(Open Thread Too) “Hacking Democracy” LIVE CHAT Wed. May 6th at 9:00 PM (EST)
By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on May 6, 2009 at 12:35 AM in Current Affairs, Open Thread, Popular Vote, Voter Enfranchisement, Voter Fraud, Voting & Voting Rights
We are fortunate to have as one of our loyal readers Kathleen Wynne, founder of Hand Count Paper Ballots Now (HCPBnow.org), and formerly Associate Director of Black Box Voting. I will let her introduce herself and the issue further below, but MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Beginning Wednesday, May 6th, at 9:00 pm at No Quarter, for the NEXT THREE WEEKS (May 6th, May 13th, and May 20th), we will be showing the documentary, “Hacking Democracy,” in three parts, with live chat with SusanUnPC, me, and Kathleen. Below is an introduction to Kathleen Wynne, and the issues the movie addresses:
My name is Kathleen Wynne. I am the former Associate Director of Black Box Voting.org and Founder of HCPB(Hand Count Paper Ballots)now.org. I cannot express how grateful I am to NQ and to Rev. Amy for graciously agreeing to host a live chat concerning the Emmy nominated HBO documentary film, “Hacking Democracy”. The film features the work done by Bev Harris and me, during our “in-the-field” investigations into the election issue.Black Box Voting was the first election reform organization to be able to test a fully functioning optical scan voting machine in Leon County, Florida. None of the computer security scientists entrusted to oversee the security of these machines were ever allowed to observe a fully functioning unit while it was being tested for use, which made it impossible for them to determine whether the machine was secure or even functioning the way it was supposed to! The reason was, and still is, because the vendors who manufacture these machines are protected by “proprietary secret laws.” It finally took two determined, middle-aged women to be given the opportunity to test a fully functioning voting system!! What we discovered will shock and disturb you.
After viewing the film, I believe you will agree with me that the PUMA movement and the election reform movement have a great deal in common. I joined the PUMA movement because it was what I considered to be “a great awakening” of American citizens that something was terribly wrong with our elections process. Much in the same way the election reform movement was started. It is because of this common belief that I hope that we can unite our two movements and work together in taking back our elections. For it is only by taking back our elections that we will be able to take back our country. Indeed, the only power citizens have to make such a change possible is through the ballot box and we have literally given that power away. Our elections have been privatized and are becoming more centralized, which totally undermines the principle of transparency and the public nature of elections. The United States Congress has sanctioned this privatization, which in my mind, is a huge conflict of interest. Our elections are now virtually owned and operated by corporations, overseen by “experts,” and strictly managed by election officials. Citizens have been driven from the last refuge we have to remain a government by, for and of the people – our elections.
After over 6 years of investigating the many and varied problems plaguing our elections, I am convinced now, more than ever, that the only way “we, the people” will be able to take back our elections is to junk the machines and return to hand counted paper ballots. This is the primary reason I founded the website “HCPBnow.org” in order to garner a “critical mass” of citizen support for the return to hand counts. I am dedicated to this cause. As Dr. Richard Hayes Phillips wrote in his book “Witness to a Crime: A Citizens’ Audit of an American Election”, which focused on the 2004 Presidential Election in Ohio – “paper ballots are the solution, not the problem – but only if counted by hand, at the polling place, in full public view, on election night, no matter how long it takes.”
It is my contention that if we fail in this great cause, we will no longer live in a democracy, but will exist under tyranny. It should also be noted that recently the German Supreme Court banned voting machines as unconstitutional and will be counting the votes by hand in their upcoming elections in June and September! The irony cannot be lost that it was former Nazi Germany who was first in taking steps to preserve election transparency and integrity, instead of America!
Come join us May 6th, May 13th, and May 20th at 9:00 for “Hacking Democracy” and Live Chat!
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In order to get a passport, citizens must present an official copy of a birth certificate from the state of birth. Voter registration must adhere to the same standard. Sadly, the honor system (whereby it is presumed that only qualified citizens vote) has been rendered a tradition of a by-gone era.
I shall not be vanquished.
attributed to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
Sadly, the honor system (whereby it is presumed that only qualified candidates run for office) has been rendered a tradition of a bygone era, too.
here, here….well said.
In Indiana you’re supposed to have a picture ID to vote and provide a BC to get a picture ID.
