Maryland Electronic Voting Systems Found Vulnerable

snoitpo writes "My fine state (Maryland) has hired some people I can respect to hack into Diebold voting machines. The Washington Post (read it free for 2 weeks) has the details. From this story and the one on NPR, the state hired a company and set up a test voting precinct and had the group try whatever they could to break into the machines. Most of the attacks would probably be noticed by an even-half-awake poll staff, but some vulnerabilities were exposed. The net seems to be that you could really mess up individual machines, but the grail would be to get to the central collection servers and send a megavote to your favorite candidate. The last paragraph mentions problems that voting machines had in the last election in Virginia; it's interesting to note that those use wireless networking--my jaw has dropped onto my keyboard and I can't comment any further." Other readers sent in two stories in the Baltimore Sun (1, 2), and one in the NY Times.

Comments

Looks like four more years

[Anonymous Coward]

You corrupt fucker! Get the fuck out!

NO MORE BUSH!

Re:MIGHT AS WELL REGISTER SLASHDOT.CO.UK

[Anonymous Coward]

Give us Keira Knightly, you're not using her. Then you can return to your tea and games of grab-ass with the lads.

send it to western canada

[qnxdude]

we need it to override the bastards in ontario and querebec and get rid of the damm liberals

Easier to steal

[rjung2k]

Because an electronic voting system without a paper trail makes it easier for the Republicans to steal the elections. Why argue over chads and dimples when you can just say "computers never make mistakes"?

Is it any surprise that the biggest supporters of electronic voting are Republicans, and that the biggest providers of electronic voting machines are major donors to the GOP?

Re:The Best Democracy Money Can Buy -

[TrollBridge]

"...you'll realize that a 'recount' isn't what we thought it was in 2000. No actual counting went on."

Of course there wasn't, because there was no re-count provision in Florida's state election laws in 2000, and that's how the whole clusterfuck started.

Gore & Co. tried to force a recount, essentially trying to change Florida's election law DURING THE ELECTION!

The Florida state supreme court was going to allow that to happen until the U.S. supreme court stepped in and rightfully smacked down Florida and the Gore team, because what Gore was trying to do, and what the Florida supreme court was about to let them do, was 100% ILLEGAL!

Re:Need paper receipts

[October_30th]

why would it be non-secret? Your name doesn't need to be on the printed paper.

"Ok, sucker. Show me that receipt we told you to bring us. Let's see, did you vote for the candidate we told you to vote for... no? What the hell is wrong with you? Now we'll have to rape your wife and kill your kids!"

You get the point?

Thanks Moderator!

[TrollBridge]

It would seem yet again that a cowardly moderator with an opinion contrary to mine chose to anonymously label me a Troll instead of debating me and proving me wrong, almost as if to say "I know you're right, but I can't admit it, so instead I'll silence your opinion by moderating you down."