By Luther Weeks on February 29, 2016
Again accuracy declined and write-in votes handled incorrectly
November 2015 Post-Election Audit Report
From the Press Release:
The Connecticut Citizen Election Audit has released its report on its observation of the November 2015 official post-election audits. The audits, required by state law, are intended to verify the accuracy of elections at the municipal level.
Citizen Audit spokesperson Luther Weeks stated, “After 9 years of official audits, voters should expect accuracy. Yet the audits have gone from poor to worse.”
The group’s observers found that official audit results do not inspire confidence because of continued:
- Discrepancies between machine counts and hand counts of votes reported to the Secretary of the State by municipal registrars of voters.
- Lack of investigation of such discrepancies, and the lack of standards for triggering investigations.
- Lack of consistency, reliability, and transparency in the conduct of the audit.
- Weaknesses in ballot chain-of-custody and security.
The group’s report noted:
- 28% of official audits cited “Human Error” in counting ballots and votes. Registrars of voters should be expected to take the necessary effort to count accurately.
- Significant decreases in audit integrity, and accuracy.
- In three towns audits detected districts where officials fed write-in ballots through scanners a second time on election night.
- If the group’s recommendations from last year had been mandated and followed, all write-in ballots would have been counted accurately.
“Problems discovered counting write-ins two years in a row shows the value of the official audits. But the report also reveals the decline in official attention to the audits, demonstrating that independent citizen observation and reporting are essential to election integrity.” Weeks emphasized.
<Press Release .pdf> <Full Report pdf> <Detail data/municipal reports>
Posted in CT, Post-Election Audits, Reports
By Luther Weeks on February 21, 2016
Apple is right to object to the government’s request to help open an iPhone. Many claim it is an issue of balance between Security and Privacy. Perhaps. Yet, the Constitution talks of the the right of the people to be Secure in their effects.
To all those voices discussing this issue, we add:
- Cracking “just one phone” and destroying the program thereafter is a myth…
While we applaud Apple’s efforts to make it impossible to crack new iPhones, such claims, in our view, are mythical.
Posted in Electronic Vulnerability, National
By Luther Weeks on February 14, 2016
There are several differences between a caucus and a primary election. These differences are glaring, especially in the case of the Iowa Democratic Presidential Caucus. Like all elections, the rules, eligibility, and voting methods vary from state to state. In presidential primaries and caucuses they can vary from party to party.
Here is our list of important concerns with the Iowa Democratic Caucus. All things considered, democracy would be better served by a primary than the Iowa Caucus.
Posted in National, Our Editorials
By Luther Weeks on February 8, 2016
A Courant article reminds us of an idea out of left-field enacted last year by the General Assembly as a “rat*”: Deadline Looms For Regional Election Monitors
When the Connecticut General Assembly passed the budget implementer bill in June 2015, buried in its 702 pages was the stipulation that regional election monitors be in place by March 1.
Those regional monitors were to be hired by each of the nine planning regions in the state. They would be certified by the Secretary of State’s office, but not paid by them.
Gentle reader, before you rush out and apply we note several items which might not be apparent.
Posted in CT, CT Law, Legislature 2015
By Luther Weeks on February 3, 2016
From the CT Post: Feds probing how Connecticut handles disabled voters ballots
Both the IVS and the referendum systems, for different reasons, are a disservice to voters with disabilities. Yet the gist of the probe, if the article is correct, is incorrectly aimed at referendums and would be more appropriately aimed at State and Federal elections. Perhaps both should be probed for different reasons.
Posted in CT, CT Law