New Info May Take Out Diebold Touchscreens

You might be the one to help us crack this case.

At issue: A YES-NO question: Do Diebold touch-screens have a problem similar to that identified in the Black Box Voting project in Leon County, Florida -- the devastating hack of the Diebold optical scan system. Just a YES-NO question.

Black Box Voting has now obtained certain NEW specific information indicating that the answer with the touch-screens will be “YES.” One of our researchers has identified an interpreter, which appears to be specifically prohibited by 2002 FEC standards, inside a Diebold touchscreen system.

What is needed now is to confirm this finding with a "pedigreed" Diebold touch-screen system – ie., one to which we are given legitimate access with one of our publicly known experts. We will have to show that what our protected source has found is also present in a system delivered by Diebold for use in actual elections. This cannot be a stolen system, a specially souped-up system (i.e. one that Diebold chooses), or a system used without authorization of its custodians.

Please immediately make contact with those you know to see if you can facilitate a quick YES-NO examination of an official Diebold touch-screen voting system anywhere in the United States or Canada. We know what we're looking for. We know where it is. We simply need to confirm that it is ALSO in one of the systems delivered to public officials.

Note that in July, Diebold sent “threat” letters to its customers, warning them not to allow examination of their systems. However, in December Black Box Voting was shown to be correct when we alleged that there was executable code and an interpreter in the optical scan machines/memory cards. Diebold lied, under oath and in writing, to secretaries of state and purchasing officials about this. Now, the entire Diebold product line has been called into question, and we believe our findings will soon spill over into other vendors' products as well.

Following our demonstration in Leon County, Florida, California refused to certify Diebold. Pennsylvania has now refused to certify Diebold. Diebold has now been dropped from counties in Florida and Missouri. Diebold has refused to give its source code to North Carolina, most likely due to the NC requirement that allows POLITICAL PARTIES to examine the source code, which would risk revealing the problems exposed by the Black Box Voting projects conducted with Harri Hursti and others.

If you may be able to help with this project, please call Bev at (206) 335-7747 or Kathleen at 206-354-5723 or the main office at (425) 793-1030 or send to bev@blackboxvoting.org. Telephone or send an overnight letter (sent by Fed X but not U.S. Post Office, to 330 SW 43rd St Suite K PMB 547 Renton WA 98055) The contents of our e-mail was penetrated by an outsider in late November in connection with confidential plans for upcoming testing, so we do not recommend that you contact us by e-mail for this particular endeavor.

The sooner the better. It is important to roll back use of ANY MACHINES WITH PROHIBITED CODE well in advance of the 2006 elections, in order to allow local jurisdictions to make other plans.

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

Black Box Voting is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c(3) elections watchdog group. This organization is not affiliated in any way with any political party or any vendor. The direct costs for the research in Leon County approached $100,000. This work required very heavy international legal and travel expenditures. Without your important support, these achievements could not have taken place. We're at the tipping point, but we don't think it's a great idea to stop now. Right? Keep the momentum going.

To donate: http://www.blackboxvoting.org/donate.html or mail to: Black Box Voting 330 SW 43rd St. Suite K PMB 547 Renton WA 98055

The formal Volusia County report, which led directly to Black Box Voting producing the Herbert Thompson and Harri Hursti studies, will be released in January 2006. New Volusia County documents are appearing in the Black Box Voting document archives this week and for the next two weeks.

It is Black Box Voting that brought the voting integrity issue into mainstream media. Original research by Black Box Voting and its founder, Bev Harris, has now been covered by ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox TV national news, as well as by the New York Times, Time Magazine, The Associated Press, Reuters, USA Today, Scripps Howard news service, the Washington Post, and many other major news outlets in the U.S. and Europe. This media coverage is putting unstoppable pressure on public officials to face up to the voting machine issue.

Black Box Voting has now uncovered over 137 sources within ES&S, Sequoia and Hart Intercivic. We are beginning to release some of the technical and procedural information we are learning about these vendors. Visit the FORUMS at http://www.blackboxvoting.org, where we are doing small informal releases of information on various vendors' voting products every few days.

We are becoming increasingly interested in finding out more about the Eagle Op-Tech machines used by ES&S and Sequoia. Your tips, suggestions, donations and contacts are much appreciated as we continue this important work.

In 2006, among other projects, Black Box Voting is publishing a new book, focusing on the infrastructure that made this happen. We will delve into 21st Century bribery techniques, and fill you in on the people and procedures that produced the current boondoggle.

The title: "BLACK BOX AMERICA"

We thank all of you who continued to place your confidence in the work of Black Box Voting in 2005. Have an excellent New Year's Holiday!

Now let's roll up our sleeves for 2006!Black Box Voting

© Scoop Media