http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070811/NEWS/708110347/-1/LIFE04
By JENNIFER JACOBS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
August 11, 2007
A federal judge shot down a request from a group of Iowans
who wanted ballots at today's Republican straw poll to be stored in clear
plastic containers, then hand counted. They distrust computerized voting
machines.
U.S. District Judge James Gritzner of Des Moines denied
their request Friday for a temporary restraining order and an injunction
against the straw poll's use of the Diebold machines. The judge said no
previous legal rulings show that an unofficial straw poll offered by a private
political entity is a public election entitled to constitutional protections.
The group of voting machine watchdogs oppose the Iowa
Republican Party presidential straw poll's use of Diebold election systems
machines. California elections officials decertified Diebold machines last week
after a "top-to-bottom" security review found fundamental weaknesses.
The California machines can still be used in that state, but new security
measures are in place.
The machines at the straw poll are owned by Story County; 71
counties in Iowa use Diebold machines.
The watchdog group thinks the machines leave voting
"ripe for fraud or machine failure - or even sabotage," according to
a complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.
The plaintiffs included five Iowans: Jennifer Maki of
Dubuque, Pam Wagner of Homestead, Troy Reha of Des Moines, Ginger Corbett of
Maquoketa and Roger Leahy of Fairfield. Three other plaintiffs: James Condit
Jr. of Ohio, founder of Citizens for a Fair Vote Count; Robert L. Schulz of New
York, leader of an organization called We the People; and Walter Reddy of
Connecticut purchased the $35 tickets to the event but are not qualified to
vote in the straw poll.
The complaint was filed against Mary Mosiman, Story County
election commissioner; Ray Hoffman, Iowa Republican Party chairman; the state
of Iowa; Story County; and David Vaudt, state auditor. Voting will take place
on the Iowa State University campus and will be overseen by Mosiman's office,
with assistance from the state auditor's office.
Mosiman on Friday expressed confidence in Story County's
machines, saying testing shows they are counting votes correctly.
"This is a very secure process, and we wouldn't want a
machine that wasn't functioning properly," she said.
Reporter Jennifer Janeczko Jacobs can be reached at (515)
284-8127 or jejacobs@dmreg.com
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