New video provides proof of cellular modems in Florida voting machines

[sandensea]

n the past few days, election integrity activists got up close to the current generation of ES&S voting machines — close enough to record video of a digital scanner voting machine sending results wirelessly.

The ability of the machines to communicate with the outside world has generally not been acknowledged by either the manufacturer or election officials. Yet this wireless link is at the heart of concerns that election results could be hacked or manipulated, “including attacks that could change vote totals and election results,” said Emily Levy, director of communications at the voting transparency group AUDIT-USA.

Almost two decades after its starring role in the 2000 Bush v. Gore Florida voting debacle, the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office is still the centerfold for election integrity issues — not just in Florida but in the country as a whole.

John Brakey, director of AUDIT-USA, recorded the wireless transmission of election results from an ES&S DS200 digital scanner voting machine at a Broward County polling place on Election Day.

In the videos, Brakey confirms that modems are installed in the DS200 voting machine and that they operate with a wireless antenna. He observed one as it successfully transmitted the results to the election management system, a program on a central computer at the election department that tabulates the results.

“A vulnerability like this means there is no secure chain of custody for election materials in Broward County or any other county that has modems inside or connected to their election systems,” Levy said. “That means we can’t trust the official election results produced by those voting systems.”

Levy said the only way to verify an election with vulnerabilities created by these types of voting machines would be to do a manual hand count of all paper ballots.

But the bigger problem is that this type of recount is currently not permitted. “A recount of all the paper ballots is actually illegal in the state of Florida,” Levy said.

At: https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/11/14/new-video-provides-proof-of-cellular-modems-in-fl-voting-machines/

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Looks like we've been had.

[KPN]

2. Again ... sigh.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

3. We've got some laws to pass....

What do you know when a repub says no votes were changed? VOTES WERE CHANGED. That's why honesty matters. They lie all the time.

[KPN]

5. Aren't there laws re election fraud already? Doesn't the

capability exist to perform technological audits of data, commands, and communication records of electronic voting machines? We can’t and shouldn’t wait for new laws. Shouldn’t the Democratic Party pursue an investigation aggressively right now? If nothing else, the House should perform an investigation once the new Congress is convened.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

6. My thought was laws against wireless...whatever the hells going on there.

I'm right there w you on everything you said. I guess prosecutors go all slack jawed and their eyes glaze over when asked to charge folks w THOSE crimes. Always seem to come up crickets when REAL voting issues come into play.

[calimary]

26. I swear - the bad guys can't win unless they cheat.

And they have raised cheating to a high and many-tentacled art.

[shraby]

4. For years we've been had.

[Sancho]

7. The voting here has been hacked for decades...

and the repubs want it to stay that way...

[sellitman]

8. Time to raise Holy Hell

WTF??

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. does this really surprise anyone here? of course there has been hacking.

what is shocking is that so many either won't or can't go there.

[FuzzyRabbit]

10. They were purposely designed and built so that the reults could be manipulated.

“A recount of all the paper ballots is actually illegal in the state of Florida,”

How convenient.

[watoos]

11. Even if the machines do not have cellular modems,

that can communicate with the outside world, why can't they be pre-programmed to flip say 2% of the votes? I don't get a paper receipt when I vote, I ask for one. The only paper trail where I vote is the final tally.

Machines aren't pulled out and independently audited, we are just supposed to trust the results. The manufacturers don't allow audits because they claim proprietary rights for their software, you know that secret stuff like 2+2=5.

[sandensea]

44. +1

Your point alone should be enough to make them unacceptable in any democracy.

Which is why most of the few developed countries that have tried them, have ditched them - and why electronic voting/tabulation machines are currently only spreading in flawed democracies in the third world (mostly right-wing; but even a few far-left ones like Maduro's Venezuela).

Our GOPee is in very bad company, when it comes to their love for electronic voting.

[Roadside Attraction]

12. Here's more proof

Check out this PDF of an informational brochure from ES&S describing the DS200:

https://www.essvote.com/images/tearSheets/DS200.pdf

One of the options available on the DS200 IS: " Optional wireless modem results transfer
with encryption. Data sent via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) server"

[Roadside Attraction]

13. More on the ES&S DS200

This article describes the discovery of remote access software on DS200's in PA

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/magazine/the-myth-of-the-hacker-proof-voting-machine.html


DS200 wireless vulnerabilities
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/recountnow/pages/34/attachments/original/1481829147/DS200_wireless_security-2-2-Jim-March.pdf?1481829147



This is interesting. There is a small federal commission -- the EAC -- Election Assistance Commission -- small staff, small budget. They are responsible for establishing technical security requirements for voting equipment and voting processes. In 2012, they refused to certify the DS200 because of several vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, last January, House Republicans introduced a bill to abolish the EAC.

