Iran's Solution To The YouTube Question: Just Block It

And On Second Thought, Feds Say New E-Voting Machines Need Backup... But Old Ones Can Stay

from the compromise-or-compromised dept

Tue, Dec 5th 2006 5:20pm — Mike Masnick

Remember yesterday how the Technical Guidelines Development Committee for the National Institute of Standards and Technology rejected the proposal to require "software independent" e-voting machines (such as ones that had a paper audit trail), claiming that it was just too much work to, you know, have integrity in our elections. However, today, the group got back together and came up with something of a compromise proposal that was accepted. The new proposal says that e-voting machines with a paper trail should be used, but will not decertify existing machines. Of course, while some may see this as a compromise solution, others may suