Hackers Make Quick Work Of Most California Voting Machines
Via SF Gate:
State-sanctioned teams of computer hackers were able to break through the security of virtually every model of California's voting machines and change results or take control of some of the systems' electronic functions, according to a University of California study released Friday. The researchers "were able to bypass physical and software security in every machine they tested,'' said Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who authorized the "top to bottom review" of every voting system certified by the state.
Neither Bowen nor the investigators were willing to say exactly how vulnerable California elections are to computer hackers, especially because the team of computer experts from the UC system had top-of-the-line security information plus more time and better access to the voting machines than would-be vote thieves likely would have.
Bowen said in a telephone news conference Friday that the report is only one piece of information she will use to decide which voting systems are secure enough to use in next February's presidential primary election.
If she is going to decertify any of the machines, she must do it by Friday, six months before the Feb. 5 vote. Read more...
You can contact California Secretary of State, Debra Bowen here and let her know what you think of electronic voting machines.
Foist!
State sanctioned hackers?! Only in California would they pay criminals to break the law!
[/rightwinged moonbat]
It's a good thing that they're not going to need the voting machines next year, since the 2008 election will not be taking place anyway.
Still, I'm glad they're on the case and doing something with their time. It keeps them out of trouble and can justify their salaries.
Enjoy your day, everybody!
yank em
From the article:
It is of a concern to them that they would lose sunk costs and look foolish for having certified machines that are now proven to be a security risk. It is, apparently, only a secondary concern, at best, that the FUCKING MACHINES ARE COMPLETELY INSECURE AND THE ELECTIONS ARE BEING STOLEN UNDER YOU FUCKING INCOMPETENT AND MYOPIC EYES.
I would suggest that someone take the asshole who voiced concern about the machines and demote him to assistant deputy dog catcher in death valley, but apparently there are a number of them - "some country elections officials..."
I weep.
"Neither Bowen nor the investigators were willing to say exactly how vulnerable California elections are to computer hackers, especially because the team of computer experts from the UC system had top-of-the-line security information plus more time and better access to the voting machines than would-be vote thieves likely would have."
And how do they know who the "would-be" vote thieves would be?
I guess that it's more important to disenfrancise voters than admit that the voting machines are bad. Even being demoted to assistant deputy dog catcher is too good for these idiots.
The outrage is simply palpable, no?
.. to appease the nervous who are being ripped off I suggest that if it is that easy to rig one election then why do not you rig your own .. see if rove is that much of a genius ... rig the riggers ...
oh my god....
One of the first things our new Florida gov. did when he took office was promise to deep six all touch screen voting. He calls himself a Repub, but he sure has acted like a Dem.
If the Bank of America bought Diebold cash machines and someone was able to hack into the county election officials bank account, I'll bet they would be screaming to have the machines removed.
Check out these sites:
www.blackboxvoting.org
www.bradblog.com
Here's the history of electronic vote machines...financed by rightwing $$$ and GOP-donor corporations...proprietary software that we, the public, cannot see...
http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/91573/index.php
"Landslide Denied"...the Democrats STILL had 3 million votes stolen!!!
http://www.electiondefensealliance.org/landslide_denied_exit_polls_vs_vo...
Blue Buddha @ 2:
How do you think they test home and auto security devices?
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/bbv_chapter-8.pdf
Close to 100% of e-vote discrepancies favor Republicans...THAT'S NOT RANDOM!!!
These election officials are like the folks behind the Challenger space shuttle disaster.
They knew there might be a problem, but they didn't want to do anything due to deadlines and the amount of money already invested.
Who needs hackers if the machines are rigged. The CEO of Diebold stated he was committed to delivering votes to Bush and the Republicans. http://home.earthlink.net/~acisney4/id14.html
Blue Buddha @ 2:
breaking the law...not exactly. Obviously they're just observing if it can be done, which we've known that it can for years now. This is old news. Voting systems should NEVER FUCKING EVER be computerized because they will always be ways to change the results. If its digital it can be altered, plain and simple.
Whose Ox is Gored?
After Bush's victory, liberals shouted "Voter fraud!" Why have they changed their tune?
When Republicans win elections, liberals are quick to cry fraud. But when actual fraud is found, they are just as quick to deny it, if Democrats are the ones who benefit.....
Instead, Sen. Leahy and other liberals are busy dismissing concerns about voter fraud, no doubt in an effort to make certain the Justice Department drops the issue as a priority before the 2008 election. But the blunders and politicization of parts of the Bush Justice Department notwithstanding, voter fraud deserves to be investigated and prosecuted. The Justice Department may be dysfunctional and poorly led, but the Democratic Congress seems more interested in paralyzing its activities than helping to fix the problem.
