stop Roy Barnes and Diebold.