Wisconsin Election Protection and securing the vote

The “Wisconsin Insurgent Radio Network” show with Jim Mueller, attorney for Wisconsin Election Protection grassroots organizations is now archived for listening. Protecting the security and accuracy of our elections is paramount – as Mueller stated, billions of dollars are being invested in political power. It is critical to assure that election tampering is not unduly influencing our elections; especially at a time post-Citizens United when money already has an outsized influence on democracy. A group of grassroots organizations is in the process of conducting a county-by-county hand recount of recall election ballots. The count will be compared with the electronic results reported on election night and certified by the Government Accountability Board.

New York Times magazine featured an article pointing out the unreliability of electronic voting machines in 2008. Clive Thompson’s piece follows election irregularities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and outlines the (at that time) growing concern over computer control of our elections.

A WNYC article from May 9, 2012 documents voting machines “dropping votes” in the Bronx, New York – nearly 30% in one precinct.

A short documentary titled “Hacking Democracy” demonstrates the ease in which vote totals can be changed by remote access on a simple laptop computer.

The basic problem is that a handful of privately owned companies are controlling the technology and mechanisms controlling HOW our most fundamental right to vote is counted…or not. These corporations have too much control over the process and equipment – to the point of “trade secret” protecting software programming.

You can get involved by going to “Wisconsin Counts” on Facebook, or www.wisconsinwave.org/handcount to volunteer to assist with the public handcounting of the recall election ballots.

For the record, the GAB states that Wisconsin goes through rigorous testing of machines before elections; including running “test packs” of ballots (small samples) to test for accuracy. This testing, according to the GAB, leads to certification of equipment before an election takes place.

Jim Mueller addresses this statement in the interview…you’ll have to listen to hear his response.

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Posted by Badger Democracy on July 19, 2012

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