Fed Certification Test for Vote-Counting Accuracy Can't Determine Voting Machine Error Rate

[Wilms]

Federal Certification Test for Vote-Counting Accuracy Cannot Determine the Error Rate of the Equipment

by Ellen Theisen

March 21, 2009

~snip~

The test, which was designed by a federally-accredited test lab for the sole purpose of testing the accuracy of the vote-counting equipment, cannot prove whether or not the system accurately counts votes, nor can the test yield any measure of the accuracy rate.

The author wants the reader to understand that such testing provides false assurance that a federally-certified vote-counting machine meets the accuracy requirements of federal law.


~snip~

http://www.votersunite.org/info/FalseAccuracyAssurance.asp


Read the report (pdf) http://www.votersunite.org/info/EAC-AccuracyTestCannotTellErrorRate.pdf

[MarjorieG]

1. NYS election law says purchase upon certification of electronic scanners replacing secure levers.

And certification can't prove security, or that systems will behave the same way one second after test.

Auditing isn't even a necessary requirement for mechanical lever machines, but essential for scanners, something that is never done to a statistical degree or affecting the first count on election night.

Important that New York State keep our levers. It's the only rational choice.