Prima facie evidence of machine tampering?
Wed Dec 01, 2004 at 10:14:55 AM PDT
I'm not a legal expert, so I'm seeking the opinion of the daily KOS community.
If you recall, several weeks ago there was a story about an authorized person getting access to a computer used for the election in Ohio. The full report is given below, but a few things to note: (a) the person was on the computer that was used to tabulate the votes, (b) the person was working on the computer over the weekend shortly before election day, (c) the person was not authorized to access the computer, (d) the person was not supervised while on the computer, and (e) the person was not even a current employee of ES&S (the software manufacturer), but a former employee.
My question is this. Couldn't one reasonably argue that this is prima facie evidence of machine tampering, which actually shifts the burden of proof over to election officials to prove that there was not fraud? Can't this be used as the basis to supeona the individual who was on the computer? Can't this be used as the basis to take the computer, software, etc. into evidence, and have computer experts look at them?
--Full article below the fold--
Board awaits state followup
By ERIN MILLER, The Evening Leader. November 6, 2004
WAPAKONETA Auglaize County Board of Election members say they have not heard any more from the state regarding a possible investigation after receiving notice of being placed on administrative oversight last week.
"Absolutely nothing," board member Diana Hausfeld said in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon when asked if the board had received any information about the investigation
Election Board Director Jean Burklo, in her office Wednesday morning, said she has not received any information from Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell's office since notice of the board being placed on administrative oversight arrived late on Oct. 30.
James Lee, spokesperson for the secretary of state's office, said last week the specific conditions of the administrative oversight and reasons for the oversight were available after Tuesday's election. Lee said Wednesday afternoon the Secretary of State's office was focusing its efforts on assisting county elections boards with processing and counting provision ballots.
"These other issues will be addressed in the coming weeks," Lee said.
In a letter dated Oct. 21, Ken Nuss, former deputy director of the Auglaize County Board of Elections, claimed that Joe McGinnis, a former employee of Election Systems and Software (ES&S), the company that provides the voting system in Auglaize County, was on the main computer that is used to create the ballot and compile election results, which would go against election protocol. Nuss claimed in the letter that McGinnis was allowed to use the computer the weekend of Oct. 16.
Nuss, who resigned from his job Oct. 21 after being suspended for a day, was responsible for overseeing the computerized programming of election software, according to his job description. His resignation is effective Nov. 11.
The letter also included allegations that Burklo released a sheet from a petition packet filed by Auglaize County Common Pleas Judge Frederick Pepple last December.