Candidates Coy About Audits
Three of the four candidates for Secretary of State have replied to my query about voting machine audits. None had much to say.
Even incumbent Michael Mauro managed only two sentences. Mauro said, “I do not believe anyone is against audits. What needs to be agreed on is the procedure for doing the audit.”
But the bill that died in the legislature this spring was hardly onerous. If everyone is for audits, they should have been able to accept that bill as a starting point. Maybe they mean something different by the term “audits” and that’s why they can’t agree. I had expected a more complete answer from Mauro.
Republican George Eichhorn managed a ten sentence answer, but only one sentence was about audits: “The statistical sampling of votes after elections is a prudent safeguard
that should be established in Iowa.” I’m encouraged that he mentions “statistical” as a standard, a better goal than random sampling that has no statistical thinking involved. If we are going to do any auditing, we might as well get our money’s worth by doing an audit with statistical significance.
Eichhorn also recognized that email voting will be a new problem, so that was more good news about him.
Republican Chris Sanger sent the most expansive email reply, but not the most pertinent. The closest he came to showing he understood the need for audits was in his first words: “I am Pro-Audit. We need transparency in our voting system; it is something the People want and deserve.”
Sanger seems more concerned with voters pretending to be someone they are not, or ambitious voters who try to vote in numerous precincts than he is with the votes that are actually cast. These are truly imaginary problems in Iowa.
Finally there is that Republican from Council Bluffs. He did not respond at all. Earlier this year he did not respond to a previous voting machine question I sent to his website. He may remain nameless here.
In short, the candidates do not share the urgency of the statisticians who called for “audits with teeth.” The replies from the candidates are all pretty toothless.
Here are the complete emails:
I sent this:
I am the writer at http://iowavoters.org/ where I have covered the issue of touchscreen voting machines and other aspects of computerized voting. I have not written often since Iowa ditched its
touchscreen voting equipment, but I am planning to cover a recent development.The American Statistical Association Monday said it supports voting machine audit laws that have teeth. I have noted this at my blog here
http://iowavoters.org/2010/04/30/statisticians-want-audits-with-teeth/
Since legislation to institute audits passed the Iowa House but not the Senate, it is a timely question for a future Secretary of State. Do you support audit laws that would prevent a computerized election from being awarded to a candidate who did not actually win?
I will let my blog readers know what the four candidates for Secretary think. Please respond by May 7, a week from today. Thank you.
I got this from Secretary Mauro:
Jerry,
I do not believe anyone is against audits. What needs to be agreed on is the procedure for doing the audit.
George Eichhorn wrote this:
Dear Jerry:
Thank you for the inquiry.
I believe as John Adams did, “[W]e should be unfaithful to ourselves if we
should ever lose sight of the danger to our liberties if anything . should
infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous, and independent elections.”With that, as Secretary of State I would seek appropriations to do a study
of equipment similar to California’s recent analysis.The integrity of the process requires that we assure Iowans that we are
doing all that is feasible to monitor and improve our voting systems -
including machines. And at this stage of our knowledge and experience
regarding computer voting machines, that requires a paper trail for
verification.The statistical sampling of votes after elections is a prudent safeguard
that should be established in Iowa.Although Montana may be using HAVA money for such an action, I believe Iowa
spent all its HAVA money under the previous Secretary of State. So it may
require an appropriation from the Legislature, but I’m certain I can
advocate on the wisdom in this approach and remind everyone, the integrity
of the vote is the foundation of our free government.I would note that with the recent passage of the MOVE Act (overseas military
personnel voting changes) that States are now required to accept email votes
from overseas military personnel. You may want to watch these voting issues
develop as I anticipate a call for domestic email voting - an issue that
will bring different and even more vote-integrity concerns.Thank you for your inquiry and I hope this helps understand my positions.
Sincerely,
George S. Eichhorn
Republican Candidate for Secretary of State
Iowans for Eichhorn
PO Box 20
Stratford, IA 50249-0020
www.IowansForEichhorn.org
Paid for by Iowans for Eichhorn
I got this from Chris Sanger:
Dear Mr. Depew and the People of Iowa,
I am Pro-Audit. We need transparency in our voting system; it is something the People want and deserve.
As you may or may not know, I am the originator of the concept of creating a secure voter sign-in network system. I support the utilization of the computerized secure voter sign-in network device throughout Iowa’s polling sites to ensure individuals voting are registered to vote and only vote once at one polling site.
Requiring voters to display a valid photo id is a good place to start for accountability, yet it is an old idea and not enough. A secure voter sign-in network system is the flawless solution to voter fraud.
Surprisingly to date, the Iowa mainstream media and party have ignored my claims to this new idea. Iowa deserves a Secretary of State who has new and original ideas to improve our current system. I have new and original ideas and I am a regular hard-working small business owner. I know how to do business in Iowa; I interact with the Secretary of State office regularly in regard to my business filings. I am the candidate who will unite Iowa Congress and our Governor to achieve positive results in accordance to the people’s will.
My campaign name is registered as, “Elect Chris Sanger, He Will Vote the Way People Want”. This is because I provide real solutions to our voting issues here in Iowa. In a Sanger term when voters show up to the polls and vote, they will leave knowing their vote is secure and counted…the way they want.
Thank you for your time and please visit my website, www.ChrisSanger.com, to learn more about me and my campaign.
May you and your family reap the prosperity and integrity restored in these upcoming elections.
Take Your Government Back.
Chris Sanger