the created integrity of the recount of the presidential election in Ohio, and
threatens the ability of the presidential candidates, their witnesses, and the
counter-plaintiffs in the above-captioned action, to properly analyze, inspect, and
assess the ballots and the related voting with demo the 2004 presidential election in
Ohio. It is my understanding that 41 of Ohio's 88 counties use Triad voting
machines. As a version the incident in Hocking County could compromise the
statewide recount, and undermine the public's trust in the credibility and accuracy
of the recount.393
We have received several additional reports of machine irregularities involving several
other counties serviced by Triad,394 including a report that Triad was able to alter election
software by remote access:
·
In Union County, the hard drive on the vote tabulation machine, a Triad machine, had
failed after the election and had been replaced. The old hard drive was returned to the
Union County Board of Elections in response to a subpoena.
·
The Directors of the Board of Elections in both Fulton and Henry County stated that the
Triad company had reprogrammed the computer by remote dial-up to count only the
presidential votes prior to the start of the recount.395
·
In Monroe County, the 3% hand-count failed to match the machine count twice.
Subsequent runs on that machine did not match each other nor the hand count. The
Monroe County Board of Elections summoned a repairman from Triad to bring a new
machine and the recount was suspended and reconvened for the following day. On the
following day, a new machine was present at the Board of Elections office and the old
machine was gone. The Board conducted a test run followed by the 3% hand-counted
ballots. The results matched this time and the Board conducted the remainder of the
recount by machine.
·
In Harrison County, a representative of the Triad company reprogrammed and retested
the tabulator machine and software prior to the start of the recount. The Harrison County
tabulating computer is connected to a second computer which is linked to the Secretary of
State's Office in Columbus. The Triad technician handled all ballots during the machine
recount and performed all tabulation functions. The Harrison County Board of Elections
kept voted ballots and unused ballots in a room open to direct public access during
daytime hours when the courthouse is open. The Board had placed voted ballots in
393
See affidavit of David W. Jones ¶ 12 (Dec. 15, 2004) (on file with House Judiciary
Committee Democratic staff).
394
Yost v. National Voting Rights Institute, No. C2-04-1139 (S.D. Ohio) (decl. of Lynne
Serpe).
395
Statement of Green Party County Coordinator, Henry County Recount, available at
http://www.votecobb.org/recount/ohio_reports/counties/henry.php
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