Denver post column on defective voting machines

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http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4527318?source=rss

It's a must: hackerproof democracy
By Diane Carman
Denver Post Staff Columnist
Article Last Updated:10/22/2006 03:49:04 AM MDT

I snipped the whole first part, which is also worth reading.
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While county clerks and the besieged Secretary of State Gigi Dennis have tried to reassure voters that the systems always have been secure, the eight-page findings of fact and conclusions of law released last week by Denver District Judge Lawrence Manzanares paint a picture of a flawed patchwork system, vulnerable to manipulation and suffering from lax oversight by the secretary of state.

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"The court concludes that the secretary has not established minimum security" as required by state statute "and did not adequately test" the electronic voting machines, Manzanares wrote. The secretary's office "did not carefully evaluate the county security plans and in some cases approved plans that do not substantially comply with the minimum requirements" of the law.

The judge's stinging criticism was particularly worrisome in light of the testimony that computer scientists from Prince ton University hacked into a voting machine made by Diebold Election Systems Inc. and reprogrammed it in one minute.

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Not just incidentally, it's also the company that was represented by lobbyist and convicted felon Jack Abramoff while the House Government Operations Committee was establishing rules for electronic voting systems. And that committee was chaired by Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio, another convicted felon.

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If the U.S. is willing to sacrifice life and limb for the cause of democracy abroad, the least it can do is find the money to keep it from becoming a laughingstock at home.

Diane Carman's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at 303-954-1489 or [e-mail] .

Please send her an email, and let her know her comments are appreciated!

[acmavm]

1. Done.

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3. Thanks! It's great that we have Diane Carmen! She's always on

target.

I'm sure she'll get plenty of criticisms, so it's important to let her know her efforts are noticed and appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time!

[acmavm]

8. I have kids that live in Denver. It's important that they get good

information. They're of voting age.

[Solly Mack]

2. Recommended

Dropping her an email now.

Thanks for posting!

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5. Thanks, Solly! She's a fine person, and will appreciate hearing from you!

[april]

4. Done thanx

[GardeningGal]

6. Excellent - I hope they continue to review these machines.

I especially liked this part:

Myriah Conroy, the lead plaintiff in the complaint against the secretary of state, said the issue of electronic voting machine security is far from resolved. Time constraints limited what could be accomplished before Nov. 7, but it's not enough.

"The judge almost went so far as to decertify the system for future elections," she said. "A lot more needs to be done."

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7. THanks for including that--it was hard to decide what to leave out!

I sure do like Diane Carmen!

I'll call her later today--she's great to talk to!

Thanks for your reply.

[The Brethren]

9. '"The court concludes

that the secretary has not established minimum security" as required by state statute "and did not adequately test" the electronic voting machines, Manzanares wrote. The secretary's office "did not carefully evaluate the county security plans and in some cases approved plans that do not substantially comply with the minimum requirements" of the law.'

Well that's just wonderful! And another politician not doing their job. Thanks for the article. Will send Diane Carman a thank you email and thumbs-up.

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12. Yeah, the judge was a bit.... edgy... ^_^

I liked the chosen words.

[acmavm]

10. And she got the e-mail...

It ain't much but it was sure fast. Now that's the kind of people we need in the media!
<snip>
Thanks!
Diane Carman
-NO MORE-

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13. Wouldn't you like to have a representative like that? ^_^

Whenever I've called her, she's given me good info.

I'm thinking...... might be really good if she took on the stuff about Sibel Edmonds...

[EFerrari]

11. Good for the Denver Post!

K&R

[calimary]

14. Kick!

Very important stuff. Very important indeed!