This morning, the Stein campaign recount effort in Pennsylvania escalated its federal case for a statewide recount, filing an injunction for an immediate hand recount of paper ballots statewide and a forensic analysis of touchscreen voting systems. Since direct recording electronic (DRE) touchscreen voting machines in Pennsylvania produce no paper record against which to audit the vote, such a forensic analysis is the only way to ensure accuracy of the results, experts say.
For the forensic analysis, the recount campaign will seek immediate access to a sampling of central voting systems—the “nerve center” from which software is loaded onto individual voting machines. The injunction requests that experts in voting security and software be allowed to examine the central voting systems in the largest counties using the six types of DRE machines present in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, Lancaster, York, and Washington counties. Election security experts testify in the injunction that this sampling approach would take only two to three days to complete and would be sufficiently thorough to detect systemic problems.
“The only way Pennsylvania voters can be sure their votes were counted is through a forensic investigation of notoriously unsecure voting systems combined with a hand recount of paper ballots in counties where they exist,” said Ilann Maazel, counsel at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady and lead counsel for the Jill Stein campaign recount effort in Pennsylvania. “This is a step toward ensuring that voters of this state know their voices are heard. We hope the court grants this injunction immediately, to allow the timely completion of this effort and ensure the state’s presidential electors can cast their ballots on December 19.”
Source: Dr. Jill Stein Campaign
