Electronic Voting Machines WERE Hacked. Now what?

[rosesaylavee]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2153139#2153151

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2150448

It is now or soon to be accepted knowledge that the past five years of elections across the country were at least compromised by Diebold and other electronic voting machines or outright stolen by the Republican Party candidates.

So what do we do now? November elections are only 7 weeks away. Can we expect counties to 'get it' together in such a short period of time and print out paper ballots? How many counties can afford to do that? What other options are there for rectifying the situation for this election?

What do we do about elections stolen from 2000 on? Do we redo the elections and install those candidates that were actually elected but were defrauded by the corrupt system? Al Gore, Max Cleland, etc.?

Should the Republican Party be disbanded and banned from assembling in that name due to the overwhelming corruption of its members?

I would be interested in your ideas and suggestions to how this can be resolved.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Open Source ALL voting machine code

OSI can certify that the code is, indeed, open-source, especially now that Eric Raymond is no longer involved with them directly. (Raymond, whatever his good points, is a very hard-line Bushista.)

Open Sourcing will allow the systems to be inspected by any and all interested parties. No company will profit from the code base. It will allow operational transparency. As it stands, ALL voting machine code is proprietary, locked-down, and is not required to be audited or auditable.

That's one of the things we can do.

--p!

[rosesaylavee]

2. Good idea.

And maybe have federal laws that representatives from political parties participating in the election be present when work or 'adjustments' are made to the machines within 6 months of that election. And that these adjustments be posted publically in the paper three times prior to the 'adjustment' so that all interested in viewing the adjustment can be present.

[radwriter0555]

27. Hack the machines on Election Day. Vote for Guy Fawkes with a new

code written by a real, patriotic American who sees this as the ONLY way to bring people's attention to the treason being committed by the GOP.

Princeton showed us how to do it. The tools are right in front of your face.

[lostnotforgotten]

3. Aussie Open Source Voting Software

Aussies Do It Right: E-Voting -- Open Source Software Used for Elections
Submitted by Rigel on Sun, 04/02/2006 - 11:29am. Open Source Software

http://www.oregonvrc.org/2006/04/aussies_do_it_right_e_voting_open_source_software_used_for_elections

Aussies Do It Right: E-Voting

http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/1,61045-0.html

By Kim Zetter Kim Zetter | Also by this reporter

While critics in the United States grow more concerned each day about the insecurity of electronic voting machines, Australians designed a system two years ago that addressed and eased most of those concerns: They chose to make the software running their system completely open to public scrutiny.

Although a private Australian company designed the system, it was based on specifications set by independent election officials, who posted the code on the Internet for all to see and evaluate. What's more, it was accomplished from concept to product in six months. It went through a trial run in a state election in 2001.

Critics say the development process is a model for how electronic voting machines should be made in the United States.

Called eVACS, or Electronic Voting and Counting System, the system was created by a company called Software Improvements to run on Linux, an open-source operating system available on the Internet.

Snip .....

[rosesaylavee]

5. Why don't we have this already?

Concern over the technology being stolen and duplicated by competitors?

[never_get_over_it]

11. No

concern that they wouldn't be able to manipulate the vote....

[rosesaylavee]

12. O. Right. Silly me!

I keep forgetting everyone doesn't want a fair and accurate vote! :hi:

[never_get_over_it]

29. Sad isn't it

So here is how I won my brother-in-law over on this issue by saying - why oh why oh why - Democrat - Republican - Independent would ANYONE object to open elections - paper trails and the like - UNLESS you planned on stealing it - and he thought for a minute and said - have to say you're absolutely right on that one

[rosesaylavee]

30. I think the sane Republicans

are beginning to get it. My brother-in-law is now seeing the light too and may vote Democratic for the first time this election.

[rosesaylavee]

4. Kick n/t

[Towlie]

6. Soon to be accepted by whom?

It is now or soon to be accepted knowledge...

There's the big flaw in all of this. Yes, it's frustrating, but the reality is that it's extremely unrealistic to imagine that those in power are, or ever will be, ready and willing to accept any of this.

The only reasonable approach I can think of is to organize exit polls everywhere to uncover and expose any skewed results. These polls need to be arranged in advance in such a way that the results will be available immediately and can be trusted and believed by all rational observers.

Believe it or not, there are conservatives out there who are against these machines as much as we are. If enough of them can be convinced that something is very wrong, and that immediate action is needed, there's a chance that we can take back our democratic process from those who have stolen it from us.

[rosesaylavee]

7. Well, I disagree.

I think it will behoove those in power to pay attention to the election process because this can and eventually will cut both ways. Republicans have taken advantage of the system to date but it is now widely known how to hack these machines thanks to the Princeton video and other sources. Be sure to check out our election forum for more information.

