NON-PROFIT GROUP SEEKS TO CORRECT DEFECTS IN VOTING PROCEDURES IN COOK COUNTY, CHICAGO, GREATER ILLINOIS
by Sharon Meroni, Executive Director, DefendtheVote.com
(Feb. 9, 2015) — Defend the Vote is enthused to introduce our legal counsel for the HAVA complaints that are currently pending before the Illinois State Board of Elections. Robert E. Lehrer is a distinguished civil rights attorney and specializes in mediation.
Mr. Lehrer’s experience includes a long list of published opinions. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a certified mediator and a member of the National Association of Attorney Mediators. Mr. Lehrer was retained last week and is preparing for the mediation process.
To recap – Defend the Vote – via a filing by Sharon Meroni – has filed two HAVA complaints with the Illinois State Board of Elections. These two complaints assert that 1) the Administrative Code for HAVA filings is against Federal Law, and 2) that the WinEds electronic voting system used in Chicago and Suburban Cook County – and 11 other states – is not error tested certified as required by Federal and State laws, rules, and agreements. This Dominion Voting owned system includes the Edge2Plus and 400c Ballot tabulator.
Defend the Vote’s objective is to remove these defective machines from use in Chicago and Suburban Cook Cook County and to assist other states in removing them, too. We also seek better controls and reporting of errors in the operations of all voting systems in Illinois.
These complaints are now in the process of mediation. Mediation is a legal process that permits the two parties to attempt to resolve the complaint outside of court. The process is voluntary, non-binding, and permitted under Illinois Administrative Rules. A successful mediation will result in both parties agreeing to the terms. If the mediation is unsuccessful, then the matter would go through administrative and court processes. Katheryn Dutenhaver, from Depaul University, is the certified Mediator.
Defend the Vote believes the process of HAVA complaints should be public. We will post information as we go through this process.
More to come… this week!
Warmly,
Sharon Meroni
Executive Director = Defend the Vote