The Diebold virus is more contagious and deadly to our democracy than any Avian Flu. Please stop the virus from spreading.
Whether you're in California or not, please take a few moments to let CA Sec of State McPherson know we won't get fooled again!
I'm not the best letter writer and figure if I can do it anyone can.
Snips from the email from McPherson's office, his email addy, and my response follow...
Those of us who wrote McPherson last week at the
request of Senator Debra Bowen received a response yesterday from his office.
They are essentially telling us to trust them - that they are aware of the problems and are taking every step possible to address them.
Obviously they are moving ahead with the plan to certify Diebold for the '06 California elections, voter's concerns and demands be damned.
Here's part of the email:
Elections@ss.ca.gov wrote:
Thank you for your e-mail regarding Diebold's OS and TSX equipment and its certification with conditions for the 2006 elections.
Secretary McPherson shares your concern that we have only the most secure, reliable voting systems, ( No...I don't think he does) and he is committed to ensuring the accuracy and integrity of every vote cast. That is why he has established the most stringent requirements for voting systems in the nation.
The recent Diebold certification decision comes after the touch screen and optical scan systems have met the most rigorous federal and state standards. In addition, both the independent panel of experts from the University of California and the federally-approved (Oooh...Federally approved!) Independent Testing Authorities have indicated that the Diebold AccuVote Optical Scan and the AccuVote TSX systems can safely be used for our elections, with the additional security and use procedures we have in place in California.
~ snip ~
Secretary McPherson has established clearly articulated expectations and standards required of voting systems and their vendors so that all who wish to be considered for use in California now know, for the first time, exactly what will be expected of them. (Oh yes, I'll bet they do)
The Secretary remains committed to ensuring the reliability and accuracy of every vote, and that is precisely why he has set such high performance criteria to ensure that the integrity of the vote has been protected. With these qualifications for our voting systems, we believe voters can have confidence in the electoral process and the equipment used to capture their votes. <--( good use of the verb "capture")
Thank you again for your feedback and for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Head Liar for the Office of the Secretary of State
~and here's my response to:
Elections@ss.ca.gov
Dear Secretary McPherson,
Your most recent email trying to make us feel all will be okay with e-voting isn't going to cut it this time.
You have to realize, even without the mainstream media reporting on the hackability of the tabulators, there are enough true patriots in this country who have seen the evidence, know the truth, and have spent the last few years spreading the word. Our numbers grow daily. We will not be fooled again, and we will not stop fighting for our votes to be counted as cast. The basis of our democratic republic depends on it and at this point in time there is nothing more important for us to fight for.
We are aware of who owns these companies that are attempting to monopolize and control our most basic means of democracy. We are aware of the literal criminals who design ballots, write the codes, and shove the machines down our throats. If you are not aware, we have the information to share with you.
If you are so convinced of the honesty and integrity of the companies supplying the e-vote machines, I urge you to force them to testify, under oath to vigorous questioning from experts who have studied and tested the software and memory cards used to count our votes. I urge you to allow public testing and to publish the results for the world to see. We will not just take anyone's word. We are past the point of settling for "trust us."
Show us the proof, sir.
-jen