Here's something you might be interested in.
How come every time our Registrar of voter speaks she changes the story? How come everytime we have an election Seiler comes right out of the gate and says that the election ran very smoothly (when its only half over). And this time she says this on channel 8 (who I learned from brilliant blogger Pat Flannery is the television equivalent of the U-T in terms of integrity and reliability. She always does her pre-emptive strikes through the U-T or on channel 8);
"It was my decision to centralize this based on the security concerns that we had," Seiler said.
Seiler says the decision was made after it came to light that certain electronic voting machines could be hacked into."
http://www.cbs8.com/stories/story.145213.html
I'm sorry, but that is a BOLD FACED LIE!!!!!! I have been reading voting information for the last year in an attempt to understand the process and vulnerabilities especially here in SD.
One of the main things they tell you to look for to spot election fraud is a registrar that changes from precinct tabulation to centralized tabulation. Its one of the 1st pieces of info I found immediately: http://usacoup.scoop.co.nz/?p=650
"Some of the places to look for problems in CA are: 1) counties that use central (rather than precinct-based) tabulation (identified below); 2) counties that have voter registrars with bad attitudes"
" In “central tabulator” systems, ballots-VVPATs, electronic data, voting machines and poll logs, etc., are conveyed to a central location before any vote tally occurs, thus creating more acute “chain of custody” problems, and removing the tabulation process further from voters and citizen observers".
More secure, huh Deborah? Seems there are alot of Republicans pushing for this "more secure" centralized tabulation method.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/fromtopemails/100971.php
Makes sense to me. I mean 1 way tons of people would have to conspire to give false results, the other way 1 person or a few people could change the results (especially if that centralized tabulator was connected to any sort of modem). Plus, if this were, in fact the case, then why did Seiler originally say she was switching to centralized tab because she didn't order enough precinct tally machines?
KPBS San Diego's Registrar Urges Absentee Voters to Get Ballots in Soon
http://www. kpbs. org/news/local;id=11911
"All the paper ballots will have to be brought to the Registrar's office to be counted this year, instead of being counted at the polling places. That's because the Registrar hasn't been able to purchase enough tally machines for every precinct."
And it was her decision? You have got to be kidding me. First of all Seiler sold us the Diebold electronic voting machines. It was public outcry that forced the city to get rid of them. What people dont realize is that those beautiful, tangible, paper ballots you carefully and very proudly colored in today are scanned by ....a Diebold electronic voting machine that is just as easy to hack.
And if Seiler is so concerned with security why did she sue Deborah Bowen when Bowen tightened recount rules?
I mean this article, is like listening to Dick Cheney talk about liberating people in Iraq.
http://www.sandiegopolitico.com/2007/12/san-diego-still-hates-clean-elections.html
Yep, Seiler sued saying that if an election is within half a percentage point then she should only have to recount 1% of the votes. Bowen insisted on recounting 10%.
Additionally the all Republican Board of Supervisors hired Deborah Seiler and Michael Vu to run the election---Vu was the elections director in the infamous Ohio 2004 election, and Seiler was the sales rep for both Diebold and Sequoia, 2 of the most controversial voting machine manufacturers.:
http://citizensboe. blogspot. com/2007/05/back-to-vu-san-diego-cas-whole. html
"Seiler's hiring was the second decision by the county in the last month or so to raise questions from election watchdogs." Wired Magazine
"Joining Seiler in the San Diego elections office is another election official beleaguered by controversy -- Michael Vu. Until recently, Vu was the elections director in Cuyahoga County in Ohio . He resigned in the wake of a number of critical reports depicting problems with how his office conducted elections and how machines made by Diebold performed. His resignation also followed the conviction of two election workers in his office who were found guilty of rigging a recount in the 2004 presidential election. Vu was recently made assistant registrar of voters in San Diego ." Wired Magazine http://blog. wired. com/27bstroke6/2007/05/former_diebold_. html
But come on, surely we vetted Seiler and Vu before we hired them. I'm sure the ALL Republican County Board of Supervisors did vet them and they liked what they saw. A team that could change the course of history with a few tricks and ensure the Board was re-elected.
Today, I went to the polls and I kept my eyes open since last Feb. voters sued because ballot boxes came to the Registrars office without seals. These seals are stickers, for one. But the ballot box I placed my ballot into had the sticker on so loose, you could literally pull the top off pull some ballots out and put the lid back on and no one would no the difference. I called the Democratic Party to complain. They were aware of the Seiler Vu situation and they did express concern. I just don't know what they could actually do. The registrar has enormous amount of authority for an unelected position
But, who are these people that drive the ballots from the precincts to the registrar? And what is to keep them from pulling ballots out and throwing them away (just like they did in Ohio 2004). I mean the people in charge of the security are Seiler and Vu, both of whom are under an enormous cloud of suspicion.
