Slashdot Mirror


Diebold Admits Flaw In Voting Software

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "At a public hearing in California, Diebold's western region manager has admitted that the audit log system on current versions of Premier Election Solutions' (formerly Diebold's) electronic voting and tabulating systems — used in some 34 states across the nation — fails to record the wholesale deletion of ballots, even when ballots are deleted on the same day as an election. An election system's audit logs are meant to record all activity during the system's actual counting of ballots, so that later examiners may determine, with certainty, whether any fraudulent or mistaken activity had occurred during the count. Diebold's software fails to do that, as has recently been discovered by Election Integrity advocates in Humboldt County, CA, and then confirmed by the CA Secretary of State. The flaws, built into the system for more than a decade, are in serious violation of federal voting system certification standards."

11 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. Funny how they admit flaws by rackserverdeals · · Score: 5, Funny

    when they lose the election.

    --
    Dual Opteron < $600
    1. Re:Funny how they admit flaws by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 2, Funny

      What do you mean? They won.

  2. Re:and who's going to CARE? by Moblaster · · Score: 3, Funny

    The "them" will "do" what they can to steal an election here and there. And no refunds shall be due to you -- since of course you didn't get a receipt now, did ya?

  3. Re:and who's going to CARE? by iminplaya · · Score: 5, Funny

    And I mean like "we want a refund"

    Yeah! I want my eight years back!

    Nader 2000

    --
    What?
  4. Re:Umm, duh? by InlawBiker · · Score: 4, Funny

    Since paper voting -- given enough effort -- can also always be corrupted, we may as well go with the new, efficient tech. Where before people had to collude, hide, counterfeit or use some other elaborate scheme to throw an election, now all they have to do is:

    DELETE * FROM VOTES WHERE CANDIDATE = 'OPPONENT';

    Think of all the man-hours being saved.

  5. Re:Umm, duh? by geekoid · · Score: 2, Funny

    And then I could use my software backdoor to change the results and blame it on your processor.

    MUAHAhahaha...hum

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  6. Re:and who's going to CARE? by ocularDeathRay · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sure, you and I care, but who's the them that's going to DO anything?

    I know, lets take a vote!....

    ok, ok, everyone who wants to vote, open internet explorer and make sure that little padlock looking thing is showing...

    --
    Obama is a twitter sock puppet
  7. Re:Umm, duh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    There might be job openings for you guys at this one company...

  8. Re:Umm, duh? by ThunderThor53 · · Score: 2, Funny

    And then I could give you a election observer that has a backdoor in him/her.

    Kinky.

  9. Re:Umm, duh? by quickOnTheUptake · · Score: 2, Funny

    why must dba's always shout?

    --
    Mod points: Guaranteed to remove your sense of humor.
    Side effects may include gullibility and temporary retardation
  10. Re:There is a lot of talk, and little action. by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny

    Most Slashdot readers, I'm guessing, would be fired for living with something so buggy.

    Not me; I work for the government!