72 Ohio clergy give ‘vote of no confidence’ to Dominion voting machines

MANSFIELD — A group of clergy are concerned about the integrity of future elections and skeptical their current election machine vendor can be a good-faith partner in votes to come. After the vendor acquired a negative track record in other state elections across the country, the clergy are calling for change. As a result, they want to hold the company accountable and ‘pull the plug’ on their electronic voting machines.

Receiving what they said were “disturbing bipartisan reports” about their election machine vendor, seventy-two clergy recently sent a correspondence to Richland County election officials discussing future elections.

In their letter the clergy wrote, “We humbly suggest that under the recommendation of the Richland County Board of Commissioners, the Board of Election replace the election machine vendor to reassure the public local elections are as secure as can be.  Due to recent revelations on its reputation of non-transparency and dishonesty as an election system administrator, we give Dominion Voting Systems ‘a vote of no confidence.”

Whether it is anti-transparency contracts with government entities or misleading claims about remote access, Dominion Voting Systems does not find itself in good standing with the faith community. The clergy letter referenced public records confirming the DuPage County Clerk and Chief Deputy from Illinois signing an anti-transparency contract with Dominion Voting Systems. Public records also show the Chicago Board of Elections arranging Dominion Voting Systems to have remote access to voter registration information, poll books, and requests for absentee ballots seven months prior to the 2020 elections.

The clergy correspondence noted access to this information by Dominion contractors from anywhere was dangerous considering representatives of the company had already publicly demonstrated animus towards one Presidential candidate.

While Dominion Voting Systems claims their voting machines do not rely on Internet connectivity, the clergy letter pointed out that ten independent cybersecurity experts prior to the 2020 elections found a number of Dominion Voting Systems’ voting machines to be connected online, leaving the voting system at risk. In the NBC News report, Dominion admitted they put modems in some of their tabulators and scanners. Those modems connect to cell phone networks, which in turn, connect to the Internet.

For this reason, the State of Texas denied certification of Dominion’s Image Cast X 5.5 ballot marking device due to concerns over its vulnerability to fraudulent and unauthorized manipulation.

“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight.” said Pastor Chad Hayes. “Requests to have these voting machines forensically audited has also led to unmerciful litigation of individuals totaling billions of dollars; an action which the vendor in question boasts about on its own website.  Heavy-handed actions like these by administrators of a county’s voting system will ultimately lead to voter suppression. Based on their record, the vendor is not going to go the extra mile for the voters.”

The clergy letter went further. “This begs the question: in the event results from Richland County voting machines are refuted in a future local election, will citizens also be subject to these same bullying tactics by the election machine vendor?  During a challenge, will Richland County’s election machine vendor be considered infallible?”   

“One would think an election machine vendor would want to publicly showcase their product during a forensic audit and get free advertising,” says Pastor James Spencer. “On the contrary, Dominion Voting Systems has sued persons calling for further examination of their machines. After these nationally-reported cases demonstrating lack of security, transparency, and neutrality, something appears to be amiss with Dominion’s services. As the Bible says, ‘A just weight and balance are the LORD’s.’ We (clergy) are asking our county officials to do their best to provide election integrity. Voter turnout in future elections depends on it.”

Because of the seeds of distrust that have been sown by the election machine vendor from the 2020 elections, Stark County, Ohio recently terminated its contract with Dominion to purchase 1,400 voting machines. Similarly, the State of Louisiana terminated its request for proposal with the vendor in question involving a one hundred million dollar contact for new voting machines. After an audit stated Dominion voting machines should not be used in Michigan, Antrim County also discontinued use of Dominion’s voting machines.

The Ohio clergy say the Republic’s days are numbered if citizens are not actively participating in the election process. According to Pastor Les Farley, “The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things. If there is no accountability in the election process, a candidate or a political party unchecked will try to win by any means possible, by hook or by crook. We need to get involved.”

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Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”