Welcome to DU!

[razors edge]

8. prosecute everybody member of these

companies for treason with death penalty available. that would have vote counters making sure they got it right from now on.

[rosesaylavee]

10. It is treason...

and that just might happen. I am hopeful that they are shaking in their boots right now about the possibilities!

[rosesaylavee]

9. I can't vote but I would choose

disbanding the Republican party... only one other person agrees with this?

What does an organization have to do be determined detrimental to the state of the Country?

[leftofthedial]

13. Other:

Mentally repeat the canard that both sides cheat. Yawn. Scratch self. Yell at the little woman to get me another beer. Switch to American Idol as soon as the ballgame is over.

[Towlie]

14. Require? Yeah, right. How?

Everyone's voting for "require all counties to reinstate paper ballots for the fall elections", but it seems to me that if we were in a position to require anything, we'd concentrate on requiring something more fundamental and important, like requiring the President and his administration to obey the Constitution.

Better yet, maybe we'd go for the option mentioned by rosesaylavee of disbanding and banning the Republican Party, much like the Nazi party was banned in Germany after the war. (No, I'm not really comfortable with that in America. It's just a silly fantasy.)

But in response to "so what do we do now", I think it would be more constructive to think in terms of realistic solutions, such as the huge exit poll project that I suggested above.

[rosesaylavee]

21. How would your exit poll project

be different from any previous exit poll project that is typically done with every election? I am not understanding I guess.

[helderheid]

15. Howard Dean's 1st cousing Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon emailed me

asking if I could demonstrate hacking into the machines in front of County officials - I have contacted the men at Princeton who did the video and research (EEK!!)

[BeFree]

18. I was just thinking about you

...and all the rest of those who have been keeping this issue alive.

But you, helderheid, deserve special recognition. I just wish I knew how to make it happen. LOL

Looks like you are being presented another, best chance to make the case. Know that we are all with you as you move forward.

You can do it!

[helderheid]

22. WOW. I am speechless. Thank you! Here's what I sent him:

I don't have a demonstration other than the video that the Princeton University scientists made but let me contact some people and see what I can come up with. The video that I refer to can be viewed online at: http://itpolicy.princeton.edu/voting/videos.html as well as at http://utah-vote.org .

I'll be in touch soon!

[helderheid]

24. Now that the shock has worn off, I'll keep you posted .:)

[rosesaylavee]

20. Good for you!!

:woohoo: Congratulations! Look forward to hearing how that goes.

[helderheid]

23. of course I meant cousin. DOH! Will keep you posted :)

[annabanana]

16. Get behind this outfit!

They have done a BUNCH of excellent work!

http://www.openvotingconsortium.org/

[helderheid]

17. I 2nd that!

[rosesaylavee]

19. Is this CA only

I take it the idea is that they do it first and model the idea for the country's next election? I wish it could happen nationwide.

[Zorra]

25. Because electoral fraud is a direct attack on our country, our national

security has been unquestionably compromised. Therefore, Congress can take extreme emergency measures to protect our nation against the perpetrators of this act of treasonous aggression, in the interest of national survival.

The first thing Congress should do would be to declare all Federal appointments made after Jan. 20, 2001, to be illegitimate and moot.

That would clean out Bu*h appointees to the Supreme Court and the Federal Judiciary to the point where traitors could be prosecuted without a compromised Federal bench blocking any attempt to punish the traitors, and pave the way for reversing the devastation that the Bu*h administration and republican Congress brought upon our country.

[lisainmilo]

26. This has been bothering me ALOT! Have an idea

Last time Bush got elected I asked people if they voted for him, I could find maybe 2 out of 10 at my job. I thought either I am mouthy and intimidating these people (cause I was fairly vocal about my feelings for Bush) or they did ripped us off again!
I have been mulling ideas around

1. ANYONE WHO TRULY VOTES DEMOCRAT TIE A RIBBON ON THEIR HOME FOR EVERYONE IN THAT HOUSE WHO VOTED DEMOCRAT. or

2. ASK THE DSCC or DNC TO CREATE A TALLY SITE AND ANY ONE WHO VOTES DEMOCRAT, LOG IN WITH NAME ETC (for proof of arguement)

3. PAPER BALLOTS



:dem:

[Jack Rabbit]

28. The paper ballot idea gets my vote.

Democracy is a low-tech concept anyway. Paper ballots are what should be used.

I don't have any problem with e-voting as long as the machines don't store the vote count. A machine should dispense a paper ballot which the voter casts (preferably after inspecting it for accuracy) and which the election officers count.