Reply #23: Electronic voting systems can be easily manipulated, say Dutch researchers

[Melissa G]

Electronic voting systems can be easily manipulated, say Dutch researchers
Posted on : Mon, 09 Oct 2006 18:02:01 GMT | Author : Paula Cussons
News Category : General


The electronic voting systems that are used in the Netherlands, Germany and France are flawed and can be easily manipulated, according to Dutch researchers. A paper released on Friday described the glitches in the Nedap / Groenendaal ES3B voting machines, which are used by almost 90 percent of the Dutch population.

Rop Gonggrijp and Willem-Jan Hengeveld led a team of e-voting experts in compiling the paper. The full paper is available on the Web site of the group "Wij vertrouwen stemcomputers niet" (or "We don't trust voting computers"). The group describes itself as a "coalition of citizens concerned about the use of voting computers during Dutch elections."


The report details some serious flaws in the voting machines, which were obtained by the researchers from various municipalities in the Netherlands. "Anyone, when given brief access to the devices at any time before the election, can gain complete and virtually undetectable control over the election results," the report said.

These flaws were very identical to those discovered in Diebold Election Systems Inc.'s touch-screen voting machine. The ES3B machine is a joint venture between NV Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek (Nedap) and Groenendaal. The latter is a software maker.

The report also said that the machines were so flawed that malicious elements could monitor radio emissions to judge the votes cast by people.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/9276.html