Should DU folks get cards to FIX 04 vote to offset GOP cheating?

[papau]

It appears we have "voting cards" that carry a program that can add 100,000 votes to the total of canadiate number 1 - who we like - and subtract 100000 votes from the GOP - as in "Bush" at each polling station in 04. Given the fact that half the GOP were elected by cheating, would it be wrong for DU folks to fight back and make it part of the political campaign plan to use such cards at appropiate locations in 04?

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20031204.html

http://www.ospolitics.org/usa/archives/2003/12/08/simulating.php

December 08, 2003
Simulating Dodgy Voting Machines
By John Williams

This November I had an opportunity to try out one of the new electronic voting machines. Let me be frank: I don't like them. I don't get a receipt. I don't know how my vote is being tallied. In fact, I have no way of knowing if my vote has been cast at all. <snip>


It'd be really easy to write a program that made you think you were voting for someone when you were actually voting for someone else. How easy?

It took me about four hours.

That's to write the whole thing. To write the bit that skews the results only took about ten minutes.<snip>
Posted by John Williams at



and


http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20031204.html



(...)Now here's the really interesting part. Forgetting for a moment Diebold's voting machines, let's look at the other equipment they make. Diebold makes a lot of ATM machines. They make machines that sell tickets for trains and subways. They make store checkout scanners, including self-service scanners. They make machines that allow access to buildings for people with magnetic cards. They make machines that use magnetic cards for payment in closed systems like university dining rooms. All of these are machines that involve data input that results in a transaction, just like a voting machine. But unlike a voting machine, every one of these other kinds of Diebold machines -- EVERY ONE -- creates a paper trail and can be audited. Would Citibank have it any other way? Would Home Depot? Would the CIA? Of course not. These machines affect the livelihood of their owners. If they can't be audited they can't be trusted. If they can't be trusted they won't be used.

Now back to those voting machines. If EVERY OTHER kind of machine you make includes an auditable paper trail, wouldn't it seem logical to include such a capability in the voting machines, too? Given that what you are doing is adapting existing technology to a new purpose, wouldn't it be logical to carry over to voting machines this capability that is so important in every other kind of transaction device?

This confuses me. I'd love to know who said to leave the feature out and why?

Next week: the answer.

[Don_G]

1. I'm Going To Ask For An Absentee Ballot

With any luck, I can add a million votes for anybody but Dimbo.

[papau]

2. We have a nerd/Geek population at DU that could flood every State

There is really no hurry, now that we have a program, and the cards, to get the paper trail fixed - that is, unless we need to be more honorable, honest - more "American" - than out GOP opponent.

[foo_bar]

3. re: "voting cards" that carry a program

I didn't see any reference to this in your links. Is this a hypothetical proposition, or is there a flaw that allows end users to run code?

In either case it's an old double-bind. Both parties have practiced fraud, and they've both blamed their opponents for doing it first. Coup d'etats don't really enhance representative government even when it's your team.

[markus]

4. The solution is to block Black Box voting in your state

My own, Repulican dominated state of North Dakota, rejected paperless machines.

The best place to fight this may be a the local and state level to prvent their adoption by the people who have to pick vendors.

I still think the best electronic voting machines are those that read paper ballots (preferably using pencil marks so avoid chads).

The technology is mature and reliable, and everyone who's made it through primary school knows how to fill in the little circles.

You get fast, accurate counts, and can fall back on the paper ballots as required in a recount or machine failure.

[papau]

5. I agree - but when the GOP refuses to agree - perhaps they have a plan

that needs to be countered?

:-)