[johnmacsgroup] Computer Voting Expert, Dr. Rebecca Mercuri, Ousted From Elections Conference

[John F. McMullen]

Computer Voting Expert Ousted From Elections Conference

Lynn Landes
freelance journalist
www.EcoTalk.org

Denver CO Aug 1 - Dr. Rebecca Mercuri, a leading expert in voting machine
security, had her conference credentials revoked by the president of the
International Association of Clerks, Records, Election Officials, and
Treasurers (IACREOT), Marianne Rickenbach. The annual IACREOT Conference
and Trade Show, which showcases election systems to elections officials,
is being held at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Denver all this week.

Mercuri believes that her credentials were revoked because of her position
in favor of voter-verified paper ballots for computerized election
systems. "I guess in a very troubling way it makes sense that an
organization like IACREOT, that supports paperless computerized voting
systems, which are secret by their very design, would not want computer
experts who disagree with that position at their meetings."

Dr. Mercuri said that her credentials were approved for the first three
days of the conference. She attended meetings of other groups and visited
the exhibitors hall. But it was only on Thursday as she sat down to attend
her first meeting at the IACREOT that President Marianne Rickenbach took
Mercuri out of the room and told her that her credentials were being
revoked. Rickenbach said that Mercuri had not filled out the forms
correctly. Mercuri protested, but was refused reinstatement.

David Chaum, the inventor of eCash and a member of Mercuri's
'voter-verified paper ballot' group, had his credentials revoked on the
first day of the conference. On the second day his credentials were
partially restored. Chaum was allowed to visit the exhibitors hall, but
not attend the IACREOT meetings.

Rickenbach was unavailable for comment as of this report. Mercuri can be
reached at the Adam's Mark Hotel through Saturday.

---------------------------


  "When you come to the fork in the road, take it" - L.P. Berra
  "Always make new mistakes" -- Esther Dyson
  "Be precise in the use of words and expect precision from others" -
   Pierre Abelard
  "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
   -- Arthur C. Clarke
  "Bobby Layne never lost a game. Time just ran out." -- Doak Walker

                         John F. McMullen
  johnmac at acm.org ICQ: 4368412 Fax: (603) 288-8440 johnmac at cyberspace.org
                 http://www.westnet.com/~observer
                             NOYFB,P






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