[ale] voting machines

[Irv Mullins]

On Sunday 13 June 2004 10:44 am, Sean Kilpatrick wrote:
> It looks like Diebold's competition is similarly plagued
> with buggy software.
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040612/ap_on_el_pr/florida_vo
>ting_machines_1
>
> This is an AP story out of Tallahassee, Fla.,
> and concerns machines made by Election Systems & Software
> of Omaha, Neb.

My question is: how many citizens have you heard who 
are demanding computerized voting?

The beneficiaries are, it seems:

1. The media, who want to be able to 
announce the winner the instant the polls close - 
if not before they open.

2. The voting machine companies (along with the 
politicians they can buy), who will obviously profit - 
from selling the machines, and from tilting  elections.

3. The two political parties, both of which no doubt 
realize the golden opportunities afforded them by 
this closed system. Why, corruption has never been
easier!

4. Those who plan to cry about 'voter confusion' if 
results don't go their way. If punching holes in cards 
is too much for some voters to handle, what makes 
anyone think that they will be able to handle a touch 
screen any better? "Ohhh! Computers are so confusing!"
"I voted WRONG!"

Irv