A.U.D.I.T. AZ

Monday, July 31, 2006

CALL TO ACTION! YOUR "VOTE" NEEDS YOU...FRIDAY AUGUST 4TH

The process regarding the Pima County Supervisors wanting to buy the Diebold touchscreen voting machines for Pima County. is heading for what appears to be its final phase this comming Friday, August 4th at 9 am in the County Adminstration Building, 130 W. Congress.

This has been a work in progress since May when Board of Supervisors held their first meeting with this on the agenda. AuditAZ and other concerned citizens and activists asked for a postponement for public discussion, which turned out to be a machine demonstration mid-day.

An effort was made to inform the public about this critical issue. AuditAZ held a teach-in in June. While all this was occurring, the national news was breaking all around about the inherent problems in these machines. They can be easily hacked and manipulated, and in recent primaries such as in Penna., were proving unreliable. In spite of that, the Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 purchase the machines.

The Board of Supervisors made it a conditional decision. If they got the machines and tested them and found something "wrong" with them, they would not USE them. In Sunday's Arizona Daily Star there is a lengthly op-ed article about this issue. Pima Co. says they tested the machines and approved them...we question the protocol of the testing, who and how complete. Research has shown that there are distinct levels of danger with these machines. Did they test it all or was it just a demonstration?

The machines are being required because of a government mandate, (HAVA), to provide persons with disabilities a private unassisted vote. Admittedly these machines do not serve all the disabled population, only some. Yet if one vote is lost, we all loose. It is our democracy at risk.

The article can be read at http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/dailystar/139872.php

FRIDAYS MEETING IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE AND THE MORE PEOPLE/CONCERNED CITIZENS THAT ATTEND THE GREATER IMPACT OUR VOICES OF CONCERN WILL HAVE.

I ask the favor that you send this call to action out to your friends and list serves and encourage people to attend the meeting and attend it yourself.

Thank you,
Arlene Leaf

AuditAZ Note: Brad Blog has published a counter article to the Arizona Daily Star's uninformed decision and dispells some of the lies. http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3152&print=1

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California Activist Groups file Lawsuit Against County. Is Pima Next?

This is something we can learn from California. Maybe we need to organize and file suit against our County for failure to ensure secure elections?

"According to a press release issued by a group of Election Integrity advocates organizing themselves as the CA-50 Action Group, a press release will be held on the steps of the Court House in San Diego at 10:30am, just after the filing. (The BRAD BLOG has received an advance copy of the press release. It is posted in full at the bottom of this article.)"

Raw Story has an excellent article, as well as good coverage from The Brad Blog.

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