Iowa's Open-Source Precinct Aggregation Audit Tool

[Wilms]

Iowa's Open-Source Precinct Aggregation Audit Tool

Friday, January 4, 2008

by Howard Stanislevic

Thanks to Jerry Depew from IowaVoters.org for giving me the opportunity to use this cool tool.

It's all right here: http://www.iowacaucusresults.com

The above URL is a HTML frame. There's nothing to it. But there are a bunch of JavaScripts accessed from this URL contained within the above frame: http://s3.amazonaws.com/caucuspublic/index_live.html

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In English, it's open-source precinct aggregation audit software and it can be used for the whole state of Iowa! (Democratic precincts only at the moment.)

In better English, they post the precinct tallies on this website in real time, so anyone who's at the precinct can verify them. If the tallies don't match, people will know. All that's needed is a web browser.

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Note: this is NOT an Election Management System on the Internet; it's just a reporting tool (website).

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http://e-voter.blogspot.com/2008/01/iowas-open-source-precinct-aggregation.html

[Melissa G]

1. cool. thanks for posting. n/t

[Bill Bored]

2. So do ya think the Holties, BevBots, HCPBers and Exit Poll True Believers might be able

to agree that this is a good idea, Wilms?

What about the lever-holics, audit jockeys and punch card mavens?

And the instant runoff crowd? (They are VERY hard to please!)

And what about Democracy for New Hampshire? I'd LOVE to see their precincts aggregated somewhere. I can't tell WHAT'S goin' on up there!

How about Brad and Raw Story, and Kucinich and Conyers and Senator Ensign, and Reid and Pelosi?

Do you think they'd jump at the chance to see their precinct totals aggregated in real time on the WWW?

And how about KSTER and Al The Cat (woops, already said exit-poll-true-believers) and OnTheOtherHand?

Do you think they'd be into this?

How about that guy in Missouri?

He could write another constitutional amendment about this! I bet he would think it's a good idea too!

So like, what are we waiting for? An ELECTION YEAR?

[Wilms]

3. I'd be heartened if they'd just read the article.

Audit's are for people who are Bored, Bill.

But something does tell me Al will like it.

OTOH, OTOH may like it, but on the OTOH he might be reserved in his enthusiasm will OTOHanding it for good measure.

But, OTOH, auditing audits is reasonable despite seeming like an idea hatched in the Department of Redundancy Department.

[Bill Bored]

4. Well, I look at it this way:

First in 2004, Bev Harris, with Howard Dean, shows how to steal elections with central tabulation hacks on the TeeVee.

Then in 2005, the DNC, headed by Dean, proposes this solution after they say Bush didn't steal Ohio:
<http://a9.g.akamai.net/7/9/8082/v001/www.democrats.org/pdfs/ohvrireport/section08.pdf>

Then in 2006, Holt introduces a bill that would mandate it.

Then in 2007 came HR811. (Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket!)

And now, in 2008, some guy in Iowa figures out how to do this for free (and it's not even Doug Jones)!

We need more of this kind of thinking. The Iowa kind I mean.