TESTIMONY
CITY COUNCIL HEARING 4/24/06
NINA
REZNICK
THE NYS LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN ROUNDLY CRITICIZED FOR BEING
THE LAST STATE LEGISLATURE TO FACILITATE THE PURCHASE OF FEDERALLY MANDATED
COMPUTER VOTING MACHINES. BUT TO ME, IT’S A SIGN OF PROFOUND NEW YORK
GOOD SENSE.
WE NOW HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL THE STATES
WHICH HAVE GONE BEFORE US, AND PURCHASED COMPUTER TOUCH SCREEN MACHINES
(“DREs”)
THERE HAVE BEEN, OR ARE PENDING, LAWSUITS IN AT LEAST 18
STATES. MOST OF THEM CITE UNUSUALLY LARGE UNDERVOTES AND INACCURACIES;
MALFUNCTIONS THAT MADE THOSE MACHINES UNUSABLE DURING THE ELECTION; AND SUCH
OBVIOUS SECURITY PROBLEMS THAT THE MACHINES WERE LATER DE-CERTIFIED.
ONE COUNTY WHICH HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR DEFECTIVE MACHINES
UNTIL THEY’RE FIXED HAS DISCOVERED THAT THE DRE SELLER CAN REFUSE TO SERVICE
ITS NEXT ELECTION UNTIL THE COUNTY PAYS UP.
A LAWSUIT IN NEW MEXICO SEEKS TO ENJOIN THE FURTHER
USE OF THE DRE’S BECAUSE OF THE MACHINE
MALFUNCTIONS AND INACCURACIES EXPERIENCED IN 2004; THE STATE HAS JUST GONE ALL
PAPER BALLOT-OPTICAL SCAN.
THE LAWSUIT IN WASHINGTON
STATE SEEKS TO BAR THE FURTHER
PURCHASE OF DRE’S.
IN CALIFORNIA
TO UPHOLD THE COURAGEOUS DE-CERTIFICATION OF DREs BY THE FORMER SEC OF STATE;
.
IN OHIO, ONE OF MANY LAWSUITS CITED 18 INCIDENTS OF
MALFUNCTION AND 1 ELECTION WHICH HAD TO BE REDONE BECAUSE OF A PROVEN INACCURATE COUNT.
IN MARYLAND
AND NORTH CAROLINA (WHERE ONE
MACHINE ALONE DROPPED OVER 4500 VOTES). TO DE-CERTIFY ALREADY PURCHASED DRE’S
AND IN FLORIDA TO PREVENT THEIR INSTALLATION. IN FACT: THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND (GOV
EHRLICH) HAS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE NO LONGER HAS CONFIDENCE THAT THE DRE’S
CAN “PROVIDE A FAIR AND ACCURATE ELECTION IN 2006”;
THERE’S MUCH CHAOS OUT
THERE. THESE 18 STATES ARE NOW IN LEGAL BATTLE OVER HOW TO HOLD AN HONESTLY
RECORDED AND COUNTED ELECTION.
(INDIANA; ILLINOIS; NEW MEXICO; WASHINGTON
STATE; CA; FLA; MARYLAND; N CAROLINA; OHIO; GEORGIA; NEVADA; TEXAS; INDIANA;
MICHIGAN; MINNESOTA; N HAMPSHIRE; PA.)
A BIG PRICE IS BEING
PAID FOR THE SAKE OF EXPEDIENCY. NOW THAT WE KNOW ALL THIS, DO WE REALLY WANT
TO BUY DRE’S AT 2 TO 6 TIMES THE PURCHASE AND MAINTENANCE COST OF OPTISCANS BEFORE
FACTORING IN THE COST OF ALL THESE LAWSUITS AND UNDECIDED ELECTIONS?
DOES IT MAKE GOOD NEW
YORK SENSE?
THIS MANY LAWSUITS IS
AN OMINOUS SIGN. IS THIS A ROAD NYC WANTS TO GO DOWN?