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Showing Original Post only (View all)DHS Confirms That Optical Scan Vote-Counting Machines Easily Hacked [View all]
DHS Confirms That Optical Scan Vote-Counting Machines Easily Hacked, By Russians or OtherwiseJune 25, 2017 -- Ralph Lopez
In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, the head of the Department of Homeland Security confirmed what citizen election integrity activists have been saying for many years, that the type of optical scan vote-counting machine in use across much of the country can be hacked, and vote totals can be changed in ways which, absent manual counts of the paper ballots, cannot be detected.
The testimony flies in the face of insistence in the major media, over the course of the 2016 presidential campaign season, that it would be nearly impossible to swing a US primary or general election by hacking. The progressive magazine The Nation called allegations of vote flipping "crying wolf about rigged elections."
Optical scan vote-counting machines count votes on a paper ballot my means of an electronic eye, without a human ever viewing the ballot.
The Washington Post reported on testimony by Jeh Johnson, Director of the DHS and an Obama appointee:
The testimony affirms the validity of the movement of most industrial democracies away from machine-counting ballots, to counting them by hand. The manual counting of ballots is the standard in 54 countries, including Germany, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Russia, Sweden, and Spain.
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The testimony flies in the face of insistence in the major media, over the course of the 2016 presidential campaign season, that it would be nearly impossible to swing a US primary or general election by hacking. The progressive magazine The Nation called allegations of vote flipping "crying wolf about rigged elections."
Optical scan vote-counting machines count votes on a paper ballot my means of an electronic eye, without a human ever viewing the ballot.
The Washington Post reported on testimony by Jeh Johnson, Director of the DHS and an Obama appointee:
"Much of the conversation around Russian interference in the 2016 election has centered on two core topics: the Trump campaign's possible collusion with Russian officials, and whether Russia was actually able to change vote tallies by hacking into state election databases or voting machines."
The testimony affirms the validity of the movement of most industrial democracies away from machine-counting ballots, to counting them by hand. The manual counting of ballots is the standard in 54 countries, including Germany, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Russia, Sweden, and Spain.
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DHS Confirms That Optical Scan Vote-Counting Machines Easily Hacked [View all]
L. Coyote
Jun 2017
OP
And yet elections officials REFUSE to do hand recounts, and intimidate citizens who question results
diva77
Jun 2017
#2
I posted action alert;might help to start holding elections officials accountable for epic failure
diva77
Jun 2017
#37
Each voter deserves a RECEIPT of his vote. And the district needs to keep a copy
Maraya1969
Jun 2017
#5
I've have been saying for years that is would be reasonably easy to find this sort of hacking.
Stonepounder
Jun 2017
#9
C-span video of computer science expert testifying before Senate Intel to that effect last week:
Amaryllis
Jun 2017
#10
We need to repeat, over and over: "ALL elections must be with paper ballots and MUST be audited"
JoeOtterbein
Jun 2017
#16
What is so difficult about this concept? Very advanced countries use paper ballots with no problems.
Bernardo de La Paz
Jun 2017
#18
A verifiable audit would be done by hand. Ballots would be chain-of-custody verified. No business
JoeOtterbein
Jun 2017
#31
NOt OldRedneck, but I can answer those questions for Colorado vote by mail ballots.
politicat
Jun 2017
#38
just because hacking hasn't occurred on your watch does not mean it never happens. no one is saying
TheFrenchRazor
Jun 2017
#65
And I am not saying it hasn't happened elsewhere, or that it's impossible here.
politicat
Jun 2017
#77
Thank you! Treat a vote as a valuable as a $100 bill is to a business: check it by hand and eye!
JoeOtterbein
Jun 2017
#33
... you do know that it's trivially simple to fool several counterfeit tests?
politicat
Jun 2017
#39
The premise is that the base code of the voting machine has been compromised.
Calista241
Jun 2017
#36
Secret proprietary code is more secure, and harder to hack, than open source code.
Calista241
Jun 2017
#54
I work in software security, and what I said is a fact. Has nothing to do with trust.
Calista241
Jun 2017
#56
maybe, assuming there are no bad actors, which would be a very naive assumption, IMO. nt
TheFrenchRazor
Jun 2017
#66
How is the data procured if they aren't connected in any way except an electrical cord?
kcr
Jun 2017
#43
Whether or not Russia actually hacked the vote, it simply shouldn't be possible to hack the vote.
unblock
Jun 2017
#22
Segment from "Hacking Democracy" (2006) demonstrating hack of optical scanner machine...
PoliticAverse
Jun 2017
#29
The takeaway here: All methods are flawed and we're likely never to have another clean election.
BannonsLiver
Jun 2017
#70