Ohio State Senator:"Troubled Election Throughout"

Ohio State Senator Teresa Fedor said today: "There was trouble with our elections in Ohio at every stage. It's been a battle getting people registered to vote, getting to the ballot on voting day and getting that vote to count. There is a pattern of voter suppression; that's why I called for [Ohio Secretary of State] Blackwell's resignation more than a month ago. Blackwell, while claiming to run an unbiased elections process, was also the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Ohio. Additionally, he was the spokesperson for the anti-business, anti-family constitutional amendment 'Issue 1,' and a failed initiative to repeal a crucial sales-tax revenue source for the state. Blackwell learned his moves from the Katherine Harris playbook of Florida 2000, and we won't stand for it."

You can reach Senator Fedor through her AA here: [email protected]

She is on the front lines of this and yet, has gotten no national media attention. It's been ignored or supressed, but she has been on point:

Sen. Teresa Fedor, a Toledo Democrat, accused Blackwell of politicking.

"Blackwell's provisional voting directive is off the mark and amounts to nothing more than cooking the vote," she told reporters last week. Sept. 19, 2004

"Recently, I called for the creation of a bipartisan legislative panel to extensively review potential security risks with Ohio's implementation of the federal Help America Vote Act, which includes purchasing electronic voting machines. The legislation was passed by Congress shortly after the chaos surrounding the 2000 presidential election. However, if proper steps aren't taken this year by Ohio's secretary of state and General Assembly, Ohio could become the next Florida when it comes to flawed elections.

Currently, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has signed contracts worth roughly $106 million to buy the equipment from electronic voting-machine vendors. He is asking the state to pay this money in less than a week, without any federal standards from the federal Election Assistance Commission. This cost does not even include buying additional equipment that may be required by the commission, including the purchase of voter-verified paper ballot printers.

The safety of voting systems needs to be fully and unconditionally explored by the executive and legislative branches of state government and the federal EAC, as well as by the three vendors chosen to provide Ohio with its next voting machines: Election Systems & Software, Maximus/Hart Intercivic/DFM Associates and Diebold Elections Systems.

To date, Ohio's voting machines contain 57 security flaws that have yet to be adequately addressed by manufacturers or the secretary of state. Thus there are three critical points that must be considered in the debate over secure and accurate voting machines.

� First, there have been no standards set by the federal government to mandate the security checks and balances of these machines. Without them, safeguarding is left to the voting machine manufacturers themselves.

� Second, under federal law, Ohio has until 2006 to choose and implement the safest voting machines possible.

� Third, the standards for voter-verified paper ballots being discussed by the legislature require the production of printed ballots that remain in each voting machine. It is important to note that at no time during the voting process do voters using voter-verified paper ballots handle or keep any kind of a ballot. Ohio has one chance to get voting-machine accuracy right, and there is over $130 million of one-time HAVA money at risk if we are wrong.

Blackwell already has requested and received a waiver for implementation of HAVA until Jan. 1.


March 8, 2004

"In a rare partnership with a Democrat, Sen. Jeff Jacobson (R., Vandalia), joined forces with Sen. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo) to urge the State Controlling Board not to release state or federal funds for the machines.

"The law contemplated an extension to 2006," said Mr. Jacobson. "There�s absolutely no justification for rushing to get it wrong." The Republican has clashed with Mr. Blackwell over electronic voting since they served together on a task force on the issue more than a year ago.

February 8, 2004


The problems were known. They were part of the Ohio Legislative public record, noting bipartisan disagreement with a rush to implement before Federal Standards were met. Yet, A Republican Sec. of State, who also happened to be the Bush Campaign Co-Chairman, was able to request & get approved a waiver of the Help America Vote Act ( a Fedral Law ) in order to rush the systems into place for the election, without Federal certification that they corrected over 50 major security & standards flaws.

[edit on 9-11-2004 by Bout Time]

I emailed her....

I told her to team up with Nader, he's already on the path of justice in New Hampshire. Nevada's getting lawsuits filed, and Chicago will be too... It's just a matter of time and the media can't suppress it they aren't the only source of news... Altough they are the biggest, but # em.. They lie. They aren't worth my time.

I'm proud of this Mrs.Fedor, I hope she keeps up the good fight.
It's easy for evil to succeed is good men never do anything.