BBV: please write NY Times and mention "The Voter Confidence Act"

[Eric J in MN]

The NY Times has printed multiple articles and letters on black-box voting, but I've never seen them refer "The Voter Confidence Act, HR 2239" by name.

Please write to them in response to this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/technology/29CND-SECU.html?pagewanted=all&position=


Security Poor in Electronic Voting Machines, Study Warns
By JOHN SCHWARTZ

Published: January 29, 2004

and mention that Congress should pass "The Voter Confidence Act" for voter-verifiable paper ballots.

[e-mail]

[Eric J in MN]

1. kick

kick

[GregD]

2. done!

[Eric J in MN]

3. cool (nt)

nt

[mrdmk]

4. Sent an E-mail

Thank you

[althecat]

5. Hey... is there a thread on this RABA report it is FANDAMTASTIC...

Just skimming it at the moment...

'The GEMS server lacks several critical security updates from Microsoft. As a result,
the team successfully exploited a well-known vulnerability using a software product
known as Canvas27. This vulnerability, described in a security advisory from
Microsoft28 for which a patch was made available on July 16, 2003, allows a remote
attacker to get complete control of the machine. Since this is the same weakness that
the August 11, 2003 “Blaster” worm exploited, it means that if the GEMS server was
exposed to an environment where “Blaster” was propagating, it might have been
infected. By successfully directing Canvas at the GEMS modem interface, the team
was able to remotely upload, download and execute files with full system
administrator privileges. All that was required was a valid phone number for the
GEMS server."

http://www.raba.com/press/TA_Report_AccuVote.pdf

[althecat]

7. dr. michael wertheimer

dr. michael wertheimer
director, RABA innovative solutions cell

In today’s profoundly complex technology environment, solving the most intractable challenges faced by government and private industry can no longer be achieved by working within traditional commercial and academic boundaries. As the head of RiSC, Mike is pioneering new ways to transform technologically complex problems into realizable solutions through world-class multidisciplinary science.

Mike began his career as a cryptologic mathematician and, upon completing a Ph.D. sponsored by a government fellowship, went on to hold a number of top technical leadership positions within the federal government. Mike has received numerous awards throughout his career including the Cryptologic Mathematics Institute President’s Award (Mathematician of the Year), the NSA Adjunct Faculty of the Year Award, the Sir Peter Marychurch Award, as well as numerous essay prizes.

Mike holds a B.A. in Philosophy and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Rochester (Phi Beta Kappa) and an M.A., and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.

In his off hours Mike dedicates his time to children’s activities or can be found looking at the night sky through his telescope. Both he and his wife are amateur astronomers.

[althecat]

9. Unbelievable response from LIEBOLD...

MODS...

As this is a press release I do not think it is copyright....

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SVBIZINK3.story&STORY=/www/story/01-29-2004/0002099170&EDATE=THU+Jan+29+2004,+02:46+PM


Maryland Security Study Validates Diebold Election Systems Equipment for March Primary

Findings Consistent With Prior SAIC Review

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, the Maryland
Department of Legislative Services, based on the analysis by RABA
Technologies, concludes that the March primary election can be held
successfully without any changes to the Diebold Election Systems software.
The software accurately counts votes cast and has the ability to render a
printed image of every ballot cast in the event a recount is necessary.
"The findings in the SAIC and RABA reports both confirm the accuracy and
security of Maryland's voting procedures and our voting systems as they exist
today," said Bob Urosevich, president of Diebold Election Systems, Inc. "With
that said, in our continued spirit of innovation and industry leadership,
there will always be room for improvement and refinement. This is especially
true in assuring the utmost security in elections."

