This submit first appeared at All Issues Politics and was republished with permission.
Visitor submit by Invoice Bruch
Sept 5, 2024, the Washington State Republican Get together (WAGOP) and their lawyer Joel Ard filed a lawsuit claiming ballots “cured” by King County look like invalid, after they used the OmniBallot system within the hand recount for second place within the August 6, 2024, WA State Major Election Commissioner of Public Lands Race.
Thanks to the WAGOP and Mr. Ard for doing this. Voters needs to be grateful and inspired that the WAGOP is making efforts to strengthen and enhance our elections.
WA is an all mail-in state and when a voter forgets to signal the envelope containing their poll or when the signature on the envelope doesn’t match what’s on report, “poll curing” is important. That is the method of informing a voter to repair/treatment their signature, so their vote is counted, per WAC 434-261-053.
Within the lawsuit, the WAGOP says King County illegally used a web based device that helped voters repair issues with their poll, and that it affected the end result within the statewide major race for Public Lands Commissioner. The lawsuit additionally alleges that King County Elections Director Julie Smart didn’t be sure that voter info transmitted over the app had enough privateness and safety protections as a result of the device is operated by a non-public firm.
The WAGOP claims Republican Sue Kuehl Pederson would have defeated Democrat Dave Upthegrove within the major race if the app hadn’t been used. The social gathering needs the votes that had been “cured” by the app to be invalidated.
King County Elections, which controls 17 of the State’s 49 Legislative Districts, contracted with the leftist third social gathering company, ”Democracy Reside.” Democracy Reside operates the OmniBallot voting system, which used the web/cell phone internet app poll curing program for the Major Election.
In keeping with the grievance, King County counted 2,092 poll signature affidavits that had been illegally “cured” violating RCW 29A.60.164(4) by way of Democracy Reside’s OmniBallot voting system within the election. If these 2,092 votes weren’t counted, then Upthhegrove would have had a lower than one in a billion probability to have completed forward of Pederson for second place within the race.
After the statewide recount was formally licensed Sept 4, 2024, vote outcomes modified barely however nonetheless had Republican Jaime Herrera Beutler and Democrat Dave Upthegrove making the highest two common election in November.
The recount indicated a 49-vote margin separating second-place finisher Upthegrove from Pederson, who completed third within the contest. Earlier than the recount, the margin initially stood at 51 votes with over 1.9 million votes counted. After consolidating the amended outcomes licensed by every of the 39 particular person county canvassing boards, Upthegrove gained 4 votes and Pederson gained six votes.
“Overvotes” – “undervotes” and “write-in” votes had been additionally recognized through the guide recount, which helped result in many minor modifications within the total vote complete modifications for the seven candidates in most all WA State 39 counties.
Democracy Reside’s OmniBallot platform is a web-based system for clean poll supply, poll marking, and on-line voting.
FALSE CLAIM REGARDING FEDERAL CERTIFICATION: A June 2021 report states, Democracy Reside’s deceptive and unfaithful statements are usually not restricted to claims concerning the safety of its methods. In a press launch issued Nov 2019, Democracy Reside wrote: “Seattle-based Democracy Reside has been awarded full certification of the primary stand-alone accessible balloting gadget within the elections business… The OmniBallot Pill is the primary vendor-neutral, off-the-shelf poll marking gadget that has been reviewed and authorized by an EAC-approved unbiased check lab.”
FALSE CLAIMS OF SECURITY: There’s widespread consensus from laptop scientists and nationwide safety consultants that any on-line transmission of voted ballots can’t be secured.
Different stories say OmniBallot can be utilized to mark ballots that can be printed and returned within the mail, the software program sends the voter’s identification and poll decisions to Democracy Reside, an pointless threat that jeopardizes a voter and the key poll.
The Net App depends on numerous third events to carry out its companies. The app runs JavaScript loaded from Amazon, Google and Cloudflare, making all three corporations, in addition to Democracy Reside itself, potential factors of compromise for the elections system.
Additionally, Democracy Reside can obtain delicate private info, together with voter ID, poll alternatives, signature alternatives and in some circumstances, even a browser fingerprint, all which could possibly be used for nefarious functions.
Of Observe: On April 9, 2020, greater than 60 scientists and election consultants signed a letter to governors, secretaries of state and state election administrators urging them to chorus from permitting using any web voting system.
Given the well-established dangers of web voting, it’s exhausting to consider that anybody would use such an insecure internet app inclined to manipulation and hacking for ANY sort of voting.
Invoice Bruch is the WA State GOP Election Integrity Chairman, WSRP Government Board Member, 4-Time period Skagit County GOP Chairman, Citizen Journalist, Blogger, Enterprise Proprietor, “2021 Citizen Activist of the 12 months” award by the Olympic Convention, 2020 WA State Home Consultant Candidate, Former Council Member, and WA State 2016 and 2024 RNC Nationwide Conference Delegate.
