2004 Ballot Recount: Observer Report
- December 14, 2004:
Report by Green Party Observer - December 13, 2004: David Cobb testifies before Congressional Forum in Ohio, revealing evidence of intentional tampering with voting machines in Hocking County
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"I asked her to fill out an incident report. At some time during the next hour Sue Wallace pulls a large manila envelope out of a desk drawer and says they are absentee ballots. I continued working on the provisional ballots and Sue set the absentee ballots aside." "I ran across a ballot that they rejected because the voter had printed their first name instead of writing it in cursive. The last name was in cursive and matched what their computer record said." "I heard Rod Hedges call the board together on the other side of the room and I heard him say something about the "SOS" [presumably the Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell] and "we didn't have to." — Green Party Observer |
December 14, 2004:
Report by Green Party Observer
The Board of Elections considers the recount over, and will not recognize our objections to a lack of random selection of precincts. I have only been able to talk to one board member, Jerry Robinette regarding my protest of the selection for the hand count. He indicated it didn't matter. He said he was calling the Secretary of State's office and asking if they can declare the recount over at 3:30 today. I indicated there was no way we could be completed by then, he said well, they are!
Recount started at 12:00 Noon. Present:
- Carol J. Reynolds, Chairman Hocking County Green Party
- Observer M., Hocking County Green Party Observer
- Observer A., Green Party Observer
- Regina Prater, Chairman Hocking County Democrat Party
- Bruce Johnson, Hocking County Democrat Party Observer
Board Members:
- Jerry Robinette, Democrat
- Susie Hughes, Democrat
- Rod Hedges, Republican
- Rodney Carr, Republican
- Charles Moorehead, Republican Observer (not sure of first name)
BOE workers:
- Shirley Rutter, Republican
- Sue Wallace, Democrat
- Sherole Eaton, Democrat
- Lisa _____ (unknown last name), Republican Deputy Director
- Secretary of State (SOS) Representative (cannot find her name in my notes)
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"They decided to only consider the precincts that the vote totals for Bush and Kerry were similar in... I objected by stating that selecting a precinct without a large difference in totals may not be fair and that it wasn't a random choice by eliminating them from consideration." — Green Party Observer |
Board of Elections met and Rod Hedges stated he felt they should pick a precinct that was not heavily Bush or not heavily Kerry. They decided to only consider the precincts that the vote totals for Bush and Kerry were similar in. They said Marion I or II was similar and they wanted to do that one. I objected by stating that selecting a precinct without a large difference in totals may not be fair and that it wasn't a random choice by eliminating them from consideration.
I also stated we needed to review poll books, absentee ballots and provisional ballots and that needed to be completed prior to the hand count. They stated they were ready to count and began to say the poll books, etc. were not part of the recount. I asked if I could have a volunteer enter the room to review poll books while they were counting. After some discussion, they agreed.
Lisa said they were going to perform the test on the tabulator while they were counting. I objected and ask they not continue until after the test was completed. I then went to the tabulation room to watch the test being performed. Lisa stated the test deck was made yesterday when I asked.
I watched the test deck go through the machine and recorded the location of the test file as C:\ELECTION\110204G\PRES on the computer with the markings of 325SX.
I also noted the program as CRG16600VERSIONONEr.
When the test was completed I went back to the room to observe the hand count. They had already started despite my request to wait until the test stack was run and appeared to be halfway through the ballots. I did not object as I had been out of the room and did not know what action our witness had taken in my absence. Our Observer M. was standing behind the board. Board members Jerry Robinette, Democrat board member and Rod Hedges, Republican Board member.
Rod was calling off the number and the board member, Rodney Carr was sitting to the right of Jerry recording the count by making slashes for each candidate. Susie Hughes was sitting beside Rod Hedges and was making slashes on a notepad like Rodney Carr was. Jerry did not keep the stacks separate. He was putting the Bush and Kerry votes together. They were going through the ballots very quickly. A TV camera was brought in the room from the side door and recorded part of the hand count. Someone asked a BOE worker if they wanted to be interviewed by WOUB. Sherole Eaton went out the door.
We then started looking at the provisional ballots and I made the[m] search their computer files for registrations and requested they obtain proof from other counties when they stated the voter was not registered in the other counties.
The board said they were going to tabulate the hand counted precinct and I voiced an objection that they not do that until after we go through the provisional ballots and the absentees. I continued working on the provisional ballots. While I was busy doing this, they proceeded to the tabulation room and a female voice called out from that room and asked for the totals on the hand count. Rod Hedges loudly and quickly shouted the numbers out.
