Ohio Election Fraud (Formerly "Fairness")

New court filing reveals how 2004 Ohio presidential election was hacked ~ Bob Fitrakis, The Free Press

2011-07-21T09:35:00.001-04:00

Good article by Bob Fitrakis in The Free Press:

New court filing reveals how the 2004 Ohio presidential election was hacked
by Bob Fitrakis
July 20, 2011

A new filing in the King Lincoln Bronzeville v. Blackwell case includes a copy of the Ohio Secretary of State election production system configuration that was in use in Ohio's 2004 presidential election when there was a sudden and unexpected shift in votes for George W. Bush.

The filing also includes the revealing deposition of the late Michael Connell. Connell served as the IT guru for the Bush family and Karl Rove. Connell ran the private IT firm GovTech that created the controversial system that transferred Ohio's vote count late on election night 2004 to a partisan Republican server site in Chattanooga, Tennessee owned by SmarTech. That is when the vote shift happened, not predicted by the exit polls, that led to Bush's unexpected victory. Connell died a month and a half after giving this deposition in a suspicious small plane crash.

Additionally, the filing contains the contract signed between then-Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell and Connell's company, GovTech Solutions. Also included that contract a graphic architectural map of the Secretary of State's election night server layout system.

Complete article

My proposed #sxswi panel: "How I became an online grassroots organizer" #sxsw

2010-08-11T12:45:00.002-04:00

My proposed #sxswi panel:

How I Became an Online Grassroots Organizer

http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/view/5953#comment-new

Cliff Arnebeck: "King Lincoln Election Fraud Case Alive and Well in Columbus, Ohio"

2009-08-03T17:10:00.001-04:00

We received this statement from attorney Cliff Arnebeck:

You recently published on your web site a press release from Paddy Shaffer containing various assertions against counsel for the plaintiffs in the King Lincoln case. Paddy's group apparently felt this might be helpful to their effort to persuade the US District Court to change its decision denying their motion to intervene in our case. We responded to those assertions in court.

However, for the information of your readers, our effort continues to be to fully expose the ongoing fraudulent manipulation of our nation's elections. To succeed in this we need the help, not only of our election reform community, but also our nation's investigative press corps and law enforcement agencies--particularly at the national level. The fraud and cover up of the 2004 election was national in scope, and directed by Karl Rove out of the offices of the White House.

-Cliff Arnebeck
Trial Attorney for the Plaintiffs in the King Lincoln case in Columbus, Ohio

OEJC Claims Insiders Cause Collapse of Ohio's Election Fraud Lawsuit

2009-06-15T11:43:00.002-04:00

Report from Paddy Shaffer:

OEJC Claims Insiders Cause Collapse of Ohio's Election Fraud Lawsuit

Citizens' group Ohio Election Justice Campaign (OEJC) calls on media to investigate collapse of Ohio's landmark 2004 election fraud lawsuit; deadline for prosecution for destruction of evidence expires soon.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) June 15, 2009 -- As the deadline for prosecution of election officials looms, Brunner's office has taken no action to investigate the 2004 election or the destruction of key evidence in the landmark 2004 Ohio election fraud lawsuit, King-Lincoln v. Blackwell, 2:06-cv-00745 (S.D. Ohio), according to the Ohio Election Justice Campaign (OEJC).

In a May 2009 blog, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner admitted, "Numerous election activists have reviewed the centrally stored ballots in great detail, some with conclusions that allege wrongdoing." Brunner live blog on May 16, 2009 (Link).

The deadline for prosecution for the destruction of key evidence in the election fraud case will expire in the next few weeks.

As alleged in court documents, a private corporation, The Ohio Association of Election Officials, encouraged the destruction of evidence in violation of federal court order. Motion for Special Grand Jury (pdf). This group will be holding its summer conference June 15-17th, 2009 in Columbus at the Columbus Renaissance Hotel.

SOS Brunner is hosting this conference, entitled "Election Officials Summer Conference and Trade Show." In Ohio's current tight budget, the SOS office will not give costs for conference hosting.

The OEJC, a citizens' group, believes the problematic history of activities among Brunner, local officials, and the attorneys for the plaintiffs indicate a concerted effort to a) avoid a speedy trial against the State, b) destroy evidence, and c) protect the officials that committed the wrongdoing.

Members of OEJC say for over two years, the press, including the progressive media, has virtually avoided this aspect of the story. Curiously, media outlets that broke the story of the stolen 2004 election have been silent on the collapse of the election fraud lawsuit. One of these outlets, the Columbus Free Press, is controlled by an attorney in this case.

OEJC also believes the attorneys, including lawyer/lobbyist Clifford O. Arnebeck, Jr., who for years claimed to be protecting the records, are failing to take steps to prevent ongoing destruction of evidence.

OEJC member Mark Brown said, "At best, Arnebeck and his associates are providing useful distractions to cover up the wide net of perpetrators. If the Ohio election were investigated, it could pull down the legitimacy of the United States for those four years of the stolen presidential term. Just as with our banking crisis, the media will not pay attention until it is too late."

For more information, visit "Resolve It or Relive It: A Summary of Ohio's Unresolved 2004 Election Fraud Lawsuit".

###

Contact Information
Paddy Shaffer
Ohio Election Justice Campaign
http://electiondefensealliance.org/OEJC
614-266-5283

Ohio Hardball and Lost Ballots: Democrats May Lose Big with Brunner Senate Bid

2009-03-26T23:08:00.003-04:00

Report by Ohio election activist Paddy Shaffer

Ohio Hardball and Lost Ballots: Democrats May Lose Big with Brunner Senate Bid

"Democracy is mocked by the Senate candidacy of the chief elections official, Jennifer Brunner, who did absolutely nothing about the massive defiance by the 58 county election boards that lost or destroyed the legally mandated records of the 2004 presidential election. Some champion of democracy, some Democrat." — Michael Collins

Brunner promised a fair and open elections program if elected. She was tested early. When a federal judge ordered the collection of 2004 presidential ballots from Ohio County election boards, 58 of 88 failed to return some to all of their ballots.

This was a prime time opportunity for Brunner to open up an investigation into the sorry state of Ohio elections. What did she do? She offered this statement shortly after hearing of the lost ballots.

"If I had evidence of a cover-up, I would investigate," Brunner said. "For me, the bigger question in 2004 was, 'How many people were prevented from voting,' (something) you can't quantify."
— Jennifer Brunner, Cincinnati Enquirer, Aug 12, 2007

Brunner was never asked to explain how she could have any "evidence" without an investigation.

More:

http://www.apj.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2292&Itemid=2

GOP witness to 2004 Ohio election events dies under suspicious circumstances

2008-12-23T16:53:00.002-05:00

Report from "Raw Story":

GOP consultant killed in plane crash was warned of sabotage
John Byrne, David Edwards and Stephen Webster
Published: Monday December 22, 2008

The Republican consultant accused of involvement in alleged vote-rigging in Ohio in 2004 was warned that his plane might be sabotaged before his death in a crash Friday night, according to a Cleveland CBS affiliate.

45-year-old Republican operative Michael Connell was killed when his single-passenger plane crashed Friday into a home in a suburb of Akron, Ohio (PREVIOUS REPORT). The consultant was called to testify in federal court regarding a lawsuit alleging that he took part in tampering with Ohio's voting results in the 2004 election.

Without getting into specific details, 19 Action News reporter Blake Renault reported Sunday evening that 45-year-old Republican operative and experienced pilot had been warned not to fly his plane in the days before the crash.

Complete article

Democracy Now reports on vote-switching in West Virginia

2008-10-22T17:44:00.001-04:00

From "Democracy Now" with Amy Goodman.

WV Voting Machines Switch Votes from Obama to McCain

Early voting in the presidential election has already begun in many states, and problems are already emerging at the polls. In West Virginia, voters in at least two counties using touchscreen voting machines have claimed their votes were switched from Democrat to Republican. Six voters reported having this problem in Jackson and Putnam Counties. In both counties, Republicans are responsible for overseeing elections. One voter, a retired nurse named Shelba Ketchum, said, "I hit Obama, and it switched to McCain. I am really concerned about that. If McCain wins, there was something wrong with the machines.” Election officials blamed voters for not being more careful. Both counties use machines made by Election Systems & Software.

New song by Gary Polvinale about Ohio election fraud, "In Ohio"

2008-10-14T19:23:00.004-04:00

Gary Polvinale, who was one of the heroes in getting the word out, and documenting, what happened in Ohio in 2004, has written a new song, "In Ohio", performed by "Madog Pavanelli & the Virtual Country Boys", available for free on his website. This word from Gary:

3 T I M E S I N O H I O

Ohio's Presidential Election was a fraud in 2000 and 2004. Care to go for three? They can. They control the elections. That'll be three times Ohio handed over the country. What about the current insane financial devastation? With that, George Bush can cross the last task off his "to screwup" list. Congress and the major candidates don't even want to get it. Wall street most surely gets it - and keeps on getting it. Meanwhile people are losing their homes, jobs and savings. We need to hold them all accountable and stop all this. In Ohio, the poster child for stolen elections... does Main Street really care??

Madog Pavanelli & the Virtual Country Boys light out after Main Street in our new song .... "In Ohio".

"In Ohio" is freely available for use by others in films, documentaries, live performances, radio and CD's. Interested parties email Gary Polvinale: garypcd@madogmusic.com

Go here to listen and for your free download: www.madogmusic.com

This music tells an important story. Copy and distribute freely.

-Gary Polvinale

Dorothy Fadiman invites the public to make free downloads of "Stealing America: Vote by Vote"

2008-10-14T11:55:00.009-04:00

The new feature documentary
STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote
will be available online
beginning October 21st

FREE to view, FREE to download!
"STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote does for American democracy what An
Inconvenient Truth did for global warming."
-FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
_________________________

Why is this film a "must see"?
Inaccurate vote counts, illegal purging,
improbable machine errors, and more
have led millions of people to believe
that recent national elections were stolen.

Look at the evidence in this film
and decide for yourself:

Will the 2008
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
be stolen?
___________

Watch
STEALING AMERICA
Vote by Vote
by OSCAR-nominated,
EMMY-winning filmmaker
Dorothy Fadiman
Narrated by Peter Coyote
www.stealingamericathemovie.org

___________________
It's not too late!
Everyone can still take action
to make a difference.

Election reform groups to join,
actions to take, and other resources:
GO TO www.stealingamerica.org/getactive

Get started!

* Send this announcement to others

* Invite friends to watch with you

* Look at discussion points online at

www.stealingamerica.org/DiscussionPoints.html

BROACAST OPTIONS!

Would you like to show STEALING AMERICA on
PBS, Cable Access or Community TV stations?

Any person or entity who wishes to broadcast
STEALING AMERICA (starting October 21) can do so.
We will send you a free DVD,
plus whatever permissions you require.
Write to:
info@concentric.org
For immediate inquiries:
650-568-4340

To order DVDs for personal use
GO TO: www.stealingamericathemovie.org/order_dvd.html

Forward this message to a friend

Places for commentary & discussion:
News from Underground
Digg
Slashdot "Firehose"
BlogNetNews.com/Ohio
BuzzFlash

Urgent: On the Ground Citizen Journalists Needed in Ohio to "Video the Vote": Free Flip Camera for Each Citizen Journalist

2008-10-01T11:40:00.004-04:00

We have just learned from Rachel Sterne of the great worldwide citizen journalism site, GroundReport.com, that, through the "Video Your Vote" project sponsored by YouTube, they are looking for people in states other than California and New York to video their vote this Election Day, in exchange for a free, brand new Flip camera.

If you're interested please immediately contact Rachel by email with the following information:

Your:

1. Name
2. Email address
3. Phone #
4. City/State

Immediate response would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

-Ray

"Stealing America" Now Available on DVD

2008-09-20T11:38:00.002-04:00

The film STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote
by OSCAR-nominated, EMMY-winning
filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman,
IS NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD
($5 a copy/$50 a dozen)

Narrated by Peter Coyote, STEALING AMERICA presents a gripping narrative about our current electoral crisis in America. The facts are compelling and meticulously accurate. (See quotes from the media below.) The film, which reveals the vulnerability of our democracy, ends with a call to action.

ORDER YOURS NOW and SEND COPIES TO EVERYONE EVERYWHERE At $5 each, you can keep one for your personal use, and send others to the media, your elected officials -- local, state, and federal – people you know who teach at high schools or universities, to your relatives and friends all over the country!

We invite you to use it for private screenings, as a resource within your community, and/or as a fundraiser for your organization!

Start arranging grassroots screenings today.
* homes
* conferences
* churches/temples
* community centers
* classrooms/university campuses

You can share responsibility by partnering with another group, e.g., ACLU, Sierra Club, PTA, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, a union, professional organization, etc. You might plan to hold a discussion after the screening. Audiences are stunned when the film ends; they want to talk and THEY WANT TO ACT.

View the trailer: www.StealingAmericaTheMovie.org To order by PayPal (up to 9 copies) go to: http://concentric.org/dgcCart/order.html
To order DVDs by check (or to order more than 9) , write to info@concentric.org.
See the Take Action website: www.StealingAmericaTheMovie.org/GetActive

REVIEWS & ARTICLES

FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL
"Stealing America: Vote by Vote does for American democracy what An Inconvenient Truth did for global warming."
http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/reviews/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003834546

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"This tersely sobering documentary...mounts its case with hardheaded numerical logic."
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20216046,00.html

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER " Every vote counts, but is every vote counted?
Stealing America' is the year's scariest movie"
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/columns/e3i074bfb9c1a9902f74c3b2eeec0bb10d2

SF BAY GUARDIAN
"The scariest movie of 2008 so far is, quite possibly, Dorothy Fadiman's Stealing America: Vote by Vote"
http://www.sfbg.com/printable_entry.php?entry_id=7060

METRO SANTA CRUZ
"Dorothy Fadiman's 'Stealing America: Vote by Vote,' shows that dangling chads are the least of our problems"
http://www.metrosantacruz.com/metro/09.10.08/film-stealingamerica-0837.html

THE ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY "Two great films on election protection are making the rounds...make sure you see them before it's too late!...ask yourself how often a good documentary on a very timely national issue makes it into a "real" movie theater?"
http://afd-e-news.blogspot.com/2008/09/reminder-two-great-films-on-election.html

EPOCH TIMES
"Stealing America seems to hit the core of our sense of democracy and the values we hold true as Americans."
http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/stealing-america-vote-by-vote-3543.html

BOSTON HERALD
"The American ideal that every vote counts? Not true, according to this eye-opening documentary"
http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1115699

BOSTON PHOENIX "Stealing America Something to infuriate everyone...Watching Stealing America, you wonder whether even the election of 2008 isn't a foregone conclusion."
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Movies/67070-STEALING-AMERICA-VOTE-BY-VOTE/

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER "Vote fraud, crumbling democracy's bedrock...
persuasive documentary...makes the point that rigged elections are antithetical to everything this country stands for."
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/steven_rea/20080822_Vote_fraud__crumbling_democracy_s_bedrock.html

LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Stealing America documentary explores whether every vote really counted in 2004."
http://www.stealingamericathemovie.org/LATimes.html

OP ED NEWS BRUNWASSER
"...thanks to Fadiman's artful efforts, we can clearly see what was meant to remain hidden...STEALING AMERICA is a reasoned argument, a cry from the heart, and a call to action. It cannot and should not be ignored."
http://www.opednews.com/articles/-Stealing-America-Vote-By-by-Joan-Brunwasser-080811-231.html

FLICK FILOSOPHER
"…throwing elections is nothing new, a point the film doesn't shy from making: what is new is the ease with which it is being done, the scale on which it is happening, and the so-far near-absolute apathy with which it is being greeted by the electorate… any concerned citizen should be outraged."
http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2008/08/stealing_america_vote_by_vote.html

POLITICO.COM
"No recent film comes closer to showing the horrifying potential glitches in the electoral process...a must-see for anyone interested in the future of democracy and the ugly truth behind voting irregularities"
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/12152.html

Advance Tickets go on sale for "Stealing America : Vote by Vote" premier at Quad Cinema in New York City, August 1st to August 7th

2008-07-29T16:28:00.003-04:00

Advance tickets for the August 1st to August 7th showings of "Stealing America : Vote by Vote" at the Quad Cinema in New York City can now be purchased online at:

MovieTickets.com

and

MovieFone.com

"Stealing America : Vote by Vote", Dorothy Fadiman film, premiers in New York August 1st

2008-07-14T20:23:00.012-04:00

Well, being a New Yorker, I am honored that our fair city gets to host the historic opening of "Stealing America: Vote by Vote", the feature length documentary by award-winning filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman, which details the stealing of our country, including the Ohio 2004 election.

Be there.

-R.B.

********

*********

LINKS

Schedule for upcoming showings
(New York, California, Washington, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Texas)

Quad Cinema

Link to printable *pdf flyer

***How you can help:***
1. Come see the film at the Quad Cinema!
2. Spread the word to others that this is a 'must-see' film.
3. Sign up to table in the theatre lobby to hand out our election reform
information and, if you wish, material from your own organization. For
information on tabling, email: info@concentric.org
4. Rent a theatre to hold a private screening or benefit. For information on
scheduling a screening, email: stealingamerica@gmail.com
5. Purchase tickets for small groups at a reduced rate. For information on group
ticket sales, email: stealingamerica@gmail.com

Report from Ohio Election Justice Campaign

2008-05-20T09:22:00.002-04:00

Ohio Election Justice Campaign asks for Ohio Inspector General's powers to be expanded from investigating Attorney General, and look at the Auditor of State also.

By Paddy Shaffer
Director, The Ohio Election Justice Campaign

May 19, 2008

A beautiful spring morning in Ohio was the backdrop for an OEJC press conference. Much of our topic revolves around the 2004 election theft in Ohio, which happened on a cold rainy day. Spring brings new hope, and that is what we have, new hope that the election fraud will finally be addressed.

The press conference centered around two letters that we delivered today. The first was provided to reporters and went to the statehouse. It is addressed to the Ohio General Assembly, and asks these members to broaden the powers of the Ohio Inspector General, Thomas P. Charles to follow the election fraud issues, in particular the destruction of election records issue to the office of the Auditor of State. Our Ohio Attorney General just resigned, while threatened with impeachment and an ongoing investigation into the problems in his office. The below letter was delivered to all 99 Representatives of the Ohio House, and to all 32 Ohio Senators today. It was taken to their offices and was to be put in their mailboxes. It was put in the mailboxes of all the Statehouse Correspondents, which are the media.

A second letter was delivered to the office of the Ohio Inspector General. His ability to look into the Attorney General is not normally allowed by Ohio Law. The legislature made and exception for this scandal. We are asking that he look into the election fraud issue at the Attorney General's office also, the involvement of past and current employees of that office, and the obvious cover up we have found. This appears at both the Attorney General's office, and at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation which is under the AG office. We want this looked at, while he is looking at the sex scandal, and multiple mismanagement issues. This actually is rather important in the scope of things. We were told it typically takes 2 to 3 weeks for a response.

Thanks to Progress Ohio for hosting our press conference.

Thanks to Peace General Bruce for his video, editing, and posting work. Thanks to those who assisted you to get this done.

Video of the Press Conference is available in 9 minute segments at:

OEJC Mark Dan resignation press conference 5/19/08 part 1

OEJC Mark Dan resignation press conference 5/19/08 part 2

OEJC Mark Dan resignation press conference 5/19/08 part 3

It is in three segments. Please share them. The titles may be changing to better reflect the subject. If this changes the link, I'll resend them.

The first article we have found on this is available at this link and has a place to comment under it. Please for those of you who can, do comment. As Tuesday is likely to be the day we will get a variety of coverage, I'll send out the links to the articles we find. Hopefully many reporters spent this beautiful spring day writing about the beautiful changes that could happen in Ohio if we could get this cold ugly election theft issue resolved.

This is the letter to the Ohio General Assembly.

___________________________________________________________

The Ohio Election Justice Campaign

The Ohio General Assembly
Jon Husted
Ohio State Representative District 37, House Speaker
Ray Miller
Ohio State Senator District 15, Minority Leader

May 19, 2008

Dear Members of the 2007-2008 Ohio General Assembly:

The Ohio Election Justice Campaign asks that you expand the investigative powers of Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles to extend beyond the office of the Ohio Attorney General. In our efforts to resolve the needed investigation and prosecution of Ohio election fraud issues that have effected both Ohio and this nation, we have found that the office of the Ohio Attorney General and its Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification appear to be involved in a cover-up.

We further ask that Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles be given the power to extend his investigation into the office of the Ohio Auditor of State (AOS). We ask that you allow the Inspector General to look at the links that run from the office of the Ohio Attorney General into the AOS and SOS in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Ohio election fraud issues.

As the Ohio General Assembly has self-righteously and boldly led the effort to take a critical look at former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, the scandals and cover-ups in his office by himself and other of his employees, we ask that you really look at it all. Open the can of worms. See what is in it. Allow and encourage the Inspector General to investigate all those who promoted, enabled, or ignored and therefore allowed election fraud to happen in Ohio. This had the potential to be the most important investigation Marc Dann could have done, with the biggest impact. He neglected that duty. Why? Who was involved?

Why does the current Ohio Auditor of State Mary Taylor allow the destruction of state and federal records? What part did former Auditor of State Betty Montgomery play during the destruction of millions of ballots that were under litigation hold, that were protected by federal court order, and that had been represented by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office under Mr. Petro as safe to two separate federal court judges?

Forty-six counties destroyed their unvoted ballots. Some did this before the Presidential election was even certified on January 6, 2005. Of great concern is the destruction of all or part of the 2004 election record by 56 of the 88 Ohio counties. Yet Clermont County was still destroying additional protected records and as recently as July 2007. Board of Elections Director Mike Keeley signed that he destroyed protected poll books and tally sheets for the 2004 election. These have a six-year record retention schedule.

The destruction of these records violates numerous federal and state laws. The Ohio AOS is responsible for the maintenance of these records and oversees their retention and destruction. Yet nothing has been done to either preserve them or halt the continuing destruction. Why? These records belong to the people of Ohio. Who will enforce our laws? The Auditor of State’s office has been notified. I was told by the Auditor of State’s office that the laws are “self-enforcing.”

At this time you have given Inspector General Thomas P. Charles the authority to look at the Attorney General’s office. We ask that in the badly managed issue of the AG office in the case of the 2004 election fraud, you enlarge the Inspector General’s powers to follow the trails to another state agency. Let him look at the current office holders, and the last office holders also. Look at the obvious cover-up by current staff, the destruction of public records, the alleged election law violators still running our Ohio elections.

Thank you for your consideration of this important issue. If we need to submit a more formal request to enlarge the authority of the Inspector General, kindly advise us on the proper procedure. We would also welcome the opportunity to present our evidence in more detail to the Oho General Assembly, and we respectfully request a written response to this request.

Sincerely,

The Ohio Election Justice Campaign

Paddy Shaffer
Director, The Ohio Election Justice Campaign
(614) 266-5283
paddy@columbus.rr.com

Victoria Parks, OEJC
Mark Brown, Congressional Policy Forum, OEJC
Dan Stanton, OEJC

Blackwell is subpoenaed by House Judiciary Committee

2008-02-28T00:50:00.002-05:00

J. Kenneth Blackwell has been subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee, reports OMB Watch:

Congressional Hearings Examine Election Issues

The House Judiciary Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee passed a resolution, with a 6-4 vote, authorizing a subpoena to former Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell for testimony about the 2004 election. On January 29, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) wrote a letter to Blackwell to "explore the state of voting rights and the allocation of resources to end voter suppression and voter fraud," but he has refused to appear voluntarily. The Associated Press quoted Conyers; "Mr. Ken Blackwell, wherever you are in North America today, please know that we are not sending the gendarme for you this moment," said Conyers. "I do not like to issue subpoenas. ... The only problem is we can never reach him."

Complete article

Announcement : Richard Hayes Phillips book on 2004 Ohio election fraud coming out next month

2008-02-08T10:34:00.000-05:00

Announcement by Richard Hayes Phillips:

The finished manuscript of my long-awaited book --
Witness to a Crime: A Citizens’ Audit of an American
Election -- has gone to the printer. The book will be
hardcover, with a dust jacket. The manuscript is 448
pages, 6” x 9”, including Table of Contents, Glossary
and Index.
In addition there will be eight color plates with
two photographs each, and a CD with 1200 digital
images of actual ballots, poll books, voter signature
books, and other forensic evidence from the 2004
presidential election in Ohio.
The retail cost to the purchaser, including
packaging and postage, will be between $25 and $30,
depending upon the final cost to me. Once the product
is received, and the retail price is known, I will be
accepting credit card payments. During the month of
February only, I will accept personal checks, as they
will have time to clear before the book is actually
available.
Anyone interested in making advance orders for the
book should send $30 per copy, via personal check,
bank check, or money order, to the address below. The
final cost is expected to be less than $30, and I will
be happy to refund the difference. If you wish to
consider the difference to be a donation to the cause,
feel free to say so. Please make all checks payable
to Fisher Street Ventures.
The advantage to you is that advance orders will be
filled before the book is formally announced on the
worldwide web. Please allow 7 to 10 days for
delivery.
Attached is the text of the dust jacket flaps for
the book, being the most concise description of its
contents.

Richard Hayes Phillips
4 Fisher Street
Canton, NY 13617
(315) 379-0820
richardhayesphillips@yahoo.com

ENDORSEMENTS:

Richard Hayes Phillips worked day and night for three
years compiling irrefutable evidence of how the
Republicans stole the 2004 presidential race in Ohio.
This landmark investigation is a testament to what
private citizens can accomplish when government
officials fail to protect our right to vote and to
count those votes as cast. Every American –
Republican and Democrat – should read this book, and
join the fight for democracy’s most fundamental right.

-- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The experience of the investigators in Ohio shows all
of us how to figure out if, and how, and where ballot
tampering and ballot substitution can take place –
whether at the polls, or during transportation of the
ballots, or after their arrival at a central location.

-- Bev Harris, Founder, Black Box Voting

BuzzFlash Interviews David Earnhardt, director of film "Uncounted"

2008-01-30T13:29:00.001-05:00

Recommended reading, BuzzFlash interview with David Earnhardt, director of new film "Uncounted":

A BUZZFLASH INTERVIEW

For me, it's quite simple. I was appalled at what I'd seen in the 2004 election ...

-- David Earnhardt, Director of Uncounted

* * *

First of all, BuzzFlash wants to commend all those Americans who are working to ensure that every citizen can vote -- and that every vote is properly counted.

Since the debacle of the Florida vote in 2000, there has been a growing movement to ensure voting rights. It involves the unacceptable role of proprietary electronic voting machines (owned in large part by Republican affiliated corporations); the suppression of voting rights (think "Jim Crow" voter "identification cards"); and equal access to voting precincts, among other issues.

It's a complicated and long-term challenge to ensure that the legal right of "one person/one vote" is enforced -- and that a vote count accurately reflects the votes cast. Given the large number of issues involved, the voter advocacy community has, at times, disagreed about some of the potential solutions, particularly when it comes to electronic voting machines.

As for BuzzFlash, we believe that if there is not a count of paper ballots to audit any electronic total, then there is no possibility of ensuring an accurate vote count. We also believe that no private corporations should own any proprietary software that is not completely transparent. Unless one can count paper ballot "trails" (which can be thought of as "receipts,") there is always room for monkey business. (In fact, having publicly owned electronic voting machines that produce printed ballots that can be reviewed and checked for accuracy by the voter allows for cross-matching totals to ensure a correct count. Remember that paper ballots alone can also be abused. That's how the term "stuffing the ballot box" came into being.)

All of this leads us into recommending Uncounted, an excellent, informative documentary about the broad range of election integrity issues that confront us as a nation. Uncounted distills the most important problems confronting advocates for allowing every eligible voter to cast a ballot -- and then making sure that the ballots are accurately counted.

We were delighted to interview David Earnhardt, who produced, directed and wrote Uncounted.
* * *

BuzzFlash: We've seen your film, Uncounted, The New Math of American Elections. Your film is exceptional in how it presents a narrative about what is really quite a complex issue to follow. What motivated you to undertake a film like this on the voting issue, let alone distribute it on your own, show it around the country on your own?

David Earnhardt: For me, it's quite simple. I was appalled at what I'd seen in the 2004 election, and then, coupled that with, after the election was over and after Kerry conceded, watching the media just go away. From a mainstream media standpoint, there was no looking into many of the problems that had been observed on Election Day.

