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VIVA, VENANGO! Courageous Venango County Election Board and Determined Voters Fight for Forensic Exam of Paperless Voting Machines Three American heroes on Venango County's Election Board have been doing their job to protect our votes in Pennsylvania. After learning of serious problems reported by voters attempting to use the county's paperless touchscreen voting machines during the May 17 Primary, the Election Board directed that their entire ES&S iVotronic voting system be subjected to a forensic examination by a team of expert computer scientists, who have volunteered their services to the county for free. This forensic examination will be the first of its kind ever in any of the fifty Pennsylvania counties still using paperless Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines. ELECTION BOARD HEROES Venango County Election Board members (L to R) Martha Breene, Craig Adams, and Eleanora Miller   But even though the exam will be free, for some reason a faction of local politicians seems to be opposed anyone taking a hard look at the iVotronic machines. Venango County Commissioner Chairman Timothy Brooks, who has stated he is against the exam, has been the leader of actions by the Commissioners that are causing delays and conflicts. Complicating the situation is the fact that the County Commissioners, who are running as candidates for re-election, are not supposed to be involved in election business at all right now. Under Pennsylvania law, officials are removed from Election Boards and from election administration while they are candidates running for public office. In the meantime the County Solicitor, who is supposed to serve as legal counsel to both boards, has been conflicted between the Commissioners and the Election Board. The Venango County Election Board has also been facing negative articles in county's major local newspaper, The Derrick of Oil City. The paper has been critical of the Election Board's emails, and of the fact that the board advertised some of its well-attended public meetings through news articles rather than with paid advertisements as Legal Notices in The Derrick's classified section. Scroll down to learn the ongoing story of this courageous Election Board's fight for fair and accurate voting, and how local Venango County citizens are stepping up to support them. In addition to VotePA's coverage below, information is also available on local blog VenangoPolitics.com   CITIZENS RALLY IN SUPPORT OF VENANGO COUNTY ELECTION BOARD July 4, 2011 ­ Citizens from at least different three political parties united today in a rally for voters' rights in front of the beautiful Venango County Courthouse in Franklin, PA. The Independence Day event was in support of the Venango County Election Board, which has been facing stiff opposition to the examination from local politicians and media as they plan to conduct a forensic examination of the county's paperless iVotronic voting machines in the wake of problems reported during the May Primary. [MORE] VENANGO ELECTION BOARD FIGHTS POLITICIANS' OPPOSITION TO FORENSIC EXAM OF VOTING MACHINES June 30, 2011 ­ Venango County Election Board Chairman Craig Adams filed petition documents today in the Venango County Court of Common Pleas, requesting a substitute attorney due to conflicts with the County Solicitor representing both the Election Board and the County Commissioners. Ongoing efforts by the Venango County Election Board to proceed with the forensic examination of its paperless iVotronic touchscreen voting system are facing opposition from a faction of the County Commissioners, who under Pennsylvania law are currently removed from serving on the Election Board and involvement in election administration because they are running as candidates for re-election this year. Despite the Commissioners' current position as candidates for office, Commissioner Chairman Timothy Brooks allegedly led efforts to become involved in election matters, in an apparent attempt to delay or stop the forensic examination of the county's voting system ordered by the Election Board. [MORE] I don't want a forensic audit done! Timothy Brooks, Venango County Commissioners Chairman & candidate VENANGO ELECTION BOARD MEETING: Who's Watching the Hen House while iVotronic Voting Machines Await Forensic Exam in Wet Storage Room? June 6, 2011 ­ When it rains in Venango County, does it pour into the voting machine storage room? Perhaps so, given the public statements of Chief Clerk Denise Jones t this evening's meeting of the Venango County Election Board. Jones admitted that the county's ES&S iVotronic voting machines are located in a damp basement room where water collects on the floor. "When it rains, there is no french drain so it gets wet, so maintenance needs a key," Ms. Jones said. In response to concerns from citizens about storing computerized voting machines in the wet room she added, ""They are up on racks, they are on wheels, so water doesn't actually hit them. It never comes up that much. Water gets on the cement back there. It's not like it's two inches or anything. You can go back there and look at it; you can go in there and see what I am talking about."   [MORE] Venango County Election Board Authorizes Forensic Fxamination of Paperless iVotronic Voting System June 2, 2011 -- Reports of vote flipping, candidates missing from paperless touchscreens, high undervote rates, and other voting machine anomalies abounded in Pennsylvania's Venango County after the May 17 Pennsylvania Primary. In response to those reports, a special public hearing was held June 1, 2011 by the Venango County Election Board in Courtroom 3 of the historic county courthouse in Franklin, PA. Under oath, a several voters from both major parties gave clear and heartfelt testimony that their selections jumped several times to other names while they were attempting to vote for the Primary candidates of their choice. Additionally, these same voters (again under oath) reported that their on-screen ballot was definitely missing at least one candidate's name when the vote flipping occurred.   [MORE]     About VotePA: We are a statewide alliance dedicated to voting rights and election integrity. As a grassroots citizen group we count registered voters of five different political parties and non-partisan voters among our membership, united by belief in the right of every eligible citizen to vote for candidates of his or her choice and to have every vote counted accurately. We are a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, as such donations to support our work are not tax-deductible but are very much needed and much appreciated. DONATE