The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 19, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

In the midst of our series on protections against bad actors not certifying the Presidential election came the news of the felony conviction of a former Colorado election official who allowed election deniers access to her county’s voting machines.  

A jury convicted former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters on four felony charges for giving unauthorized access to the county’s Dominion Voting Systems electronic ballot tabulators to two election conspiracy theory activists associated with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

Colorado Newsline reports testimony that Peters misused another county employee’s identity to fraudulently give access to an official inspection of ballot counting machines by a Dominion Voting Systems employee and a representative of the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.  Election data was later allegedly copied and distributed online.   

The Colorado County Clerks Association said after the verdict,  “Colorado Clerks across the state are pleased to see justice done today. We take seriously our role as guardians of the best election process in the nation and are grateful to see the justice system hold those who would harm our elections accountable.”

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement, “Today’s verdict sends a clear message: we will not tolerate any effort to threaten the security of our gold standard elections. I am proud that justice for Colorado voters has been served today.”

We’ve linked to local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Colorado Newsline – (2021) ‘Serious breach’ of voting security at center of investigation of Mesa County clerk’s office
Colorado Newsline – Tina Peters, former Mesa County clerk, guilty on 7 counts

Colorado Secretary of State Office  – Secretary Griswold Statement on Verdict in Tina Peters Trial
Associated Press – Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters, one-time hero to election deniers, convicted in computer breach

Check Your Voter Registration

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElectionDeniers #StoptheSteal

The post Colorado Election Official Who Allowed 2020 Conspiracy Theory Activists Access to County Voting Machine Data Found Guilty appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 26, 2023

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

Today’s Links now located below script

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Buckingham County, Virginia is rebuilding its elections department after its entire staff quit due to conspiracy-fueled chaos.  Its election registar left in March after persistent & baseless accusations of voter fraud in the 2022 midterms, with one critic calling out at a public meeting, “I am putting you on notice — for treason!” 

NBC News and the Farmville Herald report that the allegations began after a Democrat won a school board race by nine votes.  The loss caused the county GOP chair Ramona Christian to complain of a lack of Republican election volunteers at the polls.   The Herald reports that in county precincts last November, there were 54 unaffiliated volunteers, 17 Republicans, and 12 Democrats.   

Registrar Lindsey Taylor resigned in March, telling NBC that QUOTE “Mentally, I just — I couldn’t take it anymore.”  Three other staffers also left, leaving county voters  no way to register to vote.   April 11th, the County appointed an interim replacement registrar, Luis Gutierrez, a criminal justice PhD student at Liberty University.   

In the turmoil, the members of the electoral board have also turned over, including one, who along with GOP Chair Ramona Christian, had a picture taken in March with MyPillow CEO & conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell at a conference.   Two new board appointments have been made, and a third is pending. 

We have lots more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
NBC News – Hounded by baseless voter fraud allegations, an entire county’s election staff quits in Virginia
Farmville Herald – Buckingham County Electoral Board Won’t Renew Registrar’s Contract
Farmville Herald – Buckingham County adds a new registrar, electoral board member

Center for American Progress – Protecting Election Workers and Officials From Threats and Harassment During the Midterms
Brennan Center for Justice – Poll of Election Officials Shows High Turnover Amid Safety Threats and Political Interference
Groups Taking Action:
Center for American Progress, Election Official Legal Defense Network, Common Cause VA

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElectionWorkers

The post Buckingham County, Virginia Rebuilds its Election Staff After Conspiracy Chaos Causes Entire Department to Resign  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

Listen!

Today’s Links

Articles:

Votebeat – Election activists are seeking the “cast vote record” from 2020. Here’s what it is and why they want it. 
Washington Post – Trump backers flood election offices with requests as 2022 vote nears

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Election-denier activists are trying to obtain the “Cast Vote Record” report from vote tabulating machines around the country in a nationwide effort to prove the existence of wide-spread voter fraud.  

The nonprofit democracy news service VoteBeat reported last week that nearly identical requests are being made around the country, pushed by high profile election deniers like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.  Lindell and other conspiracy theorists are apparently providing “cut and paste” request language for supporters to request the information from their local election officials.  If the data is provided, the group intends to centrally analyze it, despite no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

The Cast Vote Record is a data file which vote tabulating machines like that of Dominion Voting Systems record.  While its format varies by type of machine, it records the raw data of the circles filled in, and sometimes records an image of the ballot.   But there is no information about the voter or the voter’s identity, and it captures only machine-counted ballots, not those counted by hand. 

Votebeat reports that some election offices have received dozens of these requests, including 90 requests in Maricopa County, Arizona alone, each one consuming staff time to process.   Rules vary by state, with some states allowing unofficial access to the files, and some not allowing any public access, resulting in lawsuits demanding that access.

To learn more find a link to the VoteBeat story at our website, AmericanDemocracy Minute.org.   

Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it’s something we DO!”  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl

The post ADM for Sept. 15, 2022: Activists Requesting “Cast Vote Record” Data Around the Country to Once Again Try to Prove 2020 Election Fraud appeared first on American Democracy Minute.