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yowzayowzayowza Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Oct-16-05 03:45 PM
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Plausible deniability & Election eTheft
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The most commonly feared election etheft methods seem to be tabulator(GEMS) hacks and Clint Curtis style coding. As a programmer of over 20 yrs I gotta say those are very unlikely scenarios. Tabulator hacks could leave traces in page files, remote access logs and telephony records. Nefarious code is risky as it persists far too long. Both methods could be discovered in a recount of the paper trail. Further, neither method utilizes the preferred right-wing modus operandi since Shrub Senior nearly got busted in Iran-Contra: plausible deniability, a tactic which legitimizes stunningly blatant illegal activity. Bush lied us into a war? 'Naw, jus bad intelligence. Oops, sorry.' Judith Miller lied us into a war? 'Naw, jus bad sources. Oops, sorry.' Etc, etc...

Plausible deniability could be injected into DRE systems with preplanned errors introduced into the software that creates the ballot definitions the DREs execute. The switch could be a redundant, missing or superfluous parameter produced within the ballot definition file by a series of seemingly innocuous functions such as an unusual edit sequence. The DREs response to this unusual parameter would be to accidentally-on-purpose behave as described by Pamela de Maigret. This pair of interlocking side-effect errors could easily be activated for a particular precinct or election (thus avoiding local elections and tests). Also, the paper trail will always match the tabulation. Response to the unlikely discovery of this error? You guessed it: 'Oops, sorry.'

IMHO, tho the tabulator & explicit code methods of etheft are certainly possible, a method relying on plausible deniability is far more conceivable. Having mentioned these scenarios a coupla times before, I reiterate in hopes of expanding understanding of the potential for etheft and that explorations of electoral results (actual & exit polls) not unduly focus on exploits bound simply by voting or tabulation system.