I made several phone calls about my concerns today and I was shocked to hear that many people that you would report these concerns to, have no idea how the process works or that Seiler and Vu are running the show. Everytime I asked a question about the security process they said that the registrar of voters in charge of that, like that was supposed to give me comfort. Talk about the Fox guarding the hen house.
I guess I am writing this because I am absolutely appalled at channel 8 and Seiler's quotes. I mean anyone that knows anything about the history of this, knows she is lying! Maybe she only ordered 150 scanners because its alot easier to switch out 150 scanner chips than it is to switch out 6000. That's the thing--all you have to do is switch the memory chip to change the results. Its not difficult if the people overseeing the process allow it.
If the results don't move during the evening be suspicious. They should move more than a percentage point or 2. They should start conservative and then become slightly more liberal as slackers like me or people that don't trust the absentee system are usually Dems. Also if the results seem anomolous and way off the polls and slanted toward the GOP/Building Industry picks aka, Thalheimer, Gloria, Boling, Goldsmith, yes on 8---, ask questions. I didn't see or hear any exit polls. Isn't that strange in an election of such magnitude?
We have got to make sure this thing is honest for once.
Update: I hate to have to be so suspicious...but I am!
Goldsmith that barely scored in the teens in polls prior to June primary has 60%. People don't exactly trust this guy. He has a huge ultra right wing conservative background and is being sued for biasedness towards the Indian Casinos that financed his State Assembly campaign. The ultra right wing Republican has 60% when the trend is to reject the GOP alltogether with Obama's sweeping landslide win? I'm just saying...ask questions.
I am sort of using prop 8 as a barometer. There were alot of polls on it and it should be losing at about 45%. Currently it is winning with 55%. That is a pretty big difference.
When this election is over I want to see the numbers broken down by city on the prop 8 and Presidential race and compare it to how it did regionally. Proportionally, they should be pretty close. If the GOP is tossing ballots away then No on Prop 8's are probably getting tossed with Mike Aguirre. This will be interesting....
Come on, lets strategize. I want any and every way to make sure this race was honest. I will gladly be the crazy person on the front end if it makes a difference and helps create an honest election process.
How come every time our Registrar of voter speaks she changes the story? How come everytime we have an election Seiler comes right out of the gate and says that the election ran very smoothly (when its only half over). And this time she says this on channel 8 (who I learned from brilliant blogger Pat Flannery is the television equivalent of the U-T in terms of integrity and reliability. She always does her pre-emptive strikes through the U-T or on channel 8);
"It was my decision to centralize this based on the security concerns that we had," Seiler said.
Seiler says the decision was made after it came to light that certain electronic voting machines could be hacked into."
http://www.cbs8.com/stories/story.145213.html
I'm sorry, but that is a BOLD FACED LIE!!!!!! I have been reading voting information for the last year in an attempt to understand the process and vulnerabilities especially here in SD.
One of the main things they tell you to look for to spot election fraud is a registrar that changes from precinct tabulation to centralized tabulation. Its one of the 1st pieces of info I found immediately: http://usacoup.scoop.co.nz/?p=650
"Some of the places to look for problems in CA are: 1) counties that use central (rather than precinct-based) tabulation (identified below); 2) counties that have voter registrars with bad attitudes"
" In “central tabulator” systems, ballots-VVPATs, electronic data, voting machines and poll logs, etc., are conveyed to a central location before any vote tally occurs, thus creating more acute “chain of custody” problems, and removing the tabulation process further from voters and citizen observers".
More secure, huh Deborah? Seems there are alot of Republicans pushing for this "more secure" centralized tabulation method.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/fromtopemails/100971.php
Makes sense to me. I mean 1 way tons of people would have to conspire to give false results, the other way 1 person or a few people could change the results (especially if that centralized tabulator was connected to any sort of modem). Plus, if this were, in fact the case, then why did Seiler originally say she was switching to centralized tab because she didn't order enough precinct tally machines?
KPBS San Diego's Registrar Urges Absentee Voters to Get Ballots in Soon
http://www. kpbs. org/news/local;id=11911
"All the paper ballots will have to be brought to the Registrar's office to be counted this year, instead of being counted at the polling places. That's because the Registrar hasn't been able to purchase enough tally machines for every precinct."
And it was her decision? You have got to be kidding me. First of all Seiler sold us the Diebold electronic voting machines. It was public outcry that forced the city to get rid of them. What people dont realize is that those beautiful, tangible, paper ballots you carefully and very proudly colored in today are scanned by ....a Diebold electronic voting machine that is just as easy to hack.