And Chernobyl. The engineers in the control room knew the place was about to have a melt down, but the people form the "ministry" made them continue and just hoped it would work. It did not.
Ron @ 12:
I think BoA typically does use Diebold ATMs. But something tells me the security on those is extremely tight... after all, they worry far more about money than the democratic process.
Big Dan @ 14:
Even with the cards stacked against them, the Dems still were able to get a majority in Congress. That says something, doesn't it.
Jeez people... you ever heard of sarcasm? I thought the "[/rightwinged moonbat]" would make it obvious.
...and I don't doubt that a pundit will use such a line.
Thanks for sharing that important article.
The American People would never know this important story....
CNN is covering "a news story"; Gum on City Sidewalks
NBC is covering "Worst Weather in America"
Fox is covering "Infants in Maryland"
Oh ... CNN just had on Ken Pollack...
--> The same guy... who in 27 March 2003 Predicted the Iraq War
--> Will Last 4 to 10 Weeks
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2003/iraq-030327-usi...
Where is Andrea Koppel when you need a reporter?
--> Daughter of television journalist Ted Koppel (Nightline)
--> and is married to Ken Pollack. Quite an informative bio here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Pollack
All in the family...
Propaganda.
Blue Buddha @ 23:
Absolutely, if they cared about democracy, they would have made the voting machines as secure as the ATMs.
The cat that cuddles up to dying nursing home patients received more media attention than this ever has or will.
Stay asleep, Sheeple, there's nothing to worry about. The machines have everything under control. Go back to sleeeeeeeeeppppppp...
I live in California and let me say, I have never voted on a machine. (And I never will.) Just the old fashioned pencil and paper. I live in Sacramento. Is that why?
Ron --
Exactly. ATMs are a great example -- and proof they could do it if they wanted to. Dems control California -- why don't they do something?
I have an idea -- put whatever method we have of controlling voting booths -- on ATMs. It would take about 5 minutes to fix things.
mudkitty @ 8:
Yes mudkitty.
It's #$%@ unbelievable that "election fraud" is hardly mentioned on progressive sites. Without Bradblog and Blackboxvoting staying on top of this the Dems would not have won. Election fraud is the reason these crooks are in the White House and if DRE's are not dumped you'll never see democracy again.
Yet another example that security by obscurity doesn't work...
i got something for voting machines... TIRE IRONS AND CLAW HAMMERS!!! --- Give me a paper ballot and a receipt damn it!!! After all this corruption the American people have witnessed, you think we are going to let you force shit like "voting machines" on us??? We're not that stupid. If I ever come face to face with a voting machine ITS GOING OUT THE FUCKING WINDOW. I hope it makes it in the news. [PAPER DAMN IT!]
Live Free or Die Bold
One of the news channels presented video of national elections going on today in Japan.
EVEN THE JAPANESE DON'T USE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES. They vote on PAPER BALLOTS... maybe because they want to keep their democratic government SECURE.
I remember thinking twenty years ago, that it would be great if someone could figure out how to give the public cards that would help us at ATM machines, provide medical information if we weren't in a condition to do so, and to vote. Imagine being able to vote at any ATM machine.
But even then I realized some 12 year old hacker could probably disrupt the vote, and release personal information.
And I didn't even have a college education yet.
Orwell's Illegitimate Son @ 28:
I heard that the cat just cuddled up next to the Constitution.
Cowboy Bob in Austin @ 35:
India's last election was all electronic. One billion people, and went off without a hitch. How did they do it? The equipment they used was entirely hardware: no touch screens (the interface was a series of hardware programmed buttons) or easily hackable software on an easily hackable operating system. The only way they could've been hacked is to rip them open and hook into the circuit boards with sophisticated equipment.
Ok, you don't get the point. What YOU call a "hack" is just the normal accessing the machines. These IT ametuees distress me.
Use this URL to contact CA-SecState Debra Bowen:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/cgi-bin/print_form.cgi
The system will send you a confirmation of receipt of email.
ReedMan @ 20:
I'm in Maryland. The state contracted computer experts at the University of Maryland to test the security of the Diebold machines. They broke through in only a few hours. Maryland bought them anyway.
Blue Buddha @ 23:
Have a Diebold ATM where I work. Building is secure; but the machine? Its data and power lines are plugged into a wall just to the left side of the machine. Easily accessible by hand and not in line of sight of a near-by security camera. Not very secure at all.
