Electronic Voting

I don't know if these are the same systems that would be used in the upcoming elections, but after the last election I wouldn't think "they" would need a system with holes in it. Maybe it looks better this way than being appointed to the presidency.

www.cleveland.com.../base/news/1070447644182132.xml

Here is some more info about the voting system, I think this will probaly become more popular the closer US gets to election time.

www.commondreams.org...

Read these. They contain links to some serious information on this.

www.tga.dynu.com...
www.tga.dynu.com...

We're all basically #ed. I'm surprised people aren't screaming bloody murder.

A bit more info for those that are interested.

www.verifiedvoting.org...

Closer to home, here's where you can learn some of the history of election theft, and the deliberate corruption inherent in systems that leave no audit trails at all. It makes for some frightening/angering reading.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[Edited on 10-12-2003 by MaskedAvatar]

It does make it easier for more people to vote, but NO electronic system is completely safe from tampering so i dont think this is the way forward if we want to save democracy!

we still use pen and paper for voting here.

I guess those pieces of paper could get lost......... but electronic voting seems strange to me.

oh and it's compulsory to vote otherwise you get fined.

I disagree with electronic voting they can alter the votes easier

There's actually a free online book on this problem, why it's a problem, and possible solutions. I've gotten through most of it, and quite frankly, it makes a fella nervous. Especially since Illinois is moving to the exact systems she talks about for the upcoming election.

Here's the link:
www.talion.com...

Looks weird, .org.htm, but that's straight from my address bar

The problem with all of these systems is that the votes are still reported electronically from the terminals to vote on.

Here is my system:

Touch screen voting booth. You pick your candidates by touching the screen. When you are done, you get a list of people you voted for 'on the screen'. You click YES to continue or NO to revote for someone. When you click yes you get a printout that has 2 parts. 1 part, bar code of your votes. The other part, the list of people you voted for.

You take your print out, separate the 2 parts, put your list of who you voted for in 1 box, you put the bar code piece into a machine that tallies your votes and holds them internally. The bar code piece is kept in the machine. Locked. Only certain officials can unlock the box that holds the bar codes.

When your voting station is done, you print out a bar coded tally of all votes, as well as a list of all candidates and number of votes.

Problem solved. No security issues. Double backup. 2 Chances for voters to verify they voted for whom they wanted.

If there is a recount. 2 groups do the recount. 1 runs the bar codes through a DIFFERENT machine. The other group hand counts the list of people voted for.

Simple, problems sovled. Show me the money!

Oh, and to be clear. The touch screen voting booths are NOT NETWORKED.

[Edited on 12/11/03 by crayon]

[Edited on 12/11/03 by crayon]

Originally posted by crayon
The problem with all of these systems is that the votes are still reported electronically from the terminals to vote on.

Here is my system:

Touch screen voting booth. You pick your candidates by touching the screen. When you are done, you get a list of people you voted for 'on the screen'. You click YES to continue or NO to revote for someone. When you click yes you get a printout that has 2 parts. 1 part, bar code of your votes. The other part, the list of people you voted for.

You take your print out, separate the 2 parts, put your list of who you voted for in 1 box, you put the bar code piece into a machine that tallies your votes and holds them internally. The bar code piece is kept in the machine. Locked. Only certain officials can unlock the box that holds the bar codes.

When your voting station is done, you print out a bar coded tally of all votes, as well as a list of all candidates and number of votes.

Problem solved. No security issues. Double backup. 2 Chances for voters to verify they voted for whom they wanted.

If there is a recount. 2 groups do the recount. 1 runs the bar codes through a DIFFERENT machine. The other group hand counts the list of people voted for.

Simple, problems sovled. Show me the money!


[Edited on 12/11/03 by crayon]

Ha, that's exactly what one of the solutions presented in the online book is. The only problem with that, however, is the barcode. If the software is tampered with, it could print in english the candidate the person actually voted for, with the bar code of another. I know I can't read bar codes by eye

I see in the future, that there will be "officials" who come to your door with the hand held devices, like the UPS and FedEx guys carry and you can vote right in your home...

I hope this wasn't already mentioned in those links that were provided... I didn't read them... hee hee he

I got the best idea EVER!

It's simple!

I get a thing called a pen, grab some paper, and write on it, WHO IM VOTING FOR!

And it goes in a locked box, which isn't opened until polls close, and then THEY GET COUNTED IN THE OPEN IN FRONT OF WITNESSES!

the only problem with it is, IT'S TOO SIMPLE!
or so they think.

Originally posted by BeingWatchedByThem
I got the best idea EVER!

It's simple!

I get a thing called a pen, grab some paper, and write on it, WHO IM VOTING FOR!

And it goes in a locked box, which isn't opened until polls close, and then THEY GET COUNTED IN THE OPEN IN FRONT OF WITNESSES!

the only problem with it is, IT'S TOO SIMPLE!
or so they think.

There's another problem with that, and that's cost. You'd need to hire a bunch of people to count the ballots, and what if you can't read what someone has written? What if Mickey Mouse becomes president?

Originally posted by junglejake
Ha, that's exactly what one of the solutions presented in the online book is. The only problem with that, however, is the barcode. If the software is tampered with, it could print in english the candidate the person actually voted for, with the bar code of another. I know I can't read bar codes by eye

That is no different than the hanging chad. One says its hanging, one says its not.

And all of that stuff can be verified immediately before an election. You have all the officials at the site verify a "sample" vote, before polling opens. You get your print, put it through the counter, verify everything is correct. Reset all the machines. No techinical work on the booths, you are good to go.

Originally posted by elevatedone
I see in the future, that there will be "officials" who come to your door with the hand held devices, like the UPS and FedEx guys carry and you can vote right in your home...

I hope this wasn't already mentioned in those links that were provided... I didn't read them... hee hee he

I hate being a nay-sayer, but...How would that be anonymous voting? Then we would get back to the 20s thing, where people would be bribed or threatened to vote a certain way. You put the "Official" on the pay roll...trouble in paradise...

Originally posted by junglejake

Originally posted by BeingWatchedByThem
I got the best idea EVER!

It's simple!

I get a thing called a pen, grab some paper, and write on it, WHO IM VOTING FOR!

And it goes in a locked box, which isn't opened until polls close, and then THEY GET COUNTED IN THE OPEN IN FRONT OF WITNESSES!

the only problem with it is, IT'S TOO SIMPLE!
or so they think.

There's another problem with that, and that's cost. You'd need to hire a bunch of people to count the ballots, and what if you can't read what someone has written? What if Mickey Mouse becomes president?

What do they currently do when someone writes-in a canidate and they can read it?

I would rather see a linked box on top of our tvs, that displayed the choices on screen, and then we'd make our choices, and it sends them off. This would be used for local elections also, as well as even civic decisions.

the only problem with it is, IT'S TOO SIMPLE!
or so they think.

Problems with manual counting are numerous, including: human error, simply destroying votes or losing them, cost and manpower, etc.

Originally posted by mulberryblueshimmer
we still use pen and paper for voting here.

I guess those pieces of paper could get lost......... but electronic voting seems strange to me.

oh and it's compulsory to vote otherwise you get fined.

where the hell is this?

Get fined?!

Oh yeah... I forgot about the being anonymous thing !

Good point Jungle Jake,

but I should get an "a" for effort, at least I'm trying to THINK !!