There was lots of great work going on on the Internet. There was great investigating going on in Ohio and New Mexico, from the legal standpoint, from the alternative journalistic standpoint. But in terms of the mainstream media, it did not exist. I was just naïve enough to be shocked. I just could not believe it. I thought we'd sort of fallen into a parallel universe.

And for me, like a lot of people, the 2004 election felt like a very important election. It felt like the stakes were very high. We closed down our office that day. Many of us wanted to go out and get involved, door to door, to encourage people to vote. My wife and I did that kind of thing for the first time. And I was struck by several interactions I had in a neighborhood that we were in.

It was a fairly low economic neighborhood. When I knocked on the door -- and this happened on three or four different occasions -- I would encourage people to get out and vote. The sentiment was something to the effect -- different forms of this - look, I'm not going to vote. This is not for me. This is not anything that has to do with me. They've already decided who's going to win. It's that kind of language. I'm saying, no, no, no, that's what they want you to do -- not go out and vote. You've got to get out there. You've got to. It was that kind of interaction.

I realized later that I was the naïve one. There was a certain truth in there that I was missing, and it upset me. I thought: my gosh, we really don't take this right very seriously. So I went to work. I went to work immediately and started studying everything I could. I decided, I'm going to find everything I can, and at least consider doing a documentary. Eventually I had enough material to where we could pull the trigger and say let's keep going. Let's do something on this. Let's try to get this issue out there.

Complete interview

Blackwell invited by House Judiciary Committee to testify on Ohio 2004 election

2008-01-30T12:39:00.000-05:00

The House Judiciary Committee has extended an invitation to J. Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio's former Secretary of State, and the chief architect of voter suppression and disenfranchisement in the Ohio 2004 election, to testify at a hearing in Washington on February 8, 2008, on the 2004 election.

"Uncounted" Goes on Tour: Starts Sacramento and Oakland, CA

2008-01-09T11:29:00.000-05:00

The national tour of the film "Uncounted" starts in Sacramento and Oakland, California, January 15th and 17th. Details here.

Disenfranchisement in Shaker Heights, democratic district, by refusal to provide provisional ballots to voters turned away

2008-01-04T18:05:00.000-05:00

I was working as a MoveOn coordinator for the Shaker Heights polling center at Woodbury Elementry School in the 2004 election. I was 14 at the time and was barred from the polls, and as a MoveOn member, I wasn't allowed within 100 feet of the entrance, thus the only evidence I have is from other people.

Early in the morning, a large line formed outside the polling place- about a 3 hour wait to vote.

The problem supposedly lay in a zoning regulation.

The way the Shaker Heights School District is set up, students are admitted from areas of Cleveland bordering Shaker Heights. Apparently this caused a problem with voting on taxes- the poll workers would not elaborate on this for me, and the voters who were turned away were unsure as well.

The big problem, however, is that the poll workers *refused* to give out provisional ballots for those whose voting elegibility was in question, and instead, turned them away after a lengthy wait.

Most of those turned away tried to vote at another polling place, only to be told to return to Shaker, where they were again denied the ability to vote.

It should be noted that Shaker Heights - indeed, the Greater Cleveland area - is one of the most strongly Democratic areas in Ohio.

~Cyrus O. Taylor

Cuyahoga Election Results 2000-2005 Web Page Not Operating?!

2007-12-22T11:08:00.001-05:00

The link to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections web page which contained information about the election results in Cuyahoga County for the period 2000-2005 is no longer operating.

Here is the link:

http://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/BOE/results/history.htm

It had been posted here.

We hope that Ohio activists will be in touch with the Cuyahoga board of elections to find out where this information can be located online.

Ohio Secretary of State will be looking into 2004 "Warren County Lockdown"

2007-12-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports, based upon an in-depth interview of Ohio's Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, by Brad Friedman in Brad Blog, that Ms. Brunner will be "look[ing] into the situation".

"Uncounted" Premieres to Sellout Crowd in Nashville, Tennessee

2007-11-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

We received this release from "Uncounted". Please pass it along to election reform activists:

Planning Nationwide Tour in Partnership with Local Election Integrity Groups

CONTACT: Glenna Johnson, Glenna@ep-video.com

NASHVILLE, TN (November 12, 2007) – UNCOUNTED: The New Math of American Elections premiered last night to a sellout crowd of nearly 400 at the historic Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee. The film’s producers are making immediate plans to book a return engagement at the Belcourt and are planning similar events across the country.

UNCOUNTED documents in startling and factual ways how the illegal and unethical tactics used to steal elections in recent years threaten the rights of voters in the upcoming 2008 presidential election.

The event was sponsored by Common Cause of Tennessee and Gathering To Save Our Democracy – two local groups lobbying the state of Tennessee to get rid of paperless electronic voting machines in the state. Both groups were ecstatic about the response to the UNCOUNTED premiere.

"We were delighted we attracted this many people to our event on a Monday night," said Gathering to Save Our Democracy spokesperson, Thelma Kidd. "Now, more people than ever know about the work we are doing – and why paperless electronic voting machines are a problem for our state."

The film had a follow-up panel discussion that featured members from Gathering to Save Our Democracy.

"Most of the audience stayed for the panel discussion that followed the film – and it was a lively and informative discussion," said Kidd. "I think UNCOUNTED explains the issue in a way that helps people understand why protecting our vote is so critical. By the end of the night, people were coming up to me asking, "What can I do to help?’ "
UNCOUNTED producer/director, David Earnhardt, is forming partnerships with election integrity groups across the country, inviting them to sponsor screenings with follow-up panel discussions in their cities as a way to bring focus and attract new people to the issues they are fighting for.

"There are hundreds of election integrity groups, most of them formed since the 2004 election, doing amazing work fighting for fair elections," said Earnhardt. "But it is so difficult for most of them to attract large numbers of people to their cause. It’s not an easy issue to explain. Our film offers a way for grassroots groups to reach new people in their communities."

Earnhardt said he is encouraging local election integrity groups to sponsor screenings when interest in elections is high – during the upcoming state presidential primaries, most of which will be held in January and February 2008. On February 5 alone, 24 states are having their presidential primaries– the most ever on a single day.

"We hope to go to all 50 states with our film during the next twelve months," said Earnhardt. "The stakes have never been higher for us to repair our election system as quickly as possible before the 2008 Election."

To contact the filmmakers about having a screening in your city: http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/screenings.html
For more information about Gathering to Save Our Democracy, go to www.VoteSafeTN.org.
PURCHASE DVD: www.UncountedTheMovie.com/order-the-dvd.html
PROMOTIONAL TRAILER: http://UncountedTheMovie.com/trailer.html
WEBSITE: www.UncountedTheMovie.com
PRESS KIT: http://UncountedTheMovie.com/press.html
CONTACT FILMMAKER: David@ep-video.com

Community Leaders' Forum, Sunday, November 11th, 12:45 PM, Columbus, Ohio

2007-11-09T09:18:00.001-05:00

Community Leader's Forum

Topic: Remembering November 2, 2004: Election Justice Issues in Ohio

Date: Sunday, November 11th, 2007

Time: 12:45 p.m.

Place: First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road,
Columbus, Ohio

Contact: Earl Wurdlow, earlword@yahoo.com, 614-296-6304

The November 2, 2004 election in Ohio had profound results on our globe, our
nation, our state, and our community here in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus is
now nearly synonymous with election issues. Despite the passage of time,
many election issues from 2004 remain unresolved, while new ones have
surfaced from the 2006 election. On the third anniversary of the election
that changed the nation, come hear from people who are seeking election
justice before and in preparation for the next election.

Info re 2004 Warren County Board of Elections Lockdown

2007-11-08T11:04:00.001-05:00

Preplanned fake Warren County Board of Elections Lockdown in Ohio, November 2, 2004, during the tabulation of the ballots.

Please put the below article by Erica Solvig of the Cincinnati Enquirer in your Warren County files (assuming you are now going to have one). Study, print it off and share it generously with many, write about it, investigate further, and put it in your list of things you can talk about.
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/11/05/loc_warrenvote05.html

This is part of The Ohio Election Justice Campaign's work to educate the state, the nation, and the world on what happened in Ohio's elections.

This is the link to Warren County's Emergency Services Director Frank Young, mentioned in the article: http://www.co.warren.oh.us/emergencyservices/

There is an Election Educational Program event at the First Unitarian Universalists Church at 93 W. Weisheimer Road this Sunday, 11-11-2007. There will be ongoing training of many people, media, politicians, and law enforcement on many different election stories, and providing these people with the accompanying documents to support the citizens investigation to date. The goal is to have an actual legal investigation and some prosecution of violations of Ohio election laws. Many story tellers will be needed to accomplish educating many people on the real history of Ohio. Please attend.

If you are someone interested in becoming a speaker or writer for The Ohio Election Justice Campaign, please contact us and let us know. Many will be needed. Donations to fund our work are needed also. Information and tax deductible contributions can be made at: http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/OEJC and for further information go to http://www.wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com/oejc.html

November 11th Meeting in Worthington, Ohio

2007-11-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

Sunday at 12:45 p.m. on November 11, 2007 at the First Unitarian Universalists Church, in Worthington, Ohio, we begin our Election Education Program. We start teaching the story tellers, and others interested in knowing Ohio's recent history. We will be providing the documentation of the citizen investigated election crimes, that many will have it. All are welcome to join us! Please RSVP at the below email for Paddy if you can come, or to join our effort.
For information and to donate to help us: http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/OEJC
and for more information: http://www.wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com/oejc.html

Know that some of the people that destroyed the now missing 2004 ballots, are some of the same people now involved in the taxpayer funded 1.8 million dollar testing of Ohio's voting machines now ongoing by the Ohio Secretary of State. We will discuss this, and more on Sunday.

Make it a Powerful Day,

Paddy Shaffer
Director, The Ohio Election Justice Campaign
paddy@columbus.rr.com
(614) 761-0621

Memo from Paddy Shaffer

2007-11-07T11:44:00.000-05:00

This is very powerful video from the November 2, 2007 Three Year Memorial Anniversary of the Theft of the 2004 Presidential election. The Ohio Election Justice Campaign hosted this mournful event.

The Eulogy and the Funeral Procession to the Franklin County Board of Elections, the Ohio Secretary of State, and the Ohio Attorney General's office buildings are contained within. Here is the link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5764871517737283753&hl=en

Over 350,000 Ohioans did not get to vote in 2004.

Many thanks to Peace General Bruce Duncanson for his documentary photography for this coverage. Thanks and God Bless these patriotic activists, my friends, these members of The Ohio Election Justice Campaign and of the public that joined us November day.

Please share this with others that are interested in restoring the rule of law, and honest elections to the United States, especially the state of Ohio. This is a sad but important part of American history.

"Quarantine that Machine" announced for the first time, a plan to empower the voters of this nation to have any machine that appears to be behaving in a criminal manner during an election (example vote hopping), to be pulled from the election, not chanced or tampered with by poll workers, treated as a piece of a criminal investigation, picked up by law enforcement, not returned to the local county election officials until an investigation of said machine has been done by certified investigators. The voter would be encouraged to file a police report, and to follow up with election integrity groups and report the incident, and get them a copy of the police report. The Ohio Election Justice Campaign is interested in collecting these reports, and would appreciate any group that is given such a report to also submit a report to us.

For more information, and to donate to The Ohio Election Justice Campaign go to:
http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/OEJC

and further information is available at:

http://www.wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com/oejc.html

Sincerely Concerned,

Paddy Shaffer
Director, The Ohio Election Justice Campaign
paddy@columbus.rr.com
(614) 761-0621

Ohio Election Videos

2007-11-07T10:06:00.000-05:00

General Bruce here: To log in these news story videos...

O.E.J.C."Ohio Election Justice Campaign" at Ohio State House for Funeral over HONEST ELECTIONS and on to Franklin County BOE then to Ohio Secretary of States office with a final stop at the Ohio Attorney Generals door. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5764871517737283753&hl=en

Members and friends of the O.E.J.C. "Ohio Election Justice Campaign" gathered for a wake over the loss of HONEST ELECTIONS at Victorians Midnight Cafe in Columbus, Ohio, USA.http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-736920594271384767&hl=en

Victoria (Victrola) Parks Sang "This is my Democracy" at the wake for HONEST ELECTIONS held at Victorians Midnight Cafe in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2257722270541165551&hl=en

Ohio Voting Rights Day>Panel discussion
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2578837481414455716&hl=en

Ohio Voting Rights Day >Jeniffer Brunner's talk
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1185923019322179186&hl=en

Ohio's S.O.S. J. Brunner>on H.C.P.B.s

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5761939639193314211&hl=en

"UNCOUNTED" RELEASED NOVEMBER 6 ON DVD

2007-11-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

NEW FILM REVEALS HOW ELECTIONS ARE STOLEN:
"UNCOUNTED" RELEASED NOVEMBER 6 ON DVD

PROMOTIONAL TRAILER: http://UncountedTheMovie.com/trailer.html
PURCHASE DVD: www.UncountedTheMovie.com/order-the-dvd.html
TO HOST A SCREENING: http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/screenings.html

NASHVILLE, TN (November 6, 2007) -- UNCOUNTED: The New Math of American Elections exposes a threat to the core of our democracy - our right to vote. This feature-length documentary tells about what Americans are doing and can do to make certain every vote counts.

UNCOUNTED is now available on DVD. The film's theatrical premiere will take place November 12 at the historic Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee.

Theatrical screenings of UNCOUNTED are being scheduled throughout the country through Brave New Theatres. If you are interested in hosting a screening, you can get more information at http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/screenings.html .

"UNCOUNTED tells the shocking yet true story of how votes are stolen in America," said producer/director David Earnhardt. This bold new film, by Emmy award-winning Earnhardt, exposes how voters were cheated during the 2004 and 2006 elections - and why it is likely to happen again in 2008. In factual and logical ways, a variety of computer, statistical, and election experts show how the unethical and illegal manipulation of the vote can change the outcome of every election - whether on a local, state, or national level.

"Very powerful. Clear and succinct. This film is urgent viewing for those who care about democracy and the integrity of the electoral process."
Robert Koehler, Syndicated Columnist, Tribune Media Services

UNCOUNTED reveals stories that didn't make the headlines, stories that will leave viewers outraged by the ways the American election system is manipulated:
• Clint Curtis, a Florida computer programmer, was directed by his employer to create software for voting machines that would "flip" votes.
• In Emery County, Utah, Bruce Funk, the elected County Clerk was unceremoniously locked out of his office by the county commission after he complained of security flaws in the Diebold manufactured voting machines the county uses.
• Diebold is also at the center of Californian Steve Heller's tale of election malfeasance. While working as a temp at a law office, Heller found out Diebold was using illegal uncertified software in their voting machines.
UNCOUNTED also tells the story of Athan Gibbs, an accountant by training, who wanted passionately for votes to be counted in a verifiable way. Gibbs found a cost-effective way to do so. He and the vote counting software he created were gaining a following among Members of Congress before his unexpected death in 2004.

"Uncounted explores the disquiet many American voters feel about the health of their electoral system and explains why they are absolutely right to feel unnerved."
Andrew Gumbel, Author & Journalist, "Steal This Vote"

"The release of UNCOUNTED is timely," said Earnhardt. "Congress is right now considering legislation that would help safeguard the integrity of the vote," he added. "I hope UNCOUNTED will cause Americans to question whether their vote really counts, and then inspire them to make certain their vote does count."

Earnhardt is a producer/director of 30 years and a former broadcast executive. He is a winner of both Emmy and Iris awards. A national documentary on children's rights, a biographical documentary about jazz legend Helen Humes, and a comedy special featuring an up-and-coming Jay Leno are among Earnhardt's many credits.

"Election manipulation rarely even makes a top ten issues list," said Earnhardt. "But think about it, if your vote doesn't count, then nothing else really matters."

"A vital and important work ... Uplifting, encouraging, optimistic..."
Brad Friedman, Investigative Journalist, BradBlog.com

PROMOTIONAL TRAILER: http://UncountedTheMovie.com/trailer.html
PURCHASE DVD: www.UncountedTheMovie.com/order-the-dvd.html
TO HOST A SCREENING: http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/screenings.html
WEBSITE: www.UncountedTheMovie.com
CONTACT FILMMAKER: David@ep-video.com
PRESS KIT: http://www.UncountedTheMovie.com/press.html

Update from David Earnhardt about UNCOUNTED documentary

2007-10-30T16:12:00.001-04:00

Here is the latest about what's going on with our documentary, UNCOUNTED: The New Math of American Elections (www.UncountedTheMovie.com). Please share this information with any people or groups you know that will have an interest.

First, our DVD RELEASE DATE is Tuesday, November 6 - one year before the 2008 presidential election. In addition to the film, the DVD has more than one hour of bonus footage, including extended interviews and scenes. We will send you a more formal announcement about our DVD release on November 6. For now, people can PRE-ORDER THE DVD AT: http://uncountedthemovie.com/order-the-dvd.html

Second, our THEATRICAL PREMIERE is Monday, November 12, at the historic Belcourt Theatre in Nashville. We are expecting a sellout crowd of nearly 400 people. The event is sponsored by Common Cause and Gathering to Save Our Democracy (the group Bernie Ellis founded). Here is a link to information about that event: http://www.belcourt.org/events?categories=Event&id=52372

Third, our film will be available for SCREENINGS nationwide beginning November 13. Many groups are already talking to us about featuring our film as the centerpiece for events to stir up interest in election integrity issues. I plan to make myself available as often as possible for followup Q&A sessions at these screenings. Please encourage interested people and groups you know to contact us to do a screening of UNCOUNTED in their community: http://uncountedthemovie.com/screenings.html - or they can just contact me directly at David@UncountedTheMovie.com.

Looking ahead, we are also in the initial stages of putting together a national screening tour during January & February - coinciding with the presidential primary elections in most of the 50 states. More about that later, as plans develop.

Finally, our TRAILER on YouTube has gotten plenty of attention - already more than 4,000 viewings in just a few weeks. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJz09T0HME.

It is all very exciting to launch our film almost one year to the day before what might be our most important presidential election ever. We hope our film can help bring a new integrity to our election process - and, most importantly, to the 2008 presidential election. For more information about our film, people can visit our recently completed website at www.UncountedTheMovie.com.

Please forward this email to your lists and to anyone you think will have an interest in our film. Consider also posting our infomation on your website or with any discussion groups or blogs in which you participate.

Thanks so much for your support,

David

David Earnhardt
Producer, director & writer, UNCOUNTED
www.UncountedTheMovie.com

Earnhardt Pirkle, Inc.
2123 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37204
615.327.0600 - business
615.594.4044 - mobile

Citizens Mourn Anniversary of Ohio's "Death of Democracy", Columbus, Ohio, Friday, November 2nd

2007-10-27T10:44:00.000-04:00

Columbus Ohio, November 2, 2007

The Citizen's action group, Ohio Election Justice Campaign, announces three events for general public participation for Friday, November 2nd. In recognition of the third anniversary of the defrauding of the 2004 general election in Ohio, representing the defeat of democratic elections in the state, the OEJC restores public attention to the continuing plight of election problems, even under the Democratic administration. Given the facts - that two members of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (Maiden and Dreamer) were convicted for rigging the 2004 recount, and as yet have not been imprisoned for offenses. There is evidence that the same behavior was perpetrated in 2004 on a statewide and systematic basis in many Ohio counties, and many of those same counties destroyed their 2004 federally protected election records. In Ohio, 56 of the 88 counties turned over partial or no ballots to the Secretary of State when ordered to do so by a US District Court Judge under the threat of a fourth degree felony and contempt of court charges. These are the people's records, and there are now over 1.5 million 2004 ballots forever gone. The Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, now has in her possession the remaining evidence of the largest crime in world history (look at the effect worldwide of this non president)... the theft of the US Presidential Election. There are over 2,200 boxes of election records in her possession. Also in these records is the evidence that the Ohio Supreme Court races in 2004 were rigged in Delaware County. Those record exist in full. The stickered ballots where votes were stickered over and changed in Clermont County are in the custody of the SOS. Why will the Secretary of State not inventory or collect the signature books and poll books that still exist? Brunner was informed that Clermont County destroyed the signature and poll books in July 2007, yet nothing was done. Why will they not investigate those records... Members of the OEJC have let both the Ohio Secretary of State, and Ohio Attorney General know of many of the crimes for which those records are the physical evidence. Yet nothing is being done. Why? The only response we get is that they must get ready for 2008.

The OEJC draws public attention to the lack of political courage to prosecute the crimes of massive, organized election fraud against the people's will in Ohio. These crimes extend out to harm the entire nation, and the world. We ask for the return of the rule of law. Democracy died in Ohio on November 2, 2004. Can we resurrect it?

The following events are scheduled to take place in Columbus, Ohio on November 2nd, 2007:

November 2nd, Friday at 11:30 a.m. will begin with a Eulogy and New Orleans-style funeral procession for the ‘Death of Democracy” starting at the Ohio Statehouse. The funeral procession will start at the McKinley statue on High Street at noon, and will proceed to the Franklin County Board of Elections, the Ohio Secretary of State, and the Ohio Attorney General. Jazz band players will lead the parade, and the public is welcome to join peacefully in the procession.

From 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 Weisheimer Rd., Clintonville, please attend the Memorial Service for Democracy. Come share your feelings and stories of disenfranchisement during and after the events of 11/2 2004, the date of the Ohio general election sanctioned by the Bush-Cheney campaign re-election chairman, Secretary of State Blackwell.

From 7:00 p.m. till midnight at the Victorian's Midnight Cafe on Fifth and Neil, (go North on High, west on Fifth), citizens are invited to participate in dialogue to identify and frame the most significant issues for action for 2008. Music and speakers are promised for the event.

Contact Information:

Ohio Election Justice Campaign
Paddy Shaffer (614) 761-0621 paddy@columbus.rr.com
Marj Creech (740) 739-1390 risenregan@earthlink.net

David Cobb to Speak Tomorrow Evening at University of Oregon School of Law "How Fair and Open Are Elections in the US?"

2007-10-23T17:50:00.000-04:00

“How Fair and Open are Elections in the US?”
October 24th, 7:00 p.m. in Law Room 175.
We will open with a reception in the law school commons at 6:30 p.m.
Please join us and distribute widely.

David Cobb, an attorney who was the Green Party's candidate in the 2004 presidential election, will speak at the University of Oregon School of Law on Wednesday evening, October 24, at 7:00 p.m. in room 175. This event is open to the general public free of charge.

Cobb will discuss systemic problems in the electoral process. He will address a provocative topic: "How Fair and Open Are Elections in the United States?" Cobb will discuss the role that attorneys and other citizens can play in ensuring fairness and encouraging widespread participation in elections.

Cobb was prominent in advocating for a recount of Ohio's ballots in the 2004 presidential election. He continues his work for election reform as a fellow with the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution.

This event is sponsored by the Public Interest/Public Service program at the University of Oregon School of Law, along with the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics.

For further information, contact Kevin Parks at kparks@uoregon.edu.

The Law School Commons referred to below is the "Knight Law Center" of the University of Oregon at 1515 Agate Street. Room 175 is also called the "commons" or the "auditorium room". Parking can be tricky, but usually available in the
neighborhoods to the south and east of the University. Best to ride bicycles or come early to allow time to walk the last few blocks from your car to the center.

3rd Anniversary of 2004 Ohio Election Fiasco to be Observed November 2nd

2007-10-23T12:59:00.000-04:00

The Third Anniversary of the 2004 election fiasco in Ohio, where we will talk about what problems we had in 04 and how many still need to be fixed for 08.

Nov. 2, Friday

11:30 am-1 pm, will begin with a rally and funeral service for Democracy starting at the State House, McKinley statue and winding around election officials' offices. Jazz band players and lots of drama and excitment.

If you are not the rallying type, please join us for the next event:

5:30 pm -7:00 pm at First UU Church on 93 Weisheimer Rd--that's in Clintonville, west off High St. Memorial Service for Democracy. Come share your feelings and stories of disenfranchisement during and after the 04 "election."

7:00 pm till midnight (or so) Victorian's Midnight Cafe on Fifth and Neil, (go North on High, west on Fifth), we will continue the discussion of what we still need to do to get ready for 08. Music and some good speakers. Some stories you may not have heard!

CONTACTS: Marj Creech, risenregan@earthlink, or honestelectionscow@gmail.com, 740-739-1390 , Paddy Shaffer, paddy@columbus.rr.com, 614-761-0621. Ohio Election Justice Campaign

PLEASE PASS THIS NOTICE (the last part of our Nov.2 events) to all your friends and lists--we have so little time to make a real difference before the next fiasco.

Evidence of Fraud and Disenfranchisement in Ohio, 2004 : A Partial List

2007-10-21T13:39:00.000-04:00

This post is intended as a resource for those doing factual research on the Ohio election 2004, specifically relating to issues of (a) fraud, (b) disenfranchisment, (c) voter suppression,
(d) recount obstruction, and (e) vote machine tampering. It makes no pretense at comprehensiveness, but is merely an attempt to compile links which have been posted on this site which either (1) are themselves primary sources of evidence, or (2) summarize, analyze, or point to, such sources.

The links are listed in reverse chronological order of posting.

They are numbered in reverse numerical order; the first 2 digits of each link refer to the year of posting. (I.e. “0410" is the 10th post in 2004).

