Scathing Salt Lake Tribune Editorial: Diebold's Reassurances Aren't Enough

[Wilms]

Diebold's reassurances are not enough

Machine politics

Tribune Editorial

06/03/2006

The more they tell us not to worry, the more we should worry.

snip

But in Utah, where we are spending $27 million to adopt the touch-screen voting system statewide, the only official to express any concern is now an ex-official. Those still running our elections, all the way up to Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert, insist that none of us need worry our pretty little heads about it and the June 27 primaries should go off without a hitch.

Frankly, it would be a lot more comforting if our officials were eager to be seen as solving the problem instead of denying that there is one. Because, according to some very heavily credentialed experts, there is one.

snip

Even more disconcerting than the attacks on the Diebold operation has been the absurd defense mounted by the company itself. The corporate attitude is basically that the system is only vulnerable to people who are crooked.

snip

We need more than Diebold's word for this. And we need it now.

snip

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_3894209

[Twist_U_Up]

1. I remember a ways back........

when the Election Reform group was formed and all discussion was regulated to that forum. Now it is front page . How far we have come in a few short years.

Will the September 11 forum be the next to break the barriers ?

edit to include Recommended

[lonestarnot]

2. Waiting for the outcomes. If they cheat again there's going to be a

revofuckinglution!

[brainshrub]

3. No it won't.

The only sound you'll hear are liberals driving to Wal-Mart in their SUVs.

[lonestarnot]

4. brainshrub you sound defeated.

[brainshrub]

5. Sorry. I think it was something I ate.

That last comment was rather unhelpful, wasn't it?

[Eric J in MN]

7. Don't apologize. You're absolutely right.

I saw a documentary on Henry VIII.

He was beheading his wives and burning down monasteries, and torturing people, and there was no revolution. People just went about there business, even though there was no air-conditioning or cable TV in those days.

[GentryLange]

8. But Henry the VIII...

Wrote Greensleeves. You can't have a revolution against a musician with that kind of talent.

[brainshrub]

9. Without Greensleeves, there would be no Renaissance fairs!

[Eric J in MN]

6. Paper Ballots Publicly Hand Counted

It's done that way in Canada.

No assurances from Diebold need to be believed or disbelieved.

The people have verification that their votes counted.

[nosferaustin]

10. Saw this in the paper this morning

It's not suprising to me at all that Utah officials are ignoring this. This is the same legislature who just voted down $2 million in emergency dental care for Medicaid and instead voted to approve a $15 million parking garage at the capitol.

Utah going Diebold is one of the reasons I signed up as a poll worker for both the Primary and general election this year. I get to have training on the machines and I plan on keeping a very close eye on my precinct, for whatever good it'll do...

I'll be managing the polls at Whittier Elementary, should any of you fellow SLC'ers want to vote and say hi...

:-)

[Blutodog]

11. Diebold Democracy

Trust? Fuck Diebold. I'd toss all the computers immediately and go to PAPER ballots hand counted. Plenty of countries do it that way. I trust Diebold alright to do whatever Bu$hCo tells it to do. These are pirates and vandals and they're goal is the destruction of the Republic and it's replacement by a Theocratic state with a phony voting system and Absolute Monarch. Diebold et al. are at the heart of this plan.

[PegDAC]

14. Yep. Paper ballots with stubby pencil

On carbonless paper so there ia an identical copy. Each copy to be placed in separate ballot boxes, with the box(es) containing the carbonless copy secured in, for instance, a bank vault, to be brought out in the event of a recount.

[jkd]

12. Great to see this editorial

I'm just one of many who have encouraged the Tribute to pursue this story that was generated here in Utah. Yesterday's article and this editorial today are finally a good start. Now let's hope the coverage doesn't end here.

I too have a job opportunity for the June primary, working for Diebold as a troubleshooter in Wasatch County. The county clerk says that Diebold will drop the offer when informed of my feeling toward the company. I wonder who's going to tell them?

[The Wizard]

13. Faith based voting

is the reason we're stuck in this mess today. Diebold is to elections what Pat Robertson is to religion, just plain full of shit.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

15. BlackBoxVoting.org demonstrates to Howard Dean how EASY it is for anyone

:hi: Bev Harris of BlackBoxVoting.org demonstrates to Howard Dean how EASY it is for anyone with access to the central tabulator computer to RIG the ELECTION. Diebold software is used in this demonstration and in the American voting system. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhMUtzOxjJY&search=diebold%20 Machines can even be Hacked By A Chimpanzee

[Blutodog]

16. DC DEMOS.

The DC DEMOS know all about the in your face voter fraud going on in this country and are doing nothing about it. Makes you wonder if they really want to win or not?

[Thorn]

17. Verifiable vote!

The electronic machines would work, if they printed out a copy of what you just voted for.
You could check it over and drop it into a ballot box. Those would be used for recounts.
That technology is not only easily done, I can't believe election officials anywhere allow electronic voting without this feature.