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

[Tim May]

On Wednesday, August 6, 2003, at 08:54  AM, Adam Shostack wrote:

> Well, if you can't win on the truth, win on the procedures.
>
> At least Dr. Mercuri is in fine company there, ranging all the way
> back to Socrates and Galileo.  Little consolation, I know, as our
> democracy gets replaced by a kleptocracy, but what can you do?
>
> Maybe she should set up stealdemocracy.com, a new voting machine
> company.  Sell machines that explicitly let you steal elections.  Get
> some press.
>

It's a meme we might want to spread: "They stole the election."

("They")

I was intensely opposed to the gibberish about how the Republicans 
"stole" the Florida vote, for multiple reasons. First, the Dems wanted 
to change the rules after the outcome went against them...they wanted 
"hanging chads" counted in their favor (ultimately, of course, this 
wouldn't have even swayed the outcome, as careful studies by newspapers 
showed). Second, they wanted the Elections Commission to somehow adjust 
the outcome based on exit interviews with little old Jewish ladies who 
claimed they wanted to vote for Algore but who actually voted for Pat 
Buchanan or Jeffery Dahmer or whomever it was that was opposite Chad 
Gore on the ballot (note that Democrats designed the ballot). Third, 
they wanted only precincts known to be leaning toward Chad Gore 
recounted from scratch. (I would have _opposed_ a statewide recount on 
general common sense and legal grounds, too, but for sure I was aghast 
at the proposal to only recount selected precincts: "We'll keep 
recounting until the outcome fluctuates in our favor!")

But I now see that spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the 
outcome of elections serves to undermine confidence in government and 
make more people skeptical of the whole process. The meme that is 
commonly heard today is "Bush and the Supreme Court stole the 
election." This is good.

Shenanigans like the above story, with respected experts like Mercuri 
and Chaum excluded from a conference after they duly registered, will 
be good fodder for conspiracy stories about the 2004 election. 
(Actually, the recall vote on the governor of California is coming up 
on October 7th. Election officials are already claiming the ballots 
can't be ready in time, the machines will have to be brought out of 
mothballs and somehow made to work, and so on. I see many opportunities 
for spreading FUD about whatever outcome happens.

Having Mercuri and Chaum ejected is the best thing that could have 
happened.


--Tim May