One must remember the earlier report said the machines in questionCOULD NOT be broken into DUH! You want the Cowars of America the Spineless one to actually not certify a possible sure win. My gd folks your delusional.
Read the report on the you tube debates these Racist Fascists are trying to fix it so only indentifiable RACIST NAZIS COMMITTEE (RNC) memebers can participate, They are trying to fix it so they can control it, Fascist NEOCONs are in a Panick because they would have to talk to real Americans about accountablity and actions and with the limp wrist panty waist spineless cowarddelusional coward in the white house they do not believe they should have to do that.
Myself as this unravels I find the repukulans mor dispicable and criminal at each passing moment. Fix a sure thing what do you think they are americans.
Uh, can we fix this and test this out before we commit. I can volunteer to be a beta-tester for a mock election. Fuck it, i have time. I'm done with oligarchies. I say stick with direct-recording electronic (DRE) using buttons (no touch screens).
Note: sounds like Diebold has some secret key combinations to get into admin mode if you can "hack" this from the touch screen. I think this is done on purpose. Even video games have admin-panels locked behind the machine.
-love, Stirfry , IT swami ;)
Orwell's Illegitimate Son @ 28:
I hope that cat cuddles up to the GOP and soon.
Whether or not the machines can be hacked is secondary. Of far greater significance is the fact that they are rigged to provide a predetermined result before the election begins. Diebold's CEO has boasted that he can personally deliver victories to the repigs. Does anyone think he's just blowing hot air?
Sung to the tune of the tango "Fernando's Hideaway"
A scam
Used in
Elections past
Where Diebold changed
Ballots you cast
And voter's rolls
Were purged and slashed
Oy veh!
Karl Rove got in the way!
Oy veh!
Paper ballots are not the panacea people seem to believe. If paper ballots are counted by machine then that machine could be tampered with. If paper ballots are counted by people then the people could be tampered with.
Any voting system of any reasonable size can be compromised.
May be, but there is a paper trail and an audit can be issued. If there is a discrepancy between the machine results and the actual paper votes, the votes can still be counted.
How about a paper receipt deposited in a locked box for every machine? Each box from every precinct is issued a number. Corresponding numbers are put on ping pong balls just like the lottery. Ping pong balls are selected and that particular box of paper votes are audited along with the corresponding machine. Sounds like a simple solution to me.
Election fraud will be done by voting machine manufacturers.
That is the point of making them, isn't it?
That is why they have proprietary software that election officials can't see, isn't it?
Only Republicans want these machines because they were created to steal elections for Republicans.
disgusted @ 44:
Well, that was incredibly stupid claim to have made.
Of course, if U.S. jurisdictions simply must have voting machines (and I suppose given the large number of ballots in some areas, there's a good argument to be made for them), there is a simple safeguard: DON'T hook the damn things up to the Internet.
India used simple computers a while back for elections. The machines weren't on the Internet, so they were secure from hackers.
Also, isn't it obvious any voting machine must have a paper trail as a safeguard? Is that part of the Diebold systems?
fu father eisenman @ 49:
Ah, but is the paper trail accurate? Do you have the same ballots as were originally counted? Were the originals the ones voters submitted? Have they been tampered with? As I mentioned earlier, has the counting procedure been tampered with?
Electronic voting today has serious problems, but it truly does have the promise of more accurate elections. The question is, will politics (and the money that goes into it) ever allow that promise to be realized.
GOP SUES DIEBOLD FOR FAILING TO ‘FIX’ MIDTERM ELECTIONS
I don't know what the fuss is all about. Honestly!!
Relax!! That's what's supposed to happen in Fascism!!
So what is a little bit --even a lot of --torture or fraud? That's what happens. No one gives away power once they get it. At least gays cannot marry, and isn't that what it is all about? The "elections" are a chimerical illusion.
46 Simon White-Thatch Potentloins Says:
I hope that cat cuddles up to the GOP and soon.
_________________________________________________________________
Does the GOP even like pussies?
For the sake of continuance of Democracy in this country, she must decertify.
I work as a computer consultant. One of the first questions I ask is "How will automating this system make your process more efficient?" Sometimes by asking the right questions I can eliminate the perceived need to automate -- which is OK by me, I still get paid and the customer is happy because it cost them practically nothing.
So what's faster: having a 78 year old lady check a box on a paper ballot, or training her to use a touch screen computer? Remember that most 78 year old ladies (or men) can't set the clock on their VCR.
