LACAG: LOUISIANANS SHOULD BE SKEPTICAL ABOUT ITS VOTING SYSTEM
Guest post by Christopher Alexander with LACAG
In August of 2018 Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin revealed that his workplace had actually carried out a 95$ million agreement with Dominion Voting Systems for a brand-new electronic ballot system in the state. 2 months later on, the State Procurement Office rescinded the Dominion agreement due to “defects” in the bidding procedure. ES&S, the biggest United States producer of ballot devices in America which was likewise contending for the agreement, had actually declared that the requirements included in Ardoin’s quote demand were ones that just Dominion’s system might satisfy. Paula Tregere, Louisiana’s chief procurement officer, ruled that it remained in the “benefit of the State to rescind the award made to Dominion Voting Systems.”
Three years later on Ardoin attempted a 2nd time to skilled an agreement for brand-new ballot devices. On February 24, 2021, he stood prior to the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Women (EBRRW) to go over election problems. In between emphatic statements about how “terrific” we are doing on elections in Louisiana, Ardoin made the following public dedications:
” What else are we requesting for in the RFP (Request For Proposal)? We wish to know who you work with. We wish to know if you’re working with a foreign nation. We would like to know if you have foreign ownership. We would like to know who your Board of Directors is. We wish to know who owns 10% or more of your business. We need to know who you are, since that’s going to identify, through an independent examination committee, who we work with.”
Ardoin likewise guaranteed that any RFP he advises for approval will need any election supplier to offer “ the exclusive code to their system We need that. It is outright” (Emphasis mine). Ardoin devoted to subject any potential Louisiana election system to “ professional screening” prior to suggesting approval. (Emphasis mine).
Despite his public dedication to openness on February 24, a week later on, on March 3, 2021 Ardoin was required to ditch the procedure a 2nd time due to numerous grievances from completing election innovation business declaring comparable abnormalities in the quote procedure as in 2018: Ardoin’s quote was structured in such a way that preferred Dominion. Sen. Sharon Hewitt, Republican Chair of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, likewise weighed in that “history is duplicating itself.” It is a minimum of possible that Ardoin, for the 2nd time in 3 (3) years, had actually tailored the quote procedure towards Dominion.
Ardoin has actually steadfastly rejected any impropriety, and firmly insists that the derailment of his efforts to bring brand-new devices to Louisiana is based upon “false information and disinformation”, terms typically utilized by Leftists who are the ones really taken part in it.
Anybody who follows politics and elections in Louisiana even peripherally understands that Louisiana citizens are extremely doubtful of Dominion Voting Systems. Louisiana residents merely do not trust them and have actually made it clear to Ardoin that they have no self-confidence in Dominion’s capability or disposition to protect the stability of the most basic right we have, our vote. On 2 different events, Ardoin has actually been implicated of structuring financially rewarding election system agreements in Dominion’s favor. And on both celebrations, he has actually been openly castigated for it and has actually been required to suspend the quote procedure.
Now, for the 3rd time in 5 years, Ardoin is poised to make yet another suggestion for a brand-new ballot system. What can we anticipate? The truth is that all electronic ballot systems are susceptible to remote control and vote changing, as every trusted cyber security professional on the planet has actually verified If ballot systems in basic cause suspicion amongst Louisiana citizens, Dominion is seen even more unfavorably.
While it is uncertain what suggestion Ardoin will eventually make concerning Louisiana’s brand-new system, if he desires to restore trustworthiness amongst Louisiana citizens, he should a minimum of make great on his public pledges to 1) inform Louisiana citizens who in fact owns, controls, or has a monetary interest in Dominion, something the latter hesitates to completely divulge; (Why?) 2) enable a total, independent, 3rd party evaluation of the whole system of any electronic supplier who has actually sent a quote for the agreement; and 3) divulge whether any electronic supplier has in reality consented to supply Ardoin the exclusive code for its system.
If the system can not be hacked, show it to the Louisiana citizens. They can understand, with certainty, that their vote is protected. And if Ardoin will not supply that guarantee by sending any potential system to a thorough, independent forensic evaluation by a neutral specialist, Louisiana citizens will see it as a significant breach of public trust.
If Ardoin does not honor these public guarantees, we can include 3 more reasons he need to openly devote to a safe and secure, handmarked, completely auditable paper tally system as Louisiana’s main approach of ballot, and kick the makers to the curb, with the exception of the handicapped who are physically incapable of marking a paper tally. The only other option is Ardoin’s uncontrolled retirement on election day.
Debbie Kuehne, President of the EBRRW, appropriately specified on February 24, 2021 that Louisiana ought to “never ever work with Dominion Voting Systems.” I question if Ardoin heard her. Time will inform, and his trustworthiness amongst Louisiana citizens will definitely be impacted by his option.
Christopher Alexander is with the Louisiana Citizen Advocacy Group www.lacag.org
The post LACAG: Louisiana’s SOS Kyle Ardoin Is for the Third Time Pushing Dominion Voting Machines for the State’s Elections appeared initially on The Gateway Pundit
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