Graham: Be wary of hackers involved with election tampering

[GBD4]

http://www.grahamforpresident.com/news/displayArticle.php?id=29

on edit: I figure I might as well just paste the whole press release right here...

<<Senator Graham issued the following statement responding to a story noting that the Michigan Democratic Party is planning to allow party members to vote for the party’s presidential nominee via the Internet, as well as by attending the Feb. 7 caucus or mailing in a ballot.

“Michigan’s decision to allow internet voting in its primary opens a Pandora’s box of issues surrounding the fundamental idea that every American can vote regardless of color, class, or geographic location. I worry that the push for internet voting further disenfranchises poor and minority groups that frequently don’t have access to computers. In fact, the Voting Integrity Project notes that poor and minority voters are less likely to be wired than their peers.

"And in an age of computer viruses, worms, and hackers, I fear that there is too much potential for elections to be manipulated by anyone from a computer hacker to a more sinister force. There are more issues here than meet the eye.

“Until we take steps to address the digital divide and allay fears of potential hackers and jammed lines, I urge Michigan to reject internet voting and assure that the primary is an accurate reflection of the public will.” >>

[w4rma]

1. Sen. Graham is exactly correct. (n/t)

[liberalnurse]

2. Damn...He is good!

He really is a champion of the people.

[gristy]

3. That is exactly right.

I worry that the push for internet voting further disenfranchises poor and minority groups that frequently don?t have access to computers.

If you make it easier for one class of people to vote (i.e., computer owners), you disenfranchise those who do not have that advantage. Surely this is illegal.

[TacticalPeek]

4. Graham gets it right on a whole bushel of things.

I've been surprised he doesn't poll higher. Too intelligent, I guess.

Here, he nails the computer poll tax, same as the old poll tax, just using a different impediment for poor voters.

:dem:

[sandnsea]

5. Well cheers for Senator Graham

It's great he's talking on this and also put it so simply. It could be a goofy computer hacker or something more sinister.

[arcane1]

6. he's just one step away from calling out BBV

anyone know if any of our candidates are aware of these issues?

[GBD4]

7. not sure

but now that you mention BBV, I was doing some reading on Bev Harris's website, and I was wondering if there have been problems with these optical scan machines as far as voters not bubbling their sheets perfectly. so, instead of hanging chads, you have an ambiguous bubble or whatever you want to call it. I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere, but I'm curious whether or not votes have been thrown out by the machines because of poor bubbling, and also whether voters can get fresh sheets if they mess up, for we all know how tough it is to erase cleanly on those stupid bubble sheets! certainly, the elimination of hand-counting doesn't mean the elimination of voting problems!

[ProfessorPlum]

8. Since Graham is from Florida

I can't believe he isn't aware of this issue.

He really impresses me a lot - I hope if he isn't the nominee that he is given a place of importance in the next administration, where he can bring his intelligence to bear. I've really liked so much of what he has to say.

[SixDegrees]

9. What about Diebold?

The president of Diebold, based in Akron, Ohio, promised in a fundraising letter to deliver Ohio to the Republicans. (See DU's Top Ten Conservative Idiots, 9/1/03 for links.)

Diebold wants to provide electronic voting machines everywhere, even though the machines can be hacked and the results manipulated.

If this issue doesn't get confronted head-on, then all the organizing, activism, voter registration, rallies, etc., won't make a damn bit of difference.