BBV: Louisiana voting machines to be standardized

[ramblin_dave]

Citizens of Louisiana need to get busy. Yesterday's election was done mainly with hard to rig lever machines. Secretary of State McKeithen apparently hasn't made up his mind yet on what new machines to buy, so your input could make a difference.

La. voting machines to be standardized
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/html/38FF5160-3B20-401B-B8BA-1574DC5B647C.shtml

Gearing up to take over the state Elections Department, Secretary of State Fox McKeithen said he intends to standardize Louisiana's voting machines so all parishes cast ballots with the same computerized equipment.

McKeithen indicated he likely will scrap the state's newest portable touch-screen voting machines, which are used in two parishes and in absentee voting, after malfunctions and problems created costly headaches.

"I told the people who make them, 'We're going to use them to get through this election cycle. We make no promises to you after that,'" McKeithen said, calling the touch-screen voting machines that malfunctioned last year during fall elections "horrible."

McKeithen wouldn't rule out the use of other types of touch-screen voting machines as he works to standardize machines in all 64 parishes, instead saying he will look at all options after he takes over the Elections Department in January.

[gristy]

1. Well, I hope McKeithen has a clue and intends to bring

elections into the 21st century. Computers are here to stay (duh...) and it's about time elections officials in Louisiana and everywhere just accepted the fact that once the bugs are worked out, these wonderful touch-screen systems will reduce the cost of elections and increase their accuracy.

/scarcasm = off

Like that duck in the insurance commercial... Aaaaarrrrggghghhh!

[BevHarris]

2. Two more things: They are junking ES&S -- watch out for Diebold

The newest thing is the statewide buy, which is the Diebold marketing strategy. Louisiana was so disgusted with the performance of their ES&S machines, though, that they are junking them. Before that they had Sequoia, and it is here that Dan Hopsicker's videotape, Big Fix 2000 (Mad Cow Productions) shows footage of the machine recording votes for the opposite candidate.

Steamrollin' along.

Bev

[w4rma]

3. Do you have a list of secure voting booth products, Bev? (n/t)

[RedEagle]

4. Secure Voting Products?

I don't think you can ever have something that is 100% secure.

What we can do, is mandate a voter verified paper BALLOT-

Then do rigorous audits.

Open source code.

And do some re-educating of election officials "educated" by The Election Center.