Audit Capacity of Touchscreen Voting Devices

[BeFree]

On another thread, the question of: Does the current law demand an *Audit Capacity* that is lacking in the touchscreens used in the Florida, Congressional District 13 race?. See other thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=464587&mesg_id=464587

It is obvious that the courts, the vendors and some election officials think the law is being followed.

I know that, or we wouldn't have the problems with elections that we do endure.

What I am asking now is what you, the DUer, thinks about the *Audit Capacity* of the paperless touchscreens.

Here is what the law says:

(2) Audit capacity
(A) In general
The voting system shall produce a record with an audit capacity for such system.
(B) Manual audit capacity
(i) The voting system shall produce a permanent paper record with a manual audit capacity for such system.
(ii) The voting system shall provide the voter with an opportunity to change the ballot or correct any error before the permanent paper record is produced.
(iii) The paper record produced under subparagraph (A) shall be available as an official record for any recount conducted with respect to any election in which the system is used.

Do you think the law is being followed, or has it been violated? Do you think there is an *Audit Capacity* in the paperless touchscreens?

If you do think there is an audit capacity that follows the letter of the law, please describe the way the audit meets the capacity level the law requires. Thank you.

[hunter]

1. A DRE can be programmed to do anything.

That's the problem with DRE machines -- audits are meaningless.

If you can't see with your own eyes the same vote the voter verified (which is always the case when votes are stored as invisible electronic bits) then there is no certain way to audit a secret ballot.

End of story.

[BeFree]

2. Thanks, Hunter

that's the way I see it too. There is no certain way to audit a secret ballot.

So, the question is: Was the audit capacity law violated? If the machines have no audit capacity, then there appears to be a serious violation, eh?