[ale] OT: Electronic Voting in GA

[Irv Mullins]

On Friday 18 October 2002 11:57 pm, aaron wrote:
.......
> I know I'd feel a WHOLE lot better about the things if the completed
> ballots were printed out in hard copy so that voters could actually
> confirm and check the form for errors before dropping it in the ballot
> box for counting (and physical auditing and recounting when necessary).

I think all here understand computers well enough to know that, as 
long as they're working, the voting machines will spit out the exact same 
results no matter how many times they are queried. So what would a 'recount' 
accomplish?  Nothing.  So I see this as a way to eliminate a candidate's 
right to call for a recount. 

Secondly, a machine eliminates any human contact with the votes. That 
might prevent some tampering. On the other hand, since no human sees 
the actual votes, no one will have a reasonable basis for claiming or 
reporting fraud. 

Here's an example: 
Podunk votes, and candidate A wins by a landslide. 
If voting machines were used, end of story.
If paper ballots were used, and half a dozen people who counted the ballots 
say, "Hey, wait a minute, I saw 10 times as many votes for candidate B 
as I did for A!" , then there is good reason to be suspicious, and do a 
recount.

Massive fraud, using the paper ballot system, requires a lot of operatives 
spread over a wide area, with many opportunities to be caught. 
Once computerized voting is in place, it takes only one programmer to 
throw the election. And, hey, if he/she does the job right, there's not even 
much chance of being caught - after all, if "your guys" get into office as 
a result of your programming tricks, just how hard are "your guys" going 
to go after fraud?  A handpicked commission is appointed, they find no 
problems, and a lone haxor retires to South America, 20 years old and already 
a millionaire.

Regards,
Irv




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