Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

David Boyle

(580 posts)
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 03:57 PM Nov 16

Mail Biden, Harris/campaign to ask for recounts in swing states re Spoonamore etc.

I see lots of posts up, e.g., ScubaSteve's at https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219728505 , about the Spoonamore-and-friends alleged "bullet ballot" or other voting anomalies in swing states. But I don't see a lot of tools for action.

So, here we are, links for you to contact Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and her campaign:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/share/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/vicepresident/

https://kamalaharris.com/contact-us/

Here's even a short template for you: "Dear President Biden [or Vice President Kamala Harris], please uphold justice and support recounts of the presidential vote on 11/5/24 in the seven swing states, or at least Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, and have law enforcement investigate any voting irregularities alleged by Stephen Spoonamore or other experts. Keep democracy alive. Thank you."

Won't take you long, but could make a difference. (I was thinking of also urging Biden to officially recognize the State of Palestine before Trumpanyahu turn Gaza into a parking lot, but I may do that post next week.)

-- Since I'm on the line, you can also, if you like, e-mail Judge Juan Merchan, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, and Bragg's counsel Matthew Colangelo, to ask that Trump should get the maximum 4-year jail sentence (maybe after his presidency), since the immunity decision is on Nov. 19,

jmerchan@nycourts.gov

bragga@dany.nyc.gov

colangelom@dany.nyc.gov

Sample template:

Dear Judge Merchan [or DA Alvin Bragg and ADA Matthew Colangelo]:

Please do not give Donald Trump immunity for his 34 felony convictions in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case. He deserves a maximum sentence, 4 years in prison, for his dishonest actions designed to keep the American people from knowing about his extramarital affair before the 2016 election. Thank you,

Sincerely,
[you]

An ounce of prevention's worth a pound of cure. Your e-mails may save America a lot of tears later! Thanks.