A link to this post is at the bottom and can be ascertained by right-clicking the phrase "Permanent Link to this Post". (But please note that it is not "permanent": each time the post is updated in a new month, the 2-digit number for the month changes, and when it is updated in a new year, the 4-digit number for the year changes as well). For a permanent link that will not change each month, use http://ohioelection2004.com/evidence.htm, which is the identical compilation posted on my web site http://ohioelection2004.com

0604-Sepember 1, 2006, Declaration of Richard Hayes Phillips
0603-Jonathan Simon's Report of Exit Poll "Shifts" (Thanks to Steve Freeman & Joel Bleifuss for pointing this out in their book, "Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen?", at p. 215, fn. 5.)
0602-Greene County 2004 Recount Irregularities Detailed Under Oath by Recount Worker
0601-Study Concludes 6% of precinct results "impossible", 40% "improbable", patterns consistent with vote-altering miscounts

0548-Diebold Software Had Back Door
0547-Cuyahoga County Election Results 2000-2005
0546-Reports by Greene County Recount Volunteers Show Unlawful Conduct by Board of Elections officials
0545-Report: Lucas County B.O.E. Violated Law, Manipulated Recount,
Destroyed Ability to Reconcile Ballots, Accepted Improper Absentee Ballots, and committed other malfeasance
0544-Collection of Illegal Voter Suppression Flyers from 2004 Election
0543-Warren County 2004 Recount Obstruction Detailed by Recount Volunteers
0542-Clermont County 2004 Recount Obstruction Detailed by Recount Volunteers
0541-Lake County "advisory" advising newly registered voters they were "illegally" registered and couldn't vote
0540-Hocking County Official Shredded up to 10,000 Voter Registration Documents, According to Complaint
0539-Investigation of $10,000 offered to Franklin County election official by Diebold consultant
0538-Licking County Irregularities Described in Paul Harmon Brief to Ohio Supreme Court
0537-Common Cause issues 2-minute film on 2004 election
0536-Study of Overvotes and Undervotes in 4 precincts of Montgomery County by Ellis Jacobs
0535-1597 Franklin County Ohio voters whose provisional ballots were categorized Code 200 - Not Registered (No Vote) in the 2004 General Election, yet who are listed in the BOE registration database
0534-Database of Columbus Ohio Voter Protection Hotline November 2nd Complaints
0533-Outline of Incidents of Vote Suppression, Vote Machine Fraud, Dirty Tricks in 22 states, prepared by Florida League of Conservation Voters
0532-Summary and List of Richard Hayes Phillips Reports
0531-Report by "Georgia Citizens for Paper Ballots"
0530-Analysis of Ohio Vote Fraud by Prof. Keefer
0529-Clermont County Affidavits Show that White Oval Stickers Were Affixed to Ballots Covering Kerry/Edwards Spaces, Plus Other "Irregularities"
0528-"Voting Problems & Uncounted Votes in Lucas County" by Justine Smith
0527-Triad Technician Who "Fixed" Hocking County Machines Was Also Present at Guernsey County Recount
0526-Analysis of 2004 Electronic Voting Problems by VotersUnite

0525-Clermont County Board of Elections Refused to Answer Recount Questions About Irregularities
0524-Complaint & Affidavits from Knox & Franklin County Voters about Long Lines & Voters Leaving
0523-Exit Poll Numbers Fudged : Analysis by Nashua Advocate
0522-41% of Provisional Ballots Axed in Lucas County
0521-Political Contributions in Youngstown
0520-Study of Statistical Anomalies in Ohio by Tim Lohrentz
0519-Beachwood, Ohio, Anomalies
0518-"Exit Poll Data Does Not Match Pre-Election Polls" : Analysis by Tim Lohrentz
0517-Study of Cuyahoga County Irregularities
0516-Study of Franklin County Voting Machine Allocation by Tim Lohrentz
0515-Pacifica Radio Audiotape of January 6th Hearings in Congress
0514-Analysis, Summary, Charts, and Spreadsheets of 2004 Ohio election Prepared by James Jacobs
0513-House Committee Appendices: Eyewitness Accounts, Linda Byrket Documentary, and Blackwell letter
0512-Transcript of November 20, 2004, hearing, Cleveland, Ohio, Windemere United Methodist Church
0511-House Judiciary Democrats Report Dated January 5, 2005
0510-Raw Exit Poll Data on Internet
0509-"Examination of Comparative Validity of Exit Poll & Vote Count Data"-Dr. Jonathan D. Simon & Dr. Ron P. Baiman
0508-Study of Exit Poll Data
0507-Columbus Free Press Analysis of Evidence : 10 Preliminary Reasons Why Congress Must Investigate Rather Than Certify
0506-Secretary of State List of Distribution of Voting Machines in Ohio (generated by Secretary of State on December 30, 2004).
0505-Expert Witness Testimony (Drs. Baiman, Lange, and Phillips) Submitted by Petitioners in Election Contest Litigation (Moss v. Bush).
0504-Transcript of Testimony from December 13th Congressional Hearing in Columbus (Forum on Ohio Election Irregularities), Including Clinton Curtis Sworn Testimony.
0503-Official Documents from December 8th Congressional Hearing
0502-Transcript of Testimony from November 13th Hearing at New Faith Baptist Church
0501-Text of Justice Moyers Order Denying Motion for Recusal

0489-Collected readings on vote machine fraud
0488-Judge Moyer Rules that Evidence Can be Destroyed
0487-Moritz College of Law posts website devoted to Ohio 2004 election litigation documents.
0486-More Irregularities Uncovered by Recount in Fairfield, Champaign, Van Wert, and Ashland Counties! Triad accessed computer remotely prior to recount!
0485-More evidence of Ohio election fraud unearthed in Trumbull, Franklin, Madison, and Miami counties. Blackwell refuses to testify.
0484-Exit poll data suppressed by media
0483-Uncounted Summit County Votes
0482-Uncounted Hamilton County votes
0481-Refusal to count provisional ballots in Cuyahoga
0480-Uncounted Cuyahoga County votes analyzed
0479-Cuyahoga County uncounted votes analyzed
0478-Summary of specific allegations in election contest
0477-Miami County results fraudulent says Phillips
0476-Lucas County irregularities tied to burglary

0475-Mahoning County "Irregularities" Detailed at Hearing
0474-Testimony from December 13th Columbus Hearing
0473-Transcript of November 15th Hearing at Franklin County Courthouse
0472-Videotaped interview of Triad technician tampering with machines in 6 counties
0471-Videotape of Suppression of Voters in African-American communities
0470-Lucas County Recount Report
0469-Triad permitted to reprogam computers by remote dial-up
0468-Report by Recount Observer on various irregularities
0467-Green Party summary of select voting and recount problems
0466-Fairfield County officials impede recount
0465-Licking County officials refuse to let observers view voting machines
0464-President of Triad permitted to participate in Montgomery County recount
0463-Witnesses relate details of Blackwell-ordered Greene County lockout
0462-Medina County recount irregularities
0461-Cuyahoga County recount irregularities
0460-Expert analysis of electronic computer fraud in Mahoning County
0459-Triad technician permitted to disassemble machine morning of recount
0458-Green Party report of obstruction by election officials
0457-Green Party report of obstruction by Blackwell
0456-Cuyahoga County recount obstructed by officials
0455-Collection of incriminating facts about 2004 election, some relating to Ohio
0454-Cuyahoga officials refuse recount permission to audit rejected provisional ballots
0453-Lucas County Democratic Party Offices Burglarized, Computers Stolen
0452-Audio of December 13th Columbus hearing
0451-Ohio activist run off the road

0450-Counties refuse to comply with Kerry requests
0449-Blackwell refuses to cooperate with House Judiciary Democrats investigation
0448-Recap of testimony from December 13th Columbus hearing
0447-Cobb reports Triad technician tampered with machine
0446-Computer programmer Curtis testifies Republicans hired him
to create vote rigging software
0445-Transcript of December 8th hearing
0444-More absentee votes than absentee voters in Trumbull County
0443-Expert witness opinion affidavit of Richard Hayes Phillips
0442-Breach of security with Greene County voting records
0441-Idle voting machines not used in inner city precincts
0440-Cleveland votes thrown out because voters followed instructions
0439-Record of December 8th Washington, DC, hearing
0438-Blackwell locks out recount observers
0437-Detailed report on Cuyahoga County election irregularities"
0436-Radio interview with Computer programmer Clinton Curtis
0435-C Span Video of December 8th hearing
0434-Article summarizing some evidence of fraud
0433-PFAW Report on 2004 Election
0432-Affidavit of Clinton Curtis
0431-Video and audio tapes of November 13th
and 15th Columbus hearings.
0430-Blackwell delays certification by 5 days
0429-Evidence of fraud in Cuyahoga County
0428-Cuyahoga seeks to discard provisional ballots
0427-Blackwell delays counting of provisional ballots
0426-Analysis by Alan Waldman

0425-November 25th summary of fraud evidence
0424-Transcripts of voter testimony, and analysis
0423-Systematic withholding of voting machines
in predominantly Democratic precincts in Cleveland and Columbus
0422-Court permits further delay of recount
0421-Voting machines withheld in Franklin County
0420-Baltimore Chronicle article on exit poll discrepancies
0419-Warren County lockdown premeditated
0418-Free Press Article: How Election Rigged
0417-Audio and video tape of hearings
0416-Chart of Ohio election fraud
0415-Evidence of fraud listed by Rockwell
0414-Article summarizing testimony
0413-First hand reports by election protection volunteers
0412-Pacifica tape of November 13th hearing
0411-MSNBC: Ohio has paper trail
0410-Deliberate imbalance in voting machines
0409-List of irregularities compiled by Columbus group
0408-Articles about exit poll discrepancies
0407-Blackwell refuses to count provisional ballots
0406-My "basic report from Columbus"
0405-Pacifica audio of December 13th hearing
0404-Election Day 2004 videotapes
0403-Neighborhood Network audio and video tapes
0402-PFAW 866-OURVOTE Ohio incident reports
0401-Video tapes of November 13th & 15th hearings

Numerous other web sites and blogs provide additional valuable primary sources. Many are listed in the left hand column under "Important Links". Two which I have found especially helpful are
Election 2004 (http://shadowbox.i8.com/stolen.htm) and

MiaMedia Votergate Resource Center (http://miamedia.com/votergate)

If you have evidentiary material which you would like to share with this blog, please send to ohioelectionfraud@mindspring.com with "oef" as the subject.

Ohio Election Justice Campaign Plans November 2, 2007, Procession Marking 3rd Anniversary of 2004 Debacle

2007-10-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

Ohio Election Justice Campaign

2004 Election Fraud Issues
Guest List of Speakers, Special Guests, and Supporters for Meeting with
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner
and Ohio Attorney General Mark Dann

October 14, 2007
The Very Serious Reason for the Requested Meeting, and our updated guest list…

The Ohio Election Justice Campaign has requested a meeting with Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, and Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann.

We have requested a three hour meeting, for which we plan to bring a group of speakers to each speak briefly on a topic, and then to discuss with Secretary Brunner and Attorney General Dann, what is going to get done to investigate and prosecute those involved in the massive amount of documented election fraud in Ohio with an focus on 2004 and subsequent election law violations. We ask for a way for the public to follow the progress, and have dialog about this.

We are waiting for confirmation for a date. It has now been 68 days since the request for a meeting was first made on August 8, 2007.

FUNERAL FOR 2004 - WE REMEMBER... the long lines in the rain, the misallocation of voting machines, the blocking of the recount, and then the rigged recounts,
We will be stopping by both the office of The Ohio Secretary of State and The Ohio Attorney General, as well as The Franklin County Board of Elections on November 2, 2007, as we mourn the Death of Democracy, the anniversary of the November 2, 2004 election. This will be between 12:00 and 1:30 p.m. as our funeral procession moves down Broad Street in downtown Columbus. We ask that Secretary Jennifer Brunner, Attorney General Marc Dann, and Franklin County Board of Elections Director Matt Damschroder be prepared to speak with us briefly as we come a calling to your offices. If you are not available, please have staff available, and let us know in advance who that staff member will be.

We cannot go into a third potential stolen Presidential Election with no accountability on what has happened. We have massive amounts of documentation in Ohio, thanks to the many citizen investigators, of which several of us in The Ohio Election Justice Campaign did the actual investigation. We want justice for Ohio and the nation. We want to meet and get the needed legal work started to resolve this. We want free and fair elections.

The enclosed growing list is the updated guest list, including their bios, and the topics for which our speakers plan to speak on. Please reply to us all, that we shall know that both the Ohio Secretary of State, and the Ohio Attorney General have received this letter. What can we start with, to work on these issues with both your offices? Can we now meet as requested above, or can we at least now meet with staff? Lets start something. Progress is progress.

Sincerely,

The Ohio Election Justice Campaign

Contact Person:
By Paddy Shaffer
Founder, The Ohio Election Justice Campaign
paddy@columbus.rr.com
(614) 761-0621

Guest List to Date

Speakers
Paddy Shaffer, Bev Harris, Gary Flowers, Victoria Parks, Blair Bobier Esq., Patricia Axelrod, Sheri Myers, Tim Kettler, Brad Friedman, Tim Carpenter, Richard Hayes Phillips PhD., Ken Karan Esq., Adele Eisner, Paul Harmon Esq., Paul Lehto Esq., Dr. Peter Jones, Karla Van Bibbler, Clint Curtis, Pate Hutson

Journalists
Lynn Landes – Landes Report www.landesreport.com
Jon Craig - Cincinnati Enquirer
Evan Davis – Pacifica Radio and co-producer of Pacifica's 2006
10-part series on elections, "Informed Dissent".
Michael Collins – Scoop Independent News, "Scoop" , EFN , www.electionfraudnews.com/ ,
www.scoop.co.nz/features/usacoup.html
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/author/michael_collins
Justin Jeffre – Publisher and Writer Cincinnati Beacon

Documentary Film Crews and Photographers
1. Richard Ray Perez – Producer – “Why Ohio Counts”
2. Mary Beth Brangan and Jim Heddle - Producers, "Help America Vote on Paper",
"Got Democracy", "A Little Light'll Do Ya, Defending Democracy in America",
"Vote Rigging 101",
3. Matt Krous – Producer “How Ohio Pulled It Off
4. Jeff Kirkby – Voices of Cleveland and Beyond Video Productions LLC

Bloggers
Michael Collins – Scoop Independent News, "Scoop" , EFN , www.electionfraudnews.com/ , www.scoop.co.nz/features/usacoup.html , http://www.smirkingchimp.com/author/michael_collins
Brad Friedman – www.bradblog.com
Mark Crispin Miller http://www.markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com/

Invited, monitoring issue, but not confirmed
Ian Urbana – New York Times

Guests to View Meeting
Marj Creech, Mark Brown, Sherole Eaton, Stephen Caruso, Nudge Squidfish, Bill Buckel, Dan Stanton, Anita Rios, Jennifer E. Alexander, John Gideon, Connie Harris, Peace General Bruce Duncanson, Rady Ananda, Teresa Dawson, Leatrice Tolls, Jo Anne Karesek, Jane Schiff, Jason Parry, Ellen H. Brodsky, Jamia Shepherd, Marian Lupo J.D., Ph.D., Lorraine E. Bieber, Andrew Miller, Vicki Lovegren, Gloria Kilgore, Holly Church Wendell, Mary Ann Gould, Christa Hupp, Johannah Hupp-Clark, Phil Fry

National Election Integrity Groups and Other Groups
Gathered in Support of The Ohio Election Justice Campaign
Black Leadership Forum
Election Defense Alliance
Green Party of Ohio
Progressive Democrats of America, PDA

Individuals Supporting The Ohio Election Justice Campaign
Ray Beckerman
David Earnhardt
James Fetzer
Mimi Kennedy
Andi Novick
Penny Little

_______________________________________________________________________
Below are the bios and the topics for speakers that have currently been received for The Ohio Election Campaign meeting, for which a date and time has not yet been scheduled.

Guest Bios

Speaker:
Patricia Axelrod is an Nevadan election activist and the Director of the Desert Storm Think Tank and Veterans' Advocate. A weapons system analyst and military scientist for peace - she is the recipient of a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research and Writing Award as well as a Project Censored Award for her analysis of the modern electronic battlefield and the performance of 'high tech' weaponry.

Axelrod's work has assisted investigations undertaken by the U.S. Congress and the General Accounting Office (GAO) as well as by the German and United Kingdom
Parliaments. She began investigating Nevada's election and voter registration systems the day following the 2004 elections and she now acts as a pro se plaintiff in a lawsuit that she is litigating against Sequoia Voting Systems, Diebold Elections Systems, Sequoia's parent companies Smartmatic and Da La Rue Holdings, The State of Nevada et al, and Washoe County, Nv.

Axelrod will discuss her Sequoia and Diebold findings with an emphasis on the Diebold Electronic Voter Registration System called DIMS. (Diebold DIMS - commonly sold with Diebold GEMS - is in use in Washoe County NV wherein she resides and votes on a Sequoia AVC Edge with Verivote Printer voting machine.)

Speaker:
Blair Bobier served as the Media Director for the Green Party's 2004 presidential campaign. A pioneer in the Green Party movement, Bobier is a founder of the Pacific Green Party of Oregon and was the party's gubernatorial nominee in 1998. Bobier is a member of the Federal and State bars of Oregon and teaches as an adjunct at Western Oregon University. He is a contributing author of the book Counting Votes: Lessons from the 2000 Presidential Election in Florida and has been published on op-ed pages in major newspapers from coast to coast. Bobier has made appearances on television, cable, radio, satellite and internet broadcasts, and has been a featured guest on two
NPR programs. Bobier is an award-winning environmental activist and is well known for
his work on electoral reform. Bobier successfully lobbied the Oregon legislature in 1993 to ease Oregon's restrictive ballot access laws and played a major role in initiating the statewide recount of presidential votes in Ohio, the first such recount in the history of the country. He has lectured at Willamette University, Oregon State University, the
University of Oregon Law School, Southern Oregon University, Bowdoin College in Maine, and at major election reform conferences in California and Oregon.

Speaker:
Tim Carpenter, Founder and National Director of Progressive Democrats of America is a social and political activist who, for more than 30 years, has worked for causes such as nuclear disarmament, death penalty abolition, defending the homeless, and campaign finance reform. Tim established Housing Now! and Democrats for Peace Conversion (DPC), co-founded the Orange County chapter of the Alliance for Survival (AFS), and helped organize the Orange County chapter of Families Against Three Strikes (FACTS). He was a national delegate and served in key positions in the presidential campaigns of Jesse Jackson (1988), Jerry Brown (1992), and Bill Clinton (1996), and spoke from the podium at the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York. Tim was director of the Western Massachusetts Clean Elections movement for public funding of political campaigns, and served as field organizer for Clean Elections' Massachusetts’s gubernatorial candidate Warren Tolman. He also served as Deputy National Campaign Manager for Kucinich for President, was the campaign's state co-coordinator in Massachusetts, and the campaign's Convention Coordinator in Boston. He co-founded AfterDowningStreet.org. In 2006, he was elected as a Massachusetts Democratic Party delegate committed to Deval Patrick. Tim has taught U.S. history and government at the high school and community college levels. He is a product of the California State College system, where he graduated from Cal State University Fullerton with Bachelors Degrees in History and Political Science, as well as a Masters in History. Tim lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife Barbara Considine and their daughters, Sheila and Julia.

Speaker:
Adele Eisner, Adele Eisner is a Wellness Practioner (Massage and CranialSacral) and 20+ year activist and facilitator/instructor on issues driven by universal spiritual ideals of democracy and need for social justice - honoring and evoking fullest possibilities for each and all and creating interdependent teaching/learning communities. She has successfully taught children labeled “learning disabled” in elementary and high school settings, has taught graphic design at college level, and adults in both skill-based marketing and in leadership trainings nationwide. She has been a part-time journalist, founder of a marketing firm for small businesses and a ten-year, nationally award-winning fine artist. In the early 90’s, after serving as a Plain Dealer metro correspondent and often being the only non-staff member at non-publicized University Heights, OH City Council meetings, Eisner broke the 25+ year self-perpetuating incumbency cycle, by being elected to a 4-year seat on that Council without incumbent pre-selection. She won the highest vote plurality based on providing public information, standing for open meetings and records, encouraging and listening to citizen input, and on equal recognition of the city’s diverse population. She has participated on many boards ranging from those of public television stations, to arts organizations, to interfaith and inter-suburban councils. She has been a strong advocate for election reform since the 2004 election, has actively and consistently volunteered in monitoring and attempting to help improve Cuyahoga County’s election board, and has been an active member Ohio and national election reform organizations since that time.

My subject "Transparency"
I quote Andi Novick, Esq. in his recent memo case to the New York state re: their upcoming decision about "HAVA compliance." Though this refers to New York, it certainly holds true, in principle, for all other states, including Ohio. "New York State Owes a Duty to its Citizens to Safeguard Our Constitutionally Protected Franchise. The State holds the ultimate responsibility for protecting our constitutional right to vote and to have our vote counted as cast. The Court of Appeals has held: The right of an elector to vote is conferred by the Constitution.........[the elector] is entitled to see that his vote has been given full force and effect. ....any method of holding an election which would deprive the electors..... of the right of casting their ballots and having effect given to the votes so cast would plainly be unconstitutional. (emphasis supplied) Deister v Wintermute, 194 NY 99, 108
And I paraphrase, the State must be able to exercise full control over the electoral process which the public must be able to observe and scrutinize in order to hold its government accountable. (emphasis mine.)

Speaker:
Brad Friedman is an Investigative Blogger/Journalist and founder of the popular progressive website The BRAD BLOG (www.BradBlog.com) where he has broken innumerable explosive stories since 2004 on everything from the disastrous Election Irregularities of 2004/2006 and the current E-Voting Meltdown, to the alarming string of ongoing corruption of the Bush Administration and their cronies in Congress and the Corporate Mainstream Media. He has appeared to discuss his reporting on ABC News, CNN, CourtTV and others. He's a contributor at Huffington Post, and has written for Harvard's Neiman Foundation of Journalism, Mother Jones, Editor & Publisher, Salon.com, ComputerWorld, Columbus FreePress, Hustler TruthOut.org, and whoever else will have him. He's frequent and popular guest presence on radio programs left right and middle and a frequent Guest Hosted for Peter B. Collins, Mike Malloy, The Young Turks and others. As well, he frequently speaks live at events around the country. He is co-founder of VelvetRevolution.us, an umbrella organization on everything from Election and Media Reform to the War in Iraq.

Topic: The dangers of electronic voting and the importance of a paper ballot -- one that is tabulated publicly -- for every vote cast in Ohio.

Speaker:
Paul Harmon, 54, has been an attorney for 28 years. He began as an assistant county prosecuting attorney in the Licking County where after three years he became the first assistant in the felony division, trying the most serious of crimes ranging from murder and rape to theft. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Ohio State University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Dayton. For the past 24 years, Mr. Harmon has been a successful private practitioner where he specializes in family law.

Topic:
In November 2004, Paul Harmon ran for Licking County Domestic Relations Court Judge. He lost by less than 200 votes. Although a recount is mandatory in such close elections, he was denied a recount. The local board of elections excluded the media and voted unanimously to deny access to elections records. While legal proceedings were pending to contest the election results, the board of elections destroyed crucial evidence at the direction of its chairman. Harmon reported suspected criminal conduct of the board of elections to the Newark Police Department and the Licking County Sheriff. The Newark Law Director, the County Prosecutor, and the Ohio Attorney General blocked criminal investigations into any criminal conduct surrounding the election. The Sheriff and the Ohio Secretary of State refused to acknowledge receipt of Harmon's allegations of criminal conduct, much less investigate them. In the past several months, Harmon has requested that investigations be conducted by the recently-elected Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. Harmon remains convinced that because of election fraud and recklessness, the results in his race and others were inaccurate.

Speaker:
Pate Hutson, Retired military. Plans to speak on military voting issues.

Speaker:
Dr. Peter Jones lives and works in Dayton, Ohio and Toronto, Ontario, managing an international research consultancy, Redesign Research, Inc. Redesign Research provides research and design services for online publishing and information services design, primarily for professional practices. Peter is also a partner in Dialogic Design International, a company founded with Dr. Aleco Christakis in 2007 to develop Christakis' Structured Dialogue Process for participatory systems design for complex organizational problems. DDI applies structured dialogic design to business strategy, organizational design, and enterprise transformation. Dr. Jones is also a board member of Christakis' non-profit Institute for 21st Century Agoras, which is dedicated to employing structured dialogue in the social sector, for deeply interconnected problems in civil society, democracy, and policy arenas. Dr. Jones received his doctorate at Cincinnati's Union Institute in 2000, in Design and Innovation Management. He has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles and a book on team practices in system design, Team Design (1998, 2002).

In 2004, Dr. Jones participated an election recount observer in Greene County, and was instrumental in organizing research and communications for election activists in the Dayton region. His own observations and recordings of the Greene County recount have prompted his participation in this briefing. Jones has recorded evidence of the recount proceedings that demonstrate Greene County employed election recount procedures consistent with those of Cuyahoga County, the execution of which in the Cuyahoga case led to the convictions of two BOE members. He wishes to present edited audio recordings of the sessions to support the contention of observers that the recount process was consistently illegally managed, probably on a statewide basis, since an identically illegal recount procedure was used across Ohio counties under the supervision of Secretary of State Blackwell.

Speaker:
Tim Kettler, 56 years old, resident of Warsaw, Coshocton County, Ohio. I am the secretary of the Green Party of Ohio and served as a regional coordinator of the 2004 Ohio Presidential Vote Recount and as a recount witness for David Cobb. I was co-plaintiff in the Federal lawsuit Rios et al v. Blackwell and a candidate for Ohio Secretary of State in the November, 2006 election. Tim is a candidate for the 2008 election, running for Ohio State Senator.

My interest in this matter goes to the heart of our democratic elections and the issues of transparency and accountability. The events in Coshocton County that occurred preceding, during and subsequent to the 2004 Presidential Vote Recount were in violation of Ohio election law, involved individuals currently employed by the Coshocton County Board of Election, the Ohio Secretary of State's office or that serve on the Coshocton County Board of Election and have yet to be addressed by the Coshocton County Prosecutor, the Ohio Secretary of State or the Ohio Attorney General. I will restrict my remarks to those events in which I have first-hand knowledge and can testify as true in a court of law.

Speaker:
Paul Lehto Paul Lehto is a former attorney from Washington State, practicing for 12 years in business law and consumer fraud, and several years in election law. He presently resides in Michigan and works as an election consultant and co-founder of the Democracy nonprofit Psephos, and teaches "Democracy Schools" to groups ranging from citizens to lawyers. www.psephos-us.org He's a retired governor of the Washington State Bar Association, voted "Rising Star" in 2003 & 2004 by Washington State Law & Politics magazine, and nominated as a “SuperLawyer” in 2005.

Lehto and Dr. Jeffrey Hoffman are co-authors of a significant paper "Evidence of Election Irregularities in Snohomish County, Washington, General Election 2004" involving persuasive evidence of irregularity and/or fraud on Sequoia touch screen "DRE" electronic voting machines. www.votersunite.org/info/SnohomishElectionFraudInvestigation.pdf Data from the paper is featured in the 2005 book "Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen?" by Freeman & Bleifuss.

Lehto was also lead plaintiff in Lehto v. Sequoia, which among other factors led to the County Council in January 2006 voting to terminate all polling place use of Sequoia touchscreens, transitioning to vote by mail and mooting the case in the Court of Appeals. Claims in the lawsuit included the illegality of trade secret vote counting in democratic elections, nonwaivable inalienable rights of citizens in elections, and constitutional problems with the delegation of core governmental functions to private parties under "nondelegation doctrine," as well as illegal contract provisions that require the government to violate its duty of loyalty to the public by "cooperating" with vendors to defeat subpoenas and public records requests by the citizens the government is pledged to serve.

Lehto was also lead counsel in the "CA50" congressional election contest known as Jacobson v. Bilbray in 2006, which received the attention of international election monitors from the OSCE-ODIHR as a significant case for American democracy in 2006, the only such case written up for the 2006 federal elections. The case featured disputed electronic voting patterns coupled with a premature swearing into Congress with over 50,000 uncounted votes on the first count in a close race, but with a defense claim that no California Court had "jurisdiction" to recount or hear a challenge because the swearing in triggered the House's "exclusive jurisdiction" under Art. I, sec. 5 of the US Constitution.

Lehto has written and spoken widely on elections, legal issues, and the future of the practice of law. He previously served by appointment of the Washington Supreme Court to the board with regulatory authority over continuing legal education for Washington attorneys. He's a prolific blogger, the author of 4 encyclopedia articles on elections, has two upcoming law reviews including one in the Harvard Journal of Legislation, and is the author of upcoming books due out January 2008 entitled "Defending Democracy" and another collection of quotes about democracy and America.

Lehto will discuss the many reasons why post-election remedies are either unworkable or ill-advised from an election integrity standpoint, with "sore loser" accusations just the tip of that legal and political iceberg, leaving nominally defeated candidates poorly situated to defend election integrity, yet others have more questionable standing. But when we refocus on the all-important first counts, whether on optical scans or touchscreens, we are confronted with the stark and undemocratic realities of de facto secret vote counting on proprietary vendor hard-drives. Because vote counting is at the very heart of the exercise of the right of sovereignty by voters (their suffrage right) and since sovereign voters are literally selecting their servants and acting (collectively) in place of the pre-1776 King's sovereignty, there exists no justification even in theory for employees or servants of the public to hide the vote counting from their employers: the public. Confronting these undeniable realities of all republics and democracies (the people are "the boss" as JFK put it) forces us back to a rediscovery of basic principles and tools of democracy that have been consistently ignored during the era of e-voting. As the Founders and man state constitutions state "A frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is necessary for the preservation of liberty and free government." Without this practice, American government as a practical matter considers only non-democratic values like "convenience" "confidence" and "trust" instead of democratic values like checks and balances, which are actually a form of distrustful oversight and supervision.

Speaker:
Sheri Leigh Myers returned to her home state of Ohio after the 2004 election to support the investigation of the election results. She was co-organizer of the Winter Freedom Bus Ride, that brought disenfranchised Ohio voters to Washington DC to lobby the Senate in January, `07. Back in Los Angeles, she organized "Who Got Glitched?" the first Southern Californian teach-in on election reform. She has remained an activist for the cause of election integrity. Her graphic novel, CHEATED! tells the story of the Ohio voters in 2004. Her next book, PRINCIPLES (& CRIMES IN THE NAME) OF DEMOCRACY explores the history of electronic voting. She was the election integrity consultant for the Syracuse Cultural Workers 2008 calendar, that is devoted to election integrity activism, and will be distributed throughout the country. www.wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com

Sheri Leigh Myers will address the research of Richard Hayes Phillips on the evidence of record - the Ohio 2004 presidential ballots that were altered for the election.