What can go wrong with the automated system? Can you recover from it without losing data? Is this better or worse than a manual system?
If I had been brought in to help automate voting (and assuming they had listened to their own answers) you would still be checking boxes on paper ballots.
Also, I still don't know why Waxman doesn't subpoena RNC server backup tapes. Just about every IT does daily incremental backups and complete weeklies that get stored off-site. That's a pretty standard practice...what if you have a server crash, do you want to lose all your email?
Hell yes. Hackers for democracy!
(as in, helping us get rid of those Diebold voting machines)
The hackers had access to information the average vote thief wouldn't? The vote thieves weren't average, and they were given the codes by Diebold so they didn't have to hack anything.
ohdem @ 60:
Apparently, you're not familiar with industrial espionage...
ohdem @ 60:
In one case they got in because Diebold used an unpatched windows 2000 server s/w -- http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vsr.htm. Where are you coming up with this bullshit?
Shell5960w @ 29:
Same here, I live in Woodland Hills and have always had an ink ballot with a receipt. I don't understand why this has not been taken care of.
You can bet that someone compromising the voting would have access to this information, just like they had access to weaponized anthrax in 2001. As someone in the computer industry, I know people personally who have access to this stuff. I'm pretty sure they do too, because they have the $$$
We've privatized the vote in this endless quest to appease the Chicago School "free market" cultists. The common good is dead
I've written Debra Bowen to express my concern with these machines, and my opinnion that they should never be used.
All of you who have expressed outrage out about what is happenning should write to Bowen and express your concern. It won't take any more effort than posting here did, and might do more good.
Go to this page and click on "Contact Secretary of State Debra Bowen", the link is on the left side of the page: http://www.sos.ca.gov/executive/executive.htm
As usual. Same conversation, little progress. This has been an issue as clear as a bubbling mountain stream, a shockingly blue sky, the sun that rises in the morning FOR
SEVEN FULL YEARS.
Repugs won't remove themselves unless their access, like their arms, are CHOPPED OFF
from this well known practice of stealing in the open. Dems have done little to defend our voting rights and all of the sudden it's an issue again. Christ.
In our town of Boulder, CO we have the option of electronic or huge paper ballots that are as simple as they come. Our votes didn't REACH the tally in '04 until AFTER the election. Nothingness, a mention and then nothingness again. Huge protests that availed us naught both here and in Denver. Thousands of signatures, Elections chief not there to receive, stonewalling, protests, little change.
We ought to have a national standardized form a first-grader would understand, standardized paper weight that you fill in blank rectangles with black ink. Duh.
So tired of suffocating under the same approaches, same thieves, no results. If there is a result then different tricks. Screw it. I still vote but screw it all.
DigDug @ 66:
If you do, please try to make it a supporting e-mail. What I've heard of her so far is that she is pushing for accountability at voting machines.
[...] Crooks and Liars [...]
CA Sec of State has until this Friday to decertify the machines for the next election.
Contact the Secretary of State Debra Bowen:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/cgi-bin/print_form.cgi
Non-residents can submit their 2 cents too.
California Finds DRE Touch-Screen Voting Systems Easily Hackable, as House Dems and PFAW Strike Deal to Use Them in American Elections Anyway
PLUS: Following up with Bowen on the ES&S LA County InkaVote Issue, and the Bizarre Comments from Steve Weir, President of CA Election Officials Association
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4888#comments
PBS (Finally) Exposes Criminal GOP Conspiracy to Steal the 2004 Election via Illegal 'Vote Caging' Scam
3-Year Overdue NOW Report Links Scheme to Top Republican Operatives and White House
Former US Attorney David Iglesias Believes Withheld WH Emails May Show Criminal Involvement in '04 Election Theft...
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4884#comments
Bowen's Public Hearing on 'Top-to-Bottom Review' of Voting Systems to be Webcast, Live Blogged...
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4891#comments
CA SoS Bowen: 'Analysts Able to Bypass Both Physical and Software Security for Every System They Reviewed'in Landmark Independent 'Top-to-Bottom Review' of CA Voting Systems
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4880#comments
It seems to me that we could easily test the veracity of the new electronic voting equipment by printing out a voter's receipt, let the voters review it, and submit it. Then run parallel counts to see if the electronic totals equal the printed copies.
If they're f***ing around with the totals electronically, wouldn't the manual count of the printed voter's selections show that?
I can't believe that we can't figure this s*** out.
