E-voting and Kerry

[Capn Sunshine]

Why is it that every time I'm almost comfortable in my skin with the campaign's current stance, they do something to erode my confidence?

The latest :

"speaking on condition of anonymity, an IT industry source who met last week with members of Sen. John Kerry's staff said the Kerry campaign is considering a move to pull back from the position taken by the Democratic National Committee and Howard Dean's Democracy for America organization. Dean and the DNC have endorsed the voter-verifiable paper ballot requirement for e-voting systems -- something that only the state of Nevada has planned for November.

( http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/story/0,10801,94751,00.html )

Look this is wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to name them all. I am working with people in Georgia who have assembled a laundry list of things that went wrong with the Diebolds in this past Tuesday's election there, much of it frightening when extended to the proportions of national scale. There were huge security gaffes ,equipment failures that took down entire polling places for hours, lack of coordinated technical response from the Board of Elections, and , I could go on and on...

Yet there's still a significant portion of democrats who turn a deaf ear to this issue, many apparently on the Kerry staff.

This is frustrating to say the least. How important is this issue to DUers?

[freetobegay]

1. "speaking on condition of anonymity"

Thats the first and only clue I need to call this bullshit.

[madfloridian]

2. Here is the sentence that worries me the most.

" According to the official, the Kerry campaign is considering support for verification of the final vote tally through some form of encryption."

Right, more secrecy. I posted about this late last night in GD. It worried me when I saw it. I would rather the person go on record, but it is worrisome.

Capn, I had not heard about all these problems Tuesday. Tell us more.

[Capn Sunshine]

3. Funny isn't it

you would think that the national press would be all over this story.
This involves both sides of the aisle, and I really view it as a battle for corporate minds.

I will post a detailed accounting of the observers from the 92nd (?) district when I get back later this afternoon.

By the way, they had a camera crew with them, this is all documented stuff.

Oh, and I knew it wouldn't take long for someone to call this bullshit.

[freetobegay]

4. Give me a credible source or at least a name that can be verified

& I'll eat those words. Deal? Or just more bullshit?

[Capn Sunshine]

6. Hey, I didn't write the article

I'm dealing with the national campaign on this issue RIGHT NOW and the inexplicable foot dragging is becoming more explicable by the minute.

Isn't using a straw man tactic on a relatively non partisan issue a tad bit extreme?

[Eric J in MN]

8. The reporter isn't quoting anyone from Kerry's staff. He' s

quoting a computer indusrty lobbyist who met with Kerry's staff.

It's possible that Kerry's staff said, "Thanks, we appreciate your views," and the lobbyist interpreted that to mean they were going to do what he said.

We meed to let Kerry's staff know that we don't share the opinion of computer industry lobbyists; that we won't meaningful recounts from voter-verifiable paper ballots, not meaningless code numbers.

You can contact any Senator's office by dialing
1-800-839-5276

and asking to be transferred to a Senator's office.

[madfloridian]

5. "Encryption" is setting off warning bells in my head.

I do not want that. The word jumped off the page at me. Can't wait for your report!!

[Eric J in MN]

7. People have been voting directly on paper for hundreds of years

We don't electronic voting machines.

We don't need encryption.

We need plain paper ballots, publicly counted by human beings.

[Capn Sunshine]

9. You mean like in Canada?

They get along fine with no electronic voting systems, eh?

[Eric J in MN]

10. Yes, like in Canada (nt)

nt

[freetobegay]

11. Sorry but you leave me no choice.

"People have been voting directly on paper for hundreds of years"
Excuse me but aren't liberals for change? Dare I say who is not for change? It's going to happen no matter what we do, it's called progress, we just need to make sure it's done right. They are very good with atm machines & I get a printed copy when I use one, see where I am going with this? I really can't believe you said that.

[Capn Sunshine]

12. You said it

"We need to make sure this is done right"
Currently, that's not the case. If anything it's intentionally being done wrong. You don't cram a system that malfunctions and is full of easily exploitable security holes down peoples throats unless you're in it for the money.

This is a non partisan issue. It's really about allowing a coporate entity access and control of the votes. That is the situation as it currently stands.

Apropos your ATM comment, imagine if your bank, or an evil 3rd party, changed your deposit or actually removed money from your account via an exploited hole in security. The bank says there's no problem, and their figures are fine.

Would you use ATMs then?