Speaker:
Victoria Parks
• resident of Ohio for 51 years
• volunteer election integrity activist since 2004, having participated in investigations, audits, parallel elections, as poll worker, registered 300 new Ohio voters in 2004, and have archived over 2500 articles, studies, data, reports, etc. regarding elections in Ohio and the nation
• Penwoman, journalist, commentator
• member and former member of several Ohio Voting Integrity grassroots organizations
• am getting very proficient at connecting the dots
• have met personally with SoS Brunner regarding urgent Ohio election integrity issues
• really want to share what I know but so far have been ignored

Topic - What I would like to see done:
I believe our elections have been privatized without the people's consent. Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars of HAVA money has been spent on touchscreen voting machines in Ohio. This amounts to a money-funneling operation that was conceived by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and convicted Congressman Bob Ney and have resulted in massive failures of electronic voting in Ohio in '06. In California last week, Diebold touchscreen machines were decertified by California's SoS Debra Bowen. Also last week, veteran newsman Dan Rather blasted ES&S touchscreen voting in an unprecedented report on the shoddy workmanship and poor quality control on the ES&S iVotronic machines, which we voted on last Fall in Ohio. Now Diebold has divested itself on its elections division and it's stock plummeted on the news. And ES&S declined to go on the record with Rather. My question is, why can't we get our HAVA money back? Ohio should file product liability lawsuits against ES&S and Diebold for forcing Ohio citizens to vote on inferior and insecure voting machines that have experienced a 30% failure rate in Summit County alone. We need to spend our HAVA money to secure clean elections in Ohio, not make partisan vendors rich. Ohio taxpayers have been robbed and I would like to see us get our HAVA money back. Can we do that?

Speaker:
RICHARD HAYES PHILLIPS, Ph.D., has been investigating the 2004 Ohio election ever since it happened. With the assistance of numerous Ohio citizens he gathered
photographs and photocopies of actual ballots, poll books, and voter signature books from 17 counties in Ohio. His analysis of this forensic evidence has yielded documentation of ballot tampering and vote rigging sufficient to show that the true winner of the Ohio election cannot be verified.

Dr. Phillips will present new evidence documenting the breadth of the Ohio conspiracy. This will include actual photographs of altered ballots, poll books, and voter signature books from numerous counties; results of painstaking analysis, ballot by ballot, of the combinations of choices attributed to the voters; an explanation of why certain evidence was destroyed; and an affirmation that there needs to be a penalty for cheating.

Speaker:
It is Paddy Shaffer who has requested the meeting with Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann for the group she founded, now identified as The Ohio Election Justice Campaign.
Patricia “Paddy” Shaffer is the Founder of The Ohio Election Justice Campaign, and the Founder and Director of Artists Creating Justice. A Graduate of the Columbus College of Art and Design, a professional artist and art teacher, a former President and Vice President of the Dublin Area Art League, and an Ohio native. In 2004 she arrived in Delaware County, Ohio to be a witness to those who attempted to block the Recount of the Presidential Election. This came from John Myers, a leader of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Chairman of the Delaware County Board of Elections (BOE), and this was just the first of many things that made no sense. This has lead to years of investigations, gathering of election records, reporting on, and educating the public to many election stories in Ohio. Paddy helped hold the first and many subsequent public hearings for disenfranchised voters to testify and fill out affidavits on their difficulty to vote stories. When the Green Party Recount happened in 2004, Paddy was the Green Party Recount County Coordinator for Delaware County. She trained 18 people to be recount witnesses, and her people witnessed three of Ohio’s 88 counties. In Delaware’s recount, before Paddy’s eyes, the ES&S technician, Sam Hogsett ran tabulators, loaded ballots, and called off precinct results. Seeing a great need for change and actual honest leadership, in 2006 Paddy Shaffer ran as a Democrat for the US House of Representatives, in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District. While doing this, her concern was great about having her own votes counted, especially in Delaware County, where at the one “Deladems” meeting of the local Delaware Democratic Party, a party leader, Kim Spangler, who was also the Director of the Delaware County BOE threatened to have Paddy arrested if she returned to another party meeting. When asked what the charge would be, she was told, “trespassing, our meetings are private.” It appears Spangler, who helped to block the recount and blocked many of Paddy’s efforts for Delaware election records, was upset. Doing well in her congressional race, but not winning, another candidate item showed up. In August of 2006 Paddy became the campaign manager for another Ohioan studying the fraudulent 2004 election, Dr. Bob Fitrakis, Green Party candidate for Governor of Ohio. This included running the “Five Candidate Election Observer Project 2006” for the state of Ohio for the November 7, 2006 election. She continues her research work on our Ohio elections, with a current focus on taking a detailed look at what has happened to the 2004 election records, recording those stories, and working for justice and prosecution into the criminal activity in Ohio’s elections. She has been both a writer and photographer for the Free Press, where more of her current research will also be submitted, as well as OpEd News, and at www.wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com . Her work has been funded with her grocery money. Nothing less than actual accountability will suffice for what Paddy has witnessed.

Paddy will address the great need for legal accountability and criminal investigation into Ohio’s elections. She supports this discussion with recent new research on what happened with the protected 2004 election records, the legal state procedures for disposal of records, unaccountability for investigation and legal action, quickly clearing out BOE’s with criminal behavior. Paddy recommends forming an Amnesty Program for Election Offenders in Ohio with a slightly reduced sentence for those who turn themselves in, and setting up a way for interested citizens and the press to follow the actual progress of the needed criminal investigations and legal justice work that will follow. Paddy will speak on her proposed first written law, “The National Election Offender Registry,” which would stop those who violate our election laws, from ever working in any election related field again, anywhere in this country. (This is based on the Sex Offender Registry.)

Journalists
Lynn Landes is the publisher of TheLandesReport and a freelance journalist who writes about politics, health, and the environment. She's one of the nation's leading researchers and analysts on voting integrity issues. Lynn is featured in the books: Pollution: Opposing Viewpoints, Softly On This Earth, Hacked and BlackBoxVoting, and appears in several documentaries including Got Democracy, The Right To Count, Stealing America, and Voting 101 and The Fix Is In. Lynn has been a news reporter for DUTV, hosted her own radio talk show WDVR in New Jersey, and was a weekly commentator for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio program. Lynn is also the founder of Zero Waste America, an Internet-based environmental research organization. She has been featured in a series of interviews on environment and health issues on WebMD, and is frequently interviewed by TV, radio, and print news media. Her 1998 report, State of the Nation’s Waste, was reported throughout the U.S. and on German Public Radio. Her 1997 article, River of Waste, is the lead article in a compilation of articles for high school students called Pollution: Opposing Viewpoints Series by Greenhaven Press. Lynn (Ehlinger) Landes and her husband live in center city Philadelphia. They have three grown children. lynnlandes@earthlink.net / 215-629-3553

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Filmmakers

Mary Beth Brangan and James Heddle are co-directors of EON, the Ecological Options Network, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation based in California. They are an award-winning filmmaker team with 25 years experience. Recent productions include several films on the election integrity movement in the U.S.: A Little Light’ll Do Ya: Defending Democracy in America; Vote Rigging 101; Got Democracy? ; Getting Over It; Inaugurating Change; and Help America Vote…On Paper.
Brangan and Heddle have produced multiple documentaries on democracy issues in the US as well as internationally in the last two decades which have been broadcast and toured nationally and internationally; aired in Congress, the United Nations, on PBS, ABC, CNN, Link TV, Free Speech TV, cable; and used in parliaments, universities, libraries and by citizens’ organizations and NGO’s worldwide.
Their work has been honored at the Sundance, American, San Francisco Asian-American, Dallas; Hawaii International, EarthVision and Margaret Mead Film Festivals, among others. Previous funders include the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; PBS; the Alton-Jones, McArthur, Columbia and Turner Foundations; the European Commission; the Agape Foundation for Non-Violent Social Change; The Foundation for Deep Ecology; The Flow Fund Circle; Nu Lambda Trust; and many private donors.
Their previous productions include: Strategic Trust: the Making of Nuclear Free Palau; Free Zone: Democracy Meets the Nuclear Threat; Choicepoint: California’s Water & Nuclear Waste; PELIGRO! Nuclear Showdown on the Rio Grande; Islands on the Edge of Time; Bordering on Tyranny: Thailand’s Dilemma; Public Exposure: DNA, Democracy & the ‘Wireless Revolution.’
Matthew Kraus hails from Canton, Ohio. He studied theater at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduating in 2001, and acted in independent theatrical productions in the Boston area. Matt’s documentary short film Farming for the Future, a portrait of organic growers in Southeast Ohio, was selected for official competition in several festival programs and garnered Timberland’s 2006 Mion Solutions Environmental Film Award. He recently completed a Master of Fine Arts Degree at Ohio University School of Film.
* Note: Matt is one of the three directors in the newly released film about the 2004 election, “How Ohio Pulled It Off.” http://www.howohiopulleditoff.com/directors/
Jeffrey H. Kirkby grew up in North Canton Ohio, home of the Late Hoover Co, and the Diebold corp. He now lives with his wife Debra in Lakewood Ohio. He works as an airline mechanic (for 18 years), a theater projectionist, and recently started a movie production company called Voices of Cleveland and Beyond Productions LLC (VOCAB Productions). Recently, some of Jeff's footage was included in an HBO documentary titled “Hacking Democracy" which was produced
by Teale Edwards Productions, located in New York City. This documentary was broadcast during November and December 2006, and is available now on DVD. Hacking Democracy has been nominated for an EMMY Award in the category OUTSTANDING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM - LONG FORM.

One of Jeff's first projects, "Hands off Medicaid", was a documentary of a town hall forum. The documentary spread the word to our state representatives, senators, county commissioners, and the governor of Ohio that cutting the budget for Medicaid was a bad Idea. The documentary lead to the nomination by Merrick House of Cleveland for the NFL Community Quarterback award.
Some of my footage was used in a Discovery Times TV documentary, "Ballot Battles," which forewarned the public of the chaos of the 2004 elections. The same footage was used in another documentary, "Invisible Coup," by Terry Murray of Black Sheep productions. The next movie
I created was, "We honor Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones," which documented portions from her fight for social justice and voting election reform. http://www.vocabvideo.com
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Guests to View Meeting
I'm Jennifer E. Alexander, a supporter of election reform. I've lived in Greene County for 4 years, and a former resident of Montgomery County of 30 years. I've been an active volunteer with the Democratic Party most of my life. I have also worked as an Election Day poll worker for 15 years. I have witnessed first hand the many problems with our current voting practices. After the last two elections, I do not feel I should waste time, effort and emotion into getting voters to the polls. Our votes don't mean anything currently.
Ray Beckerman, A lawyer in New York City, Ray was a voter protection hotline volunteer in Ohio in 2004, and learned firsthand about the massive disenfranchisement which occurred here. Since then, he's been working, through his blog, "Ohio Election Fraud (formerly "Fairness")", to let the world know what happened in Ohio in 2004, and to see to it that those responsible are brought to justice. http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/
Mark P. Brown, Founder of The Congressional Policy Forum, Age 50, Lifetime resident of Ohio; past Democratic nominee for U.S. House, Ohio 12th District 1988, Ohio 15th District 2002 and 2004. Mark has been a political volunteer and activist since 1975. He published a detailed essay on election reform in 2004. After the 2004 General Election, Mark conducted an extensive two month door to door interviews with over 500 voters. This was in December 2004 and January 2005 on Columbus’s south side in regard to problems with the 2004 General Elections. Mark collected 35 legal affidavits during his voter canvas. As an activist he has distributed over 250,000 pieces of literature on political and election reform in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Mark is the brother of election activist Paddy Shaffer.
Bill Buckel, Graduated from the University of Colorado in August 1952 with a M.S. degree in mechanical engineering. Served in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1956. Was discharged with the rank of staff sergeant. Employed at Battelle Memorial Institute from 1956 to 1994. While at Battelle worked as a mechanical engineering researcher, a Reports Librarian, and a Reference Librarian. Graduated from Kent State University in 1980 with a M.L. S. degree in Library Science. Ran for the public office of member of the Columbus Board of Education (Columbus, Ohio) during the years 1981 to present. The platform focused on creating in-depth citizen oversight councils at each of the District’s 130 schools.
Stephen Caruso, Citizen of Ohio since 1977. Independent video producer for ACTV, with films on Steven Canetto and several other aired programs. Volunteer for Olde Towne East Community Festival for numerous years. Ham Radio operator, Member of ATCO (amateur television of Central Ohio). Statutory Agent For the Ohio Students of the Urantia Book. Certified Electronics technician. Associates Degree in Computer Science from CSCC. Volunteer for the Fitrakis For Governor Campaign and the Columbus Free Press
Marj Creech, is Education Coordinator for the national election watchhdog group, the Election Defense Alliance (EDA). Before the fiasco of the 2004 national election, Marj was active in GLBT rights and other progressive issues. As the evidence of a fraudulent election rolled in, she joined the fight to reveal the wrongdoing, sloppiness, and outright illegality of an election that continues the reign of imposters who seem determined to destroy this great democracy, economically, environmentally, morally, and spiritually. Marj is a pastor, writer, citizen investigator, coordinator of volunteers, and encourager of all who work for peace and justice for all people. She served as an enlisted medical assistant at Walter Reed Army Hospital and then as an officer in the Women's Army Corps during the Vietnam War.
Teresa Dawson, criminal justice professional, election observer, parent of two reserve soldiers and Director of Veterans and Military Families for Progress, Ohio Chapter. Ohio University graduate. Does volunteer work for the Ohio National Guard.
Bruce Duncanson, has been a peace activist since 1977. I have been a "Peace Army General" since 1983. I got interested in Elections in 2000 when G.W. Bush was selected President. My interest was peaked in 2004 when John Kerry the apparent winner at noon, lost to G.W. Bush by a slim margin amid many irregularities. I acted as an Elections Observer in 2006 when a democratic series of victories should have been a democratic landslide. I am now working for "Hand Counted Paper Ballots at the Precinct."
John Gideon is Co-Director and Information Manager for VotersUnite! He is a disabled Viet Nam Vet (Navy) and a retired federal employee. He has been learning about and working on the issues related to voting reform and voting integrity since early in 2003. He maintains the current news links on the VotersUnite! website and compiles the "Daily Voting News," a clipping service of voting news articles for activists, attorneys, elections officials, elected officials, and others who are interested in voting reform issues. His personal knowledge of current events on these issues has become a trusted resource for voting integrity activists across the country. John has worked with Bev Harris at BlackBoxVoting.Org. He has also worked as Information Director for
VerifiedVoting.Org and is a founder of VoteTrustUSA. John has been effective in lobbying Washington State legislators to introduce and pass legislation requiring a voter-verified paper ballot. He is dedicated to informing election officials and journalists of accurate details, often emailing them facts in response to fallacies he finds in the articles he includes in his clipping service. www.votersunite.org
Patricia A. Marida is a graduate of Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, currently retired after practicing pharmacy in hospital and community pharmacy settings. From 1981-1990 she served as volunteer staff and board member of the Ohio Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign. She has served as Chair of the Board of The Ark House, a facility that mainstreams people with developmental disabilities. For 15 years she volunteered at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus as chair of the local Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, raising funds for the work of the national organization of the same name that does social and political work in several nations around the world. She served as chair of the Central Ohio Sierra Club for 9 years, from 1998 through 2006. She has also chaired the Rivers and Wetlands Subcommittee, the Transportation and Planned Growth Subcommittee, and the Toxics Subcommittee for that Group. She is currently a member of theExecutive Committee of the Ohio Sierra Club. She has also supported local and national efforts addressing homelessness, women's rights, gay rights, and other social justice issues.
Danny Stanton CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist);
I have been married for nearly 30 years and the father of two adult children. I have been a working health care professional for over 30 years. Resident of Ohio for almost 20 years. Elections Information;
• Attended the state house hearings back in early 2004 to find out more about the voting machines Ohio was proposing to buy after HAVA. Talked with Radke face to face.
• Attended an elections administration seminar held at the OSU law school in 2004.
• Talked directly with the EAC administrators during a reception prior to the seminar. Surprised and concerned to learn that EAC received no funds for R&D.
• Attempted to help elect a state official committed to addressing the election system problems. (For a short time was the official campaign manager for Bev Campbell in the 2006 election).
• Lurker on the CASE_OHIO forum for years.
• Protested the Ohio 2004 elections on the statehouse lawn December 2004
• Marched in the 2007 Doo Dah parade handing out literature to inform Ohio citizens about the concerns with electronic voting and encourage a return to hand-counted paper ballots.
• Given talks to inform Ohio citizens about the current problems with out elections system.
• As an informed and concerned citizen, I have no trust in the current state of voting technology and hope for a return to an election system based on hand-counted paper ballots.
Nudge Squidfish is a native Ohio songwriter and former March of Dimes poster child. He began his musical career at age 15 after meeting Jimi Hendrix back stage. Over the years he has worked with, or been involved with the Ohio Players, Ted Nugent, Rush, Spoon, Crime and the City Solution, Guide By Voices, Donavan, Mini Pearl, Beck Bogart and Apice, Lee Greenwood, Dwight Yoakam, Rick Rubin, Nick Cave, Bobby Bear and many, many others in the music business. While living in Nashville Tennessee, and with guidance from the Denny Music Publishing Group and the Grand Old Opera Association, he released two LPs. As a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association and ASCAP he attend songwriting classes at Belmont College. He also attended Columbus State Community College and later majored in philosophy at OSU. While still being active in live stage work he currently manages a non-profit film and record label; which promote local talent via the Internet. He has toured the US and Canada for Warner Brothers Records.
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House Judiciary Committee to Conduct Hearings on Justice Department's Sweeping Ohio 2004 Misconduct Under the Rug

2007-10-13T12:38:00.000-04:00

This reported by Brad Friedman of BradBlog:

10/12/2007 4:03PM

Conyers Issues Statement on News Reports Questioning DoJ's 2004 Presidential Election 'Investigation' in Ohio

Chairman of House Judiciary Committee is Troubled by Voting Chief John Tanner's 'Justification' for Inequal Treatment of Black Voters in Buckeye State....
Plans to Address Matter 'Head On' in Upcoming Hearings...

Following up our earlier story today, the Chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers (D-MI), has now released a statement in response to TPM Muckraker's story today with on-the-record comments from former DoJ officials questioning the seriousness (or lack thereof) of the "investigation" by the Department's chief Voting official, John Tanner, into the reported racial disparities at polling places during the 2004 Presidential Election in Ohio.

In Conyers's statement (posted in full at the end of this article) he says he's "concerned about the extreme lengths Mr. Tanner went to in order to justify the reasons African-Americans were not treated equally in the 2004 Ohio election," and charges that "The Department of Justice – since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – has a responsibility to thoroughly investigate allegations of voter suppression and discrimination, like those made in Ohio in 2004."

Tanner's "investigation" at the time had, remarkably, charged that the reason for long lines in minority areas of Ohio was because minorities chose to vote late in the afternoon, instead of earlier in the day as white voters did.

Complete article

"Dog Ate My Homework Project" -- What happened to Ohio's missing 2004 election records, and who is responsible

2007-08-09T08:52:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Paddy Shaffer for this info:

The “DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK” Project
What happened to Ohio's missing 2004 election records, and who is responsible?
August 8, 2007

If you want to help Ohio election activists by questioning one or several Ohio Board of Elections (BOE) regarding missing 2004 elections ballots and other records, contact Paddy or Jason to find out if your favorite county has been called, then check ”Dog Ate my Homework” at http://www.freepress.org before calling a county BOE, in case there is an update that you need to know about. Take good notes, get quotes, and, most importantly, send your answers to both
Paddy Shaffer, paddy@columbus.rr.com (614) 761-0621,
and to Jason Parry at ohballots@gmail.com

To view the inventory compiled by Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State, the records, and letters in regards to this issue, click on this link:
(http://freepress.org/ballot/BOE.pdf)

Since the year 2004 the Ohio Boards of Elections have been told at least nine times, which Paddy has documented in paper and/or electronic records, that they must retain all the Presidential Election Records for 22 months. Then there is the Ohio Revised Code, which tells them to keep these election records. So that is 10 times. It has come to my attention that the issue was also discussed between the different Board of Elections via email, and verbal communications as to “what should they do about the records”. Next comes inter-office email from the Guernsey County BOE sent to all 88 BOE’s discussing the website www.savetheballots.org which Paddy obtained from a record request. So can we count that as 11 times the issue has been raised? An article on this will be up on www.freepress.org soon, with the letters where 5 different BOE’s discuss the records and their apparent hate and disgust for anyone that dare question anything about their elections. One more time I found, “Get over it already,”aimed at the election activists, who just desire truthful, transparent elections.
As Bob Fitrakis has said, “Get over what, Democracy?”

If you wish to write your own articles on your experience in this project for the Free Press, send it to truth@freepress.org and state in the subject line that your submission is for publication. Include your name and contact information in case the Free Press has any questions. Please Cc both Paddy Shaffer and Jason Parry, for the ongoing county records. Please note; the Free Press will not be providing us with your writings, send them to us directly. Anything sent to them must be ready for publication.

If the Boards of Elections are reluctant or too busy to respond verbally to the following twenty questions, Paddy Shaffer will be happy to provide them and the County Prosecutor with the questions in writing, and they can respond in writing.

Questions for the Boards of Elections Regarding 2004 Election Records

1. Ask questions pertaining to the county BOE’s individual story, their “letters of explanation,” or lack of one. Look at their inventory sheet and find out how much they got rid of. If they are missing, oh say…. 50,000 ballots, ask how they could inadvertently destroy, shred, burn, dump, or lose them? If needed, ask how many are missing, or what is missing if you can’t find records. Then we can compare the verbal answer to their written answer.

2. How many boxes would that be?

3. Who destroyed them, where, and how was it done?

4. Did the all members of your Board of Elections, and both the Director and Deputy Director approve?

5. What are their names? If anyone moved and therefore is no longer a BOE employee or board member, ask where they are now, and for contact information.

6. Who if any of these people did not approve?

7. How do you “accidentally,” “inadvertently” or “unintentionally” destroy ____ (example: 80, get a correct number from them, or from their records) boxes of ballots?

8. If it is blamed on someone else, who are they, and how can they be contacted?

9. Did you respond to a letter from Jacqueline Neuhart, Director of the Guernsey County BOE on August 7, 2006 in regards to a website called http://savetheballots.org , where Jacqueline wrote to all the county BOE’s and posed the question, “Has anyone else heard about this? I wonder how far it will go?” If they answer yes, have them send you all copies of correspondence on the topic. If they will not send it, let Paddy and Jason know, and file a formal request for this yourself, or Paddy may file a formal record request on the subject.

10. In regards to the Directive sent by the Secretary of State’s office from Monty Lobb, the Assistant Secretary of State, on September 1, 2006, I have some questions. It is Directive # 2006-59 and it was sent to “County Boards of Elections” with copies to “County Prosecutors” and to “Betty Montgomery, State Auditor”? It says “RE: Record Retention Policies Governing Ballots and Poll books”. It talks about the law, Ohio Revised Code 149.38, and the “rules for retention and disposal of records”.
A. Did you receive this?
B. Did you read this?
C. Do you still have it?
D. Do you file the RC-3 form, “Certificate of Records Disposal”?

11. I would like to ask you questions about the court rulings of United States District Court Judge Algenon Marbley. Have you read Judge Marbley’s rulings of
A. 9/11/2006, seven pages, Case No. 06-CV-745
B. 9/7/2006, one page, Case No. 2:06-CV-745
C. 9/7/2006, ten pages, Case No. C2 06 745
D. 4/03/2007 six pages, Case No. C-1-06-0745
E. 4/06/2007 two pages, Case No. C2-06-745
which all refer to preserving election records and some refer to turning the election
records over to the Secretary of State?

12. In Judge Marbley’s September 11, 2006 court order, did you read in page 5 that “Whoever violates this section shall be dismissed from his position as a member of employee of the board and is guilty of a felony of the fourth degree”.

13. In the same September 11, 2006 court order on page 7, did you read that if you violate the Order, the court “may impose an appropriate discovery sanction” and “hold a person in contempt of court when a person fails to obey an order”?

14. On Thursday, August 24, 2006, your office received by fax a letter from Attorney Clifford Arnebeck in regards to safeguarding the 2004 election records, informing you of an impending lawsuit, for which said records would be the primary evidence. Since you would by law, need to inform your County Records Commission which includes one of your County Prosecutors, and the State Auditor, who at these two places did you talk to, or file forms with?

15. Did you receive Directive 2004-07 on February 20, 2004, signed “Sincerely J. Kenneth Blackwell”? It was addressed
“To: All County Boards of Elections
Members, Directors and Deputy Directors
Are you familiar with page 5, paragraph 6, which reads:
“Ballot Security
Ballot security is important at all times. As soon as any ballot tabulation is completed, all ballots must be stored in a safe, dry place secured with two locks: one lock that can be opened by the director, and the other lock by the deputy director or other designated employee of the opposite of party of the director. All used and unused ballots must be retained for at least 22 months.” Did you abide by the requirements regarding ballot security? Did you abide by the requirements regarding ballot preservation?

16. Did you not understand this 2004-07 Directive, dated February 20, 2004, as you have (insert your county story here) with the election records from your county? Did you do as paragraph 7 on page 5 suggests under the title of:
“Questions?
If you have any questions regarding these instructions, please contact the Elections Division at (614) 466-2585.”
Did you call them and ask them to explain or clarify anything about the record retention schedule or ballot security?”

17. When you received Directive 2004-43, dated October 25, 2004, addressed
To: All County Boards of Elections
Members, Directors and Deputy Directors
were you aware that it repeats some important procedures that you had recently been informed of? It reads:
“Ballot Security
Ballot security is important at all times. As soon as any ballot tabulation is completed, all ballots must be stored in a safe, dry place secured with two locks: one lock that can be opened by the director, and the other lock by the deputy director or other designated employee of the opposite of party of the director. All used and unused ballots must be retained for at least 22 months.”

18. Did you use the information in paragraph 7, which reads:
“Questions?
If you have any questions regarding these instructions, please contact the Elections Division at (614) 466-2585.”
Did you call them and ask them to explain or clarify anything about the record retention schedule or ballot security?”

19. Have you ever reviewed the Ohio Revised Code Section 3505.31? It states, in
relevant part:

“. . . if the election includes the nomination or election of candidates for . . . president, the board shall carefully preserve all ballots prepared and provided by it for use in that election, whether used or unused for twenty-two months after the day of the election.”

20. Are you aware that ignorance of the law is no excuse?

21. What qualifications do you feel you have that qualify you to retain your job?

Cuyahoga County Election Director Resigns

2007-02-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

NewsNet5 reports:

Cuyahoga Co. Elections Director Resigns

POSTED: 11:37 am EST February 6, 2007
UPDATED: 4:36 pm EST February 6, 2007

CLEVELAND -- The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Tuesday announced that it has accepted the resignation of its embattled chief.

Executive director Michael Vu's ouster marks the end of a tense term that thrust Cuyahoga County and its voters in the national spotlight. Under Vu, the county weathered a botched primary election and convictions of two workers who mishandled the 2004 presidential recount.

.........

At age 28, Vu was hired in 2003 to take over the largest and arguably most problematic elections board in the bellwether state during a hard-fought and close presidential campaign.

In November 2004, Cuyahoga, which has more than 1 million registered voters, was among the counties with long lines and complaints over provisional ballots. The election ended with Ohio giving President Bush the electoral votes needed to narrowly win the White House over Democratic U.S. Sen. John Kerry.....

Complete article

Two Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Election Officials Convicted of Felony and Misdemeanor for 2004 Election; One Official Acquitted

2007-01-25T09:31:00.000-05:00

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that two of the three Cuyahoga County election officials indicted for misconduct in connection with thwarting the recount of the Ohio 2004 presidential election have been convicted of one felony and one misdemeanor each:

2 election workers convicted in '04 tally
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Jim Nichols
Plain Dealer Reporter

A jury found two Cuyahoga County elections workers guilty Wednesday of charges that they skirted Board of Elections procedures to thwart a countywide ballot recount after the divisive 2004 presidential election.

The jury convicted Kathleen Dreamer, 40, of Cleveland and Jacqueline Maiden, 59, of Richmond Heights on one felony and one misdemeanor each.

They each had been charged with seven counts and were exonerated on five apiece, including all charges that they knowingly conspired to break the law and violate their duties. Instead, they were found guilty of being criminally negligent.

Complete article

Cuyahoga Election Officials on Trial

2007-01-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on January 18th:

Elections workers accused of mishandling ballots go on trial
1/18/2007, 2:18 a.m. ET
By M.R. KROPKO
The Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Three elections workers in the state's most populous county are set for trial on charges that they mishandled ballots during the 2004 presidential election recount.

Opening statements were scheduled to begin Thursday [January 18th].

Charged with six counts each of misconduct are Jacqueline Maiden, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections' coordinator, who was the board's third-highest ranking employee when she was indicted last March; Rosie Grier, manager of the board's ballot department; and Kathleen Dreamer, an assistant manager.