We didn't "privatize" voting...we "corporatized" voting, with votes being secretly counted on vote machines made by GOP-donor corporations, with proprietary software we citizens are not allowed to look at. And we're "spreading democracy" to Iraq? That was the 3rd reason anyway (WMD's & Sadaam/AlQuaeda ties), and we don't even have it here!
"Then run parallel counts "....I've been saying that, too! They did a parallel count in a San Diego race, asking people who they voted for major, and it showed "the machines" were totally wrong.
""""There is a shift of four percent of the vote, consistently," Joe Prizzi, (engineer and physicist,) reported at a press conference held by CAPE in front of City Hall. Frye received 50.2 percent of the votes cast in the parallel election - enough for an outright victory if those results reflect the outcome citywide. CAPE also found that the official count added approximately 2 percent to each of Frye's two Republican opponents, Jerry Sanders and Steve Francis. """
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Citizens_Request_Recount_IN_SAN_DIEGO_MAYO...
"Math is non-partisan"...
...shift towards the GOP, of course, nearly 100% of the time...statistics don't lie!
7 years, 2 elections and 2 wars late...
Number 71 Arroyo Says:
A voter receipt or paper trail will not ensure the votes are counted correctly. Electronic voting machines, touchscreen AND ballot scanners alike, are independent, stand-alone computers. Each counts votes indepently. There are several points where an error, unintentional or otherwise can be introduced. The voting machine can print out your ballot, show you exactly how you voted, but actually count your vote differently. Computers are just as smart or as dumb as the programmers who set them up. Call a donkey an elephant or an elephant a donkey. The computer doesn't care. For a fun but provoking read, try "A Margin of Error-Ballots of Straw." It's a fictional account of what actually happened to elections 2006, 2004 and 2000.
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/archives/index.html
"computer experts from the UC system had top-of-the-line security information plus more time and better access to the voting machines than would-be vote thieves likely would have."
• Thanks for quoting this LIE from SF Gate. The machines have been given to unqualified poll workers for TAKING HOME in most cases for more than a week. The computer experts had far less time than those workers to fix the elections -- AND THE PEOPLE USING THESE MACHINES TO STEAL THE ELECTIONS ALREADY KNOW WHAT TO DO because they are in collusion with the designers of these pieces of crap.
You also direct people to Bowen's office. WHY? She's done her work.
• People should write TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, demanding PROSECUTIONS:
The Honorable Jerry Brown, Attorney General
Attorney General’s Office
California Department of Justice
Attn: Public Inquiry Unit
P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, CA 94244-2550
Please write to AG Jerry Brown (the former governor) and ask him to prosecute Sequoia, Diebold, and Hart for CONTRACT FRAUD, seeking refunds and damages for their laughably faulty equipment,
and also to open investigations into the business ties of Registrars of Voters in California who have abused their offices LOBBYING for these illegal votefraud machines, and for their violations of the California constitution and relevant voting rights statutes. Thank you.
• Refer him to the study: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ ...ections_vsr.htm
• READ THE SUMMARY (it’s quite shocking): http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ ...ed_overview.pdf
AND HOW ABOUT A LINK TO THE ACTUAL REPORT, INSTEAD OF A NEWS ARTICLE?
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vsr.htm
And the must-read summary:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting_systems/ttbr/red_overview.pdf
dennis @ 21:
No such claim can be evidenced, because we have NEVER called this a matter of 'voter fraud,' which is the rightwing talking point you troll.
Just remember not to let them give you a provisional ballot on election day. They are required to give you one, but they are not required to count it, nor do they have to provide a reason why they chose not to. Many folks had their voting location changed for the last presidential election and offered provisional ballots if you did not want to travel to the new site (incidentally, the new site for me was an extra couple of miles away. The old site was just around the corner).
fu father eisenman @ 49:
And the paper ballots can be RECOUNTED as many times as necessary, unlike the DRE, which is an illusion from start to finish.
We don't have a new SecState like Bowen by accident. WE WORKED OUR ASSES OFF GETTING A LEGAL SECSTATE to replace vote-fraud Schwarztika's Diebold-approving bastard MacCormack.
• She's very honest, and she's flipping the bacon so it's getting cooked real good. Now what we need is ATTORNEY GENERAL BROWN to do a number on the pigs that they will NEVER forget.
Bananaphone @ 82:
Of COURSE they are required to count it. Not counting your provisional ballot is a FELONY.
• The obvious fact is that we have a number of Registrars of Voters (ROV) who are CORRUPT, AND COMPLICIT.
