Group plans to protest Diebold

By Warren Lutz

VALLEJO A grassroots political group said Monday it plans to protest every public demonstration of the county's new electronic voting machines - and is already stirring up controversy.

The Community-Labor Alliance, which represents working class interests in Contra Costa and Solano counties, plans to hold a rally Wednesday at 6 p.m. in front of the First Christian Church of Vallejo, at 1035 Indiana St.

The group also plans a "funeral procession" - marking its hope that Solano County officials change their minds about paperless voting.

"We won't tolerate the theft of our democracy," said CLA president Doug MacDonald.

CLA members are especially worried about Diebold Election Systems, the company from which Solano County bought 1,171 electronic voting machines for $4 million.

Professors at John Hopkins University issued a report that found electronic voting machines are vulnerable to voter fraud.

According to Diebold, the 1,171 AccuVote-TSx machines Solano County bought are individually tested before being used.

Solano County Registrar of Voters spokeswoman Jo Murray said she wasn't aware of any planned demonstration against the machines.

"We would certainly hope that anyone who doesn't agree with it, doesn't take any action that would affect our ability to demonstrate the machines," Murray said.

A local newspaper reported last month that Kiwanis Club in Vallejo would sponsor a demonstration of the county's electronic voting machines at Georgina's, a Vallejo restaurant where CLA members meet.

An employee of the restaurant said Monday the restaurant has canceled the meeting because of controversy over the machines.

Murray said she has heard the meeting was being changed but was still waiting to hear back from the Kiwanis. A Kiwanis representative could not be reached for comment.

"Our goal is to cooperate with them and do whatever we can," Murray said.

Diebold also generated controversy in recent months after it was discovered its machines were used throughout California without being certified by the state or the federal government - or in some cases, both.

Murray said the county expects Diebold's machines to be certified before the March primary, when they will be used for the first time.

"We have given the secretary of the state all the information they have requested," she said. "They have told Diebold they would like a little more time, because of the year end holidays."

MacDonald said CLA members hope to pressure Solano County officials to switch to paper ballots using optical scanning equipment before Jan. 15, when the Secretary of State's office is due to rule on the certification of Diebold's machines.

"We were supposed to buy a machine that was certified for voting," he said. "Unfortunately, Solano County failed in that attempt and wasted millions of dollars."

Reach Warren Lutz at 427-6955 or at wlutz@dailyrepublic.net