Election Night Projections
Cover For Vote
Rigging Since 1964?
by Lynn Landes
Dissident Voice
September 23, 2002
The news networks don't just report election news, they
create it. But do they also conspire to control election results?
Voter News Service (VNS) is a top-secret private consortium
owned by ABC News, The Associated Press,
CBS News, CNN, Fox News,
and NBC News. It's current headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York.
It's been around (under different names) since 1964. It's the only company
whose exit poll results are used by the news media to announce the
"projected" winners in races for the president, U.S. House and
Senate, state governors, and select races.
By 1964, computers were used to predict election outcomes,
as well as to count votes on "punch cards." With the use of computerized vote counters and the news networks
exclusive control over polling data in major elections, the gates to election
fraud were wide open. Computerized voting machines have now made election fraud
as easy as stealing candy from a baby.
So how could VNS help rig an election? VNS could conspire
with corrupt government officials and crooked voting machine companies (whose
reputation for fraud and "error" grows with every election) to come
up with projections that closely mirror the expected election results. Then all
that's needed is some 'tweaking' in targeted precincts where voting data can be
manipulated, voting machines rigged ....and elections swung. VNS follows
through with its de facto certification of election results that have already
been fixed. If someone suspects vote rigging, there's always VNS to say that
the results match their projections.
And with no oversight, who's to know?
This scenario did not originate in my imagination. The authors
of Votescam, The Stealing of America, James and Kenneth Collier
(both deceased) chronicled vote rigging from 1970 to 1992, that followed a
similar scheme. The Colliers also included government officials, such as
employees of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), as players in this
decades-old scam. Media critics have long complained about an unethical
relationship between the CIA and the news networks.
Most people believe that the networks compete to be the
first to announce the "projected" election night winners. And the
networks do their best to create that impression. But they haven't competed
since 1964.
However, VNS officials are still trying to obscure their
lengthy history. On February 14, 2001, in testimony before Congressman Billy
Tauzin's (LA) Committee on Energy and Commerce, VNS executive director, Ted
Savaglio, said that the networks first got together in 1990 and that VNS was
created in 1993. The name "Voter News Service" was created in 1993,
and new members have come on board over the years. But the original group of
news networks has collaborated since 1964.
They used two different names - News Election Services and Voter
Research and Survey - before becoming VNS.
In a telephone interview I had with long-time VNS
communications director, Lee C. Sharpio, she agreed to the 1964 date. But
that's about all she would reveal. There is no transparency to VNS. Shapiro
will not tell you how big their budget is, nor who hires the 46,000 people she
claims they use on election night to collect exit polling data, nor will she
give you any proof that these 46,000 employees exist...no phone logs, no emails
lists, no documents to prove that they do what they say they do. Shapiro would
not let me talk to any employee of VNS's regular staff of 30. She says that VNS
will not let anyone witness their operations on election night nor would she
disclose its location. VNS has no website and a very uninformative brochure.
Undeterred, I placed a direct call to VNS's current
executive director, Ted Savaglio. I left a message, but he hasn't returned my
call.
Bill Headline was VNS's executive director during the
notorious 2000 Bush - Gore presidential election. According to information on a
University of Miami webpage, Headline started his career as an Air Intelligence
Officer in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1957. Seven years later, in 1964, he was
hired at CBS where
"as a member of Louis Harris and Associates, he directed field research
and vote collection activities for CBS coverage of the 1964
Presidential elections." From there his career skyrocketed to Senior Vice
President of CBS News, CNN Vice President, and past
President of the Radio/Television Correspondents' Association.
Very impressive... but something may also be... very wrong.
Victoria Collier (daughter of James Collier) interviewed Headline before he
retired from VNS. She was shocked at how nervous he sounded over the telephone.
I telephoned Headline the other day and left a message asking for information
about Voter News Service, what he did between 1957-1964, and if he ever had a
working relationship with the CIA or any other intelligence agency. He hasn't
returned my call.
If VNS is helping to rig elections, why are they doing it?
Generally speaking... I believe that the same people who can't rake in enough
money, also can't get enough power. The news networks are owned lock, stock,
and barrel by the richest corporations and individuals in the world. They
certainly have an agenda. Their arrogance and disregard for the little guy is
clear. They may think that we're not smart enough to pick the 'right' kind of
leaders... right for them, that is. So they might try to do it for us.
Voter News Service warrants an investigation. Its
operations should be shut down regardless. It's in a perfect position to
sabotage the election process. Let the counties count the vote and report it to
the states. If it takes a day or two for the states to report the results... so
be it. Democracy takes time.
Meanwhile, we should bring back hand-counted paper ballots
and use computerized voting machines for confirmation purposes only. If we
don't take these precautions, we may continue to have our corporate-owned
media, corrupt government officials, and crooked voting machine companies
electing our leaders for us.
Lynn Landes
is a freelance journalist specializing in environmental
issues. She writes a weekly column which is published on her website
www.EcoTalk.org
and reports environmental news for DUTV in Philadelphia, PA.
Lynn's been a radio show host and a regular commentator for a BBC radio
program.
Links & Info:
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0916-04.htm
Voter News Service
(VNS), 45 Main Street, Brooklyn NY, 11201 Ph: 718-694-2350