DC Councilmember determines irregularities suggest systemic problems with District election software

[Wilms]

More DC Voting Problems

By: Bruce Johnson

WASHINGTON DC (WUSA) -- DC Councilmember Mary M. Cheh, Chairperson of the Council Board of Elections and Ethics Special Committee, after reviewing the November 4, 2008 general election results, has determined that there are irregularities that suggest systemic problems in the District's election software.

To address these issues, Cheh, with the pro bono assistance of Jenner & Block, is redoubling her efforts to force compliance with a subpoena previously issued to Sequoia Voting Systems, in which the Committee sought to obtain source code of the election software. The source code is believed to be necessary to identify the cause of election problems in the District's elections software.

~snip~

Questions about the reliability of the District's election software were raised after the September Primary Election, when over 1500 "phantom" votes, which were never cast, were counted in the initial election results.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=78192&catid=158

[tblue]

1. We have to ensure Congress fixes all this crap while we have the power

so we will never have to worry about having a jackass like * as President ever again.

[qb]

2. With all of the brilliant Computer Science faculty in schools around the country

Why are we still paying Republican hacks to write crappy black box election software?
We need open source.

[Wilms]

3. I'm not sure what "open source" would do.

It will mean that you know what software is supposed to be running on the system, but you won't have a practical means of knowing what software is actually on the machine, OR if it was hacked.

Where these machines are used, I believe a risk-based audit is, at the least, a required safeguard.

[qb]

4. Good point... but I am hoping for code owned by the government

and available for anyone to scrutinize... And audited before & after the counting.
What we have now is still a mystery to everyone but ES&S and Diebold.

[liam_laddie]

5. Australia!

Australia uses open-source programming/code in its elections system. Plus, voting is compulsory; you're fined for not voting. Seems like a good approach to me!