Wednesday, 8/21/2024, we had a team of dedicated patriots who attended two Department of Elections (DOE) events. I'll describe the goals of these events, what we witnessed, positives and possible areas of concern, with possible solutions.
The first event was held at the DOE Warehouse in Seaford at 10am. It was the Logic and Accuracy Testing of Primary Election Early Voting Express XL Voting Machines.
Logic and Accuracy Testing of Primary Election Early Voting Express XL Voting Machines
I believe the goal of this required exercise was to demonstrate that the manual selection of candidates by a potential voter on the Voting Machines that will be used in the Primary Election was accurate. In Sussex County, 295 Voting Machines will be used for the General Election, 150 Voting Machines will be used for the Primary Election Day, 40 Voting Machines will be used for Early Voting and it was these 40 machines that were tested.
"Tested" is probably not the right word though in my opinion. The 40 selected voting machines were put through their paces, by one very patient DOE employee, Billy, who cast a series of votes on each of the 40 machines, in a systematic manner. By "systematic manner", I mean in a pre-determined, regular pattern, with a pre-determined outcome. For example, selected candidates would receive a pre-determined number of votes, per machine. This pre-determined casting of the votes, was compared to the pre-determined expected results; and if the pre-determined casting of ballots matched the pre-determined expected results, then it was determined a successful "test." This is what is referred to as using logic to verify a result vs measuring actual results.
I'm no Mr. Spock, but logical to me would mean, something different. How about a more random selection of votes, run the data, hand count the paper activation cards, and compare those two lists to each other and see if there is an error. Check the actual results, not an inferred result based on logic. But presumably this logic approach is useful when there are too many machines to realistically do a hand count?
Also, Billy, the DOE staff that performed the pre-determined casting of the ballots, which btw took him three days, did an outstanding job of casting votes on forty machines accurately, which he did perfectly, with zero errors. I would have expected some amount of human error. And in fact, when Billy showed us his method of casting votes on a machine, he did in fact make two errors in two attempts. But during the testing, Billy could see the results of his voting and could make corrections as he went along. In my opinion, he tested the machines as he was instructed to do.
Last point, this "testing" of the machines, was already completed days before, and our team did not witness this test run of casting of the ballots, the running of the tallies, nor the comparison to the pre-determined results. What we were shown was the printed results of the logic test.
Bottom line: if we are going to use electronic voting machines, it is the electronics that need to be verified, by humans, not electronics verifying electronics. And it is this process that the public should be allowed to witness, not the end results. That said, I am going to accept that the machines do capture the votes cast accurately, which should be verified by a hand audit, which does occur, and I will write about that another day.
Later that same day, our team headed to the DOE in Georgetown for the Accuracy Testing of 2024 Primary Early Voting and Absentee Voting Tabulating Equipment.
Accuracy Testing of 2024 Primary Early Voting and Absentee Voting Tabulating Equipment
The goal of this event was to watch a sample of paper activation cards, what most people refer to as "ballots," be processed into a DS450 high speed Activation Card reader and another DS450 high speed machine that would process the Absentee Ballots (in this case, sample absentee ballots). Prior to our arrival, there was again some "logic" testing that was performed showing us that the tabulating machines were zeroed out and ready to accept a new batch of ballots to scan.
What we witnessed was that these high speed DS450 scanning and tabulating machines, three of them, which looked like some sort of old timey assembly line machine from the 1960s, appeared capable enough of processing and counting physical Activation Cards and Absentee Ballots. Interestingly, it is one DOE employee, the Deputy Director, who does all of the processing of the Absentee ballots, and it is this process that we will witness and possibly challenge this upcoming Friday 8/23/2004.
My take: These machines look capable enough of processing and counting the physical paper ballots, either Absentee Ballots or the Activation Cards from Early Voting. I'd recommend follow up with hand counting for more assurance of accuracy.
Next on the agenda for our team to witness is Preparation and Scanning of Absentee Ballots for the 2024 Primary Election which will take place at the DOE in Georgetown Friday, 8/23/2024, starting at 10am.
Preparation and Scanning of Absentee Ballots for the 2024 Primary Election
Game day! This Friday, at the DOE in Georgetown, at 10am our team will be present to witness the opening of the 2024 Primary Election Absentee Ballots that have been received by the DOE so far. This is not a test! Not only will we be witnesses, but we will be official Republican Party Challengers as well! These Sussex Republican Challengers will even take the Challenger oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Delaware, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of a Challenger for the election conducted on the date printed above for the Delaware State Primary according to the best of my ability."
We will witness: the opening of the Absentee Ballot envelopes, organizing them into RD-ED piles, feeding them into the DS450 scanner and tabulator, and then packaging and storing of the ballots. These Absentee Ballots votes are not counted, votes per candidate, but are rather scanned in and prepared for the actual counting on Election Day. In addition, for any Absentee Ballot where it is not clear for which candidate the intended vote was cast, we will observe two DOE staff, one from each party, determine to the best of their ability, which candidate was the intended vote for, and then scanned in with the rest of the Absentee Ballots and stored to be counted later on Election Day. As per the DOE staff today, this process does not usually have other witnesses present other themselves, though it has always been open to the public to observe. This time, they will have observers!
It is also at this point, that the Challengers, could challenge any of the Absentee ballots cast for legitimacy, as needed. IMO, how best to handle this would be to poll all of the voters who have cast an Absentee Ballot and ask them if they did in fact cast an Absentee Ballot. If any said they did not, then the Challengers would challenge that ballot. Is this too hard to do? Not in my opinion. This information, which voters have cast a vote by Absentee, is posted regularly by the DOE, and a team of dedicated callers could call these voters in their district to confirm that they did in fact cast an absentee vote. But this takes planning and manpower, but it could be done. If you would like to participate in this effort, please email here info@drcp.com and we will get it done.
Can't make if this Friday to witness the opening of the Absentee Ballots but still want to participate in our Election Integrity efforts? Here are a few more important dates that we need volunteers. If you can make any of these events please email info@38thdrcp.com.
Preparation & Scanning of Early Voting Ballots for Primary Election
Thursday, 8/29/24, 10:00am
DOE, 119 N Race St, Georgetown
Witnesses needed! Email if you can attend info@38thdrcp.com
Accuracy Testing for Primary Election Voting Machines
Tuesday, 9/3/2024, 10:00am
DOE Warehouse, 200 Allen St, Seaford
Witnesses needed! Email if you can attend info@38thdrcp.com
Carry Absentee Ballot Request Forms With You!
Early Voting Days Primary Election
Various places in the County including Millville Community Center, Dukes Road, Millville
Wednesday, August 28, 11am-7pm
Thursday, August 29, 11am-7pm
Friday, August 30, 11am-7pm
Saturday, August 31, 11am-7pm
Tuesday, September 3, 11am-7pm
Wednesday, September 4, 7am-7pm
Thursday, September 5, 7am-7pm
Friday, September 6, 7am-7pm
Saturday, September 7, 7am-7pm
Sunday, September 8, 7am-7pm
Primary Election Day
Tuesday, September 10, 7am-7pm
At your regular polling location.
Check out a Sample Ballot for the Primary Election
US Representative in Congress
Donyale Hall John J. Whalen III
Governor
Jerrold A. Price Mike Ramone Bobby Williamson
Volunteer Zoom Meetings
The weekly volunteer Zoom meeting will be held most Tuesdays, at 630pm. If you get more intimately involved with what the 38th is doing to GOTV in the 38th, then please email here to learn more.
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Upcoming 2023 Meetings
38th Club Meeting, Monday, August 26th, 6:30pm, Millville Town Hall
38th Club Meeting, Monday, September 23rd, 6:30pm
38th Club Meeting, Monday, October 28th, 6:30pm
State Primary Election, September 10, 2024
General Election, November 5, 2024
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