Electronic voting machines questioned
BY BRUCE BRANUM
The Greenville Standard
Focus on America announced on Monday, June 20, it has joined former GOP gubernatorial candidate Linda Blanchard and State Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Owens Crossroads) in a lawsuit against Secretary of State John H. Merrill (R) and members of the Alabama Electronic Voting Committee.
The suit alleges Alabama’s current electronic voting machines are “unsecure and fatally compromised” for multiple reasons and have been “wrongfully certified”.
The suit further requests that officials in charge of the November election “collect and count votes through a constitutionally acceptable process, which relies on tried and true precepts that mandates integrity and transparency” using “verifiable paper ballots” that would be “counted by human beings, not by machines.”
“We’re pleased to be able to join this suit,” said Rebecca Rogers of Focus on America. “Alabama citizens have to be confident that our votes are accurately counted because that’s the foundation of our democratic republic. Many of us here in Alabama and across the nation have serious concerns about the integrity and transparency of our elections, and this lawsuit would require a system that would offer complete transparency and security.”
Saranne Riccio with Focus on America added, “The suit also asks the court to establish clear chain-of-custody procedures for the ballot boxes during the entire process, to guard against ballots mysteriously appearing in the dead of night or being counted multiple times. Even countries like France require ballots to be counted by hand because of the cyber threats posed by electronic voting machines. Surely, Alabamians can do the same.”
Blanchard and Hanes initially filed the suit on May 19, 2022, five days before the Alabama primary election.
The complaint was amended on June 9 to add Focus on America and David Calderwood, M.D. to the plaintiffs.
Alabama Secretary of State John A/ Merrill has denied that Alabama’s voting machines, all of which are manufactured by Election Systems and Software (ESS), are insecure or can be compromised.
The suit names Secretary of State Merrill in his official capacity, as well as State Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, Alabama Supervisor of Voter Registration Jeff Elrod, Chief Deputy Attorney General Clay Crenshaw, State Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Montgomery and Lee County Probate Judge Bill English.
Focus on America’s website states, “Focus on America (FOA) is inspired and compelled by our forefathers; men who risked everything to ensure our freedoms. We encourage Americans to be informed members of their communities, recruit and develop candidates to restore God-given, constitutionally guaranteed liberties, and to replace elected officials who do not represent their constituency or American values.
Their website can be found at www.focusonamerica.us
