Lou Dobbs: E-Machines Threatening Democracy

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Lou Dobbs: E-Machines Threatening Democracy
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/01/24/lou-dobbs-e-machines-threatening-democracy/

Posted: 24 Jan 2008 02:02 PM CST

Just days away from the South Carolina primary, Lou Dobbs
warns about the dangers of electronic voting systems. Um,
Lou? Where were you in 2004? 2000?

The reality is, because no one thinks — we’re focusing
on this, the issue is that these machines are not reliable
to the degree they should be and with a paper trail,
verified paper system. There is — at least you’re protecting
the integrity of the system so you have a recount. People
must understand, you can’t have a recount without that.

Welcome to our world, Lou. Just shows you that the netroots
have been ahead of the curve and it’s the MSM that must
catch up. On a related note–not that it will assuage those
who want to believe otherwise–NH’s Democratic primary
recount has ended and they’ve found very few errors and the
results remained basically the same.
http://www.wmur.com/news/15122247/detail.html

Transcripts below the fold:

DOBBS: The South Carolina democratic primary is now less
than three days away. Incredibly, the state of South
Carolina plans to use the same electronic voting machines
that mall functioned last Saturday in the republican
primary. Voters were forced to use scraps of paper to cast
their ballots. South Carolina election officials, well they
continue to defend that electronic voting system of theirs
but as Kitty Pilgrim now reports, an increasing number of
states are giving up on electronic voting and ensuring the
integrity of their state’s votes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Colorado legislators today
agreed to dump touch screen voting and go back to paper for
the election.

GOV. BILL RITTER (D), COLORADO: It ensures a paper trail. It
minimizes the possibility of technology failures that have
caused Election Day problems in the past in Colorado.

PILGRIM: The agreement requires legislation but has
bipartisan report.

ALICE MADDEN, COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY: My kids tell me
retro is in. So I guess going back to the old fashioned
retro way of voting is what we’re looking at. Sometimes just
because something is old- fashioned doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

PILGRIM: But in South Carolina a different story. Burned
once with malfunctioning machines in last Saturday’s
republican primary, the state is still going to use the
touch screen machines without a paper trail in this
Saturday’s democratic primary. South Carolina uses the same
electronic machines that lost 18,000 votes in the Sarasota
County, Florida congressional race in 2006. It’s the same
machine experts say flipped votes in Texas, Indiana,
Pennsylvania, Florida and South Carolina also in that year.

JOHN BONIFAZ, VOTERACTION.ORG: It’s time to investigate
these companies that have been marketing a defective product
across the United States, to hold them accountable for doing
that and to have just dicks all across the country, recoup
millions of dollars of taxpayer money spent on this
defective product.

PILGRIM: Florida will use paperless voting in its upcoming
January 29th primary. Five other states, Delaware, Georgia,
Kansas, New Jersey and Tennessee will either use all
paperless or mostly paperless touch screen voting on Super
Tuesday February 5th.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PILGRIM: There’s really no excuse for states to cling to the
electronic voting systems. A bill in congress will pay for
the change for a more secure paper ballot system if the
states want to change back. It’s clear Colorado made a tough
decision but one that will look very support on Election
Day. Lou?

DOBBS: And very responsible. The reality is, because no one
thinks — we’re focusing on this, the issue is that these
machines are not reliable to the degree they should be and
with a paper trail, verified paper system. There is — at
least you’re protecting the integrity of the system so you
have a recount. People must understand, you can’t have a
recount without that.

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