Cobb Tells Congress About Rigged Voting Machines
COBB/LaMARCHE 2004
http://www.votecobb.org
December 14, 2004
Contact: Blair Bobier, Media Director at 414.364.1596
Machines Without Paper Trails are a Threat to Democracy
COLUMBUS, OH -- Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb told members of the House
Judiciary Committee yesterday about an Ohio Board of Elections employee who witnessed
deliberate tampering with county voting machines.
The revelation came as part of Cobb's testimony in a forum convened by Representative John
Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. The committee members are
examining reports of voter suppression and intimidation and other irregularities that
occurred in the Ohio 2004 presidential election.
Cobb's report of rigged voting machines drew an instantaneous response from Conyers who
directed his staff to immediately investigate the situation. "This allegation is just the tip of
the iceberg," said Cobb.
"The bigger problem is the use of electronic voting machines that don't produce auditable
paper trails. Electronic voting machines and tabulators without verifiable paper trails are
one of the greatest threats to our democracy," Cobb added.
Cobb's comments come as 21 more Ohio counties begin the recount process today, including
Franklin, Mahoning, Pickaway and Ross counties which use only electronic voting machines.
Problems reported with electronic voting machines in this election have included one Ohio county
adding almost 4,000 extra votes to George W. Bush's tally, machines that wouldn't let voters
record presidential votes for anyone but Bush, and "backwards counting" machines that subtracted
votes from Kerry's vote totals.
"In the old days, crooked politicians stuffed ballot boxes. Today, computer technicians can
fix the vote behind-the-scenes. There's compelling evidence that the 2004 presidential
vote was manipulated. Until there's public scrutiny and access to all phases of the voting
process, there will be lingering suspicions of fraud," said Blair Bobier, Media Director for the
Cobb-LaMarche campaign.
The Green Party's presidential campaign has demanded recounts in both Ohio and New Mexico.
The New Mexico state canvassing board, which oversees that state's elections, is meeting today
to take up the issue of the New Mexico recount. By New Mexico law, the recount should have
started there no later than today.
The Cobb-LaMarche website http://www.votecobb.org
has more information about the campaign and recount efforts.
Green Party
http://www.gp.org
