Are we still unsure whether Kevin Chung met Rush Holt at any time prior to creating the Avante Auto-trakker voting method? Well of course we are...
The following postings were taken from Holt Paper-Trail Election Bill Dead? -- UPDATE: Not Dead Yet By Kim Zetter July 18, 2007 | 11:01:02 PM
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/holt-paper-trai.html
visit that site for how the conversation online unfolds. Revisit Rebecca Mercuri's piece as well.
See specifically, Avante's response which contains a link to
http://www.avantetech.com/uploads/pdf/Clarification%20of%20AVANTE%20voting%20system%20position-FINAL.pdf
Read that in its entirety.
There is no doubt the former Holt Bill HR 811 continued to permit the use of DREs and with the voter verified paper audit trail would have been acceptable to use in an election.
Black Box Voting discussed the issue at quite some length.
As for Pennsylvania and Marybeth Kuznik's reply in the Wired posting, while it provides a good argument about PA laws requiring a secret ballot which the paper trails wouldn't have met, it's likely to qualify for the monies from HR 811, the state would have rushed to adopt some form of paper trails for the DREs.
See our previous posts in the sidebar, or conduct a search from the top left of the page.
It's important to put things in perspective. When election integrity people speak, we have to wonder, who are they? Why do some want paper ballots only counted by hand, when others find it acceptable to provide for the voter verified paper audit trail?
We're just following along, sharing our findings here in the interest of truth.
Note: Paul Lehto mentioned:
BLOGGED BY John Gideon ON 7/12/2006 12:54PM
BREAKING: Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia Sued By Competitor for Patent Infringment!
Avante International Technology Corporation Files Suit Against Use of Paper Trail Printer, Op Scan Technology by Voting Machine Giants...
Inventor of Electronic Voting Verification System Takes Industry Giants to Court for Patent Infringement Wednesday July 12, 11:19 am ET
SimmonsCooper Files Lawsuit on Behalf of AVANTE International Technology Corporation
"AVANTE isn't the only victim here," said Paul Lesko, the SimmonsCooper lawyer representing AVANTE. "Local governments, acting in good faith in determining which electronic voting system would serve the needs of their districts, also have every reason to be upset at these companies.
"We believe the evidence will show that these companies sold infringing equipment to public officials, and that they did so consciously, with knowledge of AVANTE's intellectual property," added Mr. Lesko.
SimmonsCooper is seeking damages and an injunction on behalf of AVANTE.
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3061
See our past posts.
The following contains posts excerpted from:
Holt Paper-Trail Election Bill Dead? -- UPDATE: Not Dead Yet
By Kim Zetter July 18, 2007 | 11:01:02 PM
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/holt-paper-trai.html
Rep. Holt is not being an honest broker in this debate. He has ties to (and an office next to) Avante International which will reap millions in profits if the Holt Bill passes.
http://markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com/2007/07/rush-holt-hr-811-and-avante.html
Paper trails don't fix the problem, and none of the DRE companies are going to turn over their source code. You can’t have honest elections with proprietary, for-profit DRE companies running the show.
This bill is a band aid that won't make the elections more honest.
Posted by: Dr. John R. Moffett | Jul 19, 2007 11:48:04 AM
The bill, if passed, would give PA paper trails instead of paperless DREs and it would be easy as pie to steal 3 to 5% or more of the vote and it would pass all the Holt audits or any other audit or recount, because paper will be equal to electronic. Only with Holt passed, even many activists would be fooled.
Some know of what I speak, some don't. Those who know of the studies that suggest or show that this can be done and support HR 811 or any other "audit" proposal ought to be deathy curious to fund studies to disprove somehow the existing studies that the paper trails don't work to properly capture voter INTENT. Moving forward to pass the bill in the face of about 3 uncontradicted studies is reckless like racing down a mountain road after seeing a sign that says "road damage ahead; caution."
Any hacker or rigger would have to be a COMPLETE IDIOT to do anything other than make paper MATCH electronic, especially when they know there will be audits. So auditing to see if paper matches electronic is like nailing down one corner of the picnic tablecloth on a very windy day.
Posted by: Paul Lehto | Jul 19, 2007 2:23:03 PM
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/holt-paper-trai.html
Paul Lehto said, "The bill, if passed, would give PA paper trails..."
WRONG, Paul. If HR 811 as it came out of Committee passed today the bill would give PA 100% Optical Scan, because there is NOTHING ELSE currently available that will both comply with the bill AND comply with our PA State Constitution.