102 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Mail Biden, Harris/campaign to ask for recounts in swing states re Spoonamore etc. (Original Post) David Boyle Nov 16 OP
Here is a working non-paywall link to the article referred to above... Think. Again. Nov 16 #1
Thanks so much! David Boyle Nov 16 #2
And here is a copied version of the Spoonamore letter referred to above.. Think. Again. Nov 16 #3
Thanks very much again, Think. Again. David Boyle Nov 16 #4
You should bold the part where he claims to be a republican. DiamondShark Nov 17 #73
Nah, the priority is on assuring the counts are correct. And rightfully so. Think. Again. Nov 17 #74
And here is the text of the CyberSecurity Experts letter to Harris... Think. Again. Nov 16 #5
Dang, you're good! David Boyle Nov 16 #6
I believe this stuff is extremely important... Think. Again. Nov 16 #7
Yeah, more could've been done maybe David Boyle Nov 16 #8
And recounts done after the election was closed showed that Gore actually did win legitimately. Think. Again. Nov 16 #9
Thanks to the Supreme Court etc. David Boyle Nov 16 #10
Clarifying: NO thanks to the Supreme Court David Boyle Nov 16 #11
In any case, we should have learned the lesson that any election results must be vigorously verified. Think. Again. Nov 16 #12
I hope people at DU are learning it... David Boyle Nov 16 #14
I agree with you. XarmyGal Nov 16 #46
Sounds like an Army thing too David Boyle Nov 16 #57
How does Spoonamore explain the actual numbers? onenote Nov 16 #13
Yes, apparently Spoonamore has started doing some media... Think. Again. Nov 16 #15
He has a great name, by the way David Boyle Nov 16 #17
I got 20 dollas in my pocket.... Think. Again. Nov 16 #18
"Thrift Shop", heh David Boyle Nov 16 #21
I'll be interested to see what you find. onenote Nov 16 #20
Me too David Boyle Nov 16 #22
Here it is, Buell (from the tirst letter) not Spoonamore... Think. Again. Nov 16 #33
Another DUer mentioned he did an interview today ... Think. Again. Nov 16 #24
Brad Pitt? David Boyle Nov 16 #27
Here it is, Buell, not Spoonamore (my apologies)... Think. Again. Nov 16 #30
Bueller! Bueller! (heh - kidding) David Boyle Nov 16 #34
Other than noting that the bullet ballot issue has been raised, there is nothing substantiating it onenote Nov 17 #76
Correct, audits and recounts must be done to compare the first-count numbers... Think. Again. Nov 17 #77
Recounts are harmless, at worst David Boyle Nov 17 #83
Exactly my thought, especially with public trust in the election system at such extreme risk right now. Think. Again. Nov 17 #85
Maybe people'll are retreating into a virtual world instead of politics David Boyle Nov 17 #87
Superfluous " 'll " David Boyle Nov 17 #88
Ha! I've pretty much given up correcting my own typos at this point. Think. Again. Nov 17 #89
At least you have extra periods in your name David Boyle Nov 17 #90
I ws trying to be clever... Think. Again. Nov 17 #92
Therefore, you are. David Boyle Nov 17 #94
Good questions David Boyle Nov 16 #16
I don't think 350,000 votes for trump only and not for any other repub doesn't look more legit than a ballot onenote Nov 16 #19
Your grammar is confusing me a little, but I see what you mean David Boyle Nov 16 #23
I believe the total was +/- 600,000 spread among the swing states. Think. Again. Nov 16 #25
350,000 in NC alone. Leaving 250,000 spread among 6 other states. onenote Nov 16 #26
Okay, the figures sound a little odd David Boyle Nov 16 #28
NC uses paper ballots Abnredleg Nov 16 #29
You do know computerized voting machines use code to read paper ballots, right? Think. Again. Nov 16 #31
Correct, but NC does hand count audits in each county Abnredleg Nov 16 #36
Thanks; interesting David Boyle Nov 16 #38
Nope - life long Dem Abnredleg Nov 16 #41
I like it too David Boyle Nov 16 #47
Excellent! Let's hope our attorneys and watchers are keeping a close eye on this.... Think. Again. Nov 16 #39
Canvassing is complete Abnredleg Nov 16 #40
Unless there has been any discrepencies that would allow for a recount to be requested. Think. Again. Nov 16 #43
How do you silence the party witnesses? Abnredleg Nov 16 #51
Good points, though Buell et al. note that David Boyle Nov 17 #71
Voting equipment is not networked Abnredleg Nov 17 #72
That's comforting, actually David Boyle Nov 17 #75
Hmmm David Boyle Nov 16 #32
Oh, maybe reply 31 David Boyle Nov 16 #35
But reply #36 Abnredleg Nov 16 #37
And this website explains that NC audits are not required to be made public... Think. Again. Nov 16 #42
A ha! David Boyle Nov 16 #44
They post them to their website Abnredleg Nov 16 #45
Hope so David Boyle Nov 16 #49
Let's hope they do... Think. Again. Nov 16 #50
As pointed out, the 350,000 numer from NC is wrong Abnredleg Nov 16 #54
I have only seen reference to a +/-600,000 number spread among all the swing states. Think. Again. Nov 16 #56
There is another version of this letter on DU Abnredleg Nov 16 #58
There have actually been 2 letters sent to Harris... Think. Again. Nov 16 #59
"Double trouble" David Boyle Nov 16 #60
No. sorry but this is nonsense...... Takket Nov 16 #48
There is Duncan Buell etc. David Boyle Nov 16 #52
I find it hard to imagine why a true Democrat would be AGAINST... Think. Again. Nov 16 #53
Not sure how it'd hurt David Boyle Nov 16 #55
So Harris is not a true Dem? Abnredleg Nov 17 #79
You are erroneously speaking for them... Think. Again. Nov 17 #80
Maybe they should... David Boyle Nov 17 #82
I agree.... Think. Again. Nov 17 #84
"Silence of the Dems" David Boyle Nov 17 #86
I also emailed the Spoonamore letter to ten Democrats I know. Already generating some outrage! Took five minutes. If Doodley Nov 16 #61
Fabulous! David Boyle Nov 16 #62
Ty, for the links. Sent letfers to both Vice President Harris & President Biden. electric_blue68 Nov 16 #63
Thank you! David Boyle Nov 16 #64
YW. But I think you asked me about a quote -Ulysses, which I did share. No problem, just ask the right poster👍 electric_blue68 Nov 16 #65
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield" David Boyle Nov 16 #66
True that. And, yes, i do know the quote - but didn't know it was Ulysses electric_blue68 Nov 17 #67
Not to be confused with James Joyce's "Ulysses" David Boyle Nov 17 #68
Well, I wouldn't know enough about either... electric_blue68 Nov 17 #69
Good-hearted Catholic Jew in Dublin whose wife Molly cuckolds him constantly David Boyle Nov 17 #70
States charge significant amounts of money to conduct recounts MichMan Nov 17 #78
Hmmm, so people have to donate hugely David Boyle Nov 17 #81
Welcome to DU. DiamondShark Nov 17 #91
Thanks! God bless. David Boyle Nov 17 #93
As for the undercard in my post, Trump's Stormy Daniels sentencing, see David Boyle Nov 17 #95
Fun Daily Kos article, "I want to know why a diary about possible bullet ballot fraud was taken down" David Boyle Nov 18 #96
Our friends at Threads are also following this, I see David Boyle Nov 18 #97
Yet another opinion I see is by Robert Lindsay, David Boyle Nov 18 #98
And one more I see on my screen: "2024: Rigged Election or National Psychosis?" David Boyle Nov 18 #99
To add some brief levity, here's Candy Warpop's "Trump Is a Nazi" music video David Boyle Nov 18 #100
Listen to the 3rd hour of today's Thom Hartmann's interview of Spoonamore Native Nov 18 #101
Thanks! David Boyle Nov 18 #102

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
3. And here is a copied version of the Spoonamore letter referred to above..
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:14 PM
Nov 16

Duty to Warn Letter - to VP Harris - Re: Election 2024
(Revised 430PM)

Stephen Spoonamore
Nov 15, 2024
November 15, 2024

Honorable VP Kamala Harris

The White House

Office of the Vice President

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington DC 20500

Dear Madam Vice President.

