In New Jersey there is a lawsuit that has been going through the court process since 2004. The complaint asks the State Superior Court to block the use of nearly 8,000 Sequoia Advantage Direct Recording Electronic (DRE touch-screen) because they “cannot be relied upon to protect the fundamental right to vote.” This lawsuit probably played some large part in legislation that required voting machines used in the state to be outfitted with a Voter-verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).
Sequoia Voting Systems has not been able to meet the legislative deadlines, for a VVPAT printer, which have been moved a couple times. In fact only recently it was announced that the legislature may introduce new legislation to repeal the previous legislation. This move would probably have given more strength to the lawsuit.
Now, suddenly, the state has announced that they will require the Sequoia DREs being used in 18 counties to be refitted with VVPAT printers. It seems clear that this move by the Secretary of State is an attempt to make the lawsuit moot. The state will surely argue that because the DREs are refitted with printers there is no need to change to optical-scan technology.
One question that the state and Sequoia must answer though: Is there a printer in development or developed by Sequoia for use on the Advantage? If not, the state continues to be in violation of the law and it seems that they are being aided and abetted in that by Sequoia.
Also there are hints in the Houston media of problems in the vote count last Nov. Look for more on that over the next week or more….
- Featured – NJ: Voting machines to get attachments
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1231479316253250.xml&coll=1 - FL: November Election Costs Broward County Taxpayers a Whopping $8.6 Million: Voting Chief Cites Large Turnout, Switch to Paper Ballots
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/2939777 - IN: Democrats: E-voting machines should print ballot
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090109/LOCAL0104/901090474/1015/LOCAL01 - MN: WSJ says Franken is “manipulating” system, Slate says prove it or shut up
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/01/wsj_says_franke.php - MN: Poll on recount: Coleman should concede
The poll done for KSTP-TV also found that 56 percent of respondents believe that Secretary of State Mark Ritchie did a good job leading the recount effort.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/37334654.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUs - TX: Harris County – Caught on tape: Ex-voter registrar trying to intimidate election judge?
Ballot board chair says Paul Bettencourt ‘crossed the line’
http://www.khou.com/news/local/politics/stories/khou090108_mp_paul-bettencourt-crossed-the-line.8a1d40d.html - TX: Harris County – Voting system glitches buttress call for review
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6201548.html
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