Americans need to take back our voting system in order to take back our country. We are too much of a “I want it now” mindset to wait for a day or so to find out election results by paper ballots being counted one by one. This must change! Can you imagine the MSM, esp. cable stations waiting that long to announce election results? It would do them in. I’m sure they would fight going to all paper ballots. How do we get this accomplished? Tea anyone?
Ok, but without the money from the big 3 abc, nbc, cbs, non cable broadcast, cable couldn’t pay for the VNS plus renamed to what now system. Did you notice Walter Cronkite at instant vote pickup company in 2000&2004 ?
So…. cable is nothing on vote night without the big 3. Nothing.
Nancy: seriously, I am beginning to think the only antidote for the U. S. is a breakup. This country is too big with too many people for average people to have an impact the way they did in 1776. Only the federal government has the resources and manpower to control the inner workings of the country and states. Naturally, it’s all become terribly corrupt.
My sincere and heartfelt thanks to Rev. Amy, SusanUnPC and NQ for agreeing to host this live chat about what I consider to be a very important, but often misunderstood issue.
As I’m certain most of you already know, there are many questions surrounding the election issue, but the most important question which needs to be answered is “what exactly is meaningful election reform” and how can we achieve it. I hope all who visit this wonderful website in the next several weeks will join us in this discussion to learn the “truth” about what’s really going on in our elections industry and how it affects everyone of us.
I think we will have a lively discussion. This issue is of CRITICAL importance for this nation. We cannot go on about other countries having “democratic elections” when WE don’t have them!!
Thank YOU, Kathleen, for your work in this regard!
I have a very large problem with any voting system that doesn’t start with the citizen scribing (or changing in some form such as a chad punch) upon a paper ballot.
The simple reason is, if an electronic machine merely spits out a count on tiny piece of standard issue cash register paper, as I saw, this leaves a recount impossible, or some very dark process of lies.
In todays world, I can clearly see many people applauding in approval as the spinmeister holds up the register tape and says “We have a paper trail, it’s right here” – and the press person or interviewer, makes some comment or follow up question, likely even on another area of inquiry, and if not ” But isn’t that paper trail insufficient? ” in that lovely reporters tone that is so irritating.
I guess the laughter and words fraudster and liar, and the bloodied nose are a thing of the past.
There is a lot of fraud with paper ballots as well, but the paperless vote is a gigantic insult to the USA, and to all those humiliated by forced participation – who have every right to be absolutely outraged.
There is no backup, nvram be damned.
I think this issue and money in elections have totally corrupted our democracy.
I’m grateful you’ll be covering this here–can’t wait to see the doc. I remember my absolute astonishment that Kerry conceded so quickly after Ohio even after he had raised money for lawyers to challenge any irregularities.
Thanks for the hard work you’ve been doing. I do think it meshes nicely with the PUMA movement.
Elizabeth Edwards has gone on Oprah with her version of John Edwards affair. To think that the Edwards launched his candidacy knowing that about the affair, then stayed on even after poor showing, makes me think that their agenda was to prevent Hillary from having the nomination. Iowa would have gone to Hillary had Edwards not been running. What a tragedy for the country.
Hillary was ROBBED any way one looks at it – the whole situation was disgraceful – from media right down to caucuses.
That was quite a wake up call.
we reap what we sow. What’s sad is Elizabeth Edwards standing by this creep and then doing so to keep Hillary from winning. Sounds to me like one of those “stand by your man” women who will take any shit a man dishes out and has no self respect.
thank you Kathleen for your work on this film, for bringing it to NQ and to NQ for hosting. There are many intelligent, democracy loving people on this site and you can be assured you will have many participants in the discussion over the next few weeks, me included.
I totally agree that election reform is the only way we are going to have fair elections again. And the only way we are going to get them is to demand it. Our government and media has lost credibility to do what is right for this country.