This is my second Duty to Warn Letter regarding hacking of the 2024 Presidential Election. The first letter on November 7 was directed to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Officials. Both warnings are made per DNI Clapper’s 2015 directive to all agencies and contractors associated with intelligence and financial agency technologies to warn of suspicions of hacking.

Professionally I have worked as the CEO or CTO at seven high technology firms including two which specialized in hacking and counter-hacking operations. My clients have included numerous governments DoD, DHS, Dept. of State, F100 Financials and F500 Industrials.

I am a lifelong Republican who has long placed service and participatory democracy over party. In government, I have twice been invited to SoCom to give lectures on electronic warfare and techniques to find terrorist money laundering and gave a keynote speech of the National Counterintel Summit on this same topic. I served as an after-action reviewer of communications and data failures on 9/11 under the direction of Jim Woolsey and FDNY Commissioner Scopetta, and later co-wrote multiple hacking risk analysis of Smart Grid technologies for the Obama administration.

You should reverse your concession, call for both a full investigation of criminal activity and demand hand recounts in all seven swing states.

In my professional view there are multiple and extremely clear indications the Presidential vote was willfully compromised.

I wholly agree with the public letter of Duncan Buell, et. al. of Nov. 13th stating they believe there is a possibility of hacking and calling for hand-recounts.

https://freespeechforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/letter-to-vp-harris-111324.pdf

This letter’s clear call to action is commendable, but its cautious tone may belie the severity of what I believe has happened. In my view it is a near certainty the results have been changed at a scale which reversed the US Presidential Election. They imply there is a chance a hand-recount will show you won more votes. I am stating a hand recount will most likely show you did win. Both letters call on you to act.

In my view, a capable and skilled series of exploits, electronic tools and hacks were used to change the Presidential vote in all seven swing states. These activities have reversed the outcomes in at least Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. I will lay out the basics of the attack, starting with unusual elements within the results. I will then outline two processes which could have been followed to insert these false results into the system. Finally I will outline how I would recommend investigating.

Unusual elements within the results.

The results of the attack are improbable in the extreme and well tailored to the sole benefit of your opponent.

Approximately 600,000 votes are for Donald Trump but with no down ballot choices. These are either inserted “bullet ballots” for the Presidential race or manipulated data fields. They are surgically added to totals in limited jurisdictions and within only the seven swing States. This historically unprecedented set of numbers found in the 2024 swing states is absent in every other state. In AZ, MI, NC and WI the effect of these drop-off votes reverses the voters' will and even more improbably always pushes the winning margin beyond the mandatory recount numbers. It is a result too perfect for belief. It is a bespoke and programmed outcome. In other states including PA and NV, removing these strange and bespoke added votes, it appears Donald Trump may have won the cast votes but within a margin which would force recounts. The inserted votes raise his totals, to avoid any scrutiny during mandatory recount results which would have slowed his claim on the Presidency. In GA and FL the same pattern exists with unclear impact on the results.

This attack is not technically difficult. It is modest in scale. It would require:

Modest and common computer programming skills.

Access to 10-100 tabulators or to the handful of facilities programming them in advance.

A credible database of voter IDs of non-voters around which to create false ballots.

Perhaps as few as 1, but more likely 3-5 human program managers.

Access to eBollBook Data during the election to determine who had not voted.

(Possibly) Human access to some tabulators during counting.

If I was asked to lead this hack, I would expect to have a core team of 6-10 people, and operating costs under $10M with a timeline of 3-12 months.

The tell: A historically absurd number of Trump-only bullet ballots or undervote ballots.

There are always a handful of voters who cast a vote in one race which they care about, and do not make other selections on the ballot. These are called bullet ballots. In Presidential Races since 1980, these bullet ballots rarely account for more than 1% of the total votes including in Mr. Trump’s winning 2016 election and losing 2020 election, and when they do it warrants further investigation. In 2024 in the 43 non-swing states, bullet ballots make up a nominal >1%. In the seven swing states the numbers are so high to be unbelievable, unprecedented and demanding of further investigation. Here is analysis from totals as of late Nov. 12th

Here are the unprecedented results of drop-offs in the two western swing states:

AZ - 123K+ 7.2%+ of Trump’s total vote. Enough to reverse the outcome.

NV - 43K+ 5.5%+ of Trump’s total vote. Enough to exceed recount threshold.

It is my belief these two states have illegally added votes.

For comparison, examine Trump’s 2024 results in three states which border AZ and NV. They have equally passionate Trump supporters, but have the normal levels of drop off or bullet ballots.