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"...they proceeded to the tabulation room and a female voice called out from that room and asked for the totals on the hand count..." "I yelled, HOLD IT — and stated it was not necessary for them to know the hand count numbers prior to doing the tabulation." — Green Party Observer |
I yelled, HOLD IT — and stated it was not necessary for them to know the hand count numbers prior to doing the tabulation. Rod explained he was just giving the numbers to the Logan Daily News reporter that was in the room. Our Observer M. tried to get into the room but the door was blocked by Rod Hedges and other people. Someone near me, I am not sure who, stated it didn't matter whether the numbers were called out to the tabulation room or not because the one running the tabulator already had the numbers (because they were present when the hand count was completed).
The board came out the room shouting the recount was over that they only had to run the remainder of the ballots through the tabulator. I informed them it was not over as we still had poll books to look over and provisional ballots and absentees to count.
I then continued to work with Shirley Rutter, Republican BOE worker reviewing the provisional ballots. Ann Gingrich, Green Party witness was working on the poll books along with Sue Wallace, Democrat, BOE worker there was no Republican or Democrat observer present while she did this. She indicated they had a problem and I asked her if I needed to call legal — she said not yet and motioned there were approx. 5 problems. She continued to look over these and later stated they found 2 problems.
I asked her to fill out an incident report. At some time during the next hour Sue Wallace pulls a large manila envelope out of a desk drawer and says they are absentee ballots. I continued working on the provisional ballots and Sue set the absentee ballots aside. I ran across a ballot that they rejected because the voter had printed their first name instead of writing it in cursive. The last name was in cursive and matched what their computer record said. I heard Rod Hedges call the board together on the other side of the room and I heard him say something about the "SOS" and "we didn't have to."
One of the provisional ballots had a note on it that it was rejected because it was not received in time. Jerry Robinette stated they had been instructed by the Secretary of the State they did not have to reverse any of their decisions made earlier on the election. I then called O. O. talked to Jerry Robinette on the phone and I overheard Jerry stating that I misunderstood him. Jerry then stated they would count that ballot. Rod said no we will make that decision as a board. I then went back to the desk where I had been with Shirley and asked her to set that ballot aside.
The board stated they were calling the recount over and were going to call the SOS office and inform them we were complete. I objected and said we were not through with the provisional ballots and the absentees. And, we also had that one ballot to count. I suggested they place that ballot in a separate envelope until we went through the absentee ballots.
The board discussed the provisional and the person's right of privacy as if they opened the envelope and added that to the total they would know how she voted. I stated EXACTLY and that was why I objected to the tabulation of the ballots prior to when they did it. I told them they could not declare the recount over until we had a chance to review all the absentees and the rest of the provisional ballots. After some statements regarding "They were the board and could make their own decisions" they agreed to give us until the end of the day Wednesday to look over what we wanted to.
Throughout the day Rod Hedges kept coming around stating I want to make sure that none of these people are told their ballots had been rejected and that their ballots are private and the process is private. Everything went way too fast. I have printouts of the totals and I realize that is important for you to have, but I haven't had time to even look at them.
[End of Green Party Observer Report]
More Information About the Hocking County Recount
 Play video: Win Media |
Real Media
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David Cobb: "Representative Conyers, I have the most recent breaking information. It will be very brief, but this is, I think, very important. It's probably the most troubling incident that has been related to my campaign. It was related only on Sunday December 12th, regarding the very shocking event that occurred last Friday, December 10th."
"The representative from Triad Systems came into this county's board of elections office un-announced (that is, on this Friday). He said he was just stopping by to see if they had any questions about the up-coming recount. He then headed into the back room where the Triad-supplied Tabulator (that is, the machine that COUNTS the ballots) is kept."
"This Triad representative told them there was a problem with the system, that the system had a bad battery and had — quote — 'lost all its data' — end quote."
"He then took the computer apart and started swapping parts in and out of it and another 'spare' tower PC also in the room. [He may have had spare parts in his coat as one of the BOE people moved it and remarked as to how very heavy it was. He finally re-assembled everything and said it was working but to not turn it off.]"
"He then asked which precinct would be counted for the 3% recount test, and the one which had been selected as it had the right number of votes, was relayed to him. He then went back and did something else to the Tabulator."
"The Triad Systems representative suggested that since the hand count had to match the machine count exactly, and since it would be hard to memorize the several numbers which would be needed to get the count to come out exactly right, that they should post this series of numbers on the wall where they would not be noticed by observers. He suggested making them look like employee information or something similar."
"The people doing the hand count could then, he said, just report those numbers no matter what they actually counted in the ballots. This would then — quote — 'match' — the Tabulator report for this precinct exactly. [The numbers were apparently the final certified counts for the selected precinct.]"
Rep. Conyers: "David Cobb, I need you to arrange a meeting with our staff immediately, as soon as possible, so we can go into detail on this matter."
David Cobb: "Thank you. Mr. Conyers, in the interests of brevity, I will stop. It is shocking; it is going on across the States."