Reply #6: THIS is why we need to vote in such numbers that fraud is obvious MORE:

[helderheid]

Researchers: Diebold Software would have to be completely rewritten
Diebold has been under attack before. Not only did they have an unprotected server - a security leak that specifically bears out the problems of electronic voting - there was also a matter of software that was allowing vote fraud on a 'huge scale'. This was found in an investigation (PDF) of that software by John Hopkins University together with Rice University, according to an article by MSNBC in July of 2003. 'The software's vulnerabilities could allow someone to create a specially programmed smart card, and surreptitiously use it in the voting booth to cast multiple ballots. “A 15-year-old computer enthusiast could make these counterfeit cards in a garage and sell them,” Rubin said. <...> If attackers gained access to the link between the machines and the back-end servers, they could stir up even more mischief: “I click on George Bush and it’s really counted for Al Gore, I click on Al Gore and it’s really counted for George Bush,” Kohno said. <...> The company said its e-voting software is constantly updated to comply with certification requirements, but the researchers said the software would have to be rebuilt from scratch in order to address the security vulnerabilities they found.'

It's not just Diebold - VoteHere had security leak as well
It's not only Diebold that has been hampered by a security leak. VoteHere, a company 'developing encryption-based software for secure electronic voting has itself become the victim of a computer break-in', writes MSNBC in December of 2003. 'The company also has partnered with Sequoia Voting Systems for distribution of its paperless ballot verification system, but the software has not yet been deployed under that deal.' In previous parts of this series we have reported on the shadowy practices of Sequoia.

Electronic voting makes fraud possible and unverifiable
The crucial point is not the fact that hackers could break into the system - though that problem should be eliminated - but that 'the people' have no insight into how the ballots would be handled by those who collect them - 'the political system'. If they were to make a deal with the manufacturers of the voting machines without providing for a way to check up on the results of their cooperation, then this could be the finishing stroke to an already dilapidated democracy. Supporters of electronic voting extol the virtues of encrytion for getting the ballot safely from the voter to the ballot taker. In the meantime music and software distributors are continually having to admit that there security measures have once again been breached. The weakest link is in the part of the chain where the vote, be it encrypted or not, is received. As soon as the ballot reaches the person at the other end, he can do whatever he wants with it. One push of the button (or one that is previously programmed) and a vote for candidate A is changed into a vote for candidate B and with one more push of the button a receipt will come out stating that a vote has been cast for candidate A, where in fact candidate B has just received that vote. Another detail to be pointed out here is that voting anonymously via the Internet seems to be entirely impossible. MSNBC compares electronic voting to an electronic bank transaction: '<...> it’s OK if the bank knows how much money you have in your account — but it’s not OK if the election office knows how you voted.'

Three Republican candidates coincidentally get 18,181 votes each
'Winning vote totals uncanny in Comal', reads the headline in the San Antonio Express-News in November of 2002 regarding elections in Comal, Texas. 'What are the odds? Let's just say it's the proverbial "astronomical." Comal County elections officials noticed an extreme oddity after the final votes were tallied in Tuesday's general election. County Judge Danny Scheel received 18,181 votes in his victory over Lois Duggan. Republican state Sen. Jeff Wentworth also got 18,181 votes in Comal County in his win over Democrat Joseph Sullivan and Libertarian Rex Black. To make matters even stranger, Comal County also gave Republican Carter Casteel exactly 18,181 votes in her victory over Democrat Virgil Yanta in the race for District 73 state representative.
"Isn't that the weirdest thing?" County Clerk Joy Streater asked. "We noticed it right away, but it is just a big coincidence. I checked the precincts and the numbers are all different in every precinct for each of them. They just coincidentally all add up to 18,181." Scheel hadn't noticed the anomaly. "I'll be darned," he said when it was pointed out to him. "Look at that. That's weird"', according to the article.
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