A California Secretary of State investigation into electronic voting machines has uncovered a software problem much bigger than first thought. The e-voting systems used in California have the potential to drop votes without leaving an audit trail, the investigation found. At a recent hearing, an executive for Premier Election Systems, formerly known as Diebold, admitted the problem exists with every version of its tabulation software.

Mitch Trachtenberg is an elections auditor with the Humboldt County Election Transparency Project, the group which initiated the investigation after nearly 200 votes from last November’s election vanished. He says they were surprised to learn the extent of the problem.

"The vendors have been saying that their systems have fail-safes, and at least in the case of Diebold GEMS, that fail-safe is now looking pretty sad."

What’s most disturbing, adds Trachtenberg, is that Premier Election Systems has been aware of the problem for years.

"They certified that these systems pass whatever test they’re imposing on them and here’s a system that’s been passing those tests for years and years and years and its audit log doesn’t record when decks of ballots are deleted."

Justin Bales, Premier's western United States general manager, testified at the hearing that the company supports the state's proposal to withdraw approval of the system in question, that the unearthed problems trouble the company greatly and that an accurate vote count is Premier's mission. The company adds, deletions would be accounted for in ballot canvasses and will be reflected in technology updates.

More info at www.electiondefensealliance.org.




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It's July 4th, a celebration of the United States' independence. It's also an opportunity to take a look at the state of the country's democracy.

This is a midterm election year, but many are still focused on the 2020 election, which some have claimed - without evidence - was "stolen."

Alicia Abbott, a program outreach coordinator with the Idaho 97 Project, said one unfortunate side effect of rampant misinformation is that some voters have tuned out.

"We've let misinformation about election results and public health run amok," said Abbott. "And now, we are living in an era where people are very apathetic; they are overwhelmed with how much contention there is in the scorched-earth politics."

The Idaho 97 Project formed in 2020 in response to contentious public health meetings about COVID-19 in order to combat disinformation about the pandemic.

According to a recent Yahoo survey, nearly 60% of Americans think the U.S. is becoming a less democratic country.

Abbott said Idaho is no stranger to extremism. She said it's a bellwether for some of the extreme tactics, especially at local government meetings, that have spread across the country.

So, she said she's also convinced it can serve as model for how to push back against these anti-democratic forces.

"So, we all need to be very vigilant about recognizing dog whistles and conspiracy theories," said Abbott. "And really holding our elected officials accountable when they're repeating and forwarding disinformation."

As the congressional hearing on the January 6 insurrection continues, Abbott said she's been struck by the way election officials in some states were treated in 2020.

She said one thing Idahoans can do to help defend democracy is support these officials.

"Stand up for those public servants who are coming forward and ensuring that our political process is safe and secure," said Abbott. "We cannot continue to allow our public servants to be attacked the way they have been."

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

July 4th celebrates the founding of the United States' democracy - and some say it's time to recommit to defending that democracy.

In the wake of the "Big Lie" that the 2020 election was stolen, and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, folks like Nancy Leifer - president of the League of Women Voters of Montana board of directors - concerned about the state of the country's representative government.

She said in Montana, there's also been talk that elections can't be trusted.

"There's absolutely nothing going on here that warrants that," said Leifer. "It's just this narrative that these folks have come up with who don't want to admit that the views that they have are not well supported by the majority of Americans."

Voter fraud is very rare in the United States. In January, two women who are citizens of the Philippines voted in a Montana election and were subsequently arrested.

Before that, the Heritage Foundation database of election fraud stretching back to 1979 shows just one conviction in Montana for fraudulent use of absentee ballots.

However, Leifer said the Montana Legislature passed a number of laws that restrict access to voting based on the false narrative of widespread election fraud.

That includes getting rid of same-day voter registration, which she said is especially important for Native American voters who may only be able to make one trip to the polls.

"The other I.D. law specifically targeted students," said Leifer, "who are unable to come up with the right I.D. information now because their student I.D. from the institution where they're studying is not sufficient."

Those two cases will head to the state Supreme Court before the November election.

Despite the limitations on voter access, Leifer said she has a deep faith in Montanans. She's convinced Montanans can like each other without having to agree on politics.

"That's been undermined by the extreme partisanship that's gone on lately," said Leifer. "And so, I would invite everyone to step back from their partisanship and to remember that we are here, and we are all friends and neighbors, and we will be moving forward together."

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The nation still is dissecting revealing testimony from this week's committee hearing on the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. A top White House aide testified about former President Donald Trump's actions that day, most notably his desire to allow armed supporters at a rally before they stormed the complex.

One political expert acknowledged the latest developments might not move the needle in North Dakota but added voters should still be informed.

Mark Jendrysik, political science professor at the University of North Dakota, said it might not sway many voters in a conservative state, but he argued they should still be presented with details about how democracy was thrown into peril.

"Facts matter," Jendrysik contended. "People shouldn't be allowed to hide behind 'I don't remember' and 'That was a long time ago' or 'Why are you bringing up old stuff?' "

All members of North Dakota's Congressional delegation are Republican, and some have been critical of recent efforts to further examine last year's attack. Jendrysik noted it is not surprising given the polarization underscoring the fallout from the 2020 presidential election.

He suggests because of the magnitude of the attack, along with repeated false claims by some conservatives the election was stolen, voters and the media should not shy away from asking candidates in this year's vote about their views on the hearings.

"There is only one place to stand, and that is with the law and the Constitution," Jendrysik asserted. "You're not allowed to ignore things just because you think they're not going your way."

As for accountability, Jendrysik emphasized he does not think the hearings will result in criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. He believes "institutional fear" in Washington D.C. will be a factor as some decision-makers will try to avoid any further chaos.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.