BBV - E-Vote Firms Seek Voter Approval (lobbying)

[phoebe]

apologies if already posted..this is not "new" news to a lot of BBVers but it's getting out there to the public..

snip

In the wake of concerns raised about security flaws in electronic voting systems, a lobbying group is strategizing a public relations and lobbying campaign to help voting companies "repair short-term damage done by negative reports and media coverage."

According to a draft plan produced by the Information Technology Association of America, a lobbying and trade association for the tech industry, electronic voting machine makers are discussing ways to convince state election officials that their products are the gold standard and worthy of taxpayer money.

The plan calls for a media campaign to "generate positive public perception" of the companies and to "reduce substantially the level and amount of criticism from computer scientists and other security experts about the fallibility of electronic voting systems."

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,60864,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

[Spazito]

1. the words "generate positive public perception" are chilling...

in other words, pour the dollars into changing perception instead of changing the machines, geez!

[BattyDem]

3. Exactly!

Which is why I think this information can be used as proof that the BBV industry is intentionally trying to control the outcome of elections. If the machines were as accurate as these companies claim they are, they wouldn't spend millions to change the bad perception of them, they would either fix the problems or prove that the problems don't exist.

They want people to trust their machines. The cheapest, fastest and easiest way to do that would be to have them print voter-verified paper ballots and compare them to the electronic results. The fact that these companies are lobbying so hard against that is the ultimate proof that they're rigging the machines!

I know DUers already know that ... I just needed to rant a little bit! :)


edited for clarity

[JPace]

2. The majority of Americans still do not know

about the "security flaws" in electronic voting
machines.

Seems to me that anything the manufacturers do
to "generate positive public perception" by going
public is just going to raise the awareness of
the problem itself. This is a two edged sword
and can cause more backlash for the manufacturers
than good. This could work in our favor overall!