Paper trails as they currently exist are ILLEGAL in Pennsylvania.
Posted by: Marybeth Kuznik, VotePA.us | Jul 19, 2007 5:00:09 PM
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/holt-paper-trai.html
For those care for the truth and facts, please read our reply to these unfounded smearing between Holt and AVANTE.
http://www.avantetech.com/uploads/pdf/Clarification%20of%20AVANTE%20voting%20system%20position-FINAL.pdf
For those that are too busy to read, here is the summary:
AVANTE’s positions and actions:
1. AVANTE has deep respect for the tireless efforts by the election integrity activists, academics and technology experts. Their efforts have contributed to the many and continuous improvements of the voting systems and processes.
2. AVANTE respects the desire to have open sources in election system or having the voting system as transparent as possible. Our company software is always available for scrutiny. We differ in the feasibility of having ALL of the source codes made available for at least in the near term of five to 10 years without dramatic lowering in the voting system accessibility requirements in HAVA.
3. AVANTE believes that the current problems in electronic voting systems are related to the design and engineering rather than the solution and concept. AVANTE have proven that all of the specific problems known and caused tremendous constellation have a solution.
4. AVANTE affirmed that it is suing all of the largest competitors for patent infringements. However, we also continue to offer licensing whenever they are ready.
5. AVANTE is located in Mercer County NJ. The company has never donated to any national parties or political leaders. All of the company’s founders and stockholders have not donated to any national elected officials with more than $100.
6. AVANTE does not belong to any trade lobbying organizations and has not joined the Election Technology Council or its predecessor ITAA. AVANTE continues to maintain its independence and voice of supports to the those promoting election integrity.
7. AVANTE believes that current optical scan voting systems and processes are much less than equal to the integrity required by the current EAC 2005 voting system standards dictating the DRE with VVPR. They lack the ability to prevent tampering once the ballots have been submitted.
8. AVANTE continues its commitment and efforts in selling its paging and full-face DRE with properly engineered and designed VVPR.
9. AVANTE continues its commitment and efforts in selling its ballot marking device as well as precinct-based optical scan system that captures the digital image of each ballot and show the voters as exactly how the system is registering their ballots not just having over-voted or under-voted contests.
Posted by: Kevin Chung, CEO, AVANTE | Jul 21, 2007 6:28:33 PM
Avante quoted me -- a little out of context. Here's what I wrote in response:
http://gnosis.python-hosting.com/voting-project/July.2007/0027.html
Posted by: Alan Dechert | Jul 25, 2007 7:31:11 AM
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/holt-paper-trai.html
More and related
DRE systems offered by AVANTE feature redundant ballot result storage devices whose data can be verified against voting machine printed "cut-and-drop" paper records previously verified by the voter. The records are then dropped into and secured inside a uniquely designed voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) printer ballot box
http://www.avantetech.com/products/elections/dre/
Clarification of AVANTE’s position on Election and Voting System Integrity
(Rev. A June 18, 2007)
AVANTE International Technology, Inc., Princeton Junction, New Jersey 08550
www.vote-trakker.com
In recent weeks, AVANTE found itself being cited as an unwilling participant of a national debate on voting system
http://www.wheresthepaper.org/AVANTEclarifiesPosition070618.pdf
On the issue of AVANTE being located in Mercer County, New Jersey, the home State of Congressman Holt
AVANTE, as a company has not contributed any money to any politician including Congressman Holt. None of the owners have donated more than $100 to any national figure or party.
The fact that the company and Congressman Holt happen to reside in Mercer County NJ is coincidental. The coincidence also applies to Mercer County based Princeton University and many of their professors involved in election integrity. For the record, the company and its founders have been residing in Mercer County for at least 27 years and more than 37 years in the State of New Jersey.
As a company, we have not received any favorable treatment from our home State of NJ or from any national elected officials. This fact is self-evident.
For the record, AVANTE intentionally keeps an arm-length relationship with those involved in election integrity as to avoid potential allegations such as those we are seeing today. We will continue to provide help to those that make requests. That includes things like loaning a DRE with VVPR and facilities free-of-charge for a Newsweek article on Ms Rebecca Mercuri when she was a pro DRE with VVPR expert few years ago...
http://www.avantetech.com/uploads/pdf/Clarification%20of%20AVANTE%20voting%20system%20position-FINAL.pdf