Secondary source: https://democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1002&pid=19728684

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
5. And here is the text of the CyberSecurity Experts letter to Harris...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:16 PM
Nov 16
I removed the citations and footnotes for clarity, but all verification of claims can be found in the original document here : https://freespeechforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/letter-to-vp-harris-111324.pdf


The Honorable Kamala Harris
The White House
Office of the Vice President
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Vice President Harris,

We write to alert you to serious election security breaches that have
threatened the security and integrity of the 2024 elections, and to identify ways to
ensure that the will of the voters is reflected and that voters should have confidence
in the result. The most effective manner of doing so is through targeted recounts
requested by the candidate. In the light of the breaches we ask that you formally
request hand recounts in at least the states of Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, and
Pennsylvania. We have no evidence that the outcomes of the elections in those
states were actually compromised as a result of the security breaches, and we are
not suggesting that they were. But binding risk-limiting audits (RLAs) or hand
recounts should be routine for all elections, especially when the stakes are high and
the results are close. We believe that, under the current circumstances when
massive software breaches are known and documented, recounts are necessary and
appropriate to remove all potential doubt and to set an example for security best
practices in all elections.

In 2022, records, video camera footage, and deposition testimony produced
in a civil case in Georgia disclosed that its voting system, used statewide, had
been breached over multiple days by operatives hired by attorneys for Donald
Trump. The evidence showed that the operatives made copies of the software
that runs all of the equipment in Georgia, and certain other states, and shared it
with other Trump allies and operatives.

Subsequent court filings and public records requests revealed that the
breaches in Georgia were part of a larger effort to take copies of voting system
software from systems in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Arizona, and
to share the software in the operatives’ network. According to testimony and
declarations by some of the technicians who have obtained copies of the
software, they have had access for more than three years to the software for the
central servers, tabulators, and highly restricted election databases of both Election Systems & Software (ES&S), and Dominion Voting Systems, the two largest
voting system vendors, constituting the most severe election security breach
publicly known.

Combined, their equipment counts nearly 70% of all votes nationwide.
Ninety-six percent of Arizona voters use Dominion and ES&S equipment; 100% of
Georgia voters vote on Dominion machines; 98% of Nevada votes on Dominion
voting machines and the remainder uses ES&S; 69% of Michigan voters’ ballots
are counted on Dominion or ES&S equipment; 89% of Pennsylvania voters ballots are counted on Dominion or ES&S equipment; ES&S counts 92% of North
Carolina ballots; and either ES&S or Dominion counts 97% of Wisconsin votes.

Possessing copies of the voting system software enables bad actors to install
it on electronic devices and to create their own working replicas of the voting
systems, probe them, and develop exploits. Skilled adversaries can decompile the
software to get a version of the source code, study it for vulnerabilities, and could
even develop malware designed to be installed with minimal physical access to the voting equipment by unskilled accomplices to manipulate the vote counts. Attacks could also be launched by compromising the vendors responsible for programming systems before elections, enabling large scale distribution of malware.

In December 2022 and again in 2023, many of us, concerned by the
security risks posed by these breaches, wrote to the Attorney General, FBI
Director, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director outlining the security concerns and urging an investigation. Though there have
been limited, localized investigations,14 there is no evidence of a federal
investigation to determine what was done with the misappropriated voting
software.

Other relevant parties have pointed to the serious risks posed by the
misappropriation of the voting software. Before it was known that partisan
operatives had taken the software, Dominion Voting Systems objected vehemently to providing its software to the same partisan actors who ultimately got copies through voting system breaches, stating that to give its software to biased actors would cause “irreparable damage” to the “election security interests of the
country.”

Before the breaches in Georgia had been confirmed, the Georgia Secretary
of State’s chief information officer testified that having copies of the software
would provide a “road map” to the ways the system could be accessed. The
Georgia Attorney General opposed providing copies of the software to lawyers for the Trump campaign in a late 2020 election challenge, arguing that images of the voting system software would provide “the keys to the software kingdom.”

Notably, U.S. elections are potentially resilient because there are paper
ballots recording the voters’ intent in most states, meaning that even if the voting
system is at risk, the will of the voters can be determined reliably by recounting the
paper ballots by hand (although we are aware that not all paper ballots are verified
by the voter, and not all states take adequate care to protect the ballot chain of
custody.)

Audits will be conducted in some of the most scrutinized states, but in key
states they will not be conducted in a timely way that could reveal any concerns
with the vote count. In addition, in most states the audits are insufficiently rigorous
to ensure any potential errors in tabulation will be caught and corrected, and they
cannot be considered a safeguard against the security breaches that have occurred.
Specifically, Georgia’s audits are non-binding, and Michigan, Nevada and
Wisconsin laws do not provide that the audit be conducted before certification.
Therefore, it would be impossible to know for these critical states if the audits
uncovered errors or miscalculations before the state deadlines to seek recounts.

