So I was invited to help test the voting machines today

[WolverineDG]

& when I got there, everyone laughed when I said I refuse to vote on machines. That I don't trust them, that they can get the counts wrong (either through machine error, intentional hacking/tampering, etc. Laugh laugh laugh. Do I use ATMs? Yes. Well, then, why not vote on the machines? Do the machines give me a receipt? :crickets: Well, is your balance always correct afterwards? Yes, but that's not the issue, & so on. Oh, dg, trust us, the machines are okay, they'll count the ballots right.

So, they run the test. 4 of us are present, 3 voting democratic, the other R, since he's the local party chair. Everyone chuckling at me. They print out the results. The results show that 3 voters voted REPUBLICAN & 1 DEMOCRATIC.

Ha ha ha. The R guy said while this might work well for him in the general election, he didn't like this error. So notations were made to tell ES&S to get it right for voting day. Which starts Tuesday.

Moral of the story: DON"T TRUST THE FUCKING MACHINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE, DEMAND A PAPER BALLOT!!!

dg

[crispini]

1. Oh gawd.

I am so glad we vote on optical scan paper ballots. At least we have a paper trail that can be counted and recounted.

[WolverineDG]

2. We do have the paper ballot option here

thank god.

dg

[efhmc]

3. That is so scary.

For those of us with no choice, what can we do?

[sonias]

5. None

We're screwed. The only way you can get a paper ballot is if you vote absentee in most urban counties that use paperless DREs. And the only way you can get an absentee ballot is if you are 65 or oder, infirmed or you're going to be out of town during the election period. And you have to request it 30 days in advance of the election. Well that deadline has already passed, so no absentee ballot for you, or me.

We vote on the faith based system. Representative Rush Holt has tried to give us something in 3 different bills in the U.S. House and all people wanted to do was kill them because they weren't perfect.

Sonia

[sonias]

9. Correction on the ballot request - deadline is 2/26

You can actually request a ballot until Feb 26th. The request has to be postmarked by Feb 26th to allow you to get the ballot and vote it by March 4th.

Sorry for the mistake.

Sonia

[sonias]

4. Funny, but not funny

These are the ES&S machines right?

You know when they give you that "don't you trust ATMs" line - tell them those ATM's cost the banking industry billions of dollars to make sure they are secure and work properly. We aren't spending even a fraction of a percent of what banks put into ATMs. So we got what we paid for - crap.

dg our lawsuit is still in play. We need you to write up everything you remember about this test while it's fresh in your mind. And if you know the other people in the room with you who also witnessed it, please get their contact information too. Our lawsuit goes to court 3/31.

How did the election officials resolve the situation? Are they going to schedule another test?

This is important. When I see you on Saturday maybe we can talk with TCRP lawyers that are handling our case.

thanks

Sonia

[WolverineDG]

8. I don't think I'll be able to come up

I'll pm you my cell #

dg

[hobbit709]

6. My computers here at home are more secure from the outside

than the POS's used for voting. I work on computers and I can easily think of a dozen ways to hack one of these junkpiles. And that's just in terms of external access. The fact that they won't let anyone see the source code makes me even more suspicious-like what's inside that they don't want you to know about. My attitude is that since these machines are used to record a PUBLIC vote, then the inner workings should be seen by the PUBLIC. I have nothing against the machines per se but until you can demonstrate that they give an HONEST count they are not trustworthy.

[sonias]

7. We're in 100% agreement hobbit

Public means public - it belongs to the people. It should be open and transparent. Private companies are in the game for a profit, so their goals are totally different than insuring a fair and honest election.


Sonia

[tbyg52]

10. Do you have a link to a news story on this, perchance?

You'd think there would have been a reporter there, but I'm not holding my breath.....

[WolverineDG]

11. This is the only link I have

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19299314&BRD=2290&PAG=461&dept_id=569392&rfi=6

Nope, no reporters present at the test.

dg

[tbyg52]

12. Thanks. nt

[sonias]

13. Freaking amazing

dg thank you for taking part in this test and reporting to us.:applause:

More evidence of how faulty these paperless e-voting systems are.



Sonia