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Evoting in India, Maryland

Posted by michael on from the vote-as-often-as-you-want-we'll-make-more dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "EVMs are back in the news again. The BBC is reporting on the use of over a million Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in India for Parliamentary elections in April. With a billion people and an electorate of 668 million, it is by far the largest democratic election exercise in the world. A picture of an EVM is provided." And Kierthos writes "An article on Yahoo! News mentions that Maryland's voting terminals will be wrapped in tamper proof tape, which 'just protects that malicious code physically', according to computer scientist Avi Rubin. Also mentioned are California's ongoing system of e-voting, as well as a point on whether Diebold should be banned in California after using uncertified software in last October's election."

17 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. Tamper-proof tape? by Derling+Whirvish · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh riiighht. All you have to do to prevent tampering with an on-line computer is to "wrap it in tamper-proof tape." Sure. Uh huh.

    1. Re:Tamper-proof tape? by NeuroManson · · Score: 4, Funny

      That reminds me of the good ol' days when people would put condoms on their floppy disks to prevent themselves from catching computer viruses.

      --
      Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
    2. Re:Tamper-proof tape? by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Oh riiighht. All you have to do to prevent tampering with an on-line computer is to "wrap it in tamper-proof tape." Sure. Uh huh."

      Sadly, they still use that in the future. It didn't keep anybody out of Mr. Spock's quarters.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    3. Re:Tamper-proof tape? by houstonbofh · · Score: 2, Funny

      Shhh... That is one of the new security features in XP SP2! Keep it under wraps!

    4. Re:Tamper-proof tape? by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 3, Funny

      Exactly, they've got it all wrong. They should use that plastic they wrap CDs in.

      --
      You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
  2. Don't you realize... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...everything's secure when you use Duct Tape!

  3. Re:hmm by BuckaBooBob · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maryland's voting terminals will be wrapped in tamper proof tape.

    Cool does it come with that Magic Server Pixie Dust and a Universal Business Adapter (That actually does require an adapter to connect to a unix machine) and some of those other cool Gizmo's on IBM's commericals?

    --
    Who needs WiFi when we can have Packet Over Sheep! http://datacomm.org/PoS-InternetDraft.txt
  4. Solution to the e-voting problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. Discard all electronic voting machines
    2. Use paper ballots
    3. Complain about your life, blame everything on the elected official
    4. Repeat in four years

    This provides identical results at greatly reduced cost and time.

  5. Re:Voting in India by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    If you want to vote for the ruling BJP

    Blow-Job Party? Here, we call them Democrats.

  6. Re:hmm by Ian+Wolf · · Score: 2, Funny

    For some inexplicable reason I didn't think of that.

    Well the simple solutiong is tamper tape on top of tamper tape. ;) I bet somebody brought that up in a meeting somewhere.

    --
    "The words of the prophets are written on the Slashdot walls."
  7. Re:hmm by Ian+Wolf · · Score: 3, Funny

    "I don't know that pencil mark is outside the line." *stops peering through magnifying glass* "I think its safe to assume that we cannot determine the voter's intent."

    --
    "The words of the prophets are written on the Slashdot walls."
  8. Why don't we have tech-literate judges? by flossie · · Score: 2, Funny
    "Without the least doubt, I say the machine is fully tamper-proof," the judge declared.

    I'm impressed by the fact that they clearly have technically literate judges in India. As a mere engineer, I would be very hesitant to proclaim an electronic system tamper-proof. Clearly Indian judges are experts in electronics, cryptography and the law. Very impressive.

    --
    flossie

    Write now. Defend liberty

  9. Who? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Judge K Shridhar Rao, in a recent order in connection with an election dispute, ruled that rigging was not possible with the use of EVMs. "Without the least doubt, I say the machine is fully tamper-proof," the judge declared.

    Ah yes, well known cybersecurity expert Judge K Shridhar Rao.

    Go get me a Slurpy, Shridhar!

  10. India is a town in Maryland? by aat · · Score: 1, Funny

    India is a town in Maryland? I never knew that....

    Or maybe the headline was supposed to have been
    Evoting in India and Maryland

  11. Re:Why is the vote of the illerterate that importa by Gyan · · Score: 4, Funny

    In the end, what is the value of an uninformed vote?

    George W. Bush will be happy to tell you.

  12. Re:stupid stupid by berkeleyjunk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dude,
    It cannot be. If the guy/gal is smart enough to write 2 lines of C code he/she cannot be republican.

    Cheers
    Junk

  13. Re:hmm by kfg · · Score: 2, Funny

    What on earth have apes ever done to you to deserve such disrespect?

    KFG