The charges allege that Ohio laws were not followed in the selection and review of ballots for the recount. The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason removed himself from the investigation because his office represents the elections board. Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter was appointed special prosecutor.

Complete article

CASE Ohio Newsletter -- Report on Elections 2006

2006-12-28T11:42:00.000-05:00

December 2006
CASE OHIO NEWSLETTER

Thank you! CITIZENS ALLIANCE FOR SECURE ELECTIONS would like to thank everyone who worked as election observers, pollworkers, videographers, election protection workers, or otherwise helped monitor the November 7, 2006 election.

The general consensus in the mainstream press is that the election was a success, with only a few "glitches". We believe that the landslide nature of this election minimized some continuing flaws in the system. CASE will continue it’s work to report on election issues and to improve the system. The Adopt a Board of Elections program continues and is in need of volunteer adopters.

> CASE members Phil Fry, Ron Olson, Stuart Wright, and Pete Johnson met with Secretary of State elect Jennifer Brunner, and have been invited to serve on the Voting Rights Institute’s Advisory Council.

> Cuyahoga County Commissioners may want to replace Diebold Electronic Voting Machines

www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1164794175139720.xml&coll=2

CASE is working with the Greater Cleveland Voter Coaliton, local League of Women Voters, and members of both major parties to help evaluate the effectiveness of Cuyahoga's current system and possible alternatives.

Contents:

The Road to Reliable Elections NY Times Editorial
18,000 undervotes in Sarasota Fl congressional race; An Electronic Canary by E.J. Dione; Washington Post
When Votes Disappear by Paul Krugman
Black Box Voting on Sarasota undervote
Touch-Screen Votes Flipping in Arkansas Run-off Election
Election Defense Alliance reports 4% exit poll differential
Thank you from Harvey Wasserman; NY Times Letter to Editor
1. The Road to Reliable Elections NY Times Editorial, Dec 11 2006

Two influential federal advisory groups have added their voices to an emerging national consensus that voting machines must produce a voter-verified paper record if they are to be trusted. One of those groups, the one dominated not by scientists but by election officials, was more grudging than it should have been. But their analyses should give further support to members of Congress who plan to push next month for a strong federal law requiring voter-verified paper records.

More than half of the states now have laws requiring electronic voting machines to produce paper records that voters can review to ensure that their votes were correctly recorded. Voters understand that without this paper, there is no way of knowing if the software registered their choices incorrectly, either by accident or by design.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency that promotes good standards in everything from medical devices to smoke detectors, recently concluded that paperless electronic voting is unacceptable. The agency's scientists said that for electronic voting to be trustworthy, it must be "software independent," meaning there has to be a means apart from the machines' own software to prove that the vote tallies are correct.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106K.shtml

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. An Electronic Canary By E. J. Dionne Jr. Nov 24, 2006

Friday, November 24, 2006;The Sarasota undervote in the congressional race amounted to nearly 15 percent. Kendall Coffey, Jennings's lawyer, has pointed out that in the other four counties in the district, the undervote ranged from 2.2 to 5.3 percent. Put another way, roughly 18,000 of the 21,000 undervotes in the contest came from Sarasota County.

It's hard to believe that Sarasota's voters had a different view of the race than voters everywhere else in the district, considering that the undervote on the county's absentee ballots, cast on paper, was only 2.5 percent. The upshot: Any reasonable statistical analysis suggests that only 3,000 to 5,000 of Sarasota's undervotes were intentional, meaning that 13,000 to 15,000 votes were probably not counted.

< snip>

For complete article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/23/AR2006112300965.html

---------------------------------------------------------

3. When Votes Disappear,

By Paul Krugman, The New York Times, Friday 24 Novmber 2006

You know what really had me terrified on Nov. 7? The all-too-real possibility of a highly suspect result. What would we have done if the Republicans had held on to the House by a narrow margin, but circumstantial evidence strongly suggested that a combination of vote suppression and defective - or rigged - electronic voting machines made the difference?

Fortunately, it wasn't a close election. But the fact that our electoral system worked well enough to register an overwhelming Democratic landslide doesn't mean that things are O.K. There were many problems with voting in this election - and in at least one Congressional race, the evidence strongly suggests that paperless voting machines failed to count thousands of votes, and that the disappearance of these votes delivered the race to the wrong candidate.

Here's the background: Florida's 13th Congressional District is currently represented by Katherine Harris, who as Florida's secretary of state during the 2000 recount famously acted as a partisan Republican rather than a fair referee. This year Ms. Harris didn't run for re-election, making an unsuccessful bid for the Senate instead. But according to the official vote count, the Republicans held on to her seat, with Vern Buchanan, the G.O.P. candidate, narrowly defeating Christine Jennings, the Democrat.

for entire article: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112406C.shtml

4. Black Box Voting on the SARASOTA undervote problem:

www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/1954/45231.html

18,000 undervotes. It's one thing to know about these figures, but another to hear the actual missing vote numbers -- the undervotes were like a third candidate in the race. To hear nearly as many under-votes as actual votes for either candidate really drove the point home about how ridiculous it was to claim that so many people chose not to vote in this race, but in all the others. An amazing effect.

--------------------------------------------------

5. Touch-Screen Votes Flipping in Arkansas Run-off Election, by Brad Friedman, Brad Blog - November 19, 2006

Mayoral Candidate's Own Votes Repeatedly Flipped in County Clerk's Office — in Front of County Clerk — Told 'Election Must Go On, Go Get Court Order'

This article appeared on The Brad Blog. It is reposted with permission of the author.

Heber Springs, Arkansas, mayoral run-off candidate Jackie McPherson began to suspect problems when both his mother-in-law and her mom told him their attempted vote for him flipped over to McPherson's opponent during early voting. He went to the County Clerk's office to test the problem for himself — in front of the County Clerk, who at first told him it was not possible — and then they were both able to watch the vote flip about 20 times in a row.

McPherson says the head of the local Elections Commission then told him "the election would have to go on," and that he "would have to get a court order to review the machines and the problem that obviously exists." Read the Entire Article

--------------------------------------------------------

6. Landslide Denied!

Election Defense Alliance: Nov. 17, 2006

Major Miscount in 2006 Election: Were 4% of Votes "Misplaced"?

Election Defense Alliance, a national election integrity organization, issued an urgent call today for an investigation into the 2006 election results and a moratorium on deployment of all electronic voting equipment after analysis of national exit polling data indicated a major undercount of Democratic votes and an overcount of Republican votes in congressional races across the country. These findings are an alarming indictment of the American election system in which 80% of voters used electronic voting equipment.

As in 2004, the Exit Poll and the reported election results do not add up. But this time there is an objective yardstick in the methodology that establishes the validity of the Exit Poll and exposes the inaccuracy of the election returns. These findings are detailed in a paper published today on the EDA website.

For entire article: www.electiondefensealliance.org/

For review of exit poll data: www.electiondefensealliance.org/ExitPollData

7. Harvey Wasserman; (Letter posted by NYTimes, November 14, 2006)

The biggest winners in the election

To the Editor:

The most significant long-term outcome of the nationwide vote last Tuesday may be the coming of age of a grass-roots election-protection movement.

Based on the experiences of Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004, citizens across the country contributed intense scrutiny of electronic voting machines, voter registration requirements and other essentials of our modern democracy.

By and large, their efforts have been well respected and reported.

There is no way to know exactly how this volunteer police work might have affected the results of Tuesday's election. And it is disturbing to see the use of exit polls severely restricted, as they were in reporting the results.

But it is gratifying to see both Republicans and Democrats refusing to concede close races until the last vote is recounted. And it is reassuring to know that a salutary national debate has begun in earnest about exactly what is needed to guarantee a full and fair electoral process.

In the long run, this could make American democracy itself the election's biggest winner.

Harvey Wasserman

Bexley, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2006

The writer is a co-author of a book about the 2004 election in Ohio.

CITIZENS ALLIANCE FOR SECURE ELECTIONS:

Case website: caseohio.org/index.html

Yahoo newsgroup: groups.yahoo.com/group/CASE_OH/.

Contacts:

Pete Johnson Pete@caseohio.org
Phil Fry Phil@caseohio.org
Ron Olson Ron@caseohio.org
John Burik John@caseohio.org
Susan Truitt Susan_Truitt@yahoo.com
Stuart Wright StuartWright@att.net

Important Action Memo from Nancy Tobi and Paul Lehto

2006-11-19T13:31:00.000-05:00

Stopping H.R. 550 because we can't compromise on democracy
by Nancy Tobi and Paul Lehto

The premise of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), that public oversight
of elections can be outsourced to corporate interests with secret vote
counting technology, is dangerous to American democracy. We need a
moratorium on new legislation; an accounting of HAVA monies spent, on
what, to whom, and to what end; and a recovery plan from the HAVA
disaster. We reject compromise legislation like H.R. 550, because
there is no compromise on democracy.

For complete memo and actions to take:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_nancy_to_061118_stopping_h_r__550_be.htm

Were 4% of Votes "Misplaced"?

2006-11-17T18:41:00.000-05:00

Major Miscount of the Vote in 2006 Election:
Reported Results Skewed 4 Percent Toward GOP
Election Defense Alliance Calls for Investigation

BOSTON, MA - November 17, 2006
CONTACT: Jonathan Simon 617.538.6012

Election Defense Alliance, a national election integrity organization, issued an urgent call today for an investigation into the 2006 election results and a moratorium on deployment of all electronic voting equipment after analysis of national exit polling data indicated a major undercount of Democratic votes and an overcount of Republican votes in congressional races across the country. These findings are an alarming indictment of the American election system in which 80% of voters used electronic voting equipment.

As in 2004, the Exit Poll and the reported election results do not add up. But this time there is an objective yardstick in the methodology that establishes the validity of the Exit Poll and exposes the inaccuracy of the election returns. These findings are detailed in a paper published today on the EDA website.

The Edison-Mitofsky media Exit Poll, posted Election Night on CNN.com, had a sample base of more than 10,000 voters, and showed Democratic House candidates winning over Republicans by an 11.5 percent margin.

The reported vote count showed Democrats winning by a 7.6 margin, 3.9 percent less than the Exit Poll and far outside the poll’s +/-1-percent margin of error. This discrepancy entailed at least 3,000,000 votes.

The Exit Poll was then adjusted, by a process known as “forcing,” to match reported election vote totals. The final result, posted at 1:00 p.m. November 8, showed Democrats winning by a 7.6 percent margin, exactly mirroring the reported vote totals.

The objective yardstick was the proportion of respondents who indicated they had voted for Bush or Kerry in 2004. The sample in the already weighted Election Night Exit Poll had 47 percent Bush voters and 45 percent Kerry voters, a valid sample given the very conservative assumption that Republicans and Democrats turned out with equal enthusiasm in 2006. However, after the forcing process, the sample contained 49 percent Bush voters and only 43 percent Kerry supporters. This 6 percent gap is more than twice the size of the 2004 Bush win of 2.8 percent. It indicates a significant over-sampling of Republican voters in the adjusted 2006 Exit Poll.

Such a gross oversample of Republicans was necessary to match the actual vote counts, which therefore could not have been an accurate count of the actual electorate. Had the intended votes been accurately tallied, this election would have produced a Democratic landslide of epic proportions.

Read the Full Report: http://www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dan Ashby
Co-Founder, ElectionDefenseAlliance.org

E-mail: ca.voteraction@sbcglobal.net
EDA mail: Dan@electiondefensealliance.org

"The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which all other rights are protected.
To take away this right is to reduce a man to slavery. . . "
Thomas Paine

Electronic Frontier Foundation Reports: Widespread Problems With Electronic Voting All Across Country

2006-11-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that electronic voting problems on Election Day 2006 left many voters wondering whether their votes had been counted:

Electronic Voting Machine Headaches Shut Out Citizens

Delays Mean Long Lines for Voters in Florida, Utah, and Other States

San Francisco - Problems with electronic voting machine failures kept some polls from opening, created long lines, and left many voters puzzled about whether their votes were counted in Tuesday's high stakes election.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) joined a nationwide team of technology lawyers and other experts staffing nationwide call centers and legal command posts on Election Day. The volunteers chronicled election problems, assisted voters, and worked with election officials to pull malfunctioning machines wherever possible. By 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, over 17,000 incidents, including machine-related problems, had been reported to the Election Protection Coalition's 866-OUR-VOTE hotline.

The types of machine problems reported to EFF volunteers were wide-ranging in both size and scope. Polls opened late for machine-related reasons in polling places throughout the country, including Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Utah, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, and California. In Broward County, Florida, voting machines failed to start up at one polling place, leaving some citizens unable to cast votes for hours. EFF and the Election Protection Coalition sought to keep the polling place open late to accommodate voters frustrated by the delays, but the officials refused. In Utah County, Utah, more than 100 precincts opened one to two hours late on Tuesday due to problems with machines. Both county and state election officials refused to keep polling stations open longer to make up for the lost time, and a judge also turned down a voter's plea for extended hours brought by EFF.

"If election officials insist on depending on this unreliable technology, they should be prepared to react appropriately when things go wrong," said EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn. "Voters should not have to bear the brunt of this poor planning. We are very disappointed that the court did not recognize that."

"Jumping vote" problems -- touchscreen machines displaying selections not intended by voters -- once again appeared across the country and across machine models. Some voters again encountered difficulty making or changing selections on touchscreen machines, resulting in long lines and frustrated voters leaving polling places. Optical scan machines also broke down in many places, most prominently in Cook County, Illinois, but also in Los Angeles, California, also leading to long delays for voters.

Complete report.

Important Memo from Marc Baber of Truth in Voting About the 2006 Election

2006-11-10T19:04:00.000-05:00

Marc Baber is a fantastic guy associated with the great Oregon-based voters rights group, Truth in Voting. Mark and TIV have been in the forefront from Day One in the battle to challenge and investigate the 2004 Ohio election. Here is an important reminder from Marc:

According to Fox News, "the exit polls this election (2006) were still skewed 6-8% in favor of the Democrats" (They think backwards at Fox, of course).

The only attempt to explain the "skew" in 2004 was known as the rBr theory ("Reluctant Bush Responder"). According to the theory, Republicans avoid participating in exit polls in greater numbers than Democrats. But statistical analysis of the data in 2004 showed that in more heavily Republican precincts where you'd expect higher rates of non-participation (if rBr were true) and, therefore, more highly skewed exit polls-- the opposite occurred, indicating that rBr doesn't fit the observed patterns.

The 2004 raw exit poll data was never released for full analysis and we'll see even less of the data for 2006.

The most likely explanation is that our entire vote counting system favored Republicans by 6-8% in this election and that the exit polls are correct while the official results are corrupt.

The only reason the Democrats did so well in 2006 is that Democrats actually won by margins of 6-8% greater than the official results showed.

I ran through the list of close races where Republicans won and there was only one race (Tennessee Ford(D) vs. Corker(R)) on the Senate side, however in the House, at least 15 races were within 6%, meaning that the Dems probably should have won an additional 15 seats or so in the House if the Republicans hadn't rigged the system this year, assuming that the error is in the official results (not the exit polls) and that the bias was a fairly uniform 6% nationwide. These are, of course, very rough estimates. And alarming too.

So, the Democratic victory was no mere "Thumping" as Bush described it. We smited them. We devastated them. We completely overwhelmed, stomped, creamed, killed, slaughtered and trounced them. We beat them so bad, they couldn't even win by cheating.

Yes, indeedy, we sure did. Oh, yeah. Big time.

But, make no mistake, they're still cheating. There were at least 30-40 different cheating tactics used in 2004 and they weren't just invented in 2004-- no organization can build such a smoothly operating racket overnight. What we're up against has a measure of business-as-usual to it, developed over decades of corrupt "worst practices" that may take another decade or two to expose and stop.

But stop it we must. As it turns out, in 2006, "within stealing distance" meant about 6-8%. In 2008, it will probably be a higher number. If we don't level the playing field in the next two years, we may never get another chance. It shouldn't be too much to ask of our new Democratic Congress to enact verifiable elections with paper ballots, since 92% of Americans want that. Just imagine how bad Bush would look vetoing paper ballots. Imagine how bad Congress people would look if they didn't vote yes in an attempt to override the veto with a 2/3 majority. I hope you'll contact your Representatives in Congress and let them know that you expect nothing less.

Thanks for everything you DID to get us this far! Celebrate our victories, but don't let up!

Marc

* A "paper trail" is necessary but not sufficient to ensure verifiable elections and I am strongly in favor of a system of paper ballots, handled in a multi-partisan-observed unbroken chain of custody and counted by redundant "dumb" optical scanners. (I know, "optical scanners" is a hot button among Election Reform people who typically favor hand-counting, but please read my full paper to understand why redundant "dumb" optical scanners would be safe and practical).

The system I propose and presented at We Count 2006 is detailed in the paper I delivered, "A Practical Election System with Integrity" online at http://www.marcbaber.com/ElectionReform.htm (click on the "PDF" link).

My hope is to get endorsements of this system from a coalition of Election Reform groups and launch a new election business to facilitate elections carried out in the fashion I've described.

A Salute to the People

2006-11-08T08:20:00.000-05:00

During some dark days in 2004, I witnessed firsthand the courage and patriotism of the people of Ohio. As the forces of darkness arrayed to deprive them of their right to vote, they fought their best to stand up for their rights. They lost that battle, but never gave up the fight, and resolved to come back even stronger next time.

In these days of 2006 I have seen their quiet courage again, overcoming all of the chicanery and fraud and disenfranchisement levelled against them, and coming back to throw the cheaters out of office.

In 2006, all across the country, people of good conscience came out in droves, and despite thousands and thousands of incidents of disenfranchisement and vote fraud, managed to send a clear message, that we are not taking it any more.

Our leader, Congressman John Conyers, can now lead the House Judiciary Committee, instead of having to run shadow hearings because Republican members failed to honor their oaths.

I salute the people of Ohio and am proud to be your friend.

I salute the voting rights activists of Ohio, who never gave up.

I salute the people of America, for taking us back a step from the brink.

I remind all of us that despite our celebration of this great victory, our next step is to return to the ramparts to resume our watch, for it is only through "eternal vigilance" that we can keep the precious flame of democracy alive.

Thank you.

-Ray Beckerman

Plain Dealer Reports: "Another glitch for Cuyahoga election"

2006-11-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

Reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

Another glitch for Cuyahoga election
Judge OKs scanning absentee votes early, but machines malfunction
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Joan Mazzolini and James F. McCarty
Plain Dealer Reporters

A judge ruled Friday that scanning of absentee ballots can start early, but the ruling could be meaningless in Cuyahoga County unless election officials overcome a potentially devastating glitch in their scanners.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Dan Gaul's ruling, which applies to all 88 counties in Ohio, says scanning may begin at 7 a.m. Monday, 19 hours earlier than Secretary of State Ken Blackwell planned to allow.

County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and County Prosecutor Bill Mason asked for the ruling to make sure as many as 100,000 absentee ballots get counted in Cuyahoga County by the end of Election Day.

Complete article

Important Election Day Action Memo from Victoria Lovegren

2006-11-01T11:03:00.000-05:00

This is What Democracy Looks Like !

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The whole world will be watching next week's election, and Cuyahoga County's will be a major object of focus. WCPN will host World Have Your Say here in Cleveland on the 7th and 8th. Director Michael Vu was on Lou Dobbs on Sunday night and on CNN today. And wait until the new film, Hacking Democracy, airs this Thursday?

A few patriots have been tracking Cuyahoga County Board Of Elections over the past two years and know that there is absolutely NO basis for confidence in the accurate and honest tallying of our votes by Diebold touch screen voting machines and the Diebold central tabulator. The May debacle, the missing memory cards, the discrepancies among totals, the destruction of all May election data from the memory cards, and the refusal to post election results, the utilization of electronic voting machines in general, and the Recount indictments, are but a few of the reasons we believe it is essential to have election-day vote-count verification (to the extent to which CCBOE and Kenneth Blackwell will let us.)

For those in or near Cuyahoga County, we must be vigilant this November 7th to make sure our votes are counted accurately!

There are many opportunities for citizens to be vigilant next Tuesday, and I'm describing yet another, one that focuses on protecting the vote count:

Vote Count Protection Project

in conjunction with Dr. Steven Freeman and Dr. Ken Warren

of www.electionintegrity.org

This project seeks to verify the vote counts on election day by, first, conducting simple Election Verification Exit Polls, and second, having "inside" people jot down the machine summary-report totals for the top 4 races and 1 issue. So we need "inside" people: poll workers, election-day technicians and observers, to capture the "system" data and record it on a simple data collection form. We also need "outside" pollsters to ask voters to fill out a very short and simple questionnaire.

Sample data collection forms and questionnaires can be found here:

http://www.ohiovigilance.org/ProjectPost/CuyahogaPollDataCollectionForm.pdf (PDF)

and

http://www.ohiovigilance.org/ProjectPost/CuyahogaSampleQuestionnaire.pdf (PDF)

For more details about this important project, see http://www.ohiovigilance.org or email me at victoria@wecount2006.org.

I am certain this project will be a fun, interesting and rewarding experience--a civic duty more meaningful than jury duty--and you'll meet lots of good people also engaging to restore democracy. (There are other roles you can play, as well, in the days leading up to Nov 7th and after the election. We need techies to do analysis on election day and after!)

Victoria Lovegren, Ph.D.

Founder, Ohio Vigilance

Please forward widely!

P.S. If you are not yet an "observer", we can arrange for you to get that status, in which case you can be inside the polls during the end-of-day closing procedures.

Federal Judge Suspends Ohio Photo ID Law

2006-10-27T11:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Paddy Shaffer and Steven Linnabary for this lead:

13abc.com reports:

Federal judge suspends Ohio's voter ID law

October 27, 2006 - COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A federal judge suspended Ohio's new voter identification law Thursday as it applies to absentee voting, saying the state's 88 counties are inconsistently applying the rule in the voting, which is already under way.

U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley granted the temporary restraining order on behalf of labor and poverty groups who sued Tuesday.

The ruling is in effect until Wednesday, when the judge will consider arguments from the same groups seeking to block application of the identification law for voters who go to the polls Nov. 7.

It's unclear how many absentee ballots have been cast since early voting began Oct. 3, said James Lee, spokesman for Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. None were scheduled to be counted before Election Day, and none will be disqualified, he said.

Assistant Attorney General Richard Coglianese said the state would appeal, perhaps as early as Friday. But Lee said the secretary of state's office would not join it.

"We have an election to run, and we do not have time to get caught up in endless litigation," Lee said.

Ohio, where a slim victory gave President Bush the electoral votes he needed for re-election in 2004, has a tight Senate race and a closely watched campaign for governor.

Complete article

Additional coverage:

Moritz Law

New film, "No Umbrella -- Election Day in the City"

2006-10-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

"No Umbrella - Election Day in the City" is a new film about Election Day 2004 in one of Ohio's poorest neighborhoods. A Sundance 2006 official selection, and winner of audience award at Sydney Film Festival.

Upcoming Screenings:

Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series
Barbes
Brooklyn, NY
November 6, 7:00 PM

Monday, October 30th
Place: Waldo Branch of K.C. Public Library
201 E 75th St
Meeting Room
Kansas City, MO, 64114
Screening of two films, "Stealing
America" and "No Umbrellas"
Time: 6:00 PM
Free Popcorn Will be Served
RSVP Pamela at kiteinthewind59@gmail.com

Pacific Palisades Film Festival
Pacific Palisades Theatre, CA
October 29, 8:15 PM

Milwaukee International Film Festival
Milwaukee Art Museum
October 28, 12:00 PM

Permanent link for screenings

To purchase DVD

More Screenings of "Stealing America" -- Oregon, Texas, California, Missouri, New Mexico, Indiana,

2006-10-23T14:23:00.000-04:00

"Stealing America: Vote by Vote"
by Emmy-award winning director
Dorothy Fadiman

Best place to go for updated screening schedule

Monday, October 23rd
Place: Ashland Library
Gresham Room
Ashland, OR
Time: 7:00 pm
Cost: Small donations accepted. No one turned away.
Contact: Lora (773) 486-7660
Sponsor: Pacific Greens

Tuesday, October 24th
Place: Monterey Senior Center
Corner of Lighthouse and Dickman
New Monterey, CA
Time: 7:00 pm
Contact: Peggy Olsen
375-2016

Thursday, October 26th
Place: River Oaks Theatre
2009 West Gray
Houston, TX
Time: 7:00 pm
Contact: Kip Humphrey
kiphumphrey@51capitalmarch.com
(713) 956-8792

Thursday, October 26th
Place: Michael's at Shoreline
2960 North Shoreline Blvd.
Mountain View, CA
Time: 6:30 pm - Registration
7 pm - Dinner
7:30 pm - Program
Cost: $25
Contact: Tamara Colby,
tamara@radiostreet.com
RSVP by October 14
Sponsor: The Mid-Peninsula Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union

Thursday, October 26th
Place: Taos Center for the Arts
133 Paseo del Pueblo Norte
Taos, NM
Time: 7:00 pm
Cost: $10 Donation Requested
Contact: simplechange@mac.com

Saturday, October 28th
Place: University of New Mexico Student Union Ballroom "B"
1 University of New Mexico
Building 60
Albuquerque, NM Campus Maps
Time: 7:00 pm
Cost: TBA (~$10 pre-sale / $12 at the door)
Fundraiser for KUNM Radio
Contact: Mary Bokuniewicz
Director of Marketing
KUNM Radio
(505) 277-8006
maryb@kunm.org

Sunday, October 29th
Place: Center for Contemporary Arts
1050 Old Pecos Trail
Santa Fe, NM
Time: 5:30 pm
Cost: TBA (~ $10 pre-sale / $12 at the door)
Contact:
Jason Silverman
Cinema Director,
Center for Contemporary Arts
(505) 982-1338
jas@cybermesa.com

Sunday, October 29th
Place: Boxcar Books
310A South Washington
Bloomington, IN
Time: 6:00 pm
Contact:
(812) 339-8710

Monday, October 30th
Place: Waldo Branch of K.C. Public Library
201 E 75th St
Meeting Room
Kansas City, MO, 64114
Screening of two films, "Stealing
America" and "No Umbrellas"
Time: 6:00 PM
Free Popcorn Will be Served
RSVP Pamela at kiteinthewind59@gmail.com

Friday, November 3rd
Place: Monterey County Democratic Headquarters
12 E. Gabilan Street
Oldtown Salinas, CA
Time: 7:00 pm
Contact:
(866) 679-3367

Permanent Link for Screenings of "Stealing America: Vote by Vote"

Poll Observer Recruitment Effort in Ohio

2006-10-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

Poll Observer Recruitment Effort

Please read this and volunteer if you are not already volunteering on election day.

Please forward this to other groups

Thanks!!

Poll Observer Recruitment Effort

The Voter Protection Team and OVEST are recruiting poll observers to work at targeted precincts throughout the state of Ohio . The poll observers will monitor their precincts while the polls are open and after they close and will report any concerns or problems to the OVEST Election Day Command Center using the communication structure established by the Voter Protection Team.

On November 7, 2006 , the recruited poll observers will monitor their precinct from 5:00 PM until the votes are tabulated and the poll workers leave the site. If any individual poll observer is available to begin his or her shift earlier than 5:00 PM they are strongly encouraged to do so.

The poll observers will also ensure that the Presiding Judge of the precinct has delivered the voting machine cartridges to the county Board of Elections office after the polls have closed and the poll workers have tabulated the votes. The poll observer should follow the Presiding Judge of the precinct to make sure that the voting machine cartridges make it safely and securely from the polling location to the BOE.

The Voter Protection Coordinators for the Ohio Democratic Party are establishing a network of recruiters. Each recruiter will, in turn, be responsible for establishing a broader network of volunteers to work within established target groups and organizations to engage volunteers as poll observers. The volunteer poll observers’ contact information will be channeled back to the Voter Protection Coordinators to determine the staffing of each targeted precinct and set training schedules.

Poll observers will be trained and given a manual that will help them answer any questions and advise them of both problems they should anticipate and an appropriate response to such problems. They also will be provided the contact information necessary to report any problems they encounter. The Voter Protection Coordinators will be leading the training effort in coordination with OVEST using in person training sessions, conference calls, and email. The length of each training session has not yet been finalized but should not exceed 2-3 hours.

Please send your information to Brian Green at brian.green@ohiodems.org or call at 614-207-2088.

