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  • Concerns over US computer voting

    Concerns over US computer voting

    Richard Black
    BBC Science correspondent

    Two leading American experts on computer voting have warned that the forthcoming US presidential election could be more chaotic than the last.
    They told a Seattle conference that the new systems may be less reliable than those used four years ago.

    The issue of voting systems came to the fore during the controversy over ballot papers in the crucial state of Florida. The question of what really counts as a vote - a clear hole in a ballot paper, or a bulge? - was hotly debated.

    About 25% of the US electorate is expected to vote electronically in this year's November presidential election. This is up from around 15% in 2000.

    Following the fiasco in Florida, the Bush administration passed a bill called the Help America Vote Act, aimed in part at persuading states to switch to electronic voting.

    But Professor David Dill from Stanford University told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science the switch may actually make things worse.

    "The problem with electronic voting is your votes disappear into the electronic machine and there is no independent way to check that those results are valid," said Mr Dill.

    "I know that I am not going to have a lot of confidence in the vote totals reported by those machines unless there is some independent polling or whatever that is consistent with that."

    In recent years there has been a spate of disputes over local election results across the US involving voting machines.

    There are many different models, and some provide the voter with no record of how he or she has voted - no evidence that the machine recorded the vote correctly.

    Professor Ted Selker, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the meeting that the machines are not sufficiently secure.

    He said there could and should be safeguards to prevent anyone tampering with their computer code before and after voting.

    Data should be extracted from the machines after voting by someone other than the company which makes them, he continued.

    Other countries, notably Brazil, he said, have introduced e-voting with appropriate safeguards and shown that it can work well.

    The US needs to take similar steps, he said, if it wants to avoid chaos this time around.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3489877.stm
    at

  • #2
    No paper trail on the ones here, seems like a bad idea. I still can't believe people couldn't use the cards.
    :roll
    No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
    I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
    even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
    He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

    Comment


    • #3
      India has the largest number of voters in the world i.e. for a democracy.

      We have been very successful with the Electronic Voting Machine. The election frauds/ skullduggery have come down drastically.


      "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

      I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

      HAKUNA MATATA

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Ray
        The election frauds/ skullduggery have come down drastically.
        That would be nice. :)
        No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
        I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
        even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
        He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

        Comment


        • #5
          There are couple of states in India famous for what is known as 'booth capturing'. My state the Communist run West Bengal is famous for it. In fact, they have made it an art! :. This means intimidating the voter not to vote as also the other parties election agents who report frauds.

          This time it will be with Electronic Voting Machines. I would be very curious how they manage to booth capture!

          Sooner these Communists go, the better. Unfortunately, they have kept the poverty real high and they blame all faults on the Central Government which idiots believe.

          This time it is different. The NDA (National Democratic Alliance including the BJP) has shown progress on ground. Let us see how it goes.


          "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

          I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

          HAKUNA MATATA

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Ray
            There are couple of states in India famous for what is known as 'booth capturing'. My state the Communist run West Bengal is famous for it.
            That's awful. I can't imagine that happening. I hope the new machines help.
            No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
            I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
            even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
            He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Confed999
              That's awful. I can't imagine that happening. I hope the new machines help.
              They use simple methods to capture booths....crude petrol bombs and swords :evil:

              But where else can you see democratically elected communist governments ? 2 of Indian states have been doing that for the last 50 years :YIKES!
              A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!

              Comment


              • #8
                I agree. Congress was the most corrupt. NDA is pro development and strong on economy and defence.

                They came into power as hindu nationalists but have managed to keep the balance in India as a secular democracy.

                For India, they have managed to maintain a good balance. Atal Bihari vajpayee has changed the face of India for ever.

                This time the would hire computer hackers to capture booths :dbanana :dbanana :dbanana

                Actually, last state elecitons in the north were for the first time 100% paperless. This time it will be throughout India. India has more than 650Million eligible voters. Some 50-80% voters cast votes(ratio varies between states).
                __________________________________________________ ________
                US, India and Israel. Together we will defeat terrorism.
                I prefer communists to islamic terrorists, atleast I know where my enemy is!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by sam0001
                  Some 50-80% voters cast votes(ratio varies between states).
                  That scares me by itself. If 50% of Americans all got off their butts and went to vote, on the same day, it would be anarchy. Between the traffic accidents and polling area fist fights, only the first couple of people would get to vote. LOL
                  No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
                  I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
                  even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
                  He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Confed.

                    If we can do it, so can the US.

                    Unless, you have intentions to 'manipulate'.:D like the last time you Florida guys did.

                    No man is free unless he kick the butt of others.:roll


                    "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

                    I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

                    HAKUNA MATATA

                    Comment

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