LTTE - Eureka Reporter: Area Voting Machines Discredited By Gov't Reports

[GuvWurld]

The following letter should be in Friday's edition of the Eureka Reporter and is now online at:
http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=6653.

Report on voting machines worthy of some follow-ups

12/23/2005

Dear Editor,

Thanks for tackling the crucial topic of election integrity (“Area voting machines could have flaws,” Dec. 16). We simply must come to terms with the subversion of our democracy. As you investigate this subject further, please consider a follow-up called “area voting machines discredited by government reports.” Some suggested sources:

1. The official nonpartisan watchdog arm of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, in October released a 107-page report condemning the security and reliability of U.S. elections. See: www.gao.gov/new.items/d05956.pdf

2. An April 2004 California Secretary of State staff report revealed Diebold had illegally installed uncertified software in voting machines in Humboldt and 16 other California counties. See: www.ss.ca.gov/elections/ks_dre_papers/diebold_report_april20_final.pdf

3. A report prepared for the Maryland General Assembly explains how GEMS, Humboldt County’s vote-counting software (“central tabulator”), can be compromised. See: http://www.raba.com/press/TA_Report_AccuVote.pdf

4. The Department of Homeland Security’s cyber-threat division, U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, included GEMS in this Sept. 2004 bulletin: www.us-cert.gov/cas/bulletins/SB04-252.html

While not a government report like the others, visit www.votergate.tv for the free download of “Votergate,” the movie. Watch footage originally aired on CNBC featuring Bev Harris demonstrating for Howard Dean how to hack GEMS and alter vote totals without a trace in under two minutes.

Some hack demonstrations may test the access from an outsider’s reach. Others, such as the one you reported on in Leon County, Fla., grant the hacker the same access as an election official or machine vendor. Mr. McWilliams’ dumbfoundedness at this procedure notwithstanding, the software has proven unsecure.

In light of the fine example set by both Leon and Volusia Counties in Florida, it is time that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors declare its intention to do no further business with Diebold, a company now facing multiple class action lawsuits from its shareholders.

The looming deadline of the Help America Vote Act is inconsequential compared to the restoration of voter confidence and a basis for such.

The Supes should also start considering how else to have us vote in June, because no way should they expect us to use area voting machines discredited by government reports.

Dave Berman
Eureka

*

On edit: fixed broken links; Reporter converted submitted links to all lowercase so they are currently broken on the paper's site and may be published incorrectly (ouch!)

[EFerrari]

1. Thank you.

:kick:

[kster]

2. Go get em, kick-n -Recommended....nt

[Angry Girl]

3. Sic 'em! knr

[texpatriot2004]

4. K & R nm

[Kurovski]

5. K&R (nt)

[Amaryllis]

6. Kick and recommend!

[nicknameless]

7. And now it has been revealed that ES&S is known to have problems

deemed unacceptable to CA's SoS.

When can we join the rest of the "industrialized" world and *hand-count* our ballots?

On edit/I apparently r'ed it already. So here's a :kick:

[greiner3]

8. Getting to 'em one brick at a time;

Happy Holidays!

[pauldp]

9. Thanks Guv Wurld! Happy Holidays. K&R n/t