Princeton's position on Diebold voting machines:

[NobleCynic]

...Even before the researchers had made the serendipitous discovery about the minibar key, they had released a devastating critique of the AccuVote’s security. For computer scientists, they supplied a technical paper; for the general public, they prepared an accompanying video. Their short answer to the question of the practicality of vote theft with the AccuVote: easily accomplished.

The researchers demonstrated the machine’s vulnerability to an attack by means of code that can be introduced with a memory card. The program they devised does not tamper with the voting process. The machine records each vote as it should, and makes a backup copy, too.

Every 15 seconds or so, however, the rogue program checks the internal vote tallies, then adds and subtracts votes, as needed, to reach programmed targets; it also makes identical changes in the backup file. The alterations cannot be detected later because the total number of votes perfectly matches the total number of voters. At the end of the election day, the rogue program erases itself, leaving no trace...



...Even before the minibar lineage of the AccuVote key had been discovered, the researchers had learned that the lock was easily circumvented: one of them could consistently pick it in less than 10 seconds.

If skeptics cannot believe what they read about the ease of manipulating an election, they can watch the 10-minute online video: the AccuVote lock is picked, a memory card is inserted and the malicious software is loaded; the machine is rebooted, and within 60 seconds the machine is ready to throw the election in favor of any specified candidate...

So what we have in summary is:

10 seconds to pick the lock to open up the motherboard. (or less if you have the publicly accessible key)
60 seconds to install malicious software and reboot.

70 seconds alone with a voting machine is all it takes to through the election.

Beautiful times no?

<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/business/yourmoney/24digi.html?ref=business>

[Moochy]

1. Excellent Sumary K&R

Also, add to that first item, that the machines can be opened with a hotel mini-bar key.

http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=1064

:kick:

[NobleCynic]

4. Good recommendation

Unfortunately, the editing period expired...

[babylonsister]

2. I realize there are elections coming up, but I would

rather anything but a machine to count our votes, no matter how long that could take!
Maybe instead of poll watchers, we need to enlist vote counters.

[texpatriot2004]

3. K & R for Transparent Democracy nm

[kster]

5. Did the NYT have to wait for Princeton

because theY have no INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS, Or are they just NOT DOING THEIR JOB, Because all of this has been online for years.

[NobleCynic]

7. Yeah, but it still serves a purpose to have it get play in the media

Even if we all have known these things for years, any mainstream media play is good.

[kster]

11. They covered Clintons Penis more than they covered the SECRET VOTE

COUNTING MACHINES,They are not even the media, that we once knew, they are COWARDS (PERIOD) My Argument is not with you, but with them. They should send their best reporter or politician fighter to 126 AND RTE 59, Plainfield il at 9 am monday morning, and we shall see if they are willing to fight for the same shit they spew on their TV stations.

Reporters, Politicians, BRING IT ON!! Lets see what you got!!

126 and 59!!

[Peace Patriot]

6. Bust the Machines--Vote by Absentee Ballot this November!

It's the only way we can get rid of these machines quickly and peacefully. Massive boycott of the machines. And we have to do it NOW.

[NobleCynic]

8. Thankfully my state doesn't use Diebold

We still use electronic voting unfortunately...

[Warren DeMontague]

9. But, to be fair to Diebold, those things make a GREAT minibar.

http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=1064

[radwriter0555]

10. So do it on election day. Orchestrate throwing all the votes to Guy Fawkes

and SHOW the american people what IS going on.