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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: Hacking democracy. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

Hacking democracy
by Dolemite at 8:38 am EST, Feb 20, 2003

The facts Harris and others lay out ought to give many election officials pause. Touch-screen voting machines aren't especially reliable; there are documented cases in which they have frozen, broken down and tabulated incorrectly during actual, binding elections. They're also not immune to hacks. Though voting companies will confidently tell you about their myriad security policies, the fact is that these machines run software, and software can be tampered with: An election result could be changed without anyone being the wiser. And perhaps worst of all, the machines and the companies that make them are shrouded in secrecy. What really happens in a touch-screen machine when you select your candidate? In most cases, everything probably goes as it should -- but there is no way to know for sure.

Perhaps a little leaning towards conspiracy theory, but overall a good look at the problems with purely electronic voting machines - meaning those with no audit trail.


 
RE: Hacking democracy
by flynn23 at 2:36 am EST, Feb 21, 2003

Dolemite wrote:
] The facts Harris and others lay out ought to give many
] election officials pause. Touch-screen voting machines aren't
] especially reliable; there are documented cases in which they
] have frozen, broken down and tabulated incorrectly during
] actual, binding elections. They're also not immune to hacks.
] Though voting companies will confidently tell you about their
] myriad security policies, the fact is that these machines run
] software, and software can be tampered with: An election
] result could be changed without anyone being the wiser. And
] perhaps worst of all, the machines and the companies that make
] them are shrouded in secrecy. What really happens in a
] touch-screen machine when you select your candidate? In most
] cases, everything probably goes as it should -- but there is
] no way to know for sure.

]
] Perhaps a little leaning towards conspiracy theory, but
] overall a good look at the problems with purely electronic
] voting machines - meaning those with no audit trail.

whoever wrote this article has obviously never played video poker.


 
 
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