Among swing states, only Arizona’s audit laws ensure that, if enough
discrepancies are identified, the audit hand count will be expanded to correct a
potentially incorrect result. In other words, aside from Arizona, in contested states,
there is no legal mechanism for the audit to correct the outcome, no matter how
much error the audit uncovers. Given these facts, the only guarantee for rigorous,
effective audits of the vote in the swing states will be through candidate-requested
statewide hand recounts.
(emphasis mine)

The facts around the voting system breaches are not disputed; it is well-
documented that there were severe, multiple voting security breaches before the 2024 election. To ensure that voters can have confidence that the breaches in
security did not taint the results of the 2024 election, we recommend pursuing hand
recounts in, at minimum, Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as they
will provide insufficient safeguards against threats posed by the breaches of the
election software and will not provide important information in a timely way.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Duncan Buell Ph.D.
Chair Emeritus — NCR Chair in Computer Science and Engineering
Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering
University of South Carolina*
David Jefferson Ph.D.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory* (retired)
Election Integrity Foundation*
Susan Greenhalgh
Senior Advisor for Election Security
Free Speech For People
Chris Klaus
Founder
Internet Security System*
William John Malik
Malik Consulting, LLC*
Peter G. Neumann Ph.D.
Chief Scientist,
SRI International Computer Science Lab*
John E. Savage
An Wang Professor Emeritus of Computer Science
Brown University*
*Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only and do not imply
institutional endorsement.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
7. I believe this stuff is extremely important...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:19 PM
Nov 16

...the last thing I want to see is for us to just throw up our hands and walk away like we did in 2000.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
8. Yeah, more could've been done maybe
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:25 PM
Nov 16

That Florida election board that caved when the "Brooks Brothers riot" mob showed up, that was horrible.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
9. And recounts done after the election was closed showed that Gore actually did win legitimately.
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:32 PM
Nov 16

David Boyle

(580 posts)
10. Thanks to the Supreme Court etc.
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:37 PM
Nov 16

Kennedy is a strange guy (not in the best way): maybe the primary author of Bush v. Gore, but supported same-sex marriage... but then again, tried to destroy Obamacare, at least at first. And has anybody heard from him since he left the Court for Kavanaugh? I've heard nothing. Again, an unusual man.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
12. In any case, we should have learned the lesson that any election results must be vigorously verified.
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:39 PM
Nov 16

onenote

(44,797 posts)
13. How does Spoonamore explain the actual numbers?
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:39 PM
Nov 16

For example, he claims 350,000 "bullet ballots" were cast in North Carolina. First, he offers no explanation of where he gets this information from -- there is nothing on the North Carolina election website that would let one calculate the number of "bullet ballots."

Second, and more importantly, if 350,000 of the votes cast for Trump in North Carolina only showed a vote in the presidential race, how is that the number of votes cast in the governor's race is only 88,511 less than the number of votes cast in the presidential race.

Finally, why would the repubs manufacture 350,000 Trump only votes and not try to win any of the other down ballot races? And if there were 600,000 of these alleged "bullet ballots" in the seven swing states, why were more cast in North Carolina? And cast any bullet ballots cast in those states -- did they not want to flip Senate seats in Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Arizona?

Spoonamore needs to answer those questions before I jump on this bandwagon.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
15. Yes, apparently Spoonamore has started doing some media...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:43 PM
Nov 16

...to expand on his concerns since his letter was sent to Harris this morning.

I am trying to collect links to his further, in depth statements.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
21. "Thrift Shop", heh
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:52 PM
Nov 16

Just looked up the lyrics. -- Too bad he said a bad thing recently, see https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/macklemore-america-comment-statement-1235112628/ . We're on the patriotic side, actually, so when he slipped up, that was unfortunate...

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
33. Here it is, Buell (from the tirst letter) not Spoonamore...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:08 PM
Nov 16
Computer Security Experts Ask Harris to Seek Hand-Counts Due to Voting System Breaches: 'BradCast' 11/14/2024

https://bradblog.com/?p=15232

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
24. Another DUer mentioned he did an interview today ...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:56 PM
Nov 16

...on something called brad cast but I can't find anythng...

Still trying...

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
30. Here it is, Buell, not Spoonamore (my apologies)...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:06 PM
Nov 16
Computer Security Experts Ask Harris to Seek Hand-Counts Due to Voting System Breaches: 'BradCast' 11/14/2024

https://bradblog.com/?p=15232

onenote

(44,797 posts)
76. Other than noting that the bullet ballot issue has been raised, there is nothing substantiating it
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 12:34 PM
Nov 17

in the bradblog post.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
77. Correct, audits and recounts must be done to compare the first-count numbers...
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 12:38 PM
Nov 17

....to the second set of numbers achieved during the recount.

That is why the letter urges recounts.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
85. Exactly my thought, especially with public trust in the election system at such extreme risk right now.
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 07:55 PM
Nov 17

David Boyle

(580 posts)
87. Maybe people'll are retreating into a virtual world instead of politics
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 08:25 PM
Nov 17

iPhone, TikTok, Xbox...