In Los Angeles County, we have an ROV who was fired as a Texas ROV for engaging in vote fraud and certifying falsely a stolen election. Now she's here, and we can't get rid of her, because LAC is run by supervisors who are non-responsive. We need the AG to PROSECUTE her out of office.
There are quite a few conspirators working in California as ROVs.
It's a job for the LAW, with activism pushing it.
WATCH and see what happened, happens and will happen...
Videos of TRUTH to the American People!
HIGH TECH ELECTION THEFT IN AMERICA
DOCUMENTED voting fraud: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY IT POLICY CENTER "instructional videos" show/document how they quickly reversed the outcome of a mock vote -- leaving no evidence that they did so.
The whole (key opened or lock picked) procedure, including insertion and removal of the 'preprogrammed=contaminated' memory card, and machine boot-up ==> in less than 1 minute !!
Once compromised, any 'clean' memoery card inserted into this machine will get 'contaminated', and spread the intended 'virus' to ANY number of machines, and so on - just like STDs !!
The keys for the machines are of the cheapest most popular generic kind, available in hardware stores everywhere, or use a standard 'mini-fridge' lock key from almost any motel in America. The lock can be picked within seconds as well.
1. Princeton University Exposes Diebold Flaws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZws98jw67g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwWP-N1HqT0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0cxSJwG9Q0
Hack a Diebold voting machine near you
Experts Easily Reverse Diebold Results & No One Would Know
Added September 14, 2006
More details can be found at their site:
http://itpolicy.princeton.edu/voting/
2. HACKING DEMOCRACY - (HBO) Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtPiGIqSljE
See ALL the parts 1 through 9 !!""
In the fall of 2006, right after the HBO airing, but before the Elections, due to Diebold's legal threats the explosive "Part 9 the END, and RESULT" has been REMOVED on youtube OVERNIGHT !!! Remaining Parts 1 - 8 would show enough to understand.
Another YouTube poster reposted the contents of Part 9 /RESULTS, you could see the results here:
""Diebold Hack Test: HBO's Hacking Democracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS75tSPpV7A
Added November 03, 2006
From fourmoredays
Here's the key segment of the HBO documentary "Hacking Democracy" - a demonstration of manipulating the executable code on the flash memory cards themselves which Diebold says does not exist (the code). ""
In that program Diebold execs were stating for the record that "the executable code on the flash memory cards" did NOT exist ! The 'trial'/mock election was run/tested the certified machines in one of the central states, with the State Election Commission members running it. The results were NOT as the votes cast. As of now, ALL of these EYE-OPENING videos have been removed: >>This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.Rigged USA Elections Exposed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEzY2tnwExs
Added March 02, 2006
From truthstream
Computer Programmer testifies for Congress that Tom Feeney (Speaker of the House of Florida at the time, currently US Representative for FLA ) tried to pay him to rig election vote counts.
See more videos like this at http://www.TruthStream.Org - Streaming Videos of TRUTH to the American People! ..
Had the software been written in 'modules', the stealth module most probably will be programmed to self-destruct after the program is executed for the day - NOT a trace left !!
4. Main Findings. The findings of Princeton study are:
1. Malicious software running on a single voting machine can steal votes with little if any risk of detection. The malicious software can modify all of the records, audit logs, and counters kept by the voting machine, so that even careful forensic examination of these records will find nothing amiss. We have constructed demonstration software that carries out this vote-stealing attack.
2. Anyone who has physical access to a voting machine, or to a memory card that will later be inserted into a machine, can install said malicious software using a simple method that takes as little as one minute. In practice, poll workers and others often have unsupervised access to the machines.
3. AccuVote-TS machines are susceptible to voting-machine viruse! s - computer viruses that can spread malicious software automatically and invisibly from machine to machine during normal pre- ! and post-election activity. We have constructed a demonstration virus that spreads in this way, installing our demonstration vote-stealing program on every machine it infects.
4. While some of these problems can be eliminated by improving Diebold's software, others cannot be remedied without replacing the machines' hardware. Changes to election procedures would also be required to ensure security.
j stewart @ 77:
I think you misunderstand my point - I'm saying compare the manually counted Paper Ballots with the Electronic Count - keep them separate, and see if the totals match up.
Swashbuckler @ 53:
You are deluded, or a liar for pay.
• In five years (or less) the whole country will be voting on paper ballots with optical scanner counting and computer tabulation -- all of which systems will be heavily audited.
The DRE (direct-recording electronic vote) is a myth from start to finish. The idea that electronic VOTING promises better elections is nonsense, unless it produces a voter-verified PAPER BALLOT (not a paper "trail").
