Democracy Hacked

This is important.

Bear in mind that, I live in one of the most liberal towns in one of the most liberal states in the country.

Last night I watched the HBO documentary, Hacking Democracy. Absolutely fantastic and terrifying, regardless of your political affiliation. So read upon it here:
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/hackingdemocracy/index.html

This sort of potential (?) fraud will affect us all.

So I decided to look a little bit into my own hometown election...I called my town's election department at 9 am this morning. I asked what kind of software do we run on our optical scan voting machines? The first woman I talked to informed me she was far too busy to tell me. She transferred me to another office. That woman "had no idea." She gave me the phone number for LHS Associates, located in Methuen, MA. LHS distributes Diebold's software in three states (as far as I can tell).

Here's the site:
http://www.lhsassociates.com/

So I call these folks, since a town offical told me they'd tell me the type of software used (a quick perusal of the site makes it obvious it's the diebold Accu-Vote system, the one discussed in HBO's film.) The first gentleman I reached informed me that he didn't have to tell me what software was used. And that, because I couldn't prove who I was over the phone (I fail to see how proof of my me-ness matters) he was definitely not telling me. But I was welcome to leave a voicemail for the CEO of the company, John Silvestro, who would ulitmately decide whether or not I could be told what software is used.

Huh. The CEO of a corporation gets to decide who knows what kind fo software our voting optical scanners use. Obviously, I have not received a return phone call.

So I call the Secretary of State. His office doesn't know. They send me to the elections office. No one there can tell me, but if I leave a voicemail, someone will return my call.

Hmmm...not yet.

So I call my local paper. I leave a message. I think perhaps residents should know that our election employees cannot even tell me what company oversees our election software. And that when you ask a question about the process, you're sent to a private company. A private company associated with the much-scrutinized and federally investigated Diebold.

I guess my home town paper doesn't agree. No return call.

So at this point I realize I am beginning to sound like a left wing conspiracy theorist, except...that all I want is confirmation from an official of what I already found out online - that we use the Accu-Vote 2000 system by Diebold, distributed by LHS Associates. I'm not looking for source code or trade secrets or even anything interesting. I just want the name of the type of software used that counts the votes.

So I call my town reps...one calls back and says the rep himself will call me Monday. Another's aide calls me back and says she can't really find out but that the state's election office will call me by Monday.

Going higher, I call Sen. Kerry and Kennedy. Everyone thinks it's terrible...but no one can answer the question but if I want to leave a message...over and over again. The Boston globe effectively hangs up on me. No one seems to give a damn. Maybe they're right, maybe I shouldn't be concerned as to who is counting the votes cast. Why could that possibly matter?

Right?

It matters.

So now I am fully accepting of my new status of crack pot du jour. I asked a relatively simple question (what company makes the software we use in our elections?) and got nothing but disdain, confusion and outright aggression.

Even here in the liberal bastion of Massachusetts the elections are beyond screwed up. Either the people in charge are incompetent or are deliberately withholding the information. Either way, I have real concerns about the validity of this upcoming election.
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I urge anyone who reads this to call your local officials, ask what system is being used, ask about security tests, ask about how the election will run. Don't sit idly by and let corporations like Diebold or LHS make the rules. Watch the documentary. Get HBO or bother a friend with HBO. But see it.

And check out the subject of the documentary's site, Blackboxvoting.org.

We live in a representative democracy. Those who are elected to represent us must remember that they work for us. Not large corporations. This election day, remind them.

Vote.

Ask questions.

Watch the ballot count.

Take a stand.