Has everyone read Time magazine story about BBV?

[question everything]

http://www.time.com/time/election2004/article/0,18471,629410,00.html

Including this:

The system's potential vulnerability was first pointed out by Bev Harris, a Seattle-based publicist with a deep interest in voting rights and a deep skepticism about digital-age voting (her book, Black Box Voting, is the movement's gospel). Her discovery: the programming behind Diebold's software was available on an open Internet site, which meant that anyone with a little expertise and access to the voting equipment could subvert it. Harris sent the material to others. Soon computer scientists from Johns Hopkins and Rice universities analyzed it, finding a host of security flaws like the presence of critical passwords in the programming. Mischiefmakers who gained access to the smart cards that voters must insert in the machines, or to the machines' memory cards, could use the passwords to cast bogus votes or change tallies. That prompted the state of Maryland to commission a review by research firm SAIC. It agreed that Diebold's system was "at high risk of compromise." Then, four months ago, a state legislative committee hired Wertheimer, the code cracker, and his crew to "red team" the system — assemble it in a mock polling place and try to screw it up.

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Go Bev!

[teryang]

2. The machines are unconstitutional

<Representative Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat, has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that the sleek new systems bought by 15 counties — including those of hanging-chad fame like Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade — are unconstitutional because votes can't truly be retallied there, as they can in the rest of the state.>

I'm glad somebody in Florida finally brought suit. Since the basis of the suit is that there is no remedy at law, (no recount possible) and irretrievable damage (the perception that electronic elections are rigged) they should issue a temporary injunction against the machines use.

[nodictators]

3. Despite Bev's great work half the voters will vote on DREs

From the Time article:

"...election officials in 34 states, from Florida to California, purchased so many e-voting machines that some 50 million people, or more than one-third of registered voters, are expected to use them in November."

In 2000, with an above-average turnout, about 105 million votes were cast. If Time's numbers are correct, then half of us will vote on computerized (DRE) machines.

These DRE machines seem to have an affinity for Repubs. Georgia 2002 was a good example. An incumbent governor and an incumbent US senator were defeated, even though the polls had shown both had solid leads.

We need a clean election to oust Bush/Cheney!