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Dear media & election-security experts. Pls do not ever again use the phrases "voter marked paper ballots" or “voter verified paper ballots”--or even "paper ballots"--w/o disclosing that vendors & other election insiders now construe these phrases to include dangerous BMDs. 1/
When you use these terms, voters use them too, enabling the sale of controversial & dangerous electronic Ballot Marking Devices (BMDs) like the ES&S ExpressVote, ExpressVote XL and Dominion ICE and Image Cast X. 2/
This is a fraud on the public, and it is happening all over the county, including in critical swing states. Thread. https://twitter.com/jennycohn1/status/1179418075000692736?s=20 3/
Using these vendor code phrases--"voter verifiable paper ballots," "voter verified paper ballots," "voter marked paper ballots," "paper ballots,"--w/o disclosing their industry meaning--facilitates & masks corruption involving the sales of these BMDs. https://twitter.com/jennycohn1/status/1138915740814233602?s=20 3/
4/ If you mean to recommend HAND MARKED paper ballots, you must include the "hand marked" prefix or you are inadvertently (or deliberately) promoting dangerous electronic ballot marking devices (BMDs).
5/ I suspect some of you mean to recommend HAND MARKED paper ballots with MACHINE MARKED full face printouts from BMDs for voters who are unable to hand mark. If that's the case, you must be specific or many jurisdictions will continue buying BMDs for all voters.
6/ Alternatively, some of you may be fine with all voters using HAND MARKED paper ballots OR machine-marked (hackable) full face printouts from BMDs that are not yet on the market (as opposed to the ExpressVote, ExpressVote XL, ICE, etc.) If so, you must be specific.
7/ Using insider code phrases ("vote verifiable paper ballots," "voter marked paper ballots," and "paper ballots") w/o disclosing that insiders misleadingly construe them to include BMDs, allows vendors to scam voters w/ the ExpressVote, ExpressVote XL, ImageCast ICE, etc.
8/ Please, for the sake of our elections, stop using these misleading phrases ("voter verifiable paper ballots," "voter verified paper ballots," "voter marked paper ballots," "paper ballots" [w/o the "hand marked" prefix].). Thank you.
![8/ Please, for the sake of our elections, stop using these misleading phrases ("voter verifiable paper ballots," "voter verified paper ballots," "voter marked paper ballots," "paper ballots" [w/o the "hand marked" prefix].). Thank you.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EF6WP4iU8AASaE_.png "8/ Please, for the sake of our elections, stop using these misleading phrases (\"voter verifiable paper ballots,\" \"voter verified paper ballots,\" \"voter marked paper ballots,\" \"paper ballots\" [w/o the \"hand marked\" prefix].). Thank you.")
10/ Here is one of my pieces about the dangerous new "hybrid" BMDs. https://www.salon.com/2019/03/28/new-hybrid-voting-system-can-change-paper-ballot-after-its-been-cast_partner/
11/ Non-hybrid BMDs are dangerous too. Here is one of my pieces about that. https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/01/11/georgia-poised-to-pick-vulnerable-barcode-voting-technology/
12/ I reported on the dangerous "hybrid" barcode BMDs chosen by Johnson County, Kansas (the largest count in the state) here: https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/5YIEQxHW5qmWayG0kYCsy2
13/ I reported on the dangerous BMD situation in Philadelphia here: https://www.salon.com/2019/02/16/philly-ignores-cybersecurity-and-disability-access-in-voting-system-selection_partner/
14/ My public service announcement video about the spread of dangerous barcode BMDs throughout the United States.
15/ I list the affected jurisdictions (that I know of) in this recent Medium piece: https://medium.com/@jennycohn1/americas-electronic-voting-system-is-corrupted-to-the-core-1f55f34f346e?source=friends_link&sk=9000955a9f41c3e18861677ccbaec671
20/ Further proof that election insiders have decided that the phrase “voter marked paper ballots” can include BMDs. https://twitter.com/lulufriesdat/status/1162489785979691008?s=21
21/ As an attorney who practiced law for many years, I have learned the many problems that ensue from ambiguous or misleading terminology. https://twitter.com/jennycohn1/status/1179423749285847041?s=21
22/ This is why it is so unfortunate that the otherwise strong @VotingVillageDC report used the phrase “voter marked paper ballots.” @lizlhoward
@MotherJones & others in the media latch onto the DEFCON report’s use of the ambiguous “voter marked paper ballots” phrase, & then others repeat it, unwittingly facilitating rather than stopping more BMD sales, bc insiders have decided the phrase includes dangerous BMDs. 23/
I hope @VotingVillageDC will consider revising this aspect of its report. It is a relatively simple fix that could avoid some serious unintended consequences. 24/
More voters using the election-insider phrase “voter marked paper ballots” in the wake of the DEFCON report. (I removed their handles). Again, most voters don’t realize that insiders have decided the phrase includes controversial & dangerous BMDs sold 4 use by all voters. 25/
