Diebold's voting software is based on Microsoft Access?

[JPJones]

That's what the icon looked like on Dean's show.

I can't imagine a worse choice. Programmers, how would you do it? I don't think I would use any canned database program.

[wtmusic]

1. In a word, yes

especially Access, which is notorious for allowing unauthorized Access.

The major problem is not Access but the fact that the data is not encrypted.

[dflprincess]

2. My Access skills are pretty limited

but there is an Access database where I work (that I fortunately don't have to use) that goes down at least three times a day - especially when it's overloaded. At least twice a week it has to be restored from the backup copy which means any data entered since the last backup was made is lost.

This could be an even bigger disaster than we thought.

[Protected]

3. Everything I've read about the voting machines sounds like a disaster

I wouldn't use an off the shelf database program, either. Who knows what bugs are in that Microsoft code.

[Catch22Dem]

4. Access???

Are you effing kidding me? Never has there been a bigger piece of shit database app when it comes to multi-user scenarios!!!

My gawd!

[cynatnite]

5. A Legit Election?

My kid could do that.

I don't get how they could get away with something that my son could do. He's five and knows this computer almost as well as I do.


Another question...do you think the UN monitors that are coming here will see how lame this is?

Cyn:)

[acmavm]

6. Yeah, ain't it a kick? Our election systems depend on crappy Microsoft

software and shyster computer data base shills who have openly stated that they want bush* elected (which, to date, has not been the case regardless of what anyone says),

[ContraBass Black]

7. I garuntee that 500 or more people in my school could singlehandedly

bring this system crashing down.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. To add insult to injury

Diebold and Co. charge millions of dollars for their voting systems. You would think for all that money they could at least use a half way decent database program.

[Fovea]

9. Yes, it is access.

which is not secure.
I would use ssl encrypted xml packets with a secure uplink to a GAO server.
Id and vote information would persist on a local (precinct) non-volatile one time write archive and be comparable with a precinctid/time/gps/machineid/uid stamped vote. This would make outright replacement manipulation very difficult, indeed.

[gristy]

10. Hmmmm

I would use paper ballots and locked ballot boxes.

[Fovea]

18. This would be even more secure than paper ballots

particularly if there was a voter poll at the precinct that took samples to be compared by hand with the official vote randomly.

It would take a huge, systemized fraud to overcome this.
And it would never stay covert.

[JPJones]

12. I 'm not familiar with GAO servers.

Is that a company or a standard?

[Fovea]

17. General Accounting Office

That is to say, have the GAO certify the individual vote.

[alvis]

11. Looks like it is MS Access

http://www.blackboxvoting.org/access-diebold.htm


And in case you "forget" your password:

http://www.lostpassword.com/access.htm

Don't know how useful this actually is in this situation, but it doesn't sound good.

[Endangered Specie]

13. Please, Ill bet I could hack out a little java GUI program

that would do the trick.

[Andy_Stephenson]

14. It is Access and it keeps 3 sets of books

they can be disengaged. The software is full of holes. :eyes: I am not a programmer but could do better.

[Gore1FL]

15. Is it based on Access

or can Access simply read the file format?

[lcooksey]

16. The data files are Access MDB files

The system, GEMS, has a front-end you are supposed to use. That front-end requires a password. But if you use Access, you can open the MDB files and manipulate them. The MDB files do not use any of the security features available in Microsoft Access. Those features can be gotten around with a little work, but at least they're better than nothing.

Access if fine for small jobs where security is not an issue. But for voting they should have used one of the major database systems, like Oracle. Those are much more robust and have much better security systems. But the programmer still has to USE the security systems.

The people in charge of voting, such as state Secretaries of State, like to point out that they have security procedures that minimize the risk of hacking by controlling physical access to the voting equipment. Then you read stories about equipment sitting in unlocked rooms overnight, or being patched in the middle of an election day.

Personally, I'm not nearly as worried about Bush trying to steal the election (that would be a very big job) as much as I'm worried about the election being a huge, confusing mess that nobody will ever get to the truth of.

[LittleApple81]

19. This has been known since day one! That was what made me realize

immediately that this system is piss-poor!!! You don't even want to use Access for anything except personal databases or databases for individuals in an organization.
Its security measures are laughable and for this system THEY WERE DISABLED!!!!