A special Winnebago County Board meeting has been called and will discuss and vote on a motion to accept the Diebold voting machines. Please consider asking your county board representative to vote "no" on the motion and wait to study how we can best serve the needs of people with disabilities without jeopardizing their votes with a Diebold machine that lacks accuracy, reliability and security.
Here is the information on the hearing, how to reach your county board member. At the bottom are "Myths and Facts" about the Diebold voting machines.
Please forward to democracy-friendly people and ask them to do the same.
Wednesday June 14, 4:30 p.m. Winnebago County Court House, 415 Jackson, corner of Algoma and Jackson, Oshkosh. "Public hearing" (actually a special board meeting on Diebold touch screen machines for Winnebago County). Please come to voice your opposition to the Diebold machines and support democracy-friendly alternatives. We will have some signs for you. Please stay for the "show and tell" by Diebold at 5, and the public hearing /county board
meeting at 6. For information on touch screens, go to Myth Breakers at http://www.votersunite.org.
If you live in Winnebago County, please call your county board member now to encourage a "no" on Diebold vote. You can find your rep at
http://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/countyclerk/election.htm
or http://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/CountyBoard/CountyBoardList.htm
or http://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/CountyBoard/CountyBoardList.htm
Voting Information by Address. Enter your address and find your supervisor:
http://wcws2.co.winnebago.wi.us/winnco/voter/voter_init.html
For a copy of the agenda
For information, contact Ann Frisch 920-237-1748, 920-279-7884 or afrisch@voyager.net
Myths and Facts about the issue:
MYTH: The Help America Vote Act requires that each polling place have a Diebold touch screen voting machine available to assist disabled voters.
FACT: Section 301(3)(A) of HAVA says that each polling place must have "one direct recording electronic voting system or other voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities."
MYTH: The electronic Diebold TSX system that county officials propose to purchase is a reliable and secure piece of equipment.
FACT: Prominent computer scientists have discovered major security flaws in the Diebold technology, resulting in lawsuits in several states to prevent its use, emergency security alerts before recent elections in California and Pennsylvania, and a vote in the Maryland assembly of 137 - 0 to stop using touch screen machines.
MYTH: It's okay if a voting machine is insecure as long as it is accessible for disabled voters
FACT: Disabled voters have the right to have their votes counted accurately as much as any other voter.
MYTH: Even though there are problems with the Diebold TSx, there are no other options available to Winnebago County.
FACT: The voting machines of five vendors have met the Wisconsin State Elections Board's (SEB) accessibility requirements. When the SEB approved the Diebold TSX, they also approved five security recommendations to go along with it. Diebold is the only machine that comes with security recommendations in addition to those provided by the vendor.
MYTH: The federal government will level stiff fines against any states and counties that do not have touch screen voting technology in place by the September primaries.
FACT: A growing number of states and counties are refusing to undermine their elections with shoddy voting equipment, making it unclear how the federal government will respond. "We're currently evaluating each state and each county, and the results of that evaluation will determine what actions we take," said Eric Holland, spokesman for the United States Department of Justice.
MYTH: We should just accept that there will be some glitches in the electronic, touch screen machines and move on.
FACT When other systems fail the poll workers have a voter marked ballot to examine to determine voter intent. With the Diebold machine, there is no ballot to examine.
MYTH: Adopting the Diebold touch screen machines will save us money.
FACT: No cost estimates have been done to include court suits, replacement machines, replacement batteries, increased number of poll workers, etc.
See also: http://www.tonypalmeri.com/#tsv
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