And MAGA! The baseball caps, like the whole thing is some big pro-wrestling-type game or something...

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
92. I ws trying to be clever...
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 09:29 PM
Nov 17

...and suggest that folks think, and then keep thinking.

I think.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
16. Good questions
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:43 PM
Nov 16

I don't know where he gets his info, but there're other complainers, e.g., Duncan Buell and gang, see this letter, https://freespeechforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/letter-to-vp-harris-111324.pdf .

As for the other figures, I'm not sure, but, e.g.,

1. Maybe Musk or any other alleged criminals cared most about the Trump race,

2. Maybe they wanted to let everything else look legit, e.g., "Repubs'll take the Senate but some Dems'll win to make it look fair."

But thanks for critically thinking about all this.

onenote

(44,797 posts)
19. I don't think 350,000 votes for trump only and not for any other repub doesn't look more legit than a ballot
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:48 PM
Nov 16

for Trump and, for example, the republican candidate for Senate.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
23. Your grammar is confusing me a little, but I see what you mean
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:55 PM
Nov 16

, I think. I guess people could vote for just one candidate; or just two, or just three... [etc.]

onenote

(44,797 posts)
26. 350,000 in NC alone. Leaving 250,000 spread among 6 other states.
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 04:58 PM
Nov 16

Which defies common sense.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
28. Okay, the figures sound a little odd
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:02 PM
Nov 16

And if it is 250,000 spread among 6 other states, that might not be enough to swing the election...

But maybe hackers go crazy sometimes, or their code goes crazy, and things get out of control...

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
36. Correct, but NC does hand count audits in each county
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:49 PM
Nov 16

NC has finished canvassing and their process includes each county hand counting sample ballots to ensure the tabulators are working properly - this hand count is open to the public.

https://www.ncsbe.gov/about-elections/election-security/post-election-procedures-and-audits

David Boyle

(580 posts)
38. Thanks; interesting
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:52 PM
Nov 16

And, enjoyed the Pournelle quote... but does that make you a secret right-winger?

David Boyle

(580 posts)
47. I like it too
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:06 PM
Nov 16

That spirit's part of why I made the original post: to be like one of the "300 Spartans" defending democracy...

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
39. Excellent! Let's hope our attorneys and watchers are keeping a close eye on this....
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:53 PM
Nov 16

...and will be ready to call for a complete recount (which is allowed by Federal law) at the first sign of any inaccuracies!

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
40. Canvassing is complete
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:54 PM
Nov 16

Except for a few small counties. The State will certify the vote sometime next week.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
43. Unless there has been any discrepencies that would allow for a recount to be requested.
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:04 PM
Nov 16

IF, those discrepencies were witnessed live as the audit was done, because NC does NOT require the audit results to be made public.

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
51. How do you silence the party witnesses?
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:10 PM
Nov 16

You can’t. And given the State Election Board is bi-partisan, I guarantee you any discrepancies will be made public immediately given the tight timeline for certification. Every step of the voting and canvassing process is done joint by both parties, which makes it impossible to cover things up.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
71. Good points, though Buell et al. note that
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 06:40 AM
Nov 17

"In addition, in most states the audits are insufficiently rigorous to ensure any potential errors in tabulation will be caught and corrected, and they cannot be considered a safeguard against the security breaches that have occurred." They don't mention North Carolina specifically for that, but, you never know.

Also, they mention "ES&S counts 92% of North Carolina ballots", with ES&S mentioned with Dominion as a security-compromised company.

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
72. Voting equipment is not networked
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 07:57 AM
Nov 17

Except in a very small number of jurisdictions. That means to compromise machines you have to physically touch every machine. Given the strict physical security for the equipment, it takes a lot of people to carry to carry out large scale fraud due to the number of machines and jurisdictions. Like a lot of potential computer security threats, it all sounds very dangerous until you look at all the safeguards in place to protect and verify machines. Compromising a computer when given physical access is possible - compromising thousands of machines in hundreds of jurisprudence is highly improbable. That the key failing with a lot of “security problems” - they can’t scale because the decentralized nature of elections requires a huge conspiracy with large number of people with access to highly protected equipment, all who have to execute flawlessly without getting caught.

All of these threats are technically possible but because they are known they can countered, which they do with layers of physical and cyber security. It’s not like the movies.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
32. Hmmm
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:08 PM
Nov 16

So is Spoonamore crazy? Other people have made allegations about vote fraud, but maybe they have separate grounds than his?

David Boyle

(580 posts)
35. Oh, maybe reply 31
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:15 PM
Nov 16

answers my questions in 32 (which I was typing while 31 was posted, apparently).