Here is an article that cites the EAC report on the DS200 -- I can't find the full report.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/2500224/vertical-it/u-s--finds-flaws-in-es-s-ds200-voting-machine.html

[NoMoreRepugs]

14. Which states use these machines and for how long?

What might possibly have been done across the country the last couple of decades is simply mind boggling.

[keithbvadu2]

15. No printout is a recipe for fraud.

No printout is a recipe for fraud.

Need a double roll printout with carbon copy.

Not two separate rolls but one double thickness roll.

[LakeSuperiorView]

24. Did you watch the video? The paper tape printout is very obvious.

What advantage is a double thickness roll? These machines print out multiple copies of the same tape. My precinct machine printed 4 copies. If our precinct was split between two school districts, there would have been at least 5 copies. If requested, we would print out another copy to post for observers.

The machine has three outputs that are recorded.

The total ballot count, backed by manual counting of ballots and the number of voters checked in.
The paper tapes, signed by the election judges.
The wireless report to city hall.

All must agree for the results to be accepted. That is further backed by the paper ballots themselves, which can be recounted if there are any questions.

The presence of a modem in these machines is not evidence of anything. It is another layer of reporting.

If you are thinking of printing out a copy of the votes recorded for the voter to take with them, that would be insanely difficult. The size of a double layer roll of tape large enough to print a copy for each voter would likely be larger than the ballot counter. The printer is locked before counting begins, and nothing is printed until the poll is closed. 4 copies was almost to center court, with the machine out of bounds by one goal. 1123 copies would have been longer than a mile. Imagine a mechanism that could rewind a mile of paper tape with no jams, no problems with tearing off the duplicate copies. And who the hell is going to read a mile of paper tape? The font is tiny and getting hard for my mid 50's eyes to read, we had an election judge that is well into his 80's.

This OP is, as they say, a nothing burger. The same type of machine is used in Minnesota. Our elections system are often cited as among the best in the nation.

[keithbvadu2]

25. Not all machines give a printout.

[LakeSuperiorView]

28. You can see the paper tape in the video... 9 seconds in, draped over the left side of the machine.

I worked as an election judge in the midterms here in Minnesota. We used a ballot counter that, if not exactly the same, was a similar model. If anyone bothered to ask, I would have told them and allowed the to watch as we closed the polls. The ballot counter send results wirelessly, via a cellular hotspot, to city hall. The machine prints paper tapes with the results. No particular skill are required "to get close enough", just ask to witness and don't get in the way.

I am also an expert programmer in the database that I know a lot of these machine use. Given unfettered access (which I don't have), the desire (which I don't have) and willingness to go to jail (which, you get the point) I could program it to change the results so that the paper tapes, the wireless report and the USB jump drive (which I forgot to mention) had the results I wanted. I'm not sure that I could do that without leaving evidence and I would not be able to do a thing about the paper ballots, filled out by the voters, would say. A recount, for any reason, would show concrete evidence of tampering.

The wireless capability of these machines does nothing to indicate vague, undefined claims of "hacking".

The only meaningful point of the OP, if true, is that recounting the ballots is illegal in Florida. If one can't recount the ballots, one might as well use direct mark touchscreens, which can be tampered with, with no evidence left, and should be banned by Federal law. Since we know that Florida counties did conduct recounts, I doubt that even that part of the OP is true. The OP is an alarmist screed.

[keithbvadu2]

32. You're repeating yourself.

I figured you were involved in the machines.

[LakeSuperiorView]

33. Huh. Is there a point here?

I am not, as you say, involved with the machines. I have used them, multiple times, as an election judge. I have no involvement with program them other than performing the quality tests to certify the machines before elections, the same as every other election judge in Minnesota. You, apparently, have no knowledge of the topic, or are amazingly reluctant to bring anything of content to the discussion.

Come on bring something to support your view other than what I have easily dispproven by what is in the video.

You claimed there was no printout. I told you exactly where to look in the video for the easily seen printout.

You made a vague claim that carbon copy print outs were necessary. I told you why that was ridiculous and/or unnecessary.

You... haven't had anything else to say of substance.

[keithbvadu2]

34. You read what you wanted it to say.

You read what you wanted it to say.

"You claimed there was no printout."

That's what you wanted it to say.

[LakeSuperiorView]

35. Oh, so you had no point is the first place...

So by saying this:

"No printout is a recipe for fraud. "

you meant, IF there were no printout. I stand corrected. Since there obviously is a printout, you were pondering a hypothetical, which you proposed solving with miles of paper tape that magically can't jam.

Thanks for clarifying that you actually had nothing to say about the machine that was in the OP video.

[keithbvadu2]

36. Sorry that this was too complicated for you.

"Not all machines give a printout."

[LakeSuperiorView]

37. Again, having no relation to the machine in the OP, so irrelevant gishgallop.

If you have ANY point that is relevant to the machine in the OP, we are still waiting...