(Btw, that ballot has to be RANDOMIZED. It cannot be an item on a toilet paper roll that stays connected, because that is not a secret vote.)
Arroyo @ 72:
We don't need no stinking 'receipt.' We demand BALLOTS.
"... David Jefferson said on 7/29/2007 @ 8:11 pm PT...(at BradBlog)
Just to clarify: Only half of the Top to Bottom Review reports have been released. The reports of the Code Review teams, and the Document Review team, are not yet online. These could be just as dramatic as the Red Team reports.
Mr. Jefferson also notes that there is an extensive Florida report on Diebold due out soon, as well.
Bowen has also put out a report on the need to update CA's audit procedures (see her website).
Left off the quotes on the quotation (first paragraph). Sorry.
Arroyo @ 72:
This would probably work fine in the cases where a parallel manual count was actually done. A time consuming and costly process that most likely only happen in cases where the results were contested. In many cases voter fraud would likely slip past completely under the radar. Why risk that?!
And if they do do a manual paper count in every case, well, then what's the point of having computers? The only reason that the electronic voting machines haven't already been ditched is because of the money already invested. A bad reason...
Make election day a paid holiday.
Use paper ballots.
Civil servants count the votes while we the people celebrate and observe.
...
Paper, paper, paper... Accept no SUBSTITUTES! It's that simple.. And yes, that expensive.. but given the trainwrecks of the last two national elections and any number of lessor elections within a variety of states
that found troubling and/or questionable results.. Results, that in a number of cases, led to expensive recounts or need to conduct secondary elections...I submit it's an expense that is well worth the money...
At the end of the day, its a little like the old Charlie Tuna commecials where old Charlie looks the camera in the eye and asks, 'ya want tuna with good taste or tuna that tastes good?'
The associated analogy is this; 'do we want election processes that looks all modern and cool, or election processes that work, that gets the job done?'
Cause right now? Electronic processes to elect our leaders have shown itself to be basically worthless at best and suspicous to the point of invalidating our entire election protocols in the worst examples. The ultimate result has rendered this method of voting totally unreliable. Maybe somewhere over the rainbow, someone will invent an automated process that is both efficient, cost friendly and reliable in a way that will not only get the job done, but be reliably unhackable and look just as cool as the coolest website CAN possibly look.... That day ain't today and tommorrow doesn't look very promising either...
Given that reality... It's back to paper... For the integrity of our nation... Paper ballots with hand counting... Because while it may take longer and not be very glamorous, it's a hell of a lot harder to hack Grandma Millies hand count... And one does assume that IF someone is trying to distract Grandma Millie from her counting task, she has enough 'capitol to expend' that she can tell whomever to bugger off and stop bothering her... I don't know of any software code that is self aware and/or interactive enough to know when it's being hacked....JD
Paul in LA @ 83:
You should really be asking your Secretary of State why she has not invested in the DRE's that offer provably secure elections with end-to-end accounting, like the system designed by VoteHere (they don't make the machine, just designed the process). In their system everybody can track their vote from start to finish, actually check to make sure their vote is counted in the final tally, and nobody else can see how they voted. And if you don't like VoteHere, there are tons of other cryptographic systems out there that offer end-to-end verification. Much better than any stupid paper trail which is basically worthless and just introduces more error.
AConfederacyofDunces @ 92:
That's the bottom line. Other countries do it, and it works.
PAPER BALLOTS. (The only argument for electronic voting is it puts money into the coffers of the companies doing the programming.)
MEMBERS OF EACH PARTY observing the physical counting.
And a DAY OFF!!! I'm politically active and aware, yet I don't know how many times I've completely missed voting due to working late or completely forgetting because of work stress.
It's time to treat voting with the gravity it deserves. I'm not belittling Independence Day, but really, voting is more vital to our democracy than cooking hot dogs and shooting off fireworks.
Hi everyone.... in Canada we do it the old fashion way for all of our elections. A paper ballot that you put an X on beside the name of your choice. After the polls close the ballots are dumped out and counted...get this people, by hand. There are scrutineers from all the parties in most polling stations when the counting occurs. They watch the counting process and can challenge any ballot. Just thought you'd want to know how it works here
the federal government employs many experts who hack nukes launchers, banks and things like that to make sure criminals and terrorists can't... But never mind that, remember - It's not the voting that's democracy, it's the counting. (Tom Stoppard)
What I don't understand is WHY are these things even allowed??? (except of course, to make money for a certain few and to rig elections...silly me) and WHY is there no definitve paper trail so that Elections CAN be checked.