*** The above para appears verbatim in the NYT report... I think they found it irresistable :) ***

The Department of Legislative Services noted the Diebold AccuVote-TS
voting system has been used in four counties in the last statewide primary and
general elections and in several municipal elections held in 2003. In every
case the equipment performed as intended.
"The real issue for discussion is the untold numbers of voters across the
country who are disenfranchised from the election process by factors unrelated
to security issues. The intuitive nature of electronic voting and its
inherent features remove many barriers that currently disenfranchise voters,"
Urosevich said. "Touch screen voting from Diebold Election Systems has
evolved to be the most secure and accurate election system in the history of
our democracy. It is a dramatic improvement to the chad-laden voting systems
that cheated virtually millions of Americans out of the opportunity to have
their votes accurately cast and counted."
The same Diebold election system used in Maryland has proven to be more
than eight times more accurate than paper balloting in other states, and has
made it possible for visually impaired citizens to cast ballots at each
precinct. The portable system has made voting accessible and approachable for
disabled and incapacitated citizens of Maryland. In addition, electronic
voting has enabled them to vote independently for the very first time.
Because touch-screen voting can offer voters any one of eleven languages,
it allows those citizens with English as a second language the opportunity to
vote unassisted. In addition, its ballot clarity and ease of accessibility has
preserved and extended the precious right to vote for older Maryland citizens.
It is for these reasons, the National Federation for the Blind, the American
Association of People with Disabilities and the League of Woman Voters have
all supported touch-screen voting as a technological success by making the
right to vote a reality for all American citizens.
"While election technology and procedures will continue to improve, touch
screen election systems have been proven to revolutionize the accessibility
and accuracy of the voting process. We are enormously proud to be at the
forefront of election technology and of the role our machines play in
enhancing democracy for the three million registered Maryland voters. We look
forward to continuing those enhancements into the future," Urosevich
concluded.
Diebold Election Systems, Inc. is a wholly owned operating subsidiary of
Diebold, Incorporated, a global leader in providing integrated self-service
delivery systems and services. Headquartered in McKinney, Texas, Diebold
Election Systems provides high-quality voting technology to jurisdictions of
all sizes, along with comprehensive service and support capability, and is
committed to elections accuracy, security and integrity. For more information
on Diebold Election Systems, visit the company's Web site
at http://www.dieboldes.com , or call 1-800-433-VOTE.

6. This could have been fixed two years ago

I wrote several congresspersons about this two years ago.

They need to have hearings immediately--I am not sure the act is going to fix things now.

It might be toooo late. Certainly for 2004.

Dan
aka "The light inside the black box"

[althecat]

8. Any news on your inflation busting campaign?

[BevHarris]

10. Dan is right. The problem is broader than HR 2239

And even if we pass HR 2239, we'll need to turn right around and either write additional legislation or, before we pass it, amend it significantly.

But then again, what do I know. Is everyone enjoying the steamroller?

Bev

[althecat]

11. Hi Bev.... I now have four copies of your book...

Hope you have had a squiz at that Raba report its a great read...

It is really funny the way they criticise Rubin in the NYT report for writing a reader accessible report of "soundbites" and then go and write one themselves.

And a question... how is the book promo round going?

:)

[BevHarris]

12. Alastair: Please look and tell me --

Is there an Appendix A in your book or not? I have so far talked to no one who received the real book. My copy is missing Appendix A and the graphics are quite far away from the text they are supposed to match.

It is up to the publisher to arrange for promo. So far, I've done all of it. Therefore, I will be printing a version of the book which is properly aligned (i.e. back cover text not running to within 1/8 inch of the edge, top and bottom page margins aligned), that has a table of contents, the Appendix in place, and is indexed, as all books like this should be. At the time these bookstore and library editions are in hand, I will begin my own promo campaign.

I still do not have a copy of the real book.

Am I the only one who finds it unacceptable that the author can't get a copy of her own book, yet four copies are in New Zealand? Please check on alignment of the graphics in Chapter 9, particularly the password graphics, and check for the Appendix A. If you say all is well, I ask that you send me one of yours and I will, in turn, send you 5 indexed copies. If they are missing the Appendix, don't bother.

Bev

[althecat]

13. Yip Appendix A is on page ccxlvii

.. at the back of the book.. is a big series of news report extracts...

[BevHarris]

14. OK, Appendix A is seven pages long

Are you saying yours is one page long? Appendix A is the continuation of Chapter 2, fairly detailed, and footnoted.

Can you please send me one of your copies? I'll have mine in hand in 10 days; they are currently at a professional book printer in California. I ordered several thousand. I'll be delighted to send you five in exchange for one of yours.

Bev

[althecat]

No... Appendix A is quite long 8 Pages...

