Dec. 12, 2007
WV GOP Convention Changes Out Of State Vendor
WV GOP Convention Site Registered to Brabendercox Firm; GOP CEO Robert Fish Indicates Relationship Severed After They Began Working for Giuliani; National on-line Voting Firm in Virginia Will Tabulate on-line Delegate Results
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Writer
Huntington, WV (HNN) – The delegates for the first WV GOP Convention in Charleston have registered, but since more at large candidates for delegate registered than anticipated, the counties exceeding their delegate allocation will now hold an on-line vote to determine which individuals will represent the county at the February WV GOP Convention.
Research into the “owner” of the wvgopconvention.com domain revealed that according to Network Solutions, a public relations firm with offices in Virginia and Pennsylvania registered the site on April 20, 2007. BrabenderCox, an advertising and marketing firm which represented former state Republican chairman Chris Warner’s brother Monty who ran for governor in 2004, and immediate past chairman WV GOP Robin Capehart also was a client of the firm in years past.
BrabenderCox has since been named by MSNBC as working on Rudy Giuliani’s new image.
The firm also represents a racetrack, Presque Isle Downs, and one of their former employees assisted in promoting a bid by Forest City Enterprises (which developed Charleston’s downtown Town Center mall) and Harrah’s Entertainment in a bid to win a casino license in Pittsburgh.
HNN spoke with Bob Fish, WV GOP Convention CEO, Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 11, to inquire about how the delegate votes will be tabulated on the internet and about the potential conflict of Brabendercox’s involvement. On the latter, Fish explained that the WV convention is unprecedented for the state and state GOP officials have contracted with various experienced vendors to provide technical and other services for the February event.
As for BrabenderCox, Fish stressed, “we are not connected with BrabenderCox either. We were formerly , before they became associated with one of the candidates. We severed our relationship.”
HNN then asked Fish about how the county delegate on-line voting procedures will operate:
HNN: Everything will be tabulated by the computer?
Fish: I do not understand your question, Tony.
HNN: How will the results of the delegate voting be handled?
Fish: That will be tabulated by a computer. On line voting by its nature is done by a voting system. The voting system by its nature will tabulate the results.
HNN: You’re saying that a [computer] program tabulates results?
Fish: I’m afraid that we are not visualizing the same sort of program. This is a well known, professionally done program , not something somebody programmed in their basement. It’s a professional online voting system widely used across the country with whom we have contracted to conduct this voting system.
HNN: Is this a system developed by the marketing firm that has been representing Mr. G, Brabender…
Fish: I don’t know who you are thinking about.
HNN: The ad agency
Fish: BrabenderCox
HNN: Yes
Fish: If the question is… is it associated with a candidate , absolutely, inequitably no. Obviously , the Republican Party [in WV] is not in the business of conducting conventions like this, we have never conducted one before. A lot of the things we are doing by necessity are done by the people with whom we contract. Agencies, marketing groups, ad agencies, and also since you raised the issue I want to say we are not connected with BrebenderCox either. We were formerly , before they became associated with one of the candidates. We severed our r/s.
HNN: Where is the tabulating server? Is that in WV?
Fish: It’s at a national secure server site.
HNN: Is there a type of transparency so that there’s a verification of voting…
Fish: Absolutely. We are working with interested parties as well as people inside the party to tabulate this. It is also done on a system that is well known and recognized. The company that does this for a business. It’s not unique to West Virginia or unique to this election.
HNN: What company is it?
Fish: It’s called http://www.electionsonline.us. You can go to their website and take a look at some of the things they are working on.
HNN: That’s probably helpful, cause, I was going to ask if the WV Secretary of State oversees this type of voting?
Fish: It’s important that you understand a few distinctions between what we are doing and what would constitute a normal election. First, this is unprecedented in the history of West Virginia. But, this is NOT an election for a public office, such as magistrate or governor. It’s an election for a purely political office. Normally, elections for a political offices are conducted at an open meeting where people stand up and vote. The rules and laws are much less specific.
However, we feel that it is very, very important to have a system that’s trustworthy. That’s why we have selected a nationally known company that has a significant amount of experience.
HNN: Since web voting remains new, there are still concerns about the same person(s) casting multiple votes.
Fish: Each person will be issued a user ID and password. Once you have voted, the user ID and password will not allow admission to the site. That’s one of the protections [against] voting a second time. The United States does not have online voting for public offices, so there’s not much experience based on that. However there is experience in a large number of other organizations that are involved, detailed, and widely spread .
HNN: Was there a delegate drop-off box at party headquarters in Charleston for people to submit their delegate applications?
Fish: There was. There were some walks ins. The box was checked and cleared at approximately midnight (based on the accuracy of people’s watches) and additional applications made into the lock box after the deadline were not accepted. We continue to have applications coming in the mail postmarked considerably AFTER the deadline. Of course, we are unable to accept those.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The firm contracted by GOV WV for the election count --- http://www.electionsonline.us --- is based in Alexandria, Va. and was developed by the D.C. Bar Association. Recommended by the American Student Government Association, they state that their “Flexicode” eliminates the possibility of human fallibility compromising the outcome of an election. For more data about Flexicode, visit: http://www.electionsonline.us/about_electionsonline/flexicode.htm
In addition, the site states that “eliminating the perception of vote tampering requires using a vendor for third-party verification rather than to attempt building a system of your own.”
Among the clients for the electionsonline firm are: the California BBQ Association, Washoe County Bar Association, Bar Association of Erie County, Association of Old Crows, the Jefferson County Association of Realtors, Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, BioCommunications Association, Apple Specialist Marketing Group, Casualty Actuarial Society, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Tennessee Bar Association.
