We Will Have Accurate Voting in 2006? 2008?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Diebold Machines and Your Vote

With the emergence of paperless billing and online banking, many of us save considerable effort, time and money every month. The transition to digital information has gone well beyond paying bills or taxes, and booking airline flights. Virtually all aspects of our lives are affected. Not surprisingly, the same technological shift has been occurring in the field of voting machines, accelerated by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) passed by Congress at the end of 2002.

No paper trail.

While differing in implementation, these systems share a crucial feature: all information about the votes is stored exclusively in digital format. The crucial difference from more traditional voting systems (e.g., punch card and optical scan machines) is that those systems keep the original vote in a physical form (usually paper) that can be directly verified by the voter. This "paper trail" can later be used during a recount, if the need were to arise.

A recount is generally possible with Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines, but what is recounted is simply what the machine recorded in the first place and this can be quite different from the intended vote.

Discrepancies arise through a number of factors, ranging from machine malfunction to malicious tampering with its software. Without the hard-copy redundancy offered by traditional voting systems, performing an independent audit is virtually impossible.

Not just theory

The importance of having such audits has been demonstrated in real life cases where problems with voting and counting machines were suspected. In a primary election in Clay County Kansas (August 2002), Roy Jennings defeated the incumbent, Jerry Mayo, by 22 votes. However, a hand recount, which was possible because of the use of optical scan machines, revealed that Mayo was the winner by a landslide: 540 votes to 175. In one ward, which Mayo carried 242-78, the computer had reversed the totals.

Although this County used optical scan machines, the problem becomes even more serious and insidious when voting systems are less transparent and more complex. With DRE voting systems there is no possibility of a meaningful recount.

The Johns Hopkins Test.

Recent events gave an independent team the unique opportunity to actually examine and test the source code of one of these DRE machines, the AccuVote-TS voting system, made by Diebold Election Systems Inc. A system certified to comply with FEC/NASED voting system standards. Indeed, in January 2003 a copy of Diebold’s source code was found on a publicly available FTP site owned by Diebold, The discovery was announced, much to Diebold’s chagrin, on Bev Harris’ site: http://www.blackboxvoting.org. On July 24th, a team of computer scientists from Johns Hopkins and Rice Universities, led by Dr. Avi Rubin at Johns Hopkins, completed and released a report on their analysis of the source code (at least, the unencrypted parts). The results in this report were devastating as a myriad of serious programming flaws and security problems were discovered. Importantly, some of the most obvious flaws in the code had already been pointed out years before by Dr. Douglas Jones, Chair of the Iowa Board of Examiners for Voting Machines and Electronic Voting Systems, at a time when the code belonged to Global Election Systems (GES), later acquired by Diebold. Jones actually called for the de-certification of Diebold direct recording system, after reading the Rubin report.

Since there are currently 33,000 working AccuVote-TS voting machines manufactured by Diebold around the country (and the number is been steadily rising as a result of HAVA) the results of this analysis has fundamental and potentially devastating implications for future elections.

The Maryland story: an Enron-like "audit?"

Maryland is a case in point. Currently at the center of a controversy, Maryland purchased 5000 such machines in March 2002 (at a cost of $17 million) and has signed an agreement to purchase another 11,000 at a cost of $55.6 million. The Rubin report, mentioned above, prompted Maryland Gov. Robert L. Erhlich Jr. to hire Science Applications International (SAIC) to perform an independent risk assessment on Diebold’s machines. The risk assessment was performed from August 5th through August 26th 2003 and the 200-page report was delivered to State officials on Sep 2.

After substantial redacting, the report was made public on September 24th. The SAIC found 328 security weaknesses, 26 of them being critical, and concluded “the system, as implemented in policy, procedure, and technology, is at high risk of compromise.” Thomas W. Swidarski, president of Diebold Election Systems claimed there were no problems: “We are pleased to be moving forward. The thorough system assessment conducted by SAIC verifies that the Diebold voting station provides an unprecedented level of election security. [...] Maryland has established a new standard of excellence for the electronic voting process. Diebold Election Systems looks forward to supporting the state as it strives to be a leader in election reform in this country." The report provided 17 recommendations to “mitigate” the risks. And despite the report Maryland decided to proceed with its $55.6 million contract to purchase the 11,000 machines. In doing so they completely disregarded the inherent flaws with these voting machines.

http://www.agonist.org/archives/009016.html

[Saddle Bronc 124]

For the arguments presented, I have an awful solution. You can use a system similar to the Indian one (paper ballots with SYMBOLS representing each party running, gentian violet on finger to show that person has voted) and invite former Election Commissioner TN Seshan to supervise/certify it.

