More Tabulator Trouble & Petition To Sign

[ChrisPhx]

Excerpts from

"Risks to the Public in Computers
and Related Systems"
Peter G. Neumann and Contributors

January 2005 ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering

“• Diebold GEMS central tabulator contains a stunning security
hole: two-digit code alters results; this is a real doozer
(R 23 52)…”
“…• Earlier cases reported: New Mexico: at least 678 votes lost
in 2000 early voting, greater than the presidential margin (R
23 50, correction R 23 51); Lost records of 2002 Florida vote
raise 2004 concern (R 23 46); Alabama 2003, ES&S machines
reversed the governor’s race, not detected until long afterward!
Bev Harris records 51 cases in which voting machines
recorded the wrong outcomes, including Wayne County NC
(reversed in time); 100% error in Orange County in 1998 bond
issue (yes/no reversed) (R 23 51; more on Bev Harris’s crusade,
R 23 45) her predictions were fairly prescient])…”

Most of the article is on my blog

http://chrisphoenix.forclark.com

---

Petition: Please visit and sign if you agree:

"Address The Biggest Threat To Our Democracy"
To: Electoral Reform Groups, U.S. Congress

Petition Statement:

“We have grave concerns about voting in our Democracy. We believe the main threat to our Democracy is not currently being addressed.

Paper trails for ballots only matter if an election is close enough to "justify" a recount, and if an honest recount can be accomplished.

The Tabulators can be hacked into in order to create an artificially large difference in votes between candidates. So without a recount, the "paper trail," if it exists remains irrelevent.

If a recount is done, there is no guarantee it will be done openly and honestly (Ohio 2004), so again the paper trail may be irrelevant. Also recounts are costly as was seen this election cycle.

We have to get it right the first time, by addressing the Tabulator and Electronic voting problem. We need to get Electronic voting and hackable Tabulators out of our election system.
Until and unless they can developed with open source code and non partisan verification of their accuracy and security, we can not have faith in a system that relies on electronic voting and Tabulators.
Otherwise we see no point in taking part in any actions to demand a paper trail and/or deal with myriad types of vote fraud and intimidation. If we ONLY take care of all the other problems, we could easily find ourselves wondering again in 2006 and 2008 "what went wrong?"

We will not participate until and unless the Tabulator and Electronic voting problem is first or simultaneously addressed.”

It is hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/no4etabs/petition.html

Thanks

Chris

Repost: Feel free to distribute widely.

[Vincardog]

1. I was #88 What number were you?

[Amaryllis]

2. kick

[Melissa G]

3. the concern about the tabulators is merited But if we do not participate

we give the republicans and those who are hacking the vote exactly what they want... Our vote not counting. I do not think this is a useful approach.

[ChrisPhx]

4. Some of us have beating our heads into the wall

to get attention to the tabulators for months or more.



This petition has been an outgrowth of that experience, and watching exactly what we feared happen last November.

I personally have zero energy left to fight for election reform that doesn't address the most critical aspect of the whole problem.

It drives me kinda crazy listening to all the talk about what is wrong with the Democratic party?

My answer: not a whole lot that elimination of the tabulator and all forms of election fraud won't fix.

Your mileage may vary.

[ChrisPhx]

5. Bumping our heads:

[Wilms]

6. I hear yah. n/t

[Melissa G]

8. Great pic! Great sentiment! As much as I agree I will not give my

Vote and participation in the process away for it. THIS is what they want by what they are doing. I cannot see agreeing to help them as solving the problem. I appreciate and share your frustration as I try to put in two hours a day on this issue.
mg

[ChrisPhx]

7. Next signature will be Number 100

Who will it be????

:bounce:

[sacxtra]

9. Chris - YOU WIN! You UNDERSTAND IT!!! YEAH SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS!

GO PAPER!!!!

[demodonkey]

10. I Agree About the Tabulators, but I will NOT give up my vote to THEM...

I say instead let's flood the system with honest votes and honest voters, making it harder and harder to steal.

If we do that, even we fail every other way to get reform, eventually the results are going to look so ridiculous that the general public will have to notice.

But don't even try to vote at all and you are just handing the country over.

[kster]

11. Thats what I

think Kerry's mission was,get as many voters over the threshold as possible,and either beat the machine,or so when they did cheat it would be obvious.Now that we know what happened.If we don't strike at the heart of the problem,the tabulators.All our work will be for nothing."Paper ballots hand counted" NGU