WV GOP Convention Changes Out Of State Vendor
WV GOP Convention Site Registered to Brabendercox Firm; GOP CEO Robert Fish Indicates Relationship Severed After They Began Working for Giuliani; National on-line Voting Firm in Virginia Will Tabulate on-line Delegate Results
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Writer
Huntington, WV (HNN) – The delegates for the first WV GOP Convention in Charleston have registered, but since more at large candidates for delegate registered than anticipated, the counties exceeding their delegate allocation will now hold an on-line vote to determine which individuals will represent the county at the February WV GOP Convention.
Research into the “owner” of the wvgopconvention.com domain revealed that according to Network Solutions, a public relations firm with offices in Virginia and Pennsylvania registered the site on April 20, 2007. BrabenderCox, an advertising and marketing firm which represented former state Republican chairman Chris Warner’s brother Monty who ran for governor in 2004, and immediate past chairman WV GOP Robin Capehart also was a client of the firm in years past.
BrabenderCox has since been named by MSNBC as working on Rudy Giuliani’s new image.
The firm also represents a racetrack, Presque Isle Downs, and one of their former employees assisted in promoting a bid by Forest City Enterprises (which developed Charleston’s downtown Town Center mall) and Harrah’s Entertainment in a bid to win a casino license in Pittsburgh.
HNN spoke with Bob Fish, WV GOP Convention CEO, Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 11, to inquire about how the delegate votes will be tabulated on the internet and about the potential conflict of Brabendercox’s involvement. On the latter, Fish explained that the WV convention is unprecedented for the state and state GOP officials have contracted with various experienced vendors to provide technical and other services for the February event.
As for BrabenderCox, Fish stressed, “we are not connected with BrabenderCox either. We were formerly , before they became associated with one of the candidates. We severed our relationship.”
HNN then asked Fish about how the county delegate on-line voting procedures will operate:
HNN: Everything will be tabulated by the computer?
Fish: I do not understand your question, Tony.
HNN: How will the results of the delegate voting be handled?
Fish: That will be tabulated by a computer. On line voting by its nature is done by a voting system. The voting system by its nature will tabulate the results.
HNN: You’re saying that a [computer] program tabulates results?
Fish: I’m afraid that we are not visualizing the same sort of program. This is a well known, professionally done program , not something somebody programmed in their basement. It’s a professional online voting system widely used across the country with whom we have contracted to conduct this voting system.
HNN: Is this a system developed by the marketing firm that has been representing Mr. G, Brabender…
Fish: I don’t know who you are thinking about.
HNN: The ad agency
Fish: BrabenderCox
HNN: Yes
Fish: If the question is… is it associated with a candidate , absolutely, inequitably no. Obviously , the Republican Party [in WV] is not in the business of conducting conventions like this, we have never conducted one before. A lot of the things we are doing by necessity are done by the people with whom we contract. Agencies, marketing groups, ad agencies, and also since you raised the issue I want to say we are not connected with BrebenderCox either. We were formerly , before they became associated with one of the candidates. We severed our r/s.
HNN: Where is the tabulating server? Is that in WV?
Fish: It’s at a national secure server site.
HNN: Is there a type of transparency so that there’s a verification of voting…
Fish: Absolutely. We are working with interested parties as well as people inside the party to tabulate this. It is also done on a system that is well known and recognized. The company that does this for a business. It’s not unique to West Virginia or unique to this election.
HNN: What company is it?
Fish: It’s called http://www.electionsonline.us. You can go to their website and take a look at some of the things they are working on.
HNN: That’s probably helpful, cause, I was going to ask if the WV Secretary of State oversees this type of voting?
Fish: It’s important that you understand a few distinctions between what we are doing and what would constitute a normal election. First, this is unprecedented in the history of West Virginia. But, this is NOT an election for a public office, such as magistrate or governor. It’s an election for a purely political office. Normally, elections for a political offices are conducted at an open meeting where people stand up and vote. The rules and laws are much less specific.
However, we feel that it is very, very important to have a system that’s trustworthy. That’s why we have selected a nationally known company that has a significant amount of experience.
HNN: Since web voting remains new, there are still concerns about the same person(s) casting multiple votes.
Fish: Each person will be issued a user ID and password. Once you have voted, the user ID and password will not allow admission to the site. That’s one of the protections [against] voting a second time. The United States does not have online voting for public offices, so there’s not much experience based on that. However there is experience in a large number of other organizations that are involved, detailed, and widely spread .
HNN: Was there a delegate drop-off box at party headquarters in Charleston for people to submit their delegate applications?
Fish: There was. There were some walks ins. The box was checked and cleared at approximately midnight (based on the accuracy of people’s watches) and additional applications made into the lock box after the deadline were not accepted. We continue to have applications coming in the mail postmarked considerably AFTER the deadline. Of course, we are unable to accept those.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The firm contracted by GOV WV for the election count --- http://www.electionsonline.us --- is based in Alexandria, Va. and was developed by the D.C. Bar Association. Recommended by the American Student Government Association, they state that their “Flexicode” eliminates the possibility of human fallibility compromising the outcome of an election. For more data about Flexicode, visit: http://www.electionsonline.us/about_electionsonline/flexicode.htm
In addition, the site states that “eliminating the perception of vote tampering requires using a vendor for third-party verification rather than to attempt building a system of your own.”
Among the clients for the electionsonline firm are: the California BBQ Association, Washoe County Bar Association, Bar Association of Erie County, Association of Old Crows, the Jefferson County Association of Realtors, Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, BioCommunications Association, Apple Specialist Marketing Group, Casualty Actuarial Society, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Tennessee Bar Association.