(...Make sense, jus more contrarian gibberish er mebbie needs more cow bell?)
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  -Plausible deniability & Election eTheft yowzayowzayowza  Oct-16-05 03:45 PM   #0 
  - The only hope we have is to create a spread so wide that any  rzemanfl   Oct-16-05 03:58 PM   #1 
  - I agree.  mirandaod   Oct-16-05 04:10 PM   #3 
  - My thought is that all the people who intend to vote Democratic  rzemanfl   Oct-16-05 06:51 PM   #21 
  - How is it that we've come to this?  Der Blaue Engel   Oct-16-05 04:13 PM   #4 
  - Yes, but once the Dems get subpoena power, etc. won't the fraud  rzemanfl   Oct-16-05 06:46 PM   #20 
  - There will be no spread wide enough  GuvWurld   Oct-16-05 05:30 PM   #16 
  - I would have submitted to you...  Blue Shark   Oct-18-05 09:57 PM   #44 
  - bingo yowzayowzayowza; E-fraud or Glitch Switch; the media will never know  Land Shark   Oct-18-05 10:45 PM   #46 
  - Until somebody in on the scam comes forward it's all speculation:  Stevepol   Oct-16-05 04:00 PM   #2 
  - well, since you ask  Febble   Oct-16-05 04:14 PM   #5 
  - why can't they both be wrong?  foo_bar   Oct-16-05 05:01 PM   #11 
     - Careful!  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-16-05 05:05 PM   #12 
     - Actually, I think we are at the stage  Febble   Oct-16-05 05:58 PM   #19 
        - Wait a minute, what's the difference between  Bill Bored   Oct-17-05 06:30 PM   #27 
           - Read my lips  Febble   Oct-17-05 06:54 PM   #28 
              - sElection 2k eTheft switch oops ...  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-17-05 07:33 PM   #29 
              - Yes but this was a 14% undervote rate!  Bill Bored   Oct-17-05 11:13 PM   #31 
                 - Man o man.  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-18-05 01:54 AM   #37 
              - Let me get this straight...  Bill Bored   Oct-17-05 11:02 PM   #30 
                 - Well, I have to say  Febble   Oct-18-05 01:46 AM   #36 
                    - OK, let's step back for a moment, shall we?  Bill Bored   Oct-18-05 03:17 AM   #38 
                       - Well, sort of  Febble   Oct-18-05 03:38 AM   #39 
                          - But what are we trying to prove?  Bill Bored   Oct-18-05 12:46 PM   #40 
                             - OK  Febble   Oct-18-05 04:18 PM   #41 
                             - I didn't say they were impossible did I?  Bill Bored   Oct-18-05 07:38 PM   #43 
                                - OK Bill  Febble   Oct-19-05 09:41 AM   #48 
                             - Regarding outliers: anecdotal evidence might be useful.  kiwi_expat   Oct-18-05 06:58 PM   #42 
                                - The big WPE for Cincy4M was probably not the result of rBr, per se.  kiwi_expat   Oct-18-05 10:17 PM   #45 
                                - consensual correction  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-21-05 03:43 PM   #85 
                                - I'm afraid I used the term "sampling bias" incorrectly.  kiwi_expat   Oct-19-05 07:08 AM   #47 
                                   - I think it could be right either way, depending...  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-19-05 09:41 AM   #49 
                                      - Really?  BeFree   Oct-19-05 10:40 AM   #50 
                                      - Do you think we might  Febble   Oct-19-05 11:04 AM   #51 
                                         - Deleted message  Name removed   Oct-19-05 11:54 AM   #52 
                                            - The "early" data  Febble   Oct-19-05 12:14 PM   #53 
                                               - Accuse?  BeFree   Oct-19-05 12:22 PM   #54 
                                               - Well, I try to tell the truth as I see it  Febble   Oct-19-05 12:37 PM   #55 
                                               - I couldn't agree more, Febble  BeFree   Oct-20-05 07:52 AM   #64 
                                               - Well, see my post below  Febble   Oct-20-05 08:51 AM   #67 
                                               - I'm sure we appreciate the advice  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-19-05 01:04 PM   #58 
                                               - You're welcome  BeFree   Oct-20-05 07:19 AM   #62 
                                               - No, there was no audit  Febble   Oct-20-05 07:50 AM   #63 
                                               - your facts are still confused, as far as I can tell  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-20-05 08:08 AM   #65 
                                               - OTOH  BeFree   Oct-20-05 08:50 AM   #66 
                                               - The people who commissioned the exit poll  Febble   Oct-20-05 08:56 AM   #68 
                                               - hmm...  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-20-05 11:04 AM   #69 
                                               - that's pretty Raw  BeFree   Oct-20-05 06:16 PM   #70 
                                               - nope, sorry, still wrong  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-20-05 06:34 PM   #71 
                                               - Almost certainly weighted?  BeFree   Oct-20-05 07:36 PM   #73 
                                               - the national surveys? certainly weighted  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-20-05 08:01 PM   #74 
                                               - Ah, yes, the midday data  BeFree   Oct-20-05 08:24 PM   #75 
                                               - no, the midday data were almost certainly weighted  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-21-05 05:24 AM   #76 
                                               - Adjustments, weightings, program errors  BeFree   Oct-21-05 07:25 AM   #77 
                                               - I quote Freeman here  BeFree   Oct-21-05 08:02 AM   #78 
                                               - not an iota of support for your use of "raw" and "weighted"  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-21-05 08:35 AM   #79 
                                               - I don't need support  BeFree   Oct-21-05 09:16 AM   #80 
                                               - how can you sway people if you insist on using your own terms?  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-21-05 10:13 AM   #81 
                                               - Are you referring to the term 'RAW'  BeFree   Oct-21-05 10:37 AM   #82 
                                               - Forget the terms  Febble   Oct-21-05 11:10 AM   #83 
                                               - Is that right?  BeFree   Oct-21-05 06:21 PM   #86 
                                               - And furthermore...  BeFree   Oct-21-05 06:50 PM   #87 
                                               - Actually I don't  Febble   Oct-21-05 07:18 PM   #88 
                                               - Here ya go & edited  BeFree   Oct-21-05 07:59 PM   #90 
                                               - OK  Febble   Oct-22-05 03:50 AM   #91 
                                               - well, it depends on the context  OnTheOtherHand   Oct-21-05 12:15 PM   #84 
                                               - In answer to your last question  Febble   Oct-20-05 06:37 PM   #72 
                                      - Thanks! Here is my little list of possible contributions to a WPE.  kiwi_expat   Oct-19-05 08:28 PM   #59 
     - Well, I think they both CAN be wrong,  Febble   Oct-16-05 05:15 PM   #15 
  - Thank you for discussing DRE fraud *vs.* tabulator(GEMS) fraud!  kiwi_expat   Oct-16-05 04:39 PM   #6 
  - Naw, naw.  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-16-05 04:48 PM   #8 
     - I have always wondered why a DRE paper trail couldn't be rigged also.  kiwi_expat   Oct-16-05 05:34 PM   #17 
        - And me.  Febble   Oct-16-05 05:40 PM   #18 
        - The term "paper trail" does...  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-16-05 11:05 PM   #24 
           - I'm rooting for the 'Stros and here's why:  Bill Bored   Oct-17-05 11:20 PM   #32 
              - So how does...  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-18-05 12:09 AM   #33 
  - And by playing games with new technology - not stealing votes - but  applegrove   Oct-16-05 04:41 PM   #7 
  - I know what ya mean.  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-16-05 04:51 PM   #10 
     - Get your "little speech" ready for the bully matron "rule-maker" you  applegrove   Oct-16-05 05:13 PM   #13 
  - I agree with your basic premise but may quibble with some details.  eomer   Oct-16-05 04:49 PM   #9 
  - The difference between...  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-16-05 05:13 PM   #14 
  - Tabulators...Diebold Plausible Deniability  autorank   Oct-18-05 12:31 AM   #34 
     - Innovative?  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-18-05 01:34 AM   #35 
  - Contrarian gibberish.  BeFree   Oct-16-05 07:52 PM   #22 
  - No Way!  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-16-05 10:51 PM   #23 
  - Cow Bell.  btmlndfrmr   Oct-17-05 04:54 PM   #25 
  - Agree completely.  Bill Bored   Oct-17-05 06:17 PM   #26 
  - Thank you yowza -- it seems that this contains some important clues, but  Time for change   Oct-19-05 12:49 PM   #56 
     - Oh, wait a minute -- maybe I get it from reading some other posts  Time for change   Oct-19-05 12:55 PM   #57 
        - Two points:  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-20-05 12:46 AM   #60 
        - yowza(x3) explains his use of the term "paper trail" in post #24  kiwi_expat   Oct-20-05 02:12 AM   #61 
        - FYI: Even tho I'm obviously not privy to ...  yowzayowzayowza   Oct-21-05 07:55 PM   #89 
 

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