Important Action Memo from Paddy Shaffer: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR OHIO ELECTION

2006-10-23T11:06:00.000-04:00

Announcing an American Citizens Call To Action! Please for the sake of this nation, take a minute and read this.

Election Observers are needed to oversee the Ohio Election process. We now have five state wide candidates that have come together and can legally have Election Observers for the fall general election. These Ohio candidates are
Dr. Robert Fitrakis, Dr. William Peirce, Dr. James Lundeen, Timothy Kettler, and Dr. John Eastman.

What does this mean? Ohio has over 11,000 precincts in 88 counties.

We need as many people to assist as we can get, this is how we begin to take back the current struggling system. Our observers must be "Qualified Electors". This means qualified Ohio voters. If you are from another state and can help, we have support roles that you could assist with.

We have proved fraud in 2004. We hope that by closely watching 2006, the process will improve. If it doesn't, we will have documented what we were able to see with our own eyes. This will help to take legal action where needed, address the problems of the system, and to give credit where credit is due. This applies to things done well, and things done poorly.

We will need many people out on November 7th, 2006. All across Ohio. We need all kinds of people, including attorneys. Are you willing to travel to another county. If so, tell us. We will also need election observers to go to the Boards of Elections in advance of November 7th to look and see what is happening with the Absentee Ballots.

Please send names, addresses, and phone numbers immediately for anyone else you know able to help. If they can do a whole day, great, if they can only do a partial day, yes we need them.

If you have camera's, tape recorders, or video camera's, get them ready. We hope to be able to use them, I'll know soon. I need to mail off letters with names of people willing to go into all 88 counties, in the next few days. Please respond ASAP! We can add more names to any county we have people for by October 27th. Beyond the 27th we can add names up until 4:00 p.m. on November 6th, 2006. So we can take more helpers up until the end.

To anyone interested... I will follow this up with more information you will need. I don't want to make this too long, I hope people read it. Thanks for any and all help you can offer! Training will happen the weekend of October 28th. Details coming soon. Yes, we want people that don't use computer too.

If interested, send the following information to Phil Fry, our project manager at phil@caseohio.org and (937) 362-4493

Name
Address
County
Phone
Email
Available for Nov. 7
All day Nov. 7th or a part day
Available before Nov. 7
Willing to travel to other counties.
Maximum distance you are willing to travel to other counties.
Do you have a camera, video camera, tape recorder?
Available to help with the preplanning?

Please forward this on to your lists. For people in Ohio and other states, if you want to know more about what is going on with the US elections and ways to help, look to the following sites for ideas.
www.velvetrevolution.us/electionstrikeforce/
www.bobforohio.com
www.freepress.org
www.velvetrevolution.us
www.bradblog.com
www.blackboxvoting.org
www.fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com

Paddy Shaffer
Campaign Manager
Fitrakis for Governor
www.bobforohio.com
paddy@columbus.rr.com
(614) 761-0621
(614) 266-5283

__._,_.___

Important Action Memo from Susan Truitt: OHIO POLL OBSERVERS NEEDED, SIGN UP NOW

2006-10-23T11:02:00.000-04:00

All poll worker slots in targeted counties are filled! The ODP needs observers at the polls now, and they need them ASAP. Please register on line below by tomorrow if you can assist in this crucial effort. Please forward to everyone you know who wants their vote protected.
Thanks for all you're doing!
Herb
Protect Our Vote!
Help ensure every vote is counted in Franklin County this election

Volunteers Needed to Observe Polls
Please sign up at http://www.paintohioblue.com/index.php?page=display&id=123

Don’t let a “Florida 2000” happen in Ohio 2006!

2000: Infamous Florida “hanging chads”…
2004: Long lines & thousands of Ohio voters stopped from voting…
2006: Ken Blackwell games election rules to take Ohio’s Governorship?!?!

We must protect our vote!

The Democratic Coordinated Campaign is launching a massive Election Day effort to monitor polling locations across Ohio, including Franklin County, to report any problems to a rapid-response team of legal experts.
We need poll observers who can spend all or part of election day (Tuesday, November 7) at the polls watching for irregularities and witnessing the vote count after polls close.
We’ll train you, and we may ask you to help us find lawyers and other volunteers to help on Election Day and before.

Please sign up at http://www.paintohioblue.com/index.php?page=display&id=123

For more information or to get involved immediately, please contact Mike Jung at 614.857.0700 ext.100 or email FranklinVote@ohiodems.org

Important Books, Videos, and CD's about the 2004 Ohio Election

2006-10-21T16:27:00.000-04:00

In view of the iron-fisted control of all three of the nation's branches of government, as well as the "fourth estate", the press, by a single political party, I have felt that this dark page in American history would need to be examined by the historians. Well, the history is starting to be written now. Here are some books, videos, and CD's which have come out to tell the story.

The truth can be suppressed in the short run, when government and the press are in league, as they were in Germany from 1933 to 1945, and as they are today, but ultimately the truth will be known and will be told.

-R.B.

Books.

"What Went Wrong in Ohio:
The Conyers Report On The 2004 Presidential Election" (Paperback)
This is the landmark report prepared by the House Judiciary Democrats staff, under the leadership of Congressman John Conyers, Jr., and the other House Judiciary Democrats, under enormous time pressure. On January 6, 2005, all but one Senator and all but thirty other Congresspeople chose to ignore this report, but historians will recognize it as the last gasp of democracy in our country. Every American should be familiar with this, one of the most important documents in American history. This handy, extremely inexpensive paperback makes it easy for each of us to have a copy on hand. Additional link:
Amazon.

"Did George W. Bush Steal America's 2004 Election?" (Paperback)
By Bob Fitrakis, Steve Rosenfeld, Harvey Wasserman
An important compendium of key documents relating to the Ohio election fraud of 2004, prepared by knowledgeable activists who were on the ground in Ohio, fighting against the coup at the time. Additional link: Amazon.

"Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen? : Exit Polls, Election Fraud, and the Official Count" (Paperback).
By Steve Freeman and Joel Bleifuss.
In Ohio, Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, borrowing from Katherine Harris' Florida playbook, orchestrated a statewide effort to suppress the Democratic vote. Did his efforts make a crucial difference in that vital swing state? And how did he count the provisional ballots? Was Ohio the Florida of 2004? Across the country, independent voter exit polls showed that John Kerry was destined to be the next president. Why were the exit polls, which historically have been accurate, so wrong?

"Fooled Again" (Hardcover). By Mark Crispin Miller.
How the Right Stole the 2004 Election.
Well known critic and political commentator Mark Crispin Miller argues that it wasn't moral values that swung the election-it was theft. While the greatest body of evidence comes from the key state of Ohio-where the Democratic staff of the House Judiciary Committee found an extraordinary onslaught of Republican-engineered vote suppression, election-day irregularities, old-fashioned intimidation tactics, and illegal counting procedures-similar practices (and occasionally worse ones) were applied in Florida, Oregon, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and even New York. This pattern-not one overwhelming fraud but thousands of little ones-is, in Miller's view, the new Republican electoral strategy.

"How the GOP stole America's 2004 election and is rigging 2008", by Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman.
$12. Called the "Woodward & Bernstein of the 2004 Election" by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., Fitrakis and Wasserman have assembled a digest of more than 180 bullet points resulting from their invetigation of "Massive Voter Theft, Fraud and Illegalities in Ohio's Presidential Balloting". The theft of the 2004 election has been catalogued, footnoted and documented in more than 180 bullet points compiled by the Ohio-based investigative reporters in their shocking new compendium. Additional link: http://harveywasserman.com.

"Hacked!" Edited by Abbe Waldman DeLozier and Vickie Karp. Contributors: Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman, Lynn Landis, Jeremiah Akin, Bev Harris, May Schmidt, Victoria Collier, Hon. Cynthia Ann McKinney, Kathleen Wynne.
$15. Focuses on the high tech side of election theft. Explains how electronic voting has stolen our democracy; how elections in American have been privatized by large corporations; why the mainstream media is barely reporting it; how imperative it is that Americans start TODAY to reclaim their elections; and why the only solution is a return to paper ballot elections, hand-counted at the precinct level. Action steps for citizens are included.

Cheated!.
Comic book treatment of the stealing of the Ohio 2004 presidential election, by mother-and-daughter team Sheri Leigh Myers (text) and Sophie Goldstein (art). Covers the period of Election Day, November 2, 2004, to January 6, 2005. In the words of the authors, "Ohio is where the levees of democracy broke in 2004". Sheri Leigh Myers is a citizen activist who fought the Ohio election fraud, and rode on the historic Freedom Winter bus ride from Columbus OH to Washington DC of January 2005.

Videos.

"No Umbrella -- Election Day in the City"
New film by Laura Paglin about Election Day 2004 in one of Ohio's poorest neighborhoods. Sundance 2006 official selection. Audience award, Sydney Film Festival.

"Stealing America: Vote by Vote"
Powerful new documentary film by Emmy award winner Dorothy Fadiman focuses on the Ohio election fraud of 2004. A work of historic importance.

"Eternal Vigilance: The Fight to Save Our Election System"
New documentary film by Emmy award winner David Earnhardt examines disenfranchisement of Americans by those in charge of our electoral system.

"Get Up on the Bus"
Great music video by Wil b about the Freedom Winter Bus Ride, the January 6, 2005, demonstrations in Washington, DC, the stealing of Ohioans' right to vote, and the fight for freedom. (Alternate link on wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com) To download a copy.

"Invisible Ballots"
2004 video which came out before election about perils of electronic voting.

SolarBus Election Justice Center. "The Truth About the 2004 Election: Why We Must Not Get Over It" (CD)
CD about the 2004 election prepared by the excellent SolarBus Election Justice Center.

"American Blackout"
(DVD). Outstanding feature length documentary by Ian Inaba on disenfranchisement of African Americans in 2000 Florida presidential election, 2002 and 2004 DeKalb County Georgia congressional elections, and 2004 Ohio presidential election.

CD's.

"Coup d'etat". Song written and performed by Yikes McGee. MP3 for free download through www.yikesmcgee.com

CD available on line for free distribution: "Ohio in the Dark" (Victoria Parks, Yikes McGee, and Gary Polnivale)(Distributed by Madog Music)

Note: If you know about other significant books, cd's, videos, available about the 2004 election, please let me know. Thanks.

-R.B.

Voter Protection Groups Organizing

2006-10-18T13:37:00.000-04:00

Thanks to David Swanson for bringing to my attention web sites which have been set up to organize Voter Protection volunteers:

MyDem.Democrats.com

ProtectMyVote.org

"Get Up on the Bus" -- Great Music Video by Rapper "Wil b" About the Freedom Winter Bus Ride & January 6, 2005, Protests

2006-10-18T12:41:00.000-04:00

Great music video by rapper "Wil b", "Get Up On the Bus", about the Freedom Winter Bus Ride of 2005, and the January 6, 2005, Protests:

http://wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com/Wil%20B.htm
and available on
YouTube.

To download

Electronic Frontier Foundation Needs Volunteer Attorneys for 2006 Election

2006-10-18T11:59:00.000-04:00

Special notice from Electronic Frontier Foundation:j

This November, as we did in 2004, EFF will once again play a key role in
the election integrity movement by volunteering its technical and legal
expertise to help ensure that votes cast on new voting technology are
accurately recorded and counted. EFF and its volunteers, working with
our partners in the non-partisan Election Protection Coalition, will
perform a wide range of important services on election day, including
helping solve (in real team) technology-related problems voters
experience at the polls, documenting voting machine-related incidents
for future examination, and bringing any legal action that might be
required by equipment failures.

As a handful of new legal command centers and hotlines have recently
been created in anticipation of election-related problems, we are in
need of volunteer attorneys who would be willing to spend election day
helping us in the following places:

Atlanta, GA
Jackson, MS
Chapel Hill, NC
Houston, TX
Miami, FL
Philadelphia, PA

All necessary training will be provided in the next two weeks. Some
funding is available to assist with travel, but we would prefer to use
those funds to assist those who are otherwise unable to travel and/or
for unavoidable last minute travel changes.

--
Matthew Zimmerman
Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
454 Shotwell Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
ph: (415) 436-9333 x127 / fx: (415) 436-9993
mattz@eff.org / www.eff.org

Nationwide Election Protection Hotline Up and Running

2006-10-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)

The nationwide Election Protection Hotline was activated on October 16 to help resolve issues for Election Day on November 7.
The number is staffed with live volunteers from 9 AM-6 PM Eastern time.

Election Protection guides voters through the voting process, helping to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot and have their vote counted.

You can contact them with issues before, on, or after the election. Issues are recorded in an Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS) to allow responding to issues in real time as well as provide data for investigations after the election.

Election Protection, the nation's largest non-partisan voter protection coalition, is led by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's National Campaign for Fair Elections, the NAACP, the National Bar Association, and People For the American Way Foundation.

Visit www.866ourvote.org or http://www.nationalcampaignforfairelections.org/pages/election_protection for more information.

1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)

Bibliography Prepared by Mark Crispin Miller and Published on Washington Spectator

2006-10-18T11:44:00.000-04:00

Mark Crispin Miller has prepared, and the Washington Spectator is publishing, a helpful bibliography on election-related materials.

"The GOP Playbook : How to Steal the Vote" By Mark Crispin Miller

2006-10-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

Second article in two-part series by Mark Crispin Miller published in Washington Spectator on October 15, 2006:

OUR RIGGED ELECTIONS (PART II)
The GOP Playbook: How to Steal the Vote
By Mark Crispin Miller | October 15, 2006

Editor's note: The author says it would require a year's worth of Spectators to lay out his case, fact by fact, that our recent elections were stolen. But since that case has already been made in detail elsewhere—and not just by Miller—we asked him to prepare a reader's guide to all the evidence. We've published that bibliography on-line, and we urge you to review that evidence for yourself.

rom the start, George W. Bush has pointedly refused to ask that we make any national sacrifice to help us win the "war on terror." Soon after 9/11 he urged us not to curb our appetites in any way, although to do so would have made much sense, and makes sense now. After all, it's oil, in part, that U.S. troops are fighting for, and oil that indirectly pays for all the guns and bombs now blowing those troops, and countless others, to shreds. The patriotic thing would therefore be to lessen our national dependency on fossil fuels, by driving less (or not at all), and turning off the air conditioners, by buying fewer disposables, and otherwise deferring to the greater good. Bush, however, will have none of that, asserting that the best thing we can do to help win this war is just go shopping.

Yet in one respect it's not exactly right to say that our president has asked nothing of us. Since 9/11, Bush has made astonishing demands on all his fellow citizens, asking us to swallow more baloney than the U.S. government has ever fed the people of this country. He and his team have asked us to believe that 9/11 came as a complete surprise, that Saddam Hussein was part of it, and that Iraq would soon be lobbing atom bombs, poison gas, and lethal pathogens at Tel Aviv and Disney World. They also asked us to believe that the Iraqi people would bestrew our troops with flowers, then that the "mission" had been "accomplished," then that those friendly natives had been overrun by "foreign terrorists" intent on wrecking the "democracy" that we were there to build. And now Bush asks us to believe that things aren't half as bad in Iraq (not to mention Afghanistan), as they appear, and that his team can win this war.

That most Americans do not believe a word of it, and therefore will not vote Republican, attests to the diffusive power of truth, which in this country still resonates despite the efforts of both government and media to bury it. Bush's big lies have prevailed not just because his regime has so doggedly promoted them. For too long, those howlers also had the benefit of a compliant press that simply echoed them.

Complete article

First article in series

Election Day Message from Ray Beckerman

2006-10-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

As we approach the critical 2006 election, it is imperative that we
be vigilant. The word is starting to get out about what happened
in 2004, thanks to an outpouring of excellent books, films, and articles.
We need to keep the momentum going, and to keep on learning,
and teaching, and fighting. We owe it to our forefathers who
fought and died for the right to vote,
to those who braved beatings, and dogs, and firehoses, and bombings,
and lynchings, and killings so that their children would have the right
as citizens of the United States to stand up proud and cast their votes.

And if at any time you find your spirits flagging, my personal recommendation
is to go to YouTube or wakeupandsaveyourcountry.com and play what
is now my anthem -- "Get Up On the Bus" -- the rousing commemoration,
by Freedom Bus Rider and rapper extraordinaire "Wil b", of the historic
Freedom Winter Bus Ride of January 2005.

And as election day approaches, a special shout out to
Susan Truitt, who was the first to the ramparts
when the coup d'etat took place, and who never hesitated for a second
to get in there and fight, leading us into battle with
courage, energy, and humor, bringing light into our fight
against the forces of darkness.

--R.B.

"Eternal Vigilance: The Fight to Save Our Election System", New Documentary Film by David Earnhardt

2006-10-17T15:47:00.000-04:00

A preview edition of a new documentary film, "Eternal Vigilance: The Fight to Save Our Election System", by Emmy Award-winning producer/director David Earnhardt, has been released.

The film deals with "the illegal tactics and dirty tricks" by those in control of our election system.

To watch clips, order dvd's, arrange screenings, and get information about the film and filmmaker, go to http://www.eternalvigilance.us/.

Screenings of "Stealing America" in Eugene, OR, on October 18th and Mountain View, CA, on October 26th

2006-10-17T11:37:00.000-04:00

Screeings of "Stealing America: Vote by Vote" by Emmy-Award winning filmmaker, Dorothy Fadiman:

Wednesday, October 18th, 7:00 pm

LOCATION: In Eugene at Cozmic Pizza, 199 W 8th Avenue (at 8th & Charnelton, 2 blocks west of Willamette)

No admission fee
For more information visit www.stealingamerica.org or contact Kat L'Estrange at kinc@efn.org

Tuesday, October 26th, 6:30 pm registration, 7:00 pm dinner, 7:30 pm program

LOCATION: Mountain View, CA, Michael's on Shoreline, 2960 N Shoreline Blvd

Cost: Free, but viewers will be asked to make $25 donation to ACLU
The filmmaker will be in attendance.
RSVP: Tamara Colby tamara@radiostreet.com by October 14
Sponsor: The Mid-Peninsula Chapter of The American Civil Liberties Union

Additional screenings

New Pacifica Radio Program on Voting Rights Situation in Ohio

2006-10-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

Columbus Community Radio, part of Pacifica, has come out with an episode of "Sprouts" produced by voting rights activist Evan Davis, which looks at the state of voting rights in Ohio in light of new evidence of election fraud and new legislation affecting voters, featuring an interview with Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.

To listen or to download go to:

http://www.ccrfonline.org/ and click on "Audio Archives".

Video the Vote -- Ohio 2006 -- You Can Help

2006-10-12T10:49:00.000-04:00

VIDEO THE VOTE is recruiting bideographers and volunteers to document problems at the polls on November 7th.

They provide training on what to look for and who to call and will get video uploaded to the internet.

Details and contact information below.

---

Thanks for your interest in VIDEO THE VOTE. I'm Melissa Giraud, a member of the League of Young Voters
and coordinator of the VIDEO THE VOTE effort in Columbus.

Video the Vote is recruiting videographers and volunteers with video cameras to document any problems people have voting at the polls on November 7th. With the help of other organizations, we'll train these video volunteers so they know what to look for at the polls and know to call election protection when needed. We'll also set up tape drop off points and ask techie volunteers to upload the tapes we get immediately to the Web on YouTube.com. We'll also encourage individuals with camera to post under Video the Vote on line on their own. Our intention is to supplement election protection efforts by making video taken at the polls available on the Web in short order. This will allow election protection folks and
everyone with an Internet connection to see what's happening in near real-time and rectify problems at polls before they close.

Video the Vote is the inspiration of the Guerilla News Network's Ian Inaba, director of the election documentary "American Blackout." Ian got some of his best footage from individuals, many amateurs, who brought video cameras to the polls in November 2004 in Columbus. He knew that figuring out how to get this "guerilla" footage to the public much sooner would help protect voters. Fortunately, making video available on the web has become much easier than it was in 2004.

We're currently developing protocols to coordinate Video the Vote, which I'll share with you soon. Within the week, Video the Vote will have a completed website where volunteers can sign up, download protocols and guidelines and learn more about the project. That site address is: videothevote.org.

Please send any video volunteers or other potential collaborators on Video the Vote my way. Again, we mean to supplement efforts to protect the vote that are already underway.

Oh, and if you haven't seen the upsetting, important, inspiring movie "American Blackout," you'll have another opportunity. SEIU is sponsoring a showing of the film and Ian Inaba will attend and answer questions. Here's that event information:

American Blackout
Thursday, October 26, 2006
7 pm (Reception at 6:30)
Drexel Gateway near OSU Campus
1550 North High Street

Thanks, and I look forward to working with you all.

Best,

Melissa Giraud
melissa@columbusvotes.org, melissagiraud@yahoo.com
cell 773-895-2378

Voting Rights Revival Conference -- Columbus, Ohio -- October 13-15th

2006-10-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

Conference is this weekend. CASE will be hosting a workshop on the Adopt A BOE program.

http://freepress.org/vrrc/index.php for details.

Voting Rights Revival Conference
Columbus State Community College
Columbus, Ohio

October 13, 14 and 15, 2006

Long lines....provisional ballots...intimidation at the polls...
Don't let what happened on Election Day in 2004 happen again in Ohio!
Get involved!
Come to the Voting Rights Revival conference
Become an Election Protection volunteer!

The VRRC focuses on concrete solutions that will empower Ohio voters this November 7, 2006. Free and open to the public, the VRRC will inspire and inform with renowned speakers and hands-on workshops. Workshops will cover the changes in the new laws, basic voting procedures, how to make sure your vote is counted, how to work with Boards of Elections, Election Protection videography, the voting rights of people with disabilities, and post-election audits, to name a few.

Our Mission Statement:

To focus on the election process in Ohio, with the goal of sharing information that enfranchises all voters in Ohio; to encourage civic participation at the local and state level, including the ongoing facilitation of emerging local and student leaders and organizers: the commencement of a public sphere.

Highlights:

Speakers:

Steve Freeman, Penn University professor, author of "Was the 2004 Presidential Election Stolen? Exit Polls, Election Fraud, and the Official Count"
Bob Fitrakis, author, journalist, political science professor, attorney for Moss v. Bush, co-editor "Did George W. Bush Steal America's 2004 Election? Essential Documents"
Harvey Wasserman, author, journalist, Senior Free Press Editor, co-editor "How the GOP Stole America's 2004 Election & Is Rigging 2008"
Cliff Arnebeck, attorney for post-2004 election challenge
Ruth Colker, law professor, OSU Moritz College of Law
Greg Moore, civil rights leader, director, Voting Rights Institute of the Democratic National Committee
Matt Damschroder (invited), Director, Franklin County Board of Elections
Ronnie Dugger, founder, Texas Observer, founder Alliance for Democracy
Doris D. Haddock (invited), clean elections activist
Workshops:

CASE Ohio – Adopt A Board of Election
Voting 101 (Guaranteeing your voter registration, new ID rules, how to use voting machines)
Disabilities and Voting
Election Day Election Protection Activities: parallel elections, legal, video, observation
Post-election Auditing
More

Amended Complaint Filed in King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association v. Blackwell

2006-10-10T10:24:00.000-04:00

An amended complaint (pdf file) has been filed in King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association v. Blackwell.

Record of Important Legal Events

2006-10-10T09:31:00.000-04:00

This post is intended as a resource for those seeking information on important legal events relating to the Ohio election of 2004, specifically relating to issues of (a) fraud, (b) disenfranchisment, (c) voter suppression,
(d) recount obstruction, and (e) vote machine tampering. It is a selective compilation of links which have been posted on this site which relate to such events.

The links are generally listed in reverse chronological order of posting.

They are numbered in reverse numerical order; the first 2 digits of each link refer to the year of posting. (I.e. “0510" is the 10th post in 2005).

The "permanent" link to this post is at the bottom and can be ascertained by right-clicking the phrase "Permanent Link to this Post". (But please note that it is not entirely "permanent": each time the post is updated in a new month, the 2-digit number for the month changes, and when it is updated in a new year, the 4-digit number for the year changes as well). For a genuinely permanent link, use the link for the identical list on my web site, http://ohioelection2004.com/legalevents.htm

There is, of necessity, some overlap with my separate post "Evidence of Fraud and Disenfranchisement in Ohio, 2004 : A Partial List", since legal documents (a) are often compilations of evidence, and (b) on occasion are in themselves important historical facts.

0602-Amended complaint in King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association v. Blackwell
0601-Complaint in King Lincoln Bronzeville Community Association, et al, v. J. Kenneth Blackwell, et al.

0549-Blackwell's motion to dismiss in League of Women Voters and Plaintiffs' opposition papers.
0548-Two Cuyahoga County Election Workers Indicted For Recount Obstruction
0547-June 13th trial set for League of Women Voters v. Blackwell
0546-Kerry and Edwards to Stay in Recount Case; Trial Set for August 2006
0545-Cobb and Badnarik Claims in Recount Suit
0544-Cuyahoga Recount Being Investigated by Special Prosecutor, Subponeas Issued -- Cleveland Plain Dealer
0543-Federal Lawsuit Commenced to Reform Ohio Elections
0542-Probe of $10,000 payment to Franklin County GOP on instructions by GOP election official - Cleveland Plain Dealer July 16, 2005
0541-TRO extended to August 15th, and parties proceed to mediation, in Hocking County Sherole Eaton litigation
0540-Open Records Request Filed in Lucas County on July 7th
0539-Criminal Complaint Filed in Hocking County Against BOE Director Lisa Schwartze for Shredding Up To 10,000 Registration Documents
0538-Temporary Restraining Order Issued by Court in Alliance for Democracy v. Hocking County Board of Elections
0537-Alliance for Democracy Brings Motion to Stop Hocking County from Terminating Sherole Eaton Without Compliance with Public Meetings Law
0536-Conyers Attacks Gonzalez "Investigation" Report of Franklin County Voter Machine Misallocation
0535-Paul Harmon Files Ohio Supreme Court Brief Describing Licking County Irregularities
0534-Judge Moyer Denies Sanctions Motion in Election Contest Litigation
0533-Videotapes of EAC February 23rd Hearing
0532-Akron Beacon Journal reports: "Prosecutor to Probe Cuyahoga County Recount"
0531-Franklin County Launches Investigation Into 2004 Election
0530-Blackwell Requests Dismissal or Change of Venue of Recount Case, and Opposes Hearing Unless He Can Take Depositions of Kerry and Edwards
0529-Paul Harmon to Appeal Licking County Case to Ohio Supreme Court
0528-National Voting Rights Institute Update on Ohio Recount Litigation
0527-Kerry & Edwards File Court Papers Agreeing With Cobb & Badnarik that Venue Should Not be Transferred & Summarizing Reports of Recount Coordinators
0526-Cobb & Badnarik File Papers Requesting Court Not to Transfer Venue

0525-Report on EAC February 23rd Hearing by electionline.org
0524-EAC Announces it will Only Hold One More Hearing
0523-Election Fraud by Licking County Officials Exposed in Criminal Complaint Filed by Paul D. Harmon
0522-Report on EAC February 23rd Public Hearing
0521-"Public" hearing not open to the "Public"
0520-Blackwell Fails to Show Up at House Administration Committee; Chair Says "You Can Run, But You Can't Hide"
0519-Congressman Conyers, Senator Feingold, and 17 Other Congresspersons file Amicus Brief Opposing Ohio Elections Contest Sanctions Motion
0518-State Court Judges Prohibit Blackwell from Enforcing Optical Scan Deadline
0517-Ohio Attorney General Tells Franklin County Prosector that Blackwell Exceeded His Authority
0516-Cobb and Badnarik File Memorandum of Law in Recount Case.
0515-Conyers and 22 other Members of Congress Request Congressional Research Service Investigation into Voting Irregularities. 2/2/05
0514-Election Contest Lawyers Oppose Sanctions Motion
0513-FBI Refuses to Follow Up on Hocking County Triad Incident
0512-Cong. Conyers Asks FBI to Expand Investigation into Clermont, Union, Fulton, Hocking, Monroe, Henry, and Harrison Counties
0511-Congressman Conyers Writes to Ohio Attorney General About Sanctions Motion Against Election Contest Attorneys
0510-Sanctions Motion Brought By Ohio Attorney General Against Election Contest Litigation Lawyers
0509-Nine Members of House Judiciary Committee Request Formal Committee Hearings & Investigation
0508-Alliance for Democracy Seeks to Intervene Before Democratic Party Dismisses Its Own Case in Knox & Franklin Counties
0507-Four Members of Congress Call for Special Prosecutor to Investigate Blackwell
0506-Waxman and Conyers Call on GAO to Investigate
0505-Election Contest Suit Withdrawn
0504-January 6, 2005, House & Senate Debate, & Vote Against, Objection
to Ohio Electors
0503-House Democrats Request Joint Congressional Investigation of Ohio Election
0502-House Committee Appendices: Eyewitness Accounts, Linda Byrket Documentary, and Blackwell letter
0501-House Judiciary Democrats Submit Preliminary Report in Support of Objection to Ohio Electors, Entitled "Preserving Democracy : What Went Wrong in Ohio"

Needless to say there are other web sites which contain information on these subjects. Some are listed in the left hand column under "Important Links". Three which I find especially helpful are Ohio Vigilance http://ohiovigilance.org, MiaMedia Votergate Resource Center http://miamedia.com/votergate, and Election 2004 http://shadowbox.i8.com/stolen.htm.

