California approves Sequoia vote machines with paper trail......

[msongs]

do not have link to this La Times blurb so here it is:

"An electronic voting system with a paper trail that was used in Nevada elections last year is the first approved for use in California.
Secretary of State kevin Shelley on Friday certified the Sequoia Voting Systems machine for use next year.
The machine prints a paper record of a voter's choices, which the voter can double check via computer screen for accuracy. San Bernardino County tested the Oakland-based company's machine in one precinct during the November presidential election. Shelley said the federal government has approved the Sequoia machine."

ok not surprised the federal government (Bush) endorses it.

no paper ballot to be kept with the vote counters to checkk for machine fraud.

no open code.

other issues about security not mentioned in this article.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/liberaltshirts.htm

[glitch]

1. Yep - bogus fix.

The more bogus fixes they approve the more they are suspect.
If they are trying to douse the "fires of freedom" of voter outrage over election fraWd they'll need to try again.

[w4rma]

2. They check the "computer screen" for accuracy? What BS.

The *only* way this will work is if paper BALLOTS are printed and you are able to check those BALLOTS. But, I no longer believe that something that isn't as simple as a paper ballot filled in with a pen should be trusted to these thieves to handle.

Canada's system is simple and uses paper and pen. They finish their counting THE SAME NIGHT. We should just do what they do in this case.

[kuozzman]

3. Can someone tell me exactly how the Sequoia machines

are vulnerable. My Dad is President of De La Rue Cash Systems, which owns Sequoia and is under the impression that their machines are secure. If someone tells me why they aren't, I'd like to see what he has to say. He doesn't really participate in the deals they do through Sequoia-he just gets reports, updates, etc., so likely only gets a one sided report on how secure the Sequoia machines are. I'd be happy to give him the other side.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Go to bbv.com and ask your question.

[w4rma]

5. Here is some general info. For specific info, send an email/post at

http://www.blackboxvoting.org/ and http://www.blackboxvoting.com/

Two different groups of folks run the two sites. But they will most assuredly be willing to answer and research your question with detailed specifics.

What is needed for these touch screens to work securely are paper **ballots** not just paper records. The programming doesn't even have to be open source if the machine prints out voter readable BALLOTS that can be counted easily by hand (and when you want speed can be counted by a machine that will sift through and read the ballots automatically).

Key points: BALLOTS, not just records. Voter readable! not just machine readable.

According to This PCWorld article the Sequoia machines use PCMCIA cards to electronicaly store votes on. There is absolutely no possible way for a voter to know that their vote is being stored (and counted) on from that memory card.

The program used to store that information could either be written or infected with a virus to put whatever votes that the hacker wanted onto the card. Just because the *screen* says that your vote went to Bush (or Kerry) doesn't mean that the program increased the vote counter for the correct candidate inside of the (black box, because noone knows what is really going on inside except by studying the effects) software.

Open source is better, but it doesn't solve the problem, either. The *only* way for the public to know for sure that their vote isn't being tampered with is by paper ballots.

I tried to keep things as non-technical as I could. But, it's kinda tough to do on this subject. I'll PM you with this info, also.

[kuozzman]

6. Thanks, I'll check it out.