And yes I will post it first thing monday.. If you send me 5 I might send you two.... you are too kind :)

I actually asked David in my order for autographed copies if possible. No such luck. I guess it is hard to sign a book if you haven't seen it.

al

[althecat]

16. No... Appendix A is quite long 8 Pages...

And yes I will post it first thing monday.. If you send me 5 I might send you two.... you are too kind :)

I actually asked David in my order for autographed copies if possible. No such luck. I guess it is hard to sign a book if you haven't seen it.

al

[althecat]

15. Is this your address... I will post you a copy ASAP :)

330 SW 43rd St
PMB K-547
Renton WA 98055

An yip it is bloody odd that you haven't got a copy. Plus the absence of a contents page is a bit of an oversight.. plus no index as you say....

The back looks ok.. though the text is rather close to the edge. And the graphics in Chapt. 9. are a bit fuzzy..

That said... I still kinda love it :) In fact I love it heaps!!!!

If I was over there I would bring over a few bottles of champagne with my copy...

[BevHarris]

17. Great! Yes, that's the address.

Thanks very much, Alastair.

Hey, there are two news scoops brewing. One may take awhile, but it's huge. The other was expected to hit this week, though we're a bit behind schedule. I think in honor of our working relationship of old, I should give you the head start, no? I'll be out all day tomorrow (wish I could tell folks what I am doing!) but give me a call (now is OK, actually) and I'll fill you in on what to expect.

Actually, I'm tipping a Chardonnay right now. To you, Alastair.

Bev Harris

[althecat]

18. In the meantime... what do you think of the Raba report?

[RedEagle]

19. My dime on a partial review of the RABA Report

I admittedly haven't had time to read all of it. Had to surrendor the computer and I'm over here playing hooky right now.

The report talks about "limited use" of voter verified paper ballots. All the risks it identifies are bogus- they can be dealt with and overcome.

Thier review of the Diebold system and subsequent questions about the value of a paper ballot show a lack of research into the use of such a paper ballot system.

They should talk to the folks at Avante and Accupoll, who have developed the paper ballot concept from the ground up. Avante says they have up to three different identifiers on the paper ballot, making it extremely hard to engage in any ballot box stuffing. Indeed, the paper is more robust, from a security standpoint, than any electronic ballot.

As for the scenario they describe of rigging the electronic vote, then taking the ballots in back and tampering with them, that would imply that you have control of the random number generator that assigns a number to each ballot. Plus ballot boxes are subject to "witness" procedures, if followed. Since the election officials continually explain how those procedures protect the machines, one would be led to assume they can certainly protect the ballots. After all, the paper ballots cannot be changed by someone with a laptop and wireless access.

What security risk you can, or think you can, mitigate today will be vulnerable in the future. It is a given. Why go there?

I find the report far too dismissive of paper and too suggestive of a non-paper solution.

It is good in that it's the fourth report to slam the Diebold program.

But it's not good in that they don't make enough of the fact Rubin didn't see all of the code. Has anyone really reviewed more than the touch screen?

[BevHarris]

20. Good, Linda, and I'd like to add

The RABA report still doesn't "get it" and seems to think that the certification model can actually work.

And did I read it right that it seems to think all the flaws can be easily corrected, in time for the primaries? In a month? What about recertification? You can't have it both ways -- if we are using a certification model, we have to use it very rigorously, though I contend that no matter how rigorous, the certification model cannot suffice.

You've got a report that doesn't deal with invoking required audits and says it's quick and simple to make the corrections in A MONTH -- um, so I guess we're back to using uncertified software? Calling it a "patch" and saying "just trust us" -- or what?

Yes, it's good to keep reinforcing the flaws of the software design, but they are minimizing the problem. I literally spend 2-3 hours a day talking to reporters. Most journalists are now moving beyond reports like RABA, SAIC, and are looking at the critical areas of collusion among the cronies who run the system, auditing, and they are beginning to view this as the big blob of a multifaceted problem that it is. Any report that minimizes the fundamentally broken election system we are now using will not get a whole lot of attention.

Bev Harris

[Kelvin Mace]

21. As I explained...

and you agreed when I explained, the priority was on the backorder first, those folks who had been waiting the longest.

Your corrected copy has been sent.

As to the missing appendix, some books did get out with it missing, but we will replace them with new ones at MY expense. Please ask them to contact me.

David Allen
www.plan9.org

Diebold Voting Machines
We vote for you, so you don't have to!