BBV: Voting machines face two tests

[Kelvin Mace]

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?siteid=mktw&guid=%7B85551DA6%2DD390%2D4B7A%2DA2F4%2D179310DE8FF9%7D&

One year ahead of the presidential election, a drive to replace aging voting machines with computers has been challenged by questions about security and reliability.

As some voters cast touch-screen votes in Tuesday's local and state elections, information-technology experts, activists and even some elected officials have raised the alarm about devices that gather and store votes in digital form without a paper version that could be used to verify and recount results.

*snip*

The controversy certainly has not hurt Diebold stock. Shares of the company closed at $57.43 Monday -- a 52-week high -- up from a nadir of $33.50 in March. Even if the machines have problems, an analyst says the impact on Diebold won't be severe.

David Allen
Publisher, CEO, Janitor
Plan Nine Publishing
http://www.plan9.org

[spinbaby]

1. NPR did a very nice story on this...

...last night. Word's gettting out.

[Warpy]

2. NPR?

Last week's Newsweek also had a small story on it, between two fluff pieces. A lot more folks read Newsweek than listen to NPR, alas, but if they alllowed it into their magazine, the word IS getting out.

[0007]

7. NPR has a rather large audience, Sir.

Show me some hard figures where Newsweek is biggest than NPR.

[TacticalPeek]

3. I imagine that the BBV business is a tiny fraction of Diebold's assets.

Anyone know? One or two percent???

[Occulus]

4. all the ATM machines I use

are made by Diebold.

[Bandit]

5. This is one story I am amazed that the freepers aren't in agreement

with us on. They must know what can be rigged can be rigged by either side. As long as they think it is all republican owned and operated machines then they don't mind if there is fraud but why don't they realize that any computer software can be "up-dated" by say a hacker. I am of the opinion that this may be a good thing. Maybe one of the good guys can "up-date" the software and a few Democrats might just "win". I say let the chips fall where they may. I have confidence in the intelligence of Liberals more so than Conservatives. They are too much into "Lock-step" thinking patterns.

[Kelvin Mace]

12. They will not touch

anything which calls elections in to quetion. Their god would be called in to question.

David Allen
Publisher, CEO, Janitor
Plan Nine Publishing
1237 Elon Place
High Point, NC 27263
http://www.plan9.org

[blm]

6. David....just heard

that California decided late last night that it IS going to investigate illegal patches on the voting machines.

[Kelvin Mace]

14. This is very important

Once we get a serious investigation into this, Diebold is in DEEP trouble.

David Allen
Publisher, CEO, Janitor
Plan Nine Publishing
http://www.plan9.org

[blm]

15. Faun keeping me up on concerns.

.

[ninkasi]

8. David, a question...

do you know what e-slate is? I read an article in the Houston Chronicle today about problems with it in one precinct. I don't live there anymore, but do follow the news.

I'm not sure what it is, though.

Edited to add link

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/2200181

[GregD]

10. Hart Intercivic

eSlate is the product of Hart Intercivic of Austin Texas.

It doesn't have a paper trail. It is a DRE (Direct Recording Electronic) machine with a dial to select candidates. Austin uses it, and Orange County (California) just bought one.

If I remember correctly, SAIC has a financial interest in this company.

[ninkasi]

11. Thanks!

Just curious...we've got to have a paper trail, in my opinion.

[bikebloke]

9. Voting today

I just discovered that my county has turned computer voting machines this election. It'll be interesting if the fascists suddenly make gains in today's local elections. Anyway, I will certainly be voting via abssentee ballot next year.

[ithacan]

13. story from Australia from wired.com on evoting there

http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,61045,00.html?tw=newsletter_topstories_html
Aussies Do It Right: E-Voting

By Kim Zetter | 02:00 AM Nov. 03, 2003 PT

While critics in the United States grow more concerned each day about the insecurity of electronic voting machines, Australians designed a system two years ago that addressed and eased most of those concerns: They chose to make the software running their system completely open to public scrutiny.

Although a private Australian company designed the system, it was based on specifications set by independent election officials, who posted the code on the Internet for all to see and evaluate. What's more, it was accomplished from concept to product in six months. It went through a trial run in a state election in 2001.

Critics say the development process is a model for how electronic voting machines should be made in the United States.
<snip, much more>

This is the way to go, I think we have to push this model, plus the paper trail. Not sure if this story has already been posted at DU...