And if Seiler is so concerned with security why did she sue Deborah Bowen when Bowen tightened recount rules?
I mean this article, is like listening to Dick Cheney talk about liberating people in Iraq.
http://www.sandiegopolitico.com/2007/12/san-diego-still-hates-clean-elections.html
Yep, Seiler sued saying that if an election is within half a percentage point then she should only have to recount 1% of the votes. Bowen insisted on recounting 10%.
Additionally the all Republican Board of Supervisors hired Deborah Seiler and Michael Vu to run the election---Vu was the elections director in the infamous Ohio 2004 election, and Seiler was the sales rep for both Diebold and Sequoia, 2 of the most controversial voting machine manufacturers.:
http://citizensboe. blogspot. com/2007/05/back-to-vu-san-diego-cas-whole. html
"Seiler's hiring was the second decision by the county in the last month or so to raise questions from election watchdogs." Wired Magazine
"Joining Seiler in the San Diego elections office is another election official beleaguered by controversy -- Michael Vu. Until recently, Vu was the elections director in Cuyahoga County in Ohio . He resigned in the wake of a number of critical reports depicting problems with how his office conducted elections and how machines made by Diebold performed. His resignation also followed the conviction of two election workers in his office who were found guilty of rigging a recount in the 2004 presidential election. Vu was recently made assistant registrar of voters in San Diego ." Wired Magazine http://blog. wired. com/27bstroke6/2007/05/former_diebold_. html
But come on, surely we vetted Seiler and Vu before we hired them. I'm sure the ALL Republican County Board of Supervisors did vet them and they liked what they saw. A team that could change the course of history with a few tricks and ensure the Board was re-elected.
Today, I went to the polls and I kept my eyes open since last Feb. voters sued because ballot boxes came to the Registrars office without seals. These seals are stickers, for one. But the ballot box I placed my ballot into had the sticker on so loose, you could literally pull the top off pull some ballots out and put the lid back on and no one would no the difference. I called the Democratic Party to complain. They were aware of the Seiler Vu situation and they did express concern. I just don't know what they could actually do. The registrar has enormous amount of authority for an unelected position
But, who are these people that drive the ballots from the precincts to the registrar? And what is to keep them from pulling ballots out and throwing them away (just like they did in Ohio 2004). I mean the people in charge of the security are Seiler and Vu, both of whom are under an enormous cloud of suspicion.
I made several phone calls about my concerns today and I was shocked to hear that many people that you would report these concerns to, have no idea how the process works or that Seiler and Vu are running the show. Everytime I asked a question about the security process they said that the registrar of voters in charge of that, like that was supposed to give me comfort. Talk about the Fox guarding the hen house.
I guess I am writing this because I am absolutely appalled at channel 8 and Seiler's quotes. I mean anyone that knows anything about the history of this, knows she is lying! Maybe she only ordered 150 scanners because its alot easier to switch out 150 scanner chips than it is to switch out 6000. That's the thing--all you have to do is switch the memory chip to change the results. Its not difficult if the people overseeing the process allow it.
If the results don't move during the evening be suspicious. They should move more than a percentage point or 2. They should start conservative and then become slightly more liberal as slackers like me or people that don't trust the absentee system are usually Dems. Also if the results seem anomolous and way off the polls and slanted toward the GOP/Building Industry picks aka, Thalheimer, Gloria, Boling, Goldsmith, yes on 8---, ask questions. I didn't see or hear any exit polls. Isn't that strange in an election of such magnitude?
We have got to make sure this thing is honest for once.
Update: I hate to have to be so suspicious...but I am!
Goldsmith that barely scored in the teens in polls prior to June primary has 60%. People don't exactly trust this guy. He has a huge ultra right wing conservative background and is being sued for biasedness towards the Indian Casinos that financed his State Assembly campaign. The ultra right wing Republican has 60% when the trend is to reject the GOP alltogether with Obama's sweeping landslide win? I'm just saying...ask questions.
I am sort of using prop 8 as a barometer. There were alot of polls on it and it should be losing at about 45%. Currently it is winning with 55%. That is a pretty big difference.
When this election is over I want to see the numbers broken down by city on the prop 8 and Presidential race and compare it to how it did regionally. Proportionally, they should be pretty close. If the GOP is tossing ballots away then No on Prop 8's are probably getting tossed with Mike Aguirre. This will be interesting....
Come on, lets strategize. I want any and every way to make sure this race was honest. I will gladly be the crazy person on the front end if it makes a difference and helps create an honest election process.