[keithbvadu2]

38. Yet you kept going.

[LakeSuperiorView]

39. I'll quote you... "You're repeating yourself." - keithbvadu2, 2018.

If you have something, ANYthing, relevant to say about the machine in the OP, please bring it up. We have apparently agreed, despite your reticence to actually say anything, that your comments so far have applied to hypothetical election systems with no regard to the OP.

Otherwise, feel free to post yet another fact free assortment of words to satisfy your apparentl need to get the last one.

[keithbvadu2]

40. Can't fool you... Yep, it was/is 2018

[keithbvadu2]

41. BTW, if you have a genuine point about not talking about the particular machine, there are other pos

BTW, if you have a genuine point about not talking about the particular machine, there are other posts that talk about other items.

If you have a genuine point, you have other posts you need to write about them as well.

[PaulX2]

16. Hackable voting machines in Broward county

No way.

[global1]

17. Now That We Know This What Are We Going To Do About This?....

Can the Florida Midterms be redone? If I was Nelson or Gillum I'd be irate. No wonder Scott went on the offense so quickly. The Repugs stole Florida. We get conspiracy theories from the likes of Rubio and Trump.

[JunkYardDogg]

18. These were discovered in the Jill Stein Recount Project

I wrote about this on Daily Kos and a DK member said that these machines send the data to the County Elections office. She worked a precinct that used these.

[Perseus]

19. This may not be popular here but...

Why is it that the Democratic party REACTS? THEY KNOW repubs are going to cheat, so why are they surprised to find that cheating has been committed? The Democratic party needs to become more proactive, this is not the 1st time proof of cheating from the repubs is found, and it is always obvious, once it is taken public.

So why? why are democrats always reacting instead of preventing. Even if the repubs have the numbers in power, nothing prevents the democrats to do their due diligence to find out what it is the repubs are planning in regards to cheating.

Yes, laws must be passed, but why allow them to cheat? This is not new, it has been in the public eye for many years. The election in 2000 when ballots were found in trash bags, when the owner of Diebold machines said he would do anything in his power to make sure Bush would win the presidency...how much more is needed to make democrats become proactive? What is wrong with this picture?

It is infuriating because I strongly believe that most of it could have been prevented.

I cannot think that what happened in GA was found only days before the election...

[global1]

21. Will Any Of The Cable News Shows Tell The American People About This?....

I expect to hear about this on CNN or MSNBC - but I'm not going to hold my breath. Also - will any of the Dems in the House or Senate go on these shows and talk about this? This needs to be exposed to the American People. We keep telling the American People how important their vote is - but if we don't make an issue of this and try to put a stop to this - what kind of message is it sending to the American People?

[appalachiablue]

20. When does it end, outrageous

Last edited Sun Nov 18, 2018, 03:12 AM - Edit history (1)

Remember 'Crosscheck,' Ohio 2004 Kerry; New Voter ID laws in WI, NC, more; gutting the VRA

[Judi Lynn]

22. Heartbreaking that they are able to get by with this, no one moral in charge. n/t

[sandensea]

27. Certainly not Lizard Rick.

As the good people at Medicare can attest.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/fl-op-col-rick-scott-medicare-fraud-20181002-story.html

[mart48]

23. Question I've never seen addressed

Suppose it was proven someone (a U.S. citizen, not Russia) flipped votes.
What would be the likely and/or maximum jail sentence?
Would there even be a jail sentence, or might the just be a fine and probation?
What laws apply to this situation?

[lagomorph777]

43. That depends: Republican or Democrat?

[LakeSuperiorView]

29. Poppycock.

“A vulnerability like this means there is no secure chain of custody for election materials in Broward County or any other county that has modems inside or connected to their election systems,”

The wireless transmission is not the sole defining data of election results. The paper tape(s), seen draped over the left side of the machine is an additional source of data. The USB Jump drive, not clearly seen in the video, but under the same cover as the printer, is another source. The total number of ballots counted is recorded and has to match the manual count of ballots issued as well as the number of voters checked in. The ballots themselves are the primary source of data.

The secure chain of custody is with the return of the other election materials to the central counting point. In the precinct that I worked, the transportation was in the trunk of my car, with the head judge right behind my in her truck.

Given that we have seen in the media that Florida counties have conducted recounts, the bit about recounting ballots is likely false as well.

Minnesota uses the same or slightly different model number ballot counters. I'm going to go ahead and say this report is a baseless distortion and wringing one's hands over a modem is utter nonsense.

[randr]

30. I'm curious to know when the law was made to not allow paper ballot counts

Could it have been part of the package with ES&S?

[sandensea]

31. No doubt just after the Bush/Gore recount

Which, as you know, would've certified Gore as the rightful winner had the hand recount been allowed to progress.

Jeb learned a lot from his days as a business partner to Cuban and Colombian narcos: never fight a fair fight.

[lagomorph777]

42. More electronics in elections means less security.

That is the purpose of all the electronics. It's a feature, not a bug.