[dalegg 143]

Until the voting system is secured, and all parties agree it is fair and accurate, all voting should suspended indefinitely at all levels of government, and the individuals who currently hold those positions should remain in office.

[Ban Hammer 14,269]

Until the voting system is secured, and all parties agree it is fair and accurate, all voting should suspended indefinitely at all levels of government, and the individuals who currently hold those positions should remain in office.

call 911, i think erekose just had the big one with the prospect of bush in office indefinitely.

[Artegal 1]

For the arguments presented, I have an awful solution. You can use a system similar to the Indian one (paper ballots with SYMBOLS representing each party running, gentian violet on finger to show that person has voted) and invite former Election Commissioner TN Seshan to supervise/certify it.

Are we that Illiterate that we need symbols to represent which candidate we want to vote for?

Lets just have a ballot built like a popup book too! And yeah finger paint our choice. And make sure we each get a Gold star and candy for exercising our civic duty!

If people want a paper trail give them a number two pencil and a piece of scratch paper. Or have them vote with an abseentee mail in ballot.

Ignorant people and people without identification should not be allowed to vote--or else let everyone vote as often and as many times as they want for the Democrats as is currently customary.

[Fuzzness 2]

Let's have a bit of real democracy and have the winner win on popular vote

[Artegal 1]

Let's have a bit of real democracy and have the winner win on popular vote

That would not work in our system--because we are a republic. Popular vote would mean that Candidates would only care about New York, California, Texas, and Florida, and the rest of the USA would be unrepresented. Keep the system the way it is just require registered voters to have proper identification, and continue to install idiot proof voting systems.

[Fuzzness 2]

well as it is right now, my vote wouldn't count for anything since Georgia is historically a republican state

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Are we that Illiterate that we need symbols to represent which candidate we want to vote for?

Lets just have a ballot built like a popup book too! And yeah finger paint our choice. And make sure we each get a Gold star and candy for exercising our civic duty!

If people want a paper trail give them a number two pencil and a piece of scratch paper. Or have them vote with an abseentee mail in ballot.

Ignorant people and people without identification should not be allowed to vote--or else let everyone vote as often and as many times as they want for the Democrats as is currently customary.

Partly, I was trying to be sarky.

Also pointing out "quitcherbellyakin--you've got it easier than many!"

[Artegal 1]

well as it is right now, my vote wouldn't count for anything since Georgia is historically a republican state

Historically? Or Recently? Perdue was the first Republican Governor in what?

Maybe you should think more historical when you think Historically. Like actually look back in history.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Let's have a bit of real democracy and have the winner win on popular vote

That would not work in our system--because we are a republic. Popular vote would mean that Candidates would only care about New York, California, Texas, and Florida, and the rest of the USA would be unrepresented. Keep the system the way it is just require registered voters to have proper identification, and continue to install idiot proof voting systems.

Try a mix: A popular vote and electoral vote split by percentage per state. The small states would benefit much more from such model. Currently, who cares about the small ones that have three votes to give? And if the running is close in NY, FL, OH, CA, then truly every vote would count - just as much as the one in NH, TN and KY. It's not the state by state system that's been copied from Congress that ruins it, it's "the winner takes all" system that's applied in most states that makes a farce of the popular vote and that makes the little one's so unimportant...

Edited August 31, 2006 by ET-US2004

[clloyd 0]

Until the voting system is secured, and all parties agree it is fair and accurate, all voting should suspended indefinitely at all levels of government, and the individuals who currently hold those positions should remain in office.

I don't think that idea is consistant with the Consitiution.

[Heracles 417]

Why doesn't every voter have to present ID, to vote???

[PsychoKat 0]

Having read this

Affidavit of voting fraud

posted a few days ago on here

Visa Journey post - Affadavit of voting Fraud

I'd say doubtful