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
37. But reply #36
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 05:51 PM
Nov 16

Points out that NC does a hand count audit in every county during canvassing.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
42. And this website explains that NC audits are not required to be made public...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:02 PM
Nov 16
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-182.12A requires the State Board to produce a report that summarizes the audit, “including the rationale for and the findings of the audit,” to two legislative committees within 10 business days after the audit is completed. The statute does not, however, require the State Board to publish the results, though audit reports are available on the State Board’s website.

Source: https://verifiedvoting.org/auditlaw/North-Carolina/

But hopefully, with all this public attention we are trying to create, we will have attorneys and witnesses watching the audit as it happens.

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
45. They post them to their website
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:06 PM
Nov 16

Because we have a Dem SOS who believes in transparency. More to the point, if discrepancies are found the party observers are under no compunction to remain quiet. In fact, they would scream bloody murder.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
50. Let's hope they do...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:08 PM
Nov 16

...because they will hopefully be questioned hard, considering the revelations this OP is about.

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
58. There is another version of this letter on DU
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:22 PM
Nov 16

North Carolina stands out as the “most extreme case” for suspect votes. More than 350,000 voters cast votes for Trump and no other race on their ballots, making up 11% of Trump bullet ballots. In all these cases, Spoonamore emphasizes, these suspect votes would have been electronically created with no paper record. Hence, the dire need for hand recounts in the seven swing states.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19728505

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
59. There have actually been 2 letters sent to Harris...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:34 PM
Nov 16

One from a group of cybersecurity experts, and one from Stephan Spoonamore:

Rigged? Computer Security Experts In Dual "Duty To Warn Letters" Urge Harris To Demand Hand Recount

https://archive.is/YXLVg


Takket

(22,655 posts)
48. No. sorry but this is nonsense......
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:07 PM
Nov 16

These are just conjectures and theories. There are no indications of any tampering. Our election was safe and secure. Democrats and the GOP both monitored the election. Absolutely 0 Democrats monitoring the election have raised and evidence of illegal ballots or tampering. Our poll watchers are not that stupid to have missed hundreds of thousands of ballots. And no the "here is all you need to do to tamper" theory in post 3 is not an indication of tampering.

We don't need DU bolstering the same conspiracy theory nonsense that drumpf used in 2020 to justify a coup.

Do better.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
52. There is Duncan Buell etc.
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:11 PM
Nov 16
https://freespeechforpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/letter-to-vp-harris-111324.pdf

Too, I'm not trying to storm the Capitol on January 6 (heh), just wondering if peaceful recounts in 4-7 swing states could be of help.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
53. I find it hard to imagine why a true Democrat would be AGAINST...
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:11 PM
Nov 16

...the rigorous verification of ANY first-count election results.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
55. Not sure how it'd hurt
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 06:12 PM
Nov 16

As I recently noted, I might settle for its being done in only 4 states...

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
79. So Harris is not a true Dem?
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 01:01 PM
Nov 17

Or the governors, SOS’s and AGs of MI, AZ, NC, PA, WI and NV? They seem to think the existing verification protocols in place are sufficiently vigorous.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
80. You are erroneously speaking for them...
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 01:15 PM
Nov 17

None of those people have made any public statements on this issue.

Think. Again.

(18,998 posts)
84. I agree....
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 07:54 PM
Nov 17

I assume they are still trying to figure out what the situation actually is, and on top of that, a lot of the initial audits that various states are doing are not completed yet so no action can begin yet, I know that North Carolina has already announced their audits will not be complete by the deadline.

Hopefully, when they do know exactly what is happening and what is the best way to proceed, they will also let the public know, but until then, so far, silence.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
86. "Silence of the Dems"
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 08:22 PM
Nov 17

Thank you , Hannibal Lecter!

And Jonathan DEMme!

Well, hopefully they'll speak out sometime...

Doodley

(10,452 posts)
61. I also emailed the Spoonamore letter to ten Democrats I know. Already generating some outrage! Took five minutes. If
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 07:44 PM
Nov 16

we all do it, we could help this thing go viral.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
64. Thank you!
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 10:50 PM
Nov 16

Is that a quote from Tennyson's "Ulysses"? I used to have the whole poem memorized! (Don't ask why..)

electric_blue68

(18,657 posts)
65. YW. But I think you asked me about a quote -Ulysses, which I did share. No problem, just ask the right poster👍
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 10:57 PM
Nov 16

David Boyle

(580 posts)
66. "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield"
Sat Nov 16, 2024, 11:09 PM
Nov 16

I think that's the famous last line of the poem. --And apropos to what we're trying to do!

David Boyle

(580 posts)
68. Not to be confused with James Joyce's "Ulysses"
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 01:12 AM
Nov 17

Now that I think about that, I wonder if Joyce was mocking Tennyson's poem, which is macho and straightforward, unlike the wacky convolutions of Leopold Bloom's rather flabby life in Joyce's novel... Okay, maybe I'm overthinking this.

electric_blue68

(18,657 posts)
69. Well, I wouldn't know enough about either...
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 01:17 AM
Nov 17

although the name of Leopold Bloom sounds familiar.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
70. Good-hearted Catholic Jew in Dublin whose wife Molly cuckolds him constantly
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 01:29 AM
Nov 17

Not quite the brave Ulysses of Tennyson.