If you have documents, court dates, or other detailed material relating to legal events in connection with the Ohio, 2004, election, which you would like to share with this blog, please send to ohioelectionfraud@mindspring.com with "oef" as the subject.

"American Blackout", New Film About Disenfranchisement of African-Americans in 2000 and 2004

2006-10-07T15:48:00.000-04:00

Excellent new documentary about systematic disenfranchisement of African-Americans in 2000 Florida presidential election, 2002 and 2004 DeKalb County, Georgia, congressional election, and 2004 Ohio presidential election:

American Blackout

Film by director Ian Inaba, won Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Urbanworld/Vibe Film Festival.

To locate scheduled screenings of "American Blackout"

To host a screening

"Our Rigged Elections: The Elephant is in the Polling Booth" by Mark Crispin Miller, published in Washington Spectator

2006-10-07T15:45:00.000-04:00

Important new article by Mark Crispin Miller published in Washington Spectator on October 1, 2006:

OUR RIGGED ELECTIONS
The Elephant in the Polling Booth
By Mark Crispin Miller | October 1, 2006

To say that this election could go either way is not to say that the Republicans have any chance of winning it. As a civic entity responsive to the voters' will, the party's over, there being no American majority that backs it, or that ever would. Bush has left the GOP in much the same condition as Iraq, Afghanistan, the global climate, New Orleans, the Bill of Rights, our military, our economy and our national reputation. Thus the regime is reviled as hotly by conservatives as by liberals, nor do any moderates support it.

So slight is Bush's popularity that his own party's candidates for Congress are afraid to speak his name or to be seen with him (although their numbers, in the aggregate, are even lower than his). It seems the only citizens who still have any faith in him are those who think God wants us to burn witches and drive SUVs. For all their zeal, such theocratic types are not in the majority, not even close, and thus there's no chance that the GOP can get the necessary votes.

And so the Democrats are feeling good, and calling for a giant drive to get the vote out on Election Day. Such an effort is essential—and not just to the Democrats but to the very survival of this foundering Republic. However, such a drive will do the Democrats, and all the rest of us, more harm than good if it fails to note a certain fact about our current situation: i.e., that the Democrats are going to lose the contest in November, even though the people will (again) be voting for them. The Bush Republicans are likely to remain in power despite the fact that only a minority will vote to have them there. That, at any rate, is what will happen if we don't start working to pre-empt it now.

Even though this election could go either way, neither way will benefit the Democrats. Either the Republicans will steal their "re-election" on Election Day, just as they did two years ago, or they will slime their way to "victory" through force and fraud and strident propaganda, as they did after Election Day 2000. Whichever strategy they use, the only way to stop it is to face it, and then shout so long and loud about it that the people finally perceive, at last, that their suspicions are entirely just—and, this time, just say no.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH—That Bush/Cheney stole their "re-election" is not a "theory" but a fact that has by now been proved beyond the shadow of a doubt. The case was made, first, by the House Judiciary Committee—or rather by its Democratic members, who conducted a meticulous inquiry into the debacle in Ohio. (The Republicans boycotted the investigation, and obstructed it.) Its findings were released on January 5, 2005, in the so-called Conyers Report, after Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the committee's ranking Democrat. The Republicans attacked it, and the press and leading Democrats ignored it; yet that report was sound, its major findings wholly accurate.

In July of that year the Democratic National Committee came out with its own study of Ohio, which offers still more evidence of fraud—before concluding, weirdly, that there was no fraud but rather much "incompetence" (all of which somehow helped only the GOP). Despite its stated contradiction of the House report, the DNC analysts disprove not one of Conyers's findings.

Complete article

Bev Harris in Columbus OH on October 1st

2006-09-24T17:16:00.000-04:00

An afternoon with Bev Harris of Blackbox voting, Sunday Oct 1, 1:30pm till 6 pm, Columbus, Ohio

German Meeting Haus, just South of I-70 ramp on 3rd South and WILLOW. (TURN LEFT ON WILLOW) Park behind the Golden Hobby Shop, (just South) or St. Mary's school (also South), but NOT in the bank parking lot. Or street parking or park at Freepress offices one third mile north.

Richard Hayes Philips, the investigator whose research into Ohio 04 ballots is the basis of lawsuits against a fraudulent election, will also share his latest research in Ohio.

Other voting rights activists will tell what they have been doing. Don't be frustrated, get organized! Let's get ready for Nov.7.

$5 donation requested to defray costs. Refreshments for free. Seating may be limited, get there early.

Table for your group, $10, no candidates, prefer non-partisan. Email for availabilily.

Join us afterwards for supper in a restaurant.

Please pass this email on! She doesn't get here from Seattle often!! Last time was Jan 05.

Let me know if you can help. Risenregan@earthlink.net

-Marj Creech

CASE OHIO News Update

2006-09-24T17:11:00.000-04:00

The focus of this CASE News email is the November General Election in Ohio. It includes some information and actions you can take to help more people vote. Updates will be sent as needed and will include projects coordinated by other election advocacy groups. Send comments, suggestions to ron@caseohio.org.

Feel free to forward as appropriate and invite others to join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CASE_OH_News/ to get these updates. This group is not a discussion group so you will not get a lot of email.

Help Wanted (see below for details)

League of Women Voters Flyer on Voter ID/Registration (click here for link)

Many people do NOT yet know that ID will be required to vote! Available in English or Spanish.
You can tell your friends, help distribute, identify organizations that might want them, ask your Senator or Congressperson to publish in constituent newsletter.

Student Voter Guide

You can help identify student groups, college newspapers to send it to.

Election Day:

Statewide election hotline 866-OURVOTE (866-687-8683) goes live October 16. Spread the word.
You can work for your county as a poll worker. See below about learning what to look for and gathering incident reports.
You can gather posted precinct results, send in for comparison with official results
You can observe the election as a monitor/witness
You can help conduct a parallel election

Misc

You can challenge Ohio media to watch for election fraud

CASE News

CASE presented the Adopt A BOE program at the “Making Your Voter Count, A Voter’s Rights Forum” in Akron on Sept 10 (contact Eileen Goldman, eyeleen45@aol.com)
Phil Fry met with BOE officials in Darke & Shelby counties.
Pete Johnson & Stuart Wright met with Franklin County BOE Director Matt Damschroder
Ron met with Tom Hayes to discuss CASE recommendations for Cuyahoga County election improvements
Three members of CASE have been invited to participate in the Election Protection meetings, which include Common Cause, People for the American Way, the League of Woman Voters, and other organizations.
CASE News group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CASE_OH_News) created for activists who just want the highlights

Announcements

Sept 29-30: "We Count - A Conference about Fair Elections and Democracy" in Cleveland featuring Mark Crispin Miller, Bob Fitrakis, Bev Harris, Ron Baiman, Greg Coleridge and many more. Contact Victoria.Lovegren@case.edu or go to www.wecount2006.org for more information or to register.
Oct 13-15: Voting Rights Revival” in Columbus featuring Steve Freeman, Bob Fitrakis, Doris Haddock, Cliff Arnebeck, and more (more info: http://freepress.org/vrrc/)

Help Wanted Details

Voter Registration/ID (for details à Ron - ron@caseohio.org)

LWVOH, CC, COHHIO, and Ohio Votes have published a flyer on how to check voter registration and what ID to bring (click here for flyer)
You can

Tell your friends. Send email to political (or non-political) groups.
Call a local library and ask them to put some flyers at the checkout desk.
Contact organizations that might distribute them (target audience includes students, low income, and senior voters in urban areas).
Contact your congressperson and ask them to publish the flyer information their newsletter. Call and offer to email them the flyer. Contact Ron if they want help condensing the material.

Student Voter Guide (for details à Phil - phil@caseohio.org)

CASE student voters guide at www.caseohio.org (under New Voter Guides)
You can

Help identify colleges/universities and phone/email for student groups/newspapers across Ohio
Call (preferably) or email this groups and ask them to publish
Send contacts to Phil so we know which schools have been contacted

Project Post (for details à Vicki - victoria.lovegren@case.edu, www.ohiovigilance.org/ProjectPost/Index.html)

Ohio Vigilance & CASE Ohio are coordinating this effort to gather precinct level vote totals at as many precincts as possible. Then we compare our date with official results.
We have a list of counties that have said they will post results.
You can

Signup at Ohio Vigilance link above to visit precincts after closing, copy results and send them in
Gather the data in a spreadsheet/database

Participate as a poll worker on election day (for details à TBD, could be you)

Ohio counties will be particularly challenged by Voter ID requirements and need poll workers who care about fair elections.
There may be no better way to work for fair elections.
CASE is working with Pollworkers for Democracy to distribute information on what to look for and coordinate gathering of incident reports.
You can

Signup with your county to work on election day
Contact so we can share information on what to look for and how to report incidents

Observe as monitor/witness

We expect details from other advocacy groups on an observer program which will be distributed.

Conduct a Parallel Election (for details à You?)

Ask voters leaving a polling place to fill out a parallel ballot
Count the results and compare to official results

Adopt A BOE (for details à Pete – pete@caseohio.org, Ron - ron@caseohio.org)

County Summary: have active volunteers: 15, tentative volunteers: 9.
Contact BOE (in person or via email)
Requires some chutzpah & patience, but not a lot of time
Understand their election process
Work constructively towards the common goal of fair elections
Provide expertise based on election process knowledge and experience at other BOE’s
Advocate for improvements

Challenge Ohio media that believe there was no fraud in 2004 to cover 2006 effectively (for details à You?)

You can

Write a plan on how we think a newspaper should cover the pre election, election, and post election phases of the election.
For example: clear & documented rules on Voter ID/Registration, fair allocation of voting machines, posting precinct results, post election check of DRE totals.
Send letters to each newspaper, ask them for their plans, and issue a press release.

Research (for details à John - john@caseohio.org)

Come up with citations from the Revised Code, media, etc. (e.g.,what types of ID are acceptable since HB 3).
CASE could use a team of folks doing this. Folks connected to law, media, political science may be especially good.

Help maintain CASE Website (for details à Phil - phil@caseohio.org)

Calendar of Events - needs regular inputs
Best Practices - needs to be reviewed and updated
Lawsuits - needs to be updated (Ohio only)
Media and Government Contacts - needs regular updating
News - we are no longer maintaining news - Should we?
Many, many more. Choose the area you are interested. Just get me the details and I can post it.

Post Election Citizen Audit (for details à You?)

Start planning for after November 7th. An organized post election audit and report should be done by BOE’s, but if they won’t maybe we should.
Validate vote totals (with hand count ballots or VVPAT for random precincts)
Validate provisional ballot count (by checking random sample of acceptions/rejections)

John, Pete, Phil, Ron, Stuart

www.caseohio.org

Bob Fitrakis On the Radio

2006-09-20T10:52:00.000-04:00

Bob Fitrakis -- a person who needs no introduction to readers of this blog -- is running for Governor of the State of Ohio, on the Green Party Ticket. Needless to say, his election would be a tremendous victory for voting rights, and for democracy. To hear a recent radio interview with Bob, go here.

Screening Schedule for Dorothy Fadiman New Film, "Stealing America: Vote by Vote"

2006-09-13T17:51:00.000-04:00

STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote
A New Documentary Film
Directed and Produced by
DOROTHY FADIMAN
EMMY Award winning, OSCAR-nominated Documentary Filmmaker
Screening Schedule, September-October 2006
www.stealingamerica.org

Friday, September 15
City: Washington, DC
Place: Camp Democracy, between the Mall and Constitution Avenue, 14th/15th Streets, at the foot of the Washington Monument.
Time: 8 PM
Cost: FREE. Viewers will be invited to make a donation.
Film will be introduced by Bob Fitrakis and Jonathan Simon. The filmmaker will not be in attendance.
Sponsor: Focus on Democracy (www.grassrootsunity.org)

Tuesday, September 19
City: Washington, DC
Place: Peoples Congregational Church, 4704 Thirteenth Street NW
Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: FREE. Viewers will be invited to make a donation.
Film will be introduced by Matthew Segal. The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Sponsor: Velvet Revolution (www.velvetrevolution.us)
RSVP: Kat L'Estrange, kinc@efn.org

Tuesday, September 19
City: Mountain View, CA
Place: Adobe Building, 157 Moffett Boulevard
Time: 7 PM
Cost: FREE
The filmmaker will not be in attendance.
Contact: TAMARA COLBY, tamara@radiostreet.com
Sponsor: League of Women Voters of Los Altos

Thursday, September 21
City: New York, NY
Place: Millennium Film Workshop, 66 East 4th Street, Manhattan, NYC
Time: 8 PM
Cost: FREE. Viewers will be invited to make a donation.
Film will be introduced by Mark Crispin Miller. The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Contact/RSVP: Kat L'Estrange, kinc@efn.org

Sunday, September 24 - OHIO PREMIERE
City: Columbus, OH
Place: Drexel Gateway Theater, 1550 North High Street
Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: $8/ticket
Film will be introduced by Bob Fitrakis. The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Contact: Suzanne Patzer, truth@freepress.org
Sponsor: Free Press (www.freepress.org)

Monday, September 25
City: Cincinnati, OH
Place: Esquire Theatre, 320 Ludlow Ave
Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: $5/ticket
The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Contact: Andrew Warner, andrewwarner2@gmail.com

Thursday, September 28
City: Youngstown, OH
Place: Youngstown University, McKay Auditorium in Beeghley Hall - Building #5
Time: 8:00 PM
Cost: FREE. Viewers will be invited to make a donation.
The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Contact: Kim Akins, khia213@yahoo.com

Saturday, September 30
City: Cleveland, OH
Place: Cuyahoga County Community College, 2900 Community College Avenue. The Theater in Media and Theater Arts (MTA) building.
http://www.tri-c.edu/maps/docs/metrocampus.htm#Theater
Time: 4:30 PM
Cost: $5/ticket. Free for We Count conference attendees.
The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Sponsor: We Count 2006 (www.wecount2006.org), Velvet Revolution, Election Defense Alliance

Wednesday, October 4
City: Oakland, CA
Key Note Speaker: Mark Crispin Miller
Place: Oakland Grand Lake Theater, 3200 Grand Avenue
Time: 7 PM
Cost: $10/ticket
The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Contact: Katie Hickox, khickox@yahoo.com

Sunday, October 15 - LOCAL PREMIERE
City: Palo Alto, CA
Place: Cubberley Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, California
Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: FREE. Viewers will be invited to make a donation.
The filmmaker will be in attendance.
Contact: Ana Hays, anamh@earthlink.net

Tuesday, October 26
City: Mountain View, CA
Place: Michael's on Shoreline, 2960 N Shoreline Blvd
Time: 6:30 registration 7 pm dinner 7:30 pm Program
Cost: $25 Fundraiser for ACLU
Cost: Free. Viewers will be invited to make a donation.
The filmmaker will be in attendance.
RSVP: Tamara Colby tamara@radiostreet.com by October 14
Sponsor: The Mid-Peninsula Chapter of The American Civil Liberties Union

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote brings together behind-the-scenes perspectives from Election 2004. Interviewees include voters who experienced hardships, poll workers, computer experts, nationally recognized journalists, as well as others concerned about the Presidential election of Nov. 2, 2004 and democracy in the United States. For more information or to arrange a screening, please visit www.stealingamerica.org.

Update; "We Count" Has Been Moved to Larger Venue: Cuyahoga Community College (Metro Campus), Cleveland, Ohio

2006-09-09T12:37:00.000-04:00

Important update:

The venue of "We Count" has been changed to a larger facility: Cuyahoga Community College (Metro Campus), Cleveland, Ohio. Here is the updated announcement:

**************

"Election Integrity" is not a partisan issue.
"It is a civic issue of profound importance!" - Mark Crispin Miller

Without fair and honest elections, there is no functioning democracy!

Learn the truth about our electoral process and the many ways it subverts the will of the people. Yes, massively fraudulent elections CAN happen and ARE happening here in America, a terrifying fact that becomes increasingly obvious as the "leadership" departs ever more radically from the views of the electorate, as registered by every opinion poll, but somehow never by an election.

You can help us build a Democracy Movement that seeks to reclaim the democratic ideals fought for - died for - by our founding fathers and patriots, and in ongoing struggles for human rights.

Join the growing chorus of citizens questioning the legitimacy of our elections and so-called 'Democracy' in our country (see http://wecount2006.org/whyattend) Plan to participate in:

"We Count - A Conference about Fair Elections and Democracy"

September 29-30, 2006
Friday (6pm - 10pm); Saturday (9am - 9pm, with breaks for lunch,dinner)

Cuyahoga Community College (Metro Campus).

Cleveland, Ohio

Learn from fabulous speakers (Mark Crispin Miller, Bev Harris, Bob Fitrakis and many more--see www.wecount2006.org ) fighting against the implementation of privatized elections and electronic voting machines, investigating election anomalies, analyzing election data, bringing the truth about our elections to the public, developing "systems" to promote election integrity, writing articles and books, educating the public about the dangers of electronic voting, exposing the many types of voter disenfranchisement, and otherwise working for every American's right to vote and have that vote be counted.

Sponsors include:

Election Defense Alliance
Black Box Voting
The Free Press
CASE-Ohio
Ohio Vigilance
Northeast Ohio Sierra Club
Northeast Ohio AFSC - Economic Justice and Empowerment Program
Ohio Democracy Project
J30 Coalition
Clamor Magazine
Progressive Democrats of America - Ohio
Cuyahoga County Green Party
51CapitalMarch
and others.

We expect many other organizations to join us once we publicize the event!

Participate in workshops empowering "average citizens" to play an important role in the election process, especially in the quickly approaching November 2006 elections. Learn to "participate" in democracy! For more information on workshops, see www.wecount2006.org/workshops.

For more information, check out our website: www.wecount2006.org. Register today! Get your organization to co-sponsor the event. Volunteer to help with the conference. Donate funds to help us pay for our speakers' travel and other expenses. Tell your friends!

Don't miss this historic event in the belly of the beast! Join in the Democracy Movement !

2006-09-09T12:32:00.000-04:00

Calendar of Upcoming Events

2006-09-03T13:47:00.000-04:00

The "permanent" link to this calendar changes each month. For a truly permanent link, use the link to the calendar at my web site: http://ohioelection2004.com/calendar.htm

Friday, September 29, 2006.
Cleveland, Ohio. 6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. "We Count -- a Conference about Fair Elections and Democracy"

Saturday, September 30, 2006.
Cleveland, Ohio. 9:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M. "We Count -- a Conference about Fair Elections and Democracy"

SPECIAL NOTE: This calendar of upcoming events is to promote events which relate to the Ohio 2004 election.

If you have information about any such events, and would like me to post them, please email the information to ohioelectionfraud@mindspring.com with "oef" as the subject.

Thanks.
Sincerely yours,
R. B.

Columbus Dispatch Reports: New lawsuit alleges ballot tampering in 2004 election

2006-09-02T12:02:00.000-04:00

The Columbus Dispatch has reported that a new lawsuit has been commenced in Ohio alleging ballot tampering in the 2004 election:

New lawsuit alleges ballot tampering in 2004 election
Group says ballots in Democratic precincts were pre-punched, negating Kerry votes
Friday, September 01, 2006
Jim Siegel
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

"A coalition of critics of the 2004 election is insisting it has uncovered new evidence of ballot tampering in Ohio that caused a number of John Kerry’s votes to get tossed out.

"The group filed a federal civilrights lawsuit yesterday, asking U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley to declare that Ohioans’ voting rights were violated in 2004 and to appoint a special master to ensure fairness in the 2006 election.

"The lawsuit alleges that Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell and others conspired to deprive Ohioans of their right to vote. Prior election-related lawsuits by those affiliated with the coalition have been dismissed by various judges.

Complete Columbus Dispatch article

*****************************

The lawsuit, brought by a number of civic associations and individuals, is captioned "King Lincoln Bronzeville Neighborhood Association, et al, v. J. Kenneth Blackwell, et al", C2-06-743, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. It was filed on August 31st. It alleges that the defendants violated the constitutional and civil rights of the plaintiffs, by depriving Ohioans of their right to vote.

The complaint alleges various deliberate discriminatory acts by defendants in furtherance of this objective, among them:
-uneven distribution of voting machines;
-improper and inaccurate precinct boundaries;
-malfunctioning voting equipment;
-disproportionate assignment of, and disqualification of, provisional ballots;
-improper voter purges;
-use of provisional ballots to limit voting locations for minority voters; and
-use of faulty optical scan machines.

The complaint alleges that defendants created and implemented voting policies calculated to discriminate against African-American voters, voters from large urban areas, and students, and seeks a declaratory judgment and a permanent injuction.

Full copy of the Complaint

The plaintiffs are represented by Marshall and Morrow LLC and Arnebeck Law Office, both of Columbus, Ohio.

On August 23rd, the Arnebeck Law Office sent a letter to J. Kenneth Blackwell demanding that he refrain from disposing of any documents relating to the 2004 election:

August 23, 2006, Letter of Clifford O. Arnebeck, Jr.

-R.B.

Kerry Wakes Up: Criticizes Ohio 2004 Election

2006-09-02T11:49:00.000-04:00

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that John Kerry has finally woken up and is attacking the integrity of the 2004 presidential election in Ohio:

Kerry reignites 2004 battle over Ohio
He accuses GOP governor candidate of partisanship

John Wildermuth, Chronicle Political Writer
Friday, September 1, 2006

"Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry jumped back into the 2004 presidential race this week with a scathing letter accusing Ken Blackwell, Ohio's Republican secretary of state, of using "the power of his state office to try to intimidate Ohioans and suppress the Democratic vote'' in the 2004 election.

"The letter was sent to 100,000 Democratic donors, asking them to send money to U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, who is running against Blackwell for governor. But it focused on Blackwell as a Republican who must be defeated.

"Blackwell, who was co-chair of Bush's 2004 campaign in Ohio, "used his office to abuse our democracy and threaten basic voting rights,'' Kerry said in the letter. "His legacy as secretary of state? Putting partisanship ahead of the electorate's fundamental right to vote.''

"Although Kerry was careful not to suggest that Blackwell and the Republicans manipulated the Ohio vote to cost him the presidential election, he shoved a stick into a very angry hornets' nest. It was George Bush's narrow victory in Ohio that secured his re-election, and livid Democrats and the liberal end of the blogosphere have challenged those numbers since election day."

Complete article

New York TimesReports that Blackwell has Agreed to Wait to Destroy 2004 Election Ballots

2006-09-02T11:33:00.000-04:00

The New York Times reports that Secretary of State Blackwell has agreed to wait to destroy the 2004 presidential election ballots from Ohio:

Ohio to Delay Destruction of Presidential Ballots

By IAN URBINA
Published: August 31, 2006

"With paper ballots from the 2004 presidential election in Ohio scheduled to be destroyed next week, the secretary of state in Columbus, under pressure from critics, said yesterday that he would move to delay the destruction at least for several months.

"Since the election, questions have been raised about how votes were tallied in Ohio, a battleground state that helped deliver the election to President Bush over Senator John Kerry.

"The critics, including an independent candidate for governor and a team of statisticians and lawyers, say preliminary results from their ballot inspections show signs of more widespread irregularities than previously known.

"The critics say the ballots should be saved pending an investigation. They also say the secretary of state’s proposal to delay the destruction does not go far enough, and they intend to sue to preserve the ballots.

"In Florida in 2003, historians and lawyers persuaded state officials not to destroy the ballots in the 2000 presidential election, and those ballots are stored at the state archive.

Complete article

However, the report of the Cincinatti Enquirer is much less sanguine than that of the Times:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006609010388

Historic Event -- Cleveland, Ohio, September 29th-30th, Cuyahoga Community College -- "We Count -- A Conference about Fair Elections & Democracy"

2006-08-29T10:51:00.000-04:00

Important action memo from Victoria Lovegren:

"Election Integrity" is not a partisan issue.
"It is a civic issue of profound importance!" - Mark Crispin Miller

Without fair and honest elections, there is no functioning democracy!

Learn the truth about our electoral process and the many ways it subverts the will of the people. Yes, massively fraudulent elections CAN happen and ARE happening here in America, a terrifying fact that becomes increasingly obvious as the "leadership" departs ever more radically from the views of the electorate, as registered by every opinion poll, but somehow never by an election.

You can help us build a Democracy Movement that seeks to reclaim the democratic ideals fought for - died for - by our founding fathers and patriots, and in ongoing struggles for human rights.

Join the growing chorus of citizens questioning the legitimacy of our elections and so-called 'Democracy' in our country (see http://wecount2006.org/whyattend) Plan to participate in:

"We Count - A Conference about Fair Elections and Democracy"

September 29-30, 2006
Friday (6pm - 10pm); Saturday (9am - 9pm, with breaks for lunch,dinner)

Cuyahoga Community College (Metro Campus).

Cleveland, Ohio

Learn from fabulous speakers (Mark Crispin Miller, Bev Harris, Bob Fitrakis and many more--see www.wecount2006.org ) fighting against the implementation of privatized elections and electronic voting machines, investigating election anomalies, analyzing election data, bringing the truth about our elections to the public, developing "systems" to promote election integrity, writing articles and books, educating the public about the dangers of electronic voting, exposing the many types of voter disenfranchisement, and otherwise working for every American's right to vote and have that vote be counted.

Sponsors include:

Election Defense Alliance
Black Box Voting
The Free Press
CASE-Ohio
Ohio Vigilance
Northeast Ohio Sierra Club
Northeast Ohio AFSC - Economic Justice and Empowerment Program
Ohio Democracy Project
J30 Coalition
Clamor Magazine
Progressive Democrats of America - Ohio
Cuyahoga County Green Party
51CapitalMarch
and others.

We expect many other organizations to join us once we publicize the event!

Participate in workshops empowering "average citizens" to play an important role in the election process, especially in the quickly approaching November 2006 elections. Learn to "participate" in democracy! For more information on workshops, see www.wecount2006.org/workshops.

For more information, check out our website: www.wecount2006.org. Register today! Get your organization to co-sponsor the event. Volunteer to help with the conference. Donate funds to help us pay for our speakers' travel and other expenses. Tell your friends!

Don't miss this historic event in the belly of the beast! Join in the Democracy Movement !

PFAW Says Blackwell Is At it Again; Urges Support for Drive to Fight Voter Suppression in Ohio 2006

2006-08-07T17:06:00.000-04:00

Important memo from People for the American Way (PFAW):

If you want to protect voting rights and share our outrage at the Ohio Secretary of State’s tactics, please show your support with a secure online contribution.

Make a contribution of $25, $50, or more to end voter suppression tactics in Ohio.
--Sharon J. Lettman

Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is at it again, making voting – and registering to vote – as difficult as possible for some Ohioans. But People For the American Way Foundation is undaunted, as we fight to put an end to unreasonable obstacles to voting and continue to register voters in disenfranchised communities, despite the enormous hurdles.

Help us save the 2006 election in Ohio before it’s too late. By making a secure online contribution today, you can help us give a voice to the same communities Secretary of State Blackwell’s policies hurt. Your donation will go toward our efforts both to end Blackwell’s restrictions and to register thousands of Ohio voters, even in the face of increased hardship and cost.

Click here to make a contribution of $25, $50, or more to end voter suppression tactics in Ohio.

In 2004, Sec. of State Blackwell’s early attempts at voter suppression were evident when he tried to require that voter registration forms only be counted if turned in on special paper that no one uses, after thousands of new voters had already been registered on normal paper. Public outrage and pressure – including from thousands of PFAW Foundation activists – forced that requirement to be withdrawn, but severe restrictions by Blackwell and others on the counting of provisional ballots and misallocation of election equipment disenfranchised thousands of mostly poor, African American and young voters on Election Day.

Now, in 2006, the Secretary of State is making it extremely difficult for pro-voter groups like People For the American Way Foundation to register citizens in those communities, by imposing burdensome restrictions that we’re fighting on every level – in court, at the grassroots and in coordination with local election officials. And as we fight to break down the barriers, we’re intent on defying the odds and registering tens of thousands of African American voters through our Victory Through Voting program in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

And it doesn’t stop at voter registration. Blackwell has also circulated a misleading description of Ohio’s voter identification requirements to county election officials, causing confusion that will ultimately result in eligible voters being turned away from the ballot box. In response, People For the American Way is pressuring the Secretary of State’s office to end the misinformation and educate county election officials about the actual voter ID requirements under Ohio law.

We only have a few short months to stop these attempts at disenfranchisement before they succeed. If you want to protect voting rights and share our outrage at these tactics, please show your support with a secure online contribution.

Click here to make a contribution of $25, $50, or more to end voter suppression tactics in Ohio.

You have the power to help give thousands of Ohioans a say in who governs them and the policies that affect them – a voice they might not otherwise have without your help. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Sharon J. Lettman
Vice President for External Affairs and Director of Election Protection 365
People For the American Way Foundation

Articles and Commentary on 2004 Election

2006-08-01T10:28:00.000-04:00

Significant Articles and Commentary

This is a selective list of important articles and commentaries relating to the Ohio 2004 election which are available online, and it is by no means complete, so please feel free to call to my attention, or to remind me of, any additional articles which you feel merit inclusion, at evidence@ohioelection2004.com
-R.B.

Voting Irregularities
Hitchens, Christopher. "Ohio's Odd Numbers" (VanityFair.com)
Keefer, Michael. "The Strange Death of American Democracy: Endgame in Ohio" (globalresearch.ca)
Kennedy, Robert F., Jr. "Was the 2004 Election Stolen?" Rolling Stone Magazine.
Koehler, Robert C. "The Silent Scream of Numbers" (Tribune Media Services)
Wang, Tova Andrea. "More Trials and Tribulations for Ohio"

Legal Remedies
Lytel, David. The Honest Elections Clause of the Constitution: How to Re-Establish Legitimacy of the American Electoral Process

General
Conyers, John. "What Happened Last Fall? Paul Krugman Does It Again. A call to Action -- Moving Forward to 2006" (Conyers Blog)
Smith, W. Leon, and Fisher, Don M. "Ohio-Ground Zero" (Editorial - Lone Star Iconoclast --http://iconoclast-texas.com)
Loo, Dennis. "No Paper Trail Left Behind: The Theft of the 2004 Presidential Election

Exit Polls and Statistical Anomalies
Tavris, Dale. "Electronic Vote Switching from Kerry to Bush - 9:1 swing state ratio"
Table accompanying Tavris report. Appendix to Tavris report.
Edison/Mitofsky. Self Evaluation 1/19/05
O'Dell, Bruce. Response to Tokaji Critique of USCV Edison/Mitofsky Exit Poll Discrepancies. 2/4/05
Tokaji, Dan. Mea Culpa Rejected. 1/31/05 (Critique of US Count Votes 2/1/05 Report)
US Count Votes. Response to Edison/Mitofsky Election System 2004 Report 2/1/05
US Count Votes. Analysis of Exit Poll Discrepancies in 2004 election. Report 4/11/05.

Clint Curtis, Witness in House Judiciary Democrats Hearing in 2004,Cited in Mexico to Illustrate Electoral Fraud

2006-07-10T09:22:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Brad Blog for reporting that Clint Curtis, a witness at the House Judiciary Democrats hearing conducted in Columbus, Ohio, in December, 2004, has been cited in Mexico in order to illustrate the manner in which electoral fraud may have been carried out there:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3044
and that NASA's labor union in Florida has endorsed Mr. Curtis in his bid to run for Congress against Republican Tom Feeney -- the Republican who, according to Mr. Curtis, hired him to develop software capable of rigging the electoral results in South Florida:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3040

Greene County 2004 Recount Irregularities Detailed Under Oath by Recount Worker

2006-07-06T12:23:00.000-04:00

In a 4-page declaration under penalty of perjury, Ohio 2004 recount observer Evelyn Roberson -- a retired election official from California -- has detailed irregularities in the conduct of the recount in Greene County, Ohio, including
-operation of, and "clearance" of, the tabulators prior to the recount observers's arrival, by Brett Rapp, president of Triad, the manufacturer of the tabulators;
-non-random selection of the precincts to be recounted;
-leaving the ballots in stacks on a table rather than in sealed containers, as required by Ohio law;
-seating of the observers so that they could not see the ballot punches;
-the failure of the 'readers' and the 'markers' to be looking at the same ballot at the same time;
-the absence of any display of the sample ballot;
-the failure to show the observers the sheets in which entries were being made;
-the failure to place the punched cards against a colored background to enable the observers to have a clear view of the holes;
-the failure to conduct a full hand recount after a discrepancy did materialize;
-handing the ballots to Mr. Rapp for a machine count;
-the officials directing the observers to leave the building during a lunch break, and then during that 'lunch break' starting a machine recount without the observers present, when a hand recount was mandated by law in any event;
-storage of the ballots in bags, rather than boxes; and
-exclusive control over the machines by an unauthorized person, the Triad representative.

A copy of Ms. Roberson's declaration has been posted at http://ohioelection2004.com/PDFHost/041231roberson.pdf

Important Action Memo from Election Defense Alliance

2006-07-05T08:59:00.000-04:00

Dear Election Integrity Activist,

Who would have thought that our 230th Day of Independence would see American Democracy hanging by a thread? Yet so it is, and a good part of that thread is our movement to restore honest elections. Our task is immense and we are all rising to it. But as so much vital work is being undertaken in election integrity groups around the country—and as we find ourselves yet again deep in the swamp of skullduggery the American election cycle has become—the necessity for coordinating our ideas, strategies, tactics and resources is becoming more apparent than ever.

At this critical juncture, when the need for working together can not be overestimated, we are happy to announce the formation of the Election Defense Alliance (EDA), a national coordinating body of election integrity activists, working throughout the country to defend our election systems against covert election fraud.

EDA’s primary functions will be to provide coordination and focus; eliminate duplication of efforts; create a clearinghouse for the sharing of materials, know-how, and other resources; and facilitate cohesive decision-making about strategic priorities and tactical approaches.

It is clear that election integrity forces will be successful only if our efforts have a cumulative and mutually reinforcing effect. At the same time it is also evident that strategies and tactics must be tailored to the needs of individual venues, and that local groups generally have the most experience in identifying and meeting such needs. Therefore EDA is structured to draw energy and ideas from the grassroots level and provide the synergy necessary to meld these disparate efforts into a cohesive national force to be reckoned with.

Because November is bearing down on us, our initial emphasis is on the coordination of all efforts pertaining to election monitoring, data analysis, and rapid and effective response. Our goal is to permit affiliated groups to concentrate on their particular focus while Election Defense Alliance functions both to facilitate their efforts and to amplify the effect. To that end, we will share techniques for recruiting, training, and deploying the volunteer armies that will be needed in the field. We are also concentrating on establishing media connections, raising funds, and developing coalitions with non-election-related organizations to build the massive public awareness needed if election integrity is to be front-and-center in America.

In the longer run, our attention will be focused on all of the following strategies and supportive processes:

Election Monitoring
Data Analysis
Investigation
Litigation
Legislation
Public Education
Coalition Building
Public Events
Election Day Rapid Response
Voting and Registration Systems
Volunteer Recruitment and Training
Fundraising
Communications
Media and PR

Each strategy component will have a working group of activists focused on that particular activity. Each group will select its own leader who will also serve as the group’s representative to EDA’s Coordinating Council, or leadership body. EDA’s affiliated organizations, whether or not they participate directly in one or several of these groups, will be able to draw upon the work and contributions of fellow affiliates and EDA’s collective expertise. In this way, EDA affiliates will be able to concentrate on their own specific missions (e.g., exit polling, HCPB, litigation, etc.), while drawing upon the collective for many of the nuts-and-bolts components (such as education, PR, volunteer recruitment) that are necessary for successful election integrity initiatives. At the same time, individual initiatives will have dramatically greater impact when linked through EDA with the many similar programs being undertaken nationwide. To look at specific examples of just how EDA will function to facilitate the work and strengthen the hand of election integrity activists, please click here.

In sum, affiliation with Election Defense Alliance will enable each member group to transcend its own resources without sacrificing its autonomy. The result of such synergy, we believe, will be the critical mass that we have all learned from experience is essential to our success.

EDA differs from existing national groups in several important respects. First, it is not primarily a discussion list. We are action-oriented. Our primary objective is to create and implement a more comprehensive strategy than would be possible for any individual group or small number of groups working together. Yet, in recognizing the importance of coordinated strategies, we nonetheless also perceive that the vast majority of the work must be done at the state and local levels, not on the national level. Furthermore, we view attempts at national legislative reform as highly unlikely to succeed, and indeed fraught with HAVAesque perils, given the current constellation of power in Congress.

At EDA we believe that success in responding to the electoral state-of-siege will require a vast expansion of public awareness and the channeling of that awareness into corrective action by citizens at every phase of the electoral process throughout the United States. And we believe that the public cannot be mobilized to the necessary scale and speed of action unless the prevailing reality, including the nexus between election-rigging and political dominance, is fully and frankly exposed. EDA will not shrink from publicly making those connections.

Election Defense Alliance is both aggressive and strategic, prepared for the long haul but aware that there is no more wiggle room for delay, confusion, or ineffectiveness. Recent developments—such as the RFK Rolling Stone article, the Brennan Center Report, the California 50th District Special “Election,” and a dramatic uptick in media attention and public awareness—have set the stage for a very public battle over the future of our democracy. We know that the still out-manned forces of electoral integrity must bring their very best to this battle.

The more individuals and groups affiliated, the stronger will be the impact that all of us will make together.

The following activists have already endorsed and/or affiliated with EDA: Jerry Adams, Judy Alter, Ray Beckerman, Gary Beckwith, Tom Courbat, Marj Creech, Dorothy Fadiman, Brad Friedman, David Griscom, Sherry Healy, Kip Humphrey, Gail Jonas, Emily Levy, Victoria Lovegren, Sharona Merel, Lewis Miller, Mark Crispin Miller, Bruce O’Dell, Peter Phillips , Ginny Ross, Nancy Tobi, Bob Wilson. By joining with them and working with EDA you can continue the important work you are already doing AND be part of a critical collaborative effort, working together to make the enormous impact necessary for success.

Our website at www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org, though under construction, already features lots of helpful information, including our Prospectus, principles of governance and organizational structure, a growing resource library, biographical information of affiliated individuals and groups, discussion forums, and a blog. We believe the site will be very helpful in answering any questions you may have about EDA that we have not addressed in this brief introduction.

We all know that our democracy is at stake and that time is short. This is the most important issue any of us has ever worked on. We must join together to be successful. Make this a momentous Independance Day for American Democracy. Please sign on at www.ElectionDefenseAlliance.org/join.

We very much look forward to working with you.

In solidarity,

Dan Ashby
Sally Castleman
Jonathan Simon

Election Defense Alliance co-founders

"The Nation" Reports that Blackwell is at it again in Ohio

2006-07-05T08:52:00.000-04:00

"The Nation" reports that Blackwell is back at it, in Ohio, in order to ensure his election as Governor:

The Coming Ballot Meltdown
Andrew Gumbel

(Research support was provided by the Investigative Fund of The Nation Institute.
Columbus)

Anyone wondering where America's next electoral meltdown will take place--and it can only be a matter of time--might do well to turn back to the scene of the last one. Ohio was, of course, ground zero of the 2004 presidential election, and now it's the battleground of one of the most hotly contested governor's races in the country. The Republican candidate this November is none other than Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio's Secretary of State, a man vilified by voting rights activists for a string of baffling and, to all appearances, nakedly partisan rulings in the 2004 presidential race, when he also doubled as co-chair of George Bush's state re-election campaign. Now he's at it again--issuing draconian guidelines on voter registration that carry the threat of felony prosecutions against grassroots get-out-the-vote groups, especially in Democratic-leaning urban areas, for even the slightest procedural irregularity. Despite denials from Blackwell's office of any malicious political intent, the guidelines have had an immediate chilling effect on groups like the activist community organization ACORN, which has suspended registration efforts pending urgent consultations with its lawyers. Several leading Democrats have urged Blackwell to step aside from all election-supervising responsibilities, a proposal his staff has greeted with near-derision.

It would be bad enough if Blackwell were acting merely to benefit his party, as he did in 2004. But in this case he's taking advantage of his office to act on behalf of his own ambitions. Unless something changes between now and November, he will remain in charge of counting the votes--his own and everyone else's. In a pivotal election in a pivotal state, this is far from reassuring. As Peg Rosenfield, an elections specialist with the League of Women Voters of Ohio who spent twelve years working in the secretary of state's office in the pre-Blackwell era, put it, "If you think '04 was a mess, just wait. I anticipate a debacle."

Complete article

Rolling Stone reports: RFK Story About Ohio 2004 Received over 700,000 "hits" online

2006-07-05T08:42:00.000-04:00

Rolling Stone magazine reports that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s recent story about the Ohio 2004 election has attracted a lot of attention, and received over 700,000 "hits" on Rolling Stone's website:

The 2004 Election
Kennedy report ignites controversy

During a White House press briefing on June 8th, a tough question caught Tony Snow off guard. "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has written an article in Rolling Stone which revisits the Ohio vote in 2004," a Baltimore radio reporter asked Bush's spokesman. "Does the president believe Kennedy has raised any new evidence of voter fraud?"

Snow tried to deflect the question with a joke, suggesting that the reporter should serve as Bush's "emissary from Rolling Stone." But many citizens, journalists and elected officials are taking our four-month investigation of vote-rigging in Ohio far more seriously ["Was the 2004 Election Stolen?" RS 1002]. The debate began online, where the story set off a firestorm. More than 700,000 people logged on to rollingstone.com to read the story, and thousands of bloggers posted heated entries about Kennedy's report.

The online furor caught the attention of some in the mainstream press, which has long downplayed the evidence of vote tampering. In The New York Times, Bob Herbert devoted an entire column to our investigation, concluding that John Kerry "almost certainly would have won Ohio" if Republicans had not blocked so many of his supporters from casting ballots. And The Seattle Post-Intelligencer blasted the media for its "deafening" silence on Kennedy's report. "In terms of bad news judgment," the paper observed, "this could turn out to be the 2006 equivalent of the infamous Downing Street memo" -- evidence that the Bush administration falsified intelligence on WMDs to justify invading Iraq -- "that was initially greeted by the U.S. media with a collective yawn."

Complete article

Original RFK, Jr. article:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/10586714/
was_the_2004_election_stolen

RFK Jr. Working With Lawyers to Devise Litigation Strategies Over Ohio 2004

2006-06-20T08:26:00.000-04:00

In an interview with PRWeek.com, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., indicated that he is working with his attorneys to devise litigation strategies for lawsuits over the Ohio election of 2004:

PRWeek: Is there a next step?
Kennedy: I've been meeting with attorneys... to devise a litigation strategy. And I would say that very soon we'll be announcing lawsuits against some of the individuals and companies involved.

PRWeek: Who exactly would that litigation be targeting?
Kennedy: I wouldn't say, right now.

PRWeek: The election is over. Is it too late now?
Kennedy: There's another election soon. And as the Times [just] reported, the same people are up to the same shenanigans.

Complete interview

"How they Stole Ohio" -- Article by Greg Palast in Buzzflash

2006-06-02T14:51:00.000-04:00

June 2, 2006, article on Buzzflash:

How They Stole Ohio
The GOP 4-step Recipe to 'Blackwell' the USA in 2008
Abracadabra: Three Million Votes Vanish

AN EXCLUSIVE BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Greg Palast

[Heads up! Catch Robert Kennedy Jr., Mike Papantonio and Greg Palast this Saturday on Air America's 'Ring of Fire' on the shoplifting of the last election . and the next one.]

This is a fact: On November 2, 2004, in the State of Ohio, 239,127 votes for President of the United States were dumped, rejected, blocked, lost and left to rot uncounted.

And not just anyone's vote. Dive into the electoral dumpster and these "spoiled" votes have a very dark color indeed.

In another life, I taught statistics. And these statistics stank: the raw data tells us that if you are a Black voter, the chance of you losing your vote to technical errors in voting machinery is 900% higher than if you were a white voter.

Any guesses as to whom those African-Americans chose for president on those junked ballots? Check Ohio's racial demographics, do the numbers, and there it is: Kerry won Ohio. And that, too, is a fact. A fact that could not get reported in the USA.

Complete article

"Was the 2004 Election Stolen?" -- Article by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in Rolling Stone Magazine

2006-06-02T09:43:00.000-04:00

New article coming out in Rolling Stone magazine:

Was the 2004 Election Stolen?
Republicans prevented more than 350,000 voters in Ohio from casting ballots or having their votes counted -- enough to have put John Kerry in the White House.
BY ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.

Like many Americans, I spent the evening of the 2004 election watching the returns on television and wondering how the exit polls, which predicted an overwhelming victory for John Kerry, had gotten it so wrong. By midnight, the official tallies showed a decisive lead for George Bush -- and the next day, lacking enough legal evidence to contest the results, Kerry conceded. Republicans derided anyone who expressed doubts about Bush's victory as nut cases in ''tinfoil hats,'' while the national media, with few exceptions, did little to question the validity of the election. The Washington Post immediately dismissed allegations of fraud as ''conspiracy theories,''(1) and The New York Times declared that ''there is no evidence of vote theft or errors on a large scale.''(2)

But despite the media blackout, indications continued to emerge that something deeply troubling had taken place in 2004. Nearly half of the 6 million American voters living abroad(3) never received their ballots -- or received them too late to vote(4) -- after the Pentagon unaccountably shut down a state-of-the-art Web site used to file overseas registrations.(5) A consulting firm called Sproul & Associates, which was hired by the Republican National Committee to register voters in six battleground states,(6) was discovered shredding Democratic registrations.(7) In New Mexico, which was decided by 5,988 votes,(8) malfunctioning machines mysteriously failed to properly register a presidential vote on more than 20,000 ballots.(9) Nationwide, according to the federal commission charged with implementing election reforms, as many as 1 million ballots were spoiled by faulty voting equipment -- roughly one for every 100 cast.(10)

The reports were especially disturbing in Ohio, the critical battleground state that clinched Bush's victory in the electoral college. Officials there purged tens of thousands of eligible voters from the rolls, neglected to process registration cards generated by Democratic voter drives, shortchanged Democratic precincts when they allocated voting machines and illegally derailed a recount that could have given Kerry the presidency. A precinct in an evangelical church in Miami County recorded an impossibly high turnout of ninety-eight percent, while a polling place in inner-city Cleveland recorded an equally impossible turnout of only seven percent. In Warren County, GOP election officials even invented a nonexistent terrorist threat to bar the media from monitoring the official vote count.(11)

Any election, of course, will have anomalies. America's voting system is a messy patchwork of polling rules run mostly by county and city officials. ''We didn't have one election for president in 2004,'' says Robert Pastor, who directs the Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University. ''We didn't have fifty elections. We actually had 13,000 elections run by 13,000 independent, quasi-sovereign counties and municipalities.''

But what is most anomalous about the irregularities in 2004 was their decidedly partisan bent: Almost without exception they hurt John Kerry and benefited George Bush. After carefully examining the evidence, I've become convinced that the president's party mounted a massive, coordinated campaign to subvert the will of the people in 2004. Across the country, Republican election officials and party stalwarts employed a wide range of illegal and unethical tactics to fix the election. A review of the available data reveals that in Ohio alone, at least 357,000 voters, the overwhelming majority of them Democratic, were prevented from casting ballots or did not have their votes counted in 2004(12) -- more than enough to shift the results of an election decided by 118,601 votes.(13) (See Ohio's Missing Votes) In what may be the single most astounding fact from the election, one in every four Ohio citizens who registered to vote in 2004 showed up at the polls only to discover that they were not listed on the rolls, thanks to GOP efforts to stem the unprecedented flood of Democrats eager to cast ballots.(14) And that doesn?t even take into account the troubling evidence of outright fraud, which indicates that upwards of 80,000 votes for Kerry were counted instead for Bush. That alone is a swing of more than 160,000 votes -- enough to have put John Kerry in the White House.(15)

''It was terrible,'' says Sen. Christopher Dodd, who helped craft reforms in 2002 that were supposed to prevent such electoral abuses. ''People waiting in line for twelve hours to cast their ballots, people not being allowed to vote because they were in the wrong precinct -- it was an outrage. In Ohio, you had a secretary of state who was determined to guarantee a Republican outcome. I'm terribly disheartened.''

Complete article

In a separate editorial, Rolling Stone magazine called for a full investigation of the 2004 election:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10463874/editorial_a_call_for_investigation

"Why is the Media Downplaying Our Voting Scandal?" -- New Article by Danny Schechter in Commondreams.org

2006-05-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

Published on Friday, May 19, 2006 by CommonDreams.org
Why is the Media Downplaying Our Voting Scandal?
by Danny Schechter

Explain this to me. Why do so few of our TV “journalists” and political reporters seem interested in all the questions that have been raised about the integrity of our voting system?

Voting is at the heart of our democracy. Billions of dollars are spent on political campaigns and tens of millions on covering them. All the networks have election units complete with pollsters, analysts and experts up the kazoo. All of them sound authoritative and spice their commentary with personal war stories and a parade of insider anecdotes.

Just tune in any election night and you have to marvel at all the space age technology, fancy graphics and computer assisted projections. The anchors seem to know as much about the history of voting percentages in each Congressional district as fanatical baseball fans recall earned run averages and the speed of each pitch.

If there are ten military men and women backing up each soldier in the field, there are tens of political aides, advisors, interns and hangers on “supporting” our elected politicians, or is it poli-trikians?. Handicapping elections is one of their specialties and they know most of the races and players by heart.

Compared to corporate machinations, or even military-industrial decisions, politics is over-covered, And yet the actual process of voting—the machines, the counting, the verification, and the questions raised by well informed journalists and analysts about voting fraud seem to bore the punditocracy.

I know because I made a film, Counting on Democracy about what actually happened in Florida in what is still of the most controversial elections in our history, with the popular votes won by Gore and the election won by Bush. 175,000 votes went uncounted. Once it was decided that the GOP won, most of the media lost interest. Very few journalists looked into what the ACLU called “the tyranny of small decisions” that affected the vote.

Complete article

Note: Thanks to Jack Gordon for bringing article to my attention.
-R.B.

EFF Reports: Court Slows Lawsuit to Address Ohio Voting Malfunctions

2006-05-16T10:33:00.000-04:00

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which joined the federal lawsuit brought the League of Women Voters to bring about reforms to prevent a replay of 2004 in Ohio, has issued this report:

May 12, 2006
Court Slows EFF Efforts to Address Ohio E-voting Malfunctions

Decision Delays Inquiry Into State's History of Voting Machine Problems

San Francisco - The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week that a critical lawsuit aimed at improving the security and integrity of Ohio's voting technology will be put on hold indefinitely. The ruling halts case proceedings until the appeal of the government's motion to dismiss is decided and seriously jeopardizes the chances that critical procedural improvements will be in place by the time voters enter polling places in November.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) had intervened in this lawsuit, originally brought by the League of Women Voters of Ohio, in the fall of 2005 on behalf of voter Jeanne White. White's case focuses on the issues surrounding electronic voting and seeks to increase the security and accuracy of Ohio's e-voting technology, as well as to dramatically improve state and local procedures that leave the integrity of the state's e-voting equipment in doubt.

Ohio's closely watched and widely criticized election of 2004 exposed a wide range of problems, complaints, and irregularities in its voting technologies. Among other things, voters reported unacceptably long lines, inadequately trained pollworkers, and voting machines that failed to record their votes correctly. Similar problems were reported in the 2005 elections and in the May 2, 2006, primary, including a chaotic election in Cuyahoga County where election officials have launched a formal investigation. Ohio, however, has no requirements that counties keep formal track of such problems, much less report them to state officials or to the public.

Complete article

For an excellent collection of materials on the Ohio lawsuit:

http://www.eff.org/Activism/E-voting/ohio/

Important Action Memo from Paddy Shaffer: Do Not Allow Ohio 2004 Election Documents to be Thrown Out

2006-05-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

As Ohio Goes, So Goes The Nation!
An Urgent Call To Action

The retention schedule for the Boards of Elections
across Ohio's 88 counties allows for the DESTRUCTION
of ballots and other records from the 2004 election in
September 2006. That means from today, May 13, 2006
we have only 111 days until September 2006.

We are still collecting evidence in Ohio. Folks - we
need to know what went wrong, so it doesn't happen
again. We have enough forensic evidence to prove it was a
stolen election now, but we need every piece of it we can collect.

I am Patricia “Paddy” Shaffer, a Democratic Candidate for the
US House of Representatives, in Ohio’s 12th District. I ran for Congress this year, and will run again in 2008. I have been working diligently since November 2004 with some private citizens to get the 2004 election evidence that needs to be recorded.

We in Ohio have struggled mightily on our own steam, funding
all this research - which includes paying for records'
requests, copies, photographing ballots and signature books, printing our findings, etc...

IT'S A HUGE, EXPENSIVE JOB AND WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF
TIME AND WE NEED HELP.

Two things you can do:

Go to www.shafferforcongress.com and find out what
we're doing to investigate the 2004 debacle. It's
your democracy, too. PITCH IN!
Call Paddy Shaffer (614) 266-5283. I'll fill you in.

CONTACT JOHN KERRY.

On Saturday May 20, 2006, at Kenyon College here in
Ohio, Senator John Kerry will be a graduation speaker.
This is the college where students waited up to eleven hours on
11/02/04 to vote for Kerry.

The 7 million $$ KERRY raised at the end of his campaign to guarantee the votes be counted... MUST be used to investigate the 2004 Ohio Election. Share your thoughts about that with John! Especially if you donated money or volunteer hours to him in!

New York City Event to Benefit John Bonifaz

2006-04-14T18:44:00.000-04:00

John Bonifaz, the Massachusetts Civil Righs Lawyer who has been a leader in the fight to right the wrongs commmitted in Ohio in 2004, is running for Secretary of State of Massachusetts.

Imagine a Secretary of State who is actually for voting rights? The prospect is unimaginable in the era of Katherine Harris and Kenneth Blackwell.

A New York City event is being hosted (the author of this blog is on the host committee) to benefit John's candidacy. The announcement follows:
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Please join us for an evening with JOHN BONIFAZ

Democratic Candidate for Secretary of State of Massachusetts.

Come hear about John's plans to create a model for

free and fair elections for the country.

Monday, May 1st -6 - 8 PM

Hosted By:
Anne Hess and Craig Kaplan
Jonathan Abady
Harriet Barlow
Ray Beckerman
James Bernard
Andrew Celli
Jerry Goldfeder
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Harold and Jeannette Kozupsky
Dal LaMagna
Miles Rapoport
Andrew Rasiej
Jennifer and Jonathan Allan Soros
Michaela Walsh
Megan and Russell Wiese
Ralph Wolf

At the home of Anne Hess and Craig Kaplan
214 East 18th Street
New York, New York

Suggested contribution levels:

$100, $250, $500 (Maximum donation is $500 under Massachusetts law)

For more information about John Bonifaz and to make a contribution today,

please visit www.johnbonifaz.com

Please RSVP to stephanie@johnbonifaz.com

"John has been at the forefront in the ongoing struggle for our democracy here at home. I can think of no better candidate for Secretary of State than John Bonifaz. He will make Massachusetts and the country proud."- Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.

"John Bonifaz has been a remarkable asset to me and to the nationwide movement to hold the Bush Administrationaccountable for its abuses of power. Massachusetts deserves a strong, proven leader like John Bonifaz. Our country needs to elect more principled progressive candidates like John Bonifaz." - Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

"John's extraordinary leadership resulted in his being awarded the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and we are excited to have chosen John as one of only 15 candidates in the country we will be endorsing and working to elect this year. As Massachusetts Secretary of State, John will inspire elected leaders across the country to make it easier for voters to participate in our democracy, count every vote cast in all elections, and reduce the influence of special interest money in government." Kelly Young, Exec. Dir., 21st Century Democrats

- Paid for by the Bonifaz Committee, P.O. Box 300007, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130