A Voater just submitted this stunning information about Seth's work at the DNC, specifically his work with PANDA. It is so compelling, I asked her permission to make it a separate post:
I found out more about this open source library of data analysis tools that works with Python called PANDA. It was originally a Knight News challenge winner in 2011 but has since become widely used. ONE use is for compiling voter registration data and some researchers even used it to predict how individuals within each precinct vote. I did some more digging and found that the AP has been using it since 2014 WIDELY to store huge amounts of voter registration. THE AP? PANDA? Voter registration data? 2014 (the year the Voter Expansion Project began, a CLINTON project involving Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft among others)? Seth Rich and Pratt Wiley were in charge of the voter data thought the expansion.
Here is an extensive article about the VEP: https://medium.com/@MeanJean/what-is-the-dnc-voter-expansion-project-264395c439f3 Excerpts: "The article quotes Pratt Wiley, the DNC’s voter protection director who was fired this past summer after a Wikileaks dump revealed Wiley and other DNC staff including Debbie Wassermann Schultz , interfering in the election on a national level, placing more than a thumb on the scales in Clinton’s favor. In recently leaked documents published via Wikileaks, we learn from Clinton’s campaign chairs, John Podesta’s and Robby Mook’s email exchanges that the majority of the internets technology and data software creators and/or companies themselves are “With Her”.
Archived link: http://archive.is/QweuE
"The DNC works with closely w/partner network alliances-which act as a funnel for millions of dollars of donations to the party committees and the Clinton campaign. The main alliance is Democracy Alliance and, sister charity to Tides Foundation , the Tides Center-which like the DA, serves as an incubator for fledgling progressive non-profit dark money organizations and private for-profit companies."
All of the election night coverage gets fed to newsrooms through the AP system using data from stringers. Here's how that works: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/05/03/how-the-associated-press-tells-us-all-whos-winning-on-election-night-explained/?utm_term=.e93138a85349 Note there is a cross-check of the total against the number of registered voters in an area.
Do you think there might be a connection here? Do you think Seth was into/onto PANDA? Here's more on it: http://www.niemanlab.org/2016/04/what-happens-to-a-great-open-source-project-when-its-creators-are-no-longer-using-the-tool-themselves/
Remember: Seth was hired in 2014 specifically as data director for this project! AND his LinkedIn (now erased but captured at reddit) said he was skilled in PYTHON statistical data analysis!!!
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notanartist ago
It could very well be - it's part of the whole Pew, Google, Democracy Fund project. https://votinginfoproject.org/projects/get-to-the-polls/
At the time I was researching this, it seemed that most voting apps were connected to Pew and Google in one way or another. I started working on this in early 2016 when people's registrations were changed without their authorization. I believe they used the demographic data to determine which precincts would be heavily Sanders and that the shortage of ballots (necessitating provisional ballots) was planned.
It got to the point where I could predict, based on legislation/ERIC adoption, who would win a certain state.
You are absolutely correct that these programs have been barely mentioned. Can you imagine if President Trump's best friend's company designed and marketed a voter registration program that was funded by a clearly partisan group? It would be all over the place.
Another thing: Why in the world would Pew dissolve their Election Initiatives program so close to the general election - especially when many states had recently joined ERIC and likely needed support?
Thank you for taking the information seriously - hundreds of hours went into this, and everything is documented - mostly from government sources. Like you said, it is very complex.
Carolab67 ago
Amazing research. I was unable to respond because of personal issues -- but this is outstanding. I am particularly intrigued by Google's involvement inasmuch as Eric Schmidt essentially pledged to deliver 2016 for Hillary -- and interestingly, took on Eric Braverman for his Schmidt Foundation after Braverman left the Clinton Foundation. That ERIC incorporated demographic data to predict which precincts would be heavily for Sanders makes complete sense to me and fits in with what I learned about PANDA's potential in this regard. I also think it is rather interesting that a video surfaced of Seth at an Election Summit at American University August 2015 asking about provisional ballots - I wonder why this was filmed, too and who released it now. As someone deeply concerned about voter protection it would make sense that he was aware of the potential for provisional ballots and how poll workers were to be instructed on their use.
Carolab67 ago
Wikileaks revealed in April 2014, Schmidt sent Hillary Clinton aide Cheryl Mills a detailed plan for the 2016 campaign, writing "If we get started soon, we will be in a very strong position to execute well for 2016." The plan laid out ideas for the campaign, like where it should be headquartered and who should be hired. The Voter Expansion Project got underway in 2014 and it was a Clinton project. WJC delivered a speech about it (video at YouTube). Schmidt pledged his support to Hillary in June. Schmidt also offered the Google plane for a trip to Africa with 20 top donors and wanted specifically to meet with WJC. This was in November 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com/wikileaks-emails-google-eric-schmidt-relationship-with-clintons-2016-11 Seth joined the Voter Expansion Project in June 2014. It officially launched at the Winter 2014 DNC Conference. Check out the DNC Task Force members - Eric Schmidt is one of them. https://uploads.democrats.org/Downloads/DVTF_FinalReport.pdf It is interesting to realize that this whole enterprise was conceived BEFORE Bernie ever got into the race -- nobody expected him and I would wager they certainly didn't expect how it took off. Bernie threw a wrench into it all when he jumped in in May 2015.