That's the basics. Victorianism vs. Modernism, or something.

MichMan

(13,537 posts)
78. States charge significant amounts of money to conduct recounts
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 01:00 PM
Nov 17

They don't do them just because a losing candidate asks them to.

For anyone interested in contributing, here is the info on the Harris Recount Fund. After the first $41,300 of each individual donation is directed towards the DNC, the recount fund gets to keep the next $3,300.

A portion of donations made to the Harris Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee authorized by the Harris campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties, will be directed towards a recount effort, according to its fundraising page.

The fundraising page says that the “first $41,300/$15,000 from a person/multicandidate committee (“PAC”) will be allocated to the DNC. The next $3,300/$5,000 from a person/PAC will be allocated to Harris for President's Recount Account."


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/11/kamala-harris-fundraiser-donations-election-recount/76195287007/

David Boyle

(580 posts)
81. Hmmm, so people have to donate hugely
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 07:46 PM
Nov 17

to get some of the money to go to recount? I wonder...

David Boyle

(580 posts)
95. As for the undercard in my post, Trump's Stormy Daniels sentencing, see
Sun Nov 17, 2024, 10:52 PM
Nov 17
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-new-york-sentencing-must-proceed/ar-AA1ueza6?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=7ce8ae68c48149a4ade4e24dfeaf07a4&ei=15 , "Trump’s New York Sentencing Must Proceed",

"But Merchan has sentencing options short of locking up the president-elect. He could impose a fine and/or sentence Trump to probation, suspending the service of any probationary period until Trump leaves office. He could even impose a jail sentence but similarly suspend that until Trump is no longer president.

At this point, the details of the sentence are less important than the sentencing taking place. Justice requires that the criminal process be completed. The defendant has been found guilty by a jury. The next step, in the ordinary course, is for the judge to impose a sentence. That will formalize Donald Trump’s record as a convicted felon. Even if Trump ends up with no substantial sentence, that’s an important legal and historical statement.

...

Although the idea was unthinkable to many of us, a criminal can be president of the United States. The people have spoken, as Trump’s attorneys and supporters would say. But just as Trump’s criminal cases did not prevent his reelection, the election should not prevent the regular criminal process in New York from concluding. This sentencing must proceed."

Indeed.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
96. Fun Daily Kos article, "I want to know why a diary about possible bullet ballot fraud was taken down"
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 07:55 AM
Nov 18
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2024/11/16/2286710/-I-want-to-know-why-a-diary-about-possible-bullet-ballot-fraud-was-taken-down

"Look, let’s just do [a] few recounts and if we are wrong, figure out our next move." says the author. Makes sense.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
97. Our friends at Threads are also following this, I see
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:32 PM
Nov 18
https://www.threads.net/tag/DutyToWarn

E.g.,


Post by @mizzvelena
View on Threads


?xmt=AQGzPVLL-uMvuXOJY1g0WLX4vP2jc2Jcigz2bHUPTDGowg

Which has an acerbic reply to it, but there you go.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
98. Yet another opinion I see is by Robert Lindsay,
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 01:57 PM
Nov 18

"Questions Continue about the Integrity of the 2024 Elections", https://beyondhighbrow.substack.com/p/questions-continue-about-the-integrity?r=d569l&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true ,

"Conclusion: Analysis shows an 4.2 point anomaly between the national exit polls, both early voting and E-Day, and the final result. A three point discrepancy between exit polls and results is considered the international standard for nullifying an election."

One opinion, take it or leave it.

David Boyle

(580 posts)
99. And one more I see on my screen: "2024: Rigged Election or National Psychosis?"
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 02:07 PM
Nov 18

by Jonathan D. Simon, https://whowhatwhy.org/elections/2024-rigged-election-or-national-psychosis/ ,

"If Trump had found himself on the losing end last week — even without the red flags we’ve already identified — we would have seen Stop the Steal on Steroids. Instead, at best, we’ll have Stop the Steal on Quaaludes. Nobody is going to be storming the Capitol, and that’s a good thing.

But being forced to accept election results that just don’t add up, without any real transparency, with not so much as an official peek under the hood? That is not a good thing." ...

Vice President Harris, if you are by some chance listening, I hope you understand that committing to the peaceful transfer of power is not incompatible with using whatever legal means are provided to ensure that the election giving rise to that transfer was legitimate. [etc.]"

But we'll see what happens.

Native

(6,669 posts)
101. Listen to the 3rd hour of today's Thom Hartmann's interview of Spoonamore
Mon Nov 18, 2024, 02:29 PM
Nov 18

www.thomhartmann.com

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Mail Biden, Harris/campai...