...oh that's right, the Republicans are cheating immoral Lying corrupt dogs. That's WHY !!
If the US ever wants to be taken seriously regarding it's "Freedom and Democracy" then it has to stop all this BS.
The US needs to take it's elections very seriously or other Nations (some may not be the freindly type) will take their lead and do whatever the hell they want.
Yeah..SO......we've all known about this for quite some time now.It's just they can't ignore it anymore.But it's about damn time they caught up to reality.....oh yeah.........FRIST!
YeahRight @ 94:
Clearly you have zero idea how the system works -- the state system. The SecState does not 'invest' in anything. The counties buy machines that have been approved. NONE of these machines is going to be approved, and we are going to sue the living shit out of the companies that sold us this crap.
End-to-end accounting sounds like a good way of further burying the votefraud. No thanks. We just need paper ballots and some way to count them in aggregate as many times as we need to, whether as audits of the electronic tabulation, or as in the system of mandatory recounts the SecState is currently discussing.
It rather surprises me to see a corporate troll here defending this kind of voting -- NOT.
"PAPER BALLOTS. (The only argument for electronic voting is it puts money into the coffers of the companies doing the programming.)"
Paper ballots with electronic input is the system we will move to, not back to paper ballots with no input assistance. And the suggestion otherwise ignores the facts -- which are that handicapped voters have rights too (and they are very active legally and governmentally to get those rights).
"MEMBERS OF EACH PARTY observing the physical counting."
That has already occured in every US election going back to the beginning. And the DRE-era is the only time that hasnt been true (because the actual count is spurious).
"And a DAY OFF!!! I'm politically active and aware, yet I don't know how many times I've completely missed voting due to working late or completely forgetting because of work stress."
That's a different issue, an issue of enfrachizement, which has several components. Given that vote-caging has been taking place on a massive scale over the last seven years, day-off-voting is a distant, though still meritorious, suggestion. Along with that, so-called instant-runoff-voting would improve the democracy of election results, and there are a few other such improvements.
First, however, we have to return to LEGAL voting.
We tried to tell you folks
Paul in LA @ 100:
Wow. Amazing how you just dismiss using cryptographic accounting controls to provably guarantee everyone that their vote has counted because it "sounds funny". I believe that is the exact same argument creationist use about evolution ("That monkey stuff just sounds weird"). And obviously anyone who wants more secure elections but disagrees with you must be a corporate troll. I'm not defending these DREs, I'm saying why haven't we moved past them (and paper receipts) to a election system with verifiable end-to-end accounting.
Hmmm, the likely vote thieves are the repugs in charge of the machines. You know, the people who have them for 23.75 months out of 24 months. The ones that take the machines home with them. The people who actually count and recount until the numbers come out in their favor.
None of those people need to hack these fucking machines because they have administrative passwords to them. They can just go in and change whatever numbers they need, insert vote filtering software that deletes itself when the "election" is over. And thanks to the repugs, there is no paper trail. In fact, it's against the law to keep one.
Democracy is on the march all over the world, except in the US.
Remember, "It's not the economy, stupid?" It's NOT the paper! Paper offers the means to recount. Period. Sadly, even a paper trail will not ensure one-voter-one-vote-every-time with the new state-of-the-art independent, stand-alone vote counting machines. Optical ballot scanners are just as suspect as touch screens. We must be more business-wise. We must implement high-bar stringent guidelines for voting machine providers and elections officials to uphold:
1. Demand scrupulous, independent and random pre and post election audits...in statistically relevant numbers and frequency.
2. Rigorously quality-test more than a token number of machines prior to every election.
3. Maintain stringent controls and accountability for all software and hardware upgrades to voting machines and peripheral procedures, including: (a) Parameter-driven upgrades such as ballot configurations. (b) External programs and processes applied to individual voting machines. These can accidentally alter a machines processing environment and thus affect voting results. For example, Sarasota, Florida’s explanation of a “smoothing filter” sometimes delaying machine responses may indicate a lack of oversight and control. Not all systems were equal.
4. The same stringent controls applied to voting machines should apply to external machines and devices such as hand-held boot up devices, flash drives, and CDs.
5. Track all activities and inconsistencies on all voting machines and peripheral machines, such as hand-helds by date, time, purpose, results, and serial number.
6. Audit all software and hardware upgrades as well as machine deviations and failures.
One voter, one vote every time.
Lani Massey Brown,
"A Margin of Error Ballots of Straw"
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