BBV: Salon Lead Story - An open invitation to election fraud

[althecat]

http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/09/23/bev_harris/index.html

Not only is the country's leading touch-screen voting system so badly designed that votes can be easily changed, but its manufacturer is run by a die-hard GOP donor who vowed to deliver his state for Bush next year.

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By Farhad Manjoo

Sept. 23, 2003 | As if the public image of punch-card voting machines had not already been bruised and battered enough, on Sept. 15 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals went for the K.O. Punch-card voting, a three-judge panel of the court said in its ruling halting the California gubernatorial recall election, is an embarrassment to our high-tech times: "Just as the black and white fava bean voting system of revolutionary times was replaced by paper balloting, and the paper ballot replaced by mechanical lever machine, newer technologies have emerged to replace the punch-card, including optical scanning and touch screen voting."

But according to Bev Harris, a writer who has spent more than a year investigating the shadowy world of the elections equipment industry, the replacement technologies the court cited may be worse -- much worse -- than the zany punch-card systems it finds so abhorrent. Specifically, Harris' research into Diebold, one of the largest providers of the new touch-screen systems, ought to give elections officials pause about mandating an all-electronic vote.


Harris has discovered that Diebold's voting software is so flawed that anyone with access to the system's computer can change the votes without leaving any record. On top of that, she's uncovered internal Diebold memos in which employees seem to suggest that the vulnerabilities are no big deal. The memos appear to be authentic -- Diebold even sent Harris a notice warning her that by posting the documents on the Web, she was infringing upon the company's intellectual property. Diebold did not return several calls for comment.


AND MUCH MUCH MORE...

http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/09/23/bev_harris/index.html

It is also really worth checking the Salon Front Page to see just how big they are running with this!!!!

[BevHarris]

1. Goodness -- this is a surprise! Thanks, althecat

I thought I had a subscription, but now I'm waiting for the one-day pass ad to load so I can read the rest of it. Appreciate the heads up. Check your PM, Alastair.

[BigLed]

You go girl

Outstanding. The worm is turning. And it is Shai-Halud.

[BigLed]

9. You go girl

Outstanding. The worm is turning. And it is Shai-Halud.

[frank frankly]

2. great work!

kick

[SlutBunwalla]

3. Yup, I posted in in LBN 30 minutes ago

Great story!

[althecat]

4. Just finished.... WOW!!! this story has everything...

Kick....

Dare I say it the first comprehensive mainstream coverage of the actual issues we are dealing with here...

It is also very interesting to see how much prominence Salon is giving this, plus how quickly they brought it to publication. There is no hesitancy being shown here anymore...

Very good stuff indeed.

[BevHarris]

5. This was actually a huge article.

A tiny correction -- he indicated that flash memory is the cards used to store the votes. Actually, it is an eprom inside the machine and the card used to store the votes are something different altogether, but the issue was, the data and programs have been wiped off both now in Georgia. That is, the cards seem to no longer exist and the flash memory has now been completely overwritten on all the machines.

No record of what went down in Georgia. By the way, if someone can (for the umpteenth time) help me get the details and source the info on that bogus business about angry white male voters being the cause of the Georgia upsets, it would be much appreciated. Thought I saved those threads but can't find them.

Bev

[DEMActivist]

6. No, Bev...he's right

EPROM, flash memory and PCMCIA cards are all used.

But the EPROM is NOT used to store votes. A flash card is used as the redundant storage and the PCMCIA card is the primary storage.

[shance]

7. Good coverage Bev - Front and Center at Salon.com***

Kick it!

[Gordon25]

8. Can you spell...

...T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N?

Great article. One I intend to print out and keep handy for educational purposes.

Outstanding interview questions. Better answers. Bev, you continue to amaze and inspire.

Gordon25

[nostamj]

10. this does NOT belong on the 3rd page!

:kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce::kick::bounce:

[dusty64]

11. Wonderful!

Now if only the corporate media would pay as much attention to this vital issue.

[dusty64]

12. Kick.

:kick:

[CatWoman]

13. kick

:kick:

[leftchick]

14. great graphic with the article!

really puts it out there! Way to go Bev!

[Starpass]

15. Wow--hopefully it will now rate more attention with the rest of

the media who has been turning a blind eye to it. I do hope this is the big breakthrough. Salon is respected.

[Noordam]

16. email the Salon article fo all your nonDU friends.

:kick:

[meow2u3]

17. Kick

:kick: some :dem:, althecat!!!!

[DWright]

18. Wow!

Salon FINALLY comes through. Great interview, Bev!

[DrBB]

19. Since I've been on and off DU all morning and didn't see this

I'm giving it a nice big fat

:kick: