What would you suggest as an alternative - out-sourcing the process to a
private firm? I cannot reach your level of paranoia over the administration
of the electoral process. I believe most screw ups are just that - screw
ups. As a political consultant, I deal with Registrars of Voters all over
California frequently. There are varying degrees of competence and
variations in how they interpret some of the laws covering elections. But I
believe the vast majority are honest. I would be far more concerned were the
administration of the process and the counting of ballots were out sourced.
I was not being politically correct in my comments about Logan and the L.A.
registrar's office. I was communicating the predominant opinion of those of
us who work with the office on and ongoing basis. I can tell you also that I
and most other top level political consultants pour over results in our
campaigns with a virtual magnifying glass. I believe we would spot any
discrepancies in very short order. In short, I don't think there is a
perfect system or process for conducting elections. It is the responsibility
of all of us who engage in the process to be constantly on guard and in
quest of a better way to do things.
Larry
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bev Harris" <bev@blackboxvoting.org>
To: "election-law" <election-law@mailman.lls.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 9:00 PM
Subject: Re: [EL] Wisc
So far Logan seems to be doing a good job here in L.A. He's got a veteran
staff of very good people around him.
That's a politically correct and polite thing to say. But since the public
cannot authenticate any of the crucial election components in Los Angeles,
how
would anyone know whether the count is correct or just skillfully executed
by a
handful of insiders?
There need be no allegation of fraud; a structural defect exists which
obstructs
the public ability to exercise its right to authenticate its own public
elections. You cannot cede public control over the choosing process to the
government without ultimately removing self-governance.
For 10 years, I have been doing field work.
So I will tell you what I observed in Los Angeles. The central tabulation
was
performed in a room that not observable to the public, in violation of
California law. They took the public on a tour and pointed them to a bank
of
voting machines which could seen through a window. However, upon
questioning,
they admitted that these were not the machines processing the election.
Those
were behind closed doors. I pulled it out the California statute which
states
that the public must be allowed to view. Six sheriff's deputies then
arrived
and stood in front of me to completely block my view. Now bear in mind
that I
was polite and sitting down so that no one could claim I was resistive. I
sat
quietly for the remainder of the time, my view obstructed by six deputies
and a
closed door, behind which was another closed door, behind which were
unknown
individuals controlling the computers producing the count.
The IT guy supervising at that time, Petrocelli or whatever, is still
there.
He's one of those veteran staff members to whom the public is forced to
turn
over their inalienable right to authenticate the count.
While you may trust Dean Logan or Petrocelli or whoever works in the
darkness
there and whether they are nice or competent, I would contend, is
irrelevant
because even if you choose to trust, that does not remove the rights of
others.
Bev Harris
Founder - Black Box Voting
http://www.blackboxvoting.org
* * * * *
Government is the servant of the people, and not the master of them. The
people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the
right
to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for
them to
know. We insist on remaining informed so that we may retain control over
the
instruments of government we have created.
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