WatchTheVoteUSA Proposes Executive Order for President Trump to Protect Election Systems

CINCINNATI, Aug. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Concerned with the vulnerabilities of the electronic election system, WatchTheVoteUSA, a non-partisan election transparency organization, provided to the Trump Administration a proposed Executive Order (EO) that displays a method for Americans to perform an "at-home" election recount. 

The proposed EO, if signed by President Trump, will make it clear that federal law requires that all records must be kept for 22 months, per 52 USC §20701. This includes all digital ballot images. The proposed EO also requires that all digital ballot images, which are public records, be made available by county election clerks to the public.

"Since 1979, I've been working on election integrity.  Discovering that some electronic vote counting machines contain wireless modems, wi-fi antennae and PC Anywhere is unconscionable and repugnant to a fair election. Hackers from any advanced country, or the election vendors themselves, can capitalize on these vulnerabilities," stated WatchTheVoteUSA Founder, Jim Condit Jr.

Motherboard, an on-line news source of the digital world, recently reported that Election Systems and Software (ES&S) included modems and PC Anywhere (software that allows remote take-over of another's computer) in vote counting machines (VCMs). In trying to justify placing said vulnerabilities, ES&S mentioned that other election system vendors like Dominion, and Hart-InterCivic also did this as an "industry practice." The article can be found here: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mb4ezy/top-voting-machine-vendor-admits-it-installed-remote-access-software-on-systems-sold-to-states

John Brakey of AUDIT USA, during the 2016 recount in Wisconsin, found cellular wireless modems in the ES&S DS200 digital scanners and confirmed via the ES&S website that they are an optional feature in some States and a standard feature in others. Mr. Brakey stated, "Most county election officials have not the technical expertise to understand that they have been purchasing vulnerable electronic election counting machines. This occurs because officials are too dependent upon VCM vendors. Sometimes it is to the vendor's advantage to keep officials stupid and dependent, as 100's of millions are at stake in VCM sales and 'supposed' on-going maintenance."

Kelly Z. Mordecai, computer security consultant with WatchTheVoteUSA stated, "Just one wireless connection in one precinct can flip the vote of an entire county.  The only way to have honest elections is hand marked paper ballots counted at the precinct, counted in public view before the ballots are removed from public sight.  For the present problem, citizens obtaining the digital images of the ballots, and performing a recount on their home computers, is the best way to check the 2016 and future elections.  Bev Harris of Black Box Voting first called this the 'Brakey Method', as it puts the brakes on election fraud. WatchTheVoteUSA hopes this executive order empowers the American people to do just that."

The proposed EO encourages Americans to obtain the digital ballot images (by a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request), and perform recounts on their home computer. Should citizens discover that the digital ballot images have been deleted, or a FOIA request is denied, the proposed EO encourages citizens to contact the FBI for investigation and prosecution, and also report it to District Attorneys and State Attorneys General.

WatchTheVoteUSA encourages citizens to not only obtain the digital ballot images, and perform their own recount, but also to download the proposed EO, and send it to their State governors, and secretaries of state, for state level executive orders, then also send the proposed EO to their U.S. Congressmen, state legislators, and county election officials. The proposed EO can be found at WatchTheVoteUSA's website: www.WatchTheVoteUSA.com

Media Contacts:  Jim Condit Jr., Kelly Z. Mordecai 
(513) 409-4290, [email protected]

SOURCE WatchTheVoteUSA