NY: Voted down - Election machines fail to win state certification

[Wilms]

Voted down

Election machines fail to win state certification

Sunday December 17, 2006
OPINION

snip

While no one would argue that reform is needed, and wouldn't it be wonderful if the systems were uniform, this is a case where New York's lack of haste may be to its benefit. Concern is growing over the ability of a hacker to access electronic voting machines. And on Thursday, state Board of Elections Co-chairman Douglas Kellner acknowledged: "There is not a single vendor whose machine can be certified in its current format."

The board passed on the decision of choice to counties, but has the duty of certifying their selections.

Kellner's honest assessment means that having new machines in place by September of next year is unlikely. It also means that new machines would not be tried out in 2008, because it is a presidential election and the state would not want to run an untested system during such an important year.

The rest of the nation would be wise to pause and consider New York's reluctance to hop on board this electronic voting train. Are they really confident, on the eve of a very important presidential election, that their systems are tamper-proof, or that they have adequate backup paper trails that could be verified?

snip

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/OPINION/612170314/1005/OPINION

[nradisic]

1. Now that sets an example...

Go NY!

[longship]

2. Recommended and kicked

:kick:ed

[philb]

3. Are opti-scan equipment certified and used in NY?

are you only talking about DREs?

[Wilms]

4. Both, or, er. neither.

Other than a lever, the only machine certified in NY is a Ballot Marker--the AutoMark.

And the paper ballots marked by AutoMark in NY are (...are you sitting?), Hand Counted!

[PeterPan]

7. Populex, Avante vote-Trakker, and Sequoia Advantages

were used in New York in november as well.

Populex (11 counties) and Avante (36 counties), like the AutoMARK (15 counties) were used at vote centers for disabled accessibility. Sequoia was used in Saratoga County only.

[Wilms]

8. Well thanks, Peter.

I hadn't been aware (or forgot) those other Ballot Markers.

To be sure, the Avante is used as a Ballot Marker though is capable of acting like a DRE. Is that your understanding.

[Stevepol]

5. Good news.

[Bill Bored]

6. Anybody know how and why they all flunked the tests?

Other states might be able to learn from this.

Woops! I forgot, the rest of 'em already certified all this junk!
That's a shame.:nopity: