Forget chads, inspect electronic voting - Charlotte Observer

[Bushfire]

Posted on Wed, Aug. 13, 2003

Here's a knock in the head just as fall elections loom: Computer scientists are warning that electronic voting machines are inaccurate and vulnerable to hackers who could tamper with results.

That's the word from Johns Hopkins University, where a new report says the unreliability of computers -- which are "subject to bugs, glitches, hiccups and the more remote possibility of outright hacking and code tampering" -- underscores disturbing potential problems with electronic voting.

Election officials are pooh-poohing the concerns, noting that no voter fraud has been documented from use of electronic voting machines. But that doesn't mean it can't happen. And other problems have been found, ranging from untrained poll workers who caused election-day delays to malfunctioning equipment, some of which registered votes for a different candidate than the one the person voted for. Argh!

The good news is that many of the critical computer scientists see the problems as fixable. And some of the fixes are required in new federal election laws that aim to address problems with punch cards and other antiquated voting equipment, such as those used in Florida during the 2000 presidential election fiasco.

more...

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/6520095.htm

[sandnsea]

1. The problems are fixable

and some of the fixes are required in federal election laws.

Oh good, nothing to worry about, wanna' go to Walmart?

[Bushfire]

2. The fifth paragraph is key

which talks about not giving people who don't vote another reason not to. Plus this choice quote "Political leaders should address remaining problems as quickly as possible."

We might be able to protect democracy by 2004 if our political leaders get off their protected asses. There is no excuse not to speak up on this issue right now.

[RainDog]

3. was this the paper that did the investigative reporting

on Jim Bakker or some other religious scam?

I wonder who the reporter was on that series.

It would be interesting to know if that reporter knows about Hagel and the ES&S issues, along with the Rushdooney connection.