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Electronic Voting: Your Worst Nightmares are True
jfreon writes "On Democracy Now Bev Harris of BlackBoxVoting fame, disclosed (near the end of the transcript) that in the compromised 1.8Gigs off Diebold's FTP site they uncovered "an actual election file containing actual votes on election day from San Luis Obispo County, California". Problem is, the date stamp was 3:31pm - during voting hours! The Diebold system uses a wireless network card. Worse: "So that means if they can pull the information in, they can also send information back into those machines. ""
I know this will get modded troll, but the stupidity of the general public is the biggest problem. I mean, people in FL couldn't figure out the chad ballot system...
I really hope it doesn't get modded down, because people need to read this and understand how true (and scary) it is. The general public is so pathetically stupid, it's not even laughable anymore. We have people suing over spilled coffee, and suing over their kids getting kicked off sports teams in middle school because they vandalized the school, etc. I could go on all day describing the mindless laws that we're spending so much money enforcing, rather than educating people. On the other hand, I don't think a lot of the teachers are qualified to be educators...
How in the world do we expect them to figure out an electronic system? Security IMHO is really a close number two problem compared to this.
I'd have to say security would be #1. As far as I'm concerned, the primary duty of ANY decent government is to protect its citizens... whether the danger is from foreign enemies, or domestic ones. That includes the military, law enforcement, FBI, CIA, Secret Service, etc. Security is definitely the biggest direct threat to the country.
I also have to point out that if this electronic voting were being taken care of by a private company, these kinds of problems would have a more direct target for blame. For instance, if Larry Flynt was elected in California, and it turned out to be because he hired someone to hack into the voting machines, you can rest assured that security problem would be fixed pretty damn quick... if the company planned on being around for any amount of time.
"It's better to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it." ~ Christian Slater, True Romance
I work with a guy who used to work for Diebold for several years. He is aware of this "electronic voting machine" issue, and can confirm that Diebold truly has some abysmal "security" built into their products, not to mention pointy-haired bosses from hell. He told this story about Diebold ATM machines that was so hilarious and utterly pathetic that I would be afraid to share it on /. Why? Because the feds would find out that I shared such info with one of you stupid script kiddies when you ratted me and my /. post describing how to circumvent Diebold ATM machines, and then I'd really be in some deep doo-doo according to the DMCA!
Now Bush will not need $100 million to buy the election. Just hiring Kevin Mitnick for a mere $1 million will suffice.
Therefore, he will not need to get bribed by the military industrial complex and the tobacco lobby.
Therefore he won't have to act as their bitch once he is (has) elected. This is good news !
I'm all for poll tests (for everyone), some basic questions, like what is the 1st amendment to the Constitution or how many amendments are in the Bill of Rights. You wouldn't let children vote on how to spend their parents money would you?
I agree, but let's take things one step at a time... First, let's make people show ID before voting. Otherwise, they could vote numerous times. It should be simple common sense, but apparently some people just don't see it that way. Second, only allow LEGAL citizens to vote. If you came to this country illegally, you can't vote. End of story. (In fact, I think the CA law that's being debated right now is pretty good... illegal immigrants getting driver's licenses? Sure, why not? As soon as they show ID, let the cops put them back on a boat to whatever hellhole they came from.) Third, some basic questions, like "Name the current President of the United States" or "How many states are there in the USA". After people show enough intelligence to answer those, wait 2 or 3 election cycles, then increase the difficulty.
Remember all the Star Trek: TNG episodes where the 8-10 year olds were studying Calculus? They didn't get there by being told that they're special the way they are.........
"It's better to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it." ~ Christian Slater, True Romance
"If you cannot figure out how to punch the chad out, then your vote should not count."
In the Florida election there were so many people voting (for Gore) that the spaces under the ballot - where the punched-out chads go - filled up. So it was NOT POSSIBLE to completely punch out the chads. This is why there were so many ballots (approx 20,000, all with indents for Gore) that were invalidated.
Let me see now
Clinton Impeachment
Florida 2000
Texas Boundary re-drawing
California recall 2003
Diebold voting systems
Ever get the feeling you're being taken for a ride?
-- Free software on every PC on every desk
Now let's see... what about having run a company for 15 years, and thereby learning that companies LIKE to make add-on sales, makes me "a whiny progressive?"
And what about knowing enough about computers to want a back-up system in place makes me "a whiny progressive?"
And, finally, what kind of debate points do you think you made with that stupid-assed comment?
I disagree with the moderation this wasn't flamebait.
Not communist.
The "New" Republican is much similar to Facists than Socialists. It's business running government. Virtually every Eisenhower (both of them) protection for consumers has been laid asunder through corruption.
Adolf Hitler won his first election through rigging the vote as well. The Neo-Cons are trying to make damn sure that they can rig elections nation wide through culling voter roles of "felons" (code for minorities and democrats) and now by directly fixing the voting machines without any possible documentation trail.
Our nation is slipping quietly into facist dictatorship. Time to take back the government from the plutocrats and theocrats.
-------- -------- Support Wesley Clark for president!!!
But you didn't listen!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
But don't worry! George Bush is not relying on a bunch of voting machines to get him into office next year. He has an entire Korean War lined up for that.
Instead of worrying about voter fraud, better start worrying about who on the West Coast will have a nuke popped off near them (delivered by sub from North Korea, courtesy of Georgie Bush).
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
This is one of those articles that makes no sense to me. As the events of 2000 demonstrated, the will of the people (of the US, anyway) means nothing. The rules will continue be bent or broken by the elite to achive the outcome they wanted in the first place. Rigged evoting machines, rigged voter lists, or biased Supreme Court rulings, same outcome. The elite want evoting so their rigging is harder to detect. The whining of the non-elite means nothing and won't stop it.
cmdrtaco implemented the damn wait 20seconds thing, he just lost my 30,000 votes :(