Reply #61: This is one reason why I'm interested in the machines' user manuals.

[Bill Bored]

I have a theory that they did a focus group or something and figured out how to set up the user interface so that it would confuse just enough people to swing a close election without outright fraud. Lesser penalties and more plausible deniability that way if caught, and to the extent they actually have any real "moral values", they could sleep better at night knowing that it was all the "voters' fault." Fits their whole Darwinian view of the world too (even though they say they don't believe in evolution!), i.e., anyone smart enough to figure out how the machine works gets to have their vote counted. Just need to figure out how this could favor one candidate over another.

I can see how someone could self-justify stealing an election this way, but not by outright hacking. It's your yellow pavement argument, but without the paint.