Thank you No Quarter for giving Kathleen another outlet to get the message to the people. I’ve been paying attention for years to this topic. I live in Florida. The good folks at Blackboxvoting have done more to peel back the onion on our loss of voting rights than any other group. These ladies (yes, the leaders of BBB are ladies) have even taken to dumpster diving in select areas, finding not only poll tapes but also ballots. They have had the law sicked on ‘em while persuing what the entire country should have been paying attention to. All the work they’ve done is amazing and they’ve had to hack through a jungle just to get a smidgen of attention from any media. Like corrupt voting machinery and missing ballots shouldn’t concern us at home when we are busy voting for American Idol by telephone or text. I got turned onto them originally through The BradBlog. He’s been a relentless advocate for voting transparency and I read him religiously until he too, fell under the Obama spell somehow, believing Obama to be an honest broker. To be honest myself, I quit reading the blog there and don’t know if he’s reconsidered. But I’m from Florida, we fought against the voting machines, we at least got a paper receipt of our vote for audit and thats exactly what cost us our Primary that gave Hillary 1.8 million votes and as we all know now, we didn’t even go to the polls that day, it was all a mirage. Then, my former party, decided that I was only half a voter when it no longer could make a difference. Thats when I left the Democrat Party and awakened. Kathleen, thanks for your relentless advocacy on behalf of those who are in the dark and those who could care less. I had wondered if anybody cared anymore. The Dems sure don’t anymore since they won. We never did get to any of those hearings that were promised did we?
Glenn: I, too, was a BradBlog fan. I am still befuddled by journos seeking honesty who embraced Obama. What troubles me even more is that, now he’s in office, lots of people who were outraged at him during the campaigns are giving him the benefit of the doubt because they want the Democrats to be in power.
I believe we should never forget how he STOLE the nomination from Hillary. We should never forget the people (DNC, Axelrod, Durbin, Kerry, Kennedy, Daschle) who helped him steal it and we should guard against such a fiasco in the future.
I fear, though, that the hispanic illegals will be amnestied and the Democrats will have a fail-proof majority that is corrupt. Then, we’ll get a hispanic president and the whole country will Mexico North (i.e., Miami). Once cubans got political power in Miami, only Cubans can hold public office. The federal government seems determined to do this to the whole country. If an amnesty goes through, we will instantly have 75 million Mexicans alone in the U. S. who will have the vote. Go look at NumbersUSA.com. Only about 1.5 million Americans vote, so where will that leave us?
tek, everything starts from there; BO in concert with the DNC stole the D nomination from HRC. I documented that even in binding vote states – there are around 13 of these – that is, in states that enacted laws requiring pledged delegates to stick with their candidates on the floor of the convention; BO’s thugs were pressuring these delegates to switch BEFORE the convention, thus enticing them to break the law.(Governor Rendell said on FOX there is no such thing as a pledged delegate; not surprisingly, PA is not a binding vote state.)
Military Police at the Kentucky Derby:
“The military has NO BUSINESS policing the citizens except during extraordinarily exceptional times of national emergency by an “executive order”. This is very disturbing and completely un-American. Maybe even more disturbing is that no one seems to care how quietly and easily we have accepted the burgeoning police state.”
http://216.221.102.26/blogger/post/Military-Police-at-the-Kentucky-Derby.aspx
HARP: I have to say, I don’t like a police state, but I would prefer it to being at the mercy of the Mexican Mafia. Of course, over time, it will morph into the same thing.
Thank you Kathleen Wynne, Black Box Voting.org, and No Quarter. Without the integrity and credibility of the voting system, we have no democracy.
I know of countless incidents where Democrats in 2000 and 2004 hit buttons for Gore or Kerry and the machine registered George W. Bush. Never corrected. Once politicians in both parties saw that it was possible to steal elections electronically, even the shadow of democracy ended in the U. S. (and we all know Obama is more techie than everyone else, right)?
It’s ironic that Rose Kennedy made that remark because I did not know until the ‘08 election (this is embarrassing because I’m a historian) that the Chicago machine fixed the 1960 election for John Kennedy. I saw it in a documentary about Frank Sinatra! But it was reliably sourced.
I absolutely agree in paper balloting but, this system is not foolproof, either. On the negative side… When I showed up to vote in the primary, I was handed 2 (two) ballots, presumably by accident. (They were ’stuck’ together.) I realized the mistake before I voted; luckily, I returned the extra ballot. But I could just as easily have voted twice. (My teenage son witnessed this; he votes with me at every election.) On the positive side, representatives from all parties involved get to witness the official counting by state elections officials.
This is so disturbing. Thank you for sharing this with NQ readers. I am looking forward to seeing this documentary.
dont know if this is OT but i read recently that folks recieving social security will NOT be getting anymore cost of living increases until 2013. even then its only 1.5%. are they kidding? trillions for banks, automakers and illegal aliens but lets cut back on seniors who can barely make ends meet now!this is a disgrace!!1 i have written sen.harry reid asking if this is true and if he backs this. if so i, and many of my fellow seniors will NOT be voting for him in the 2010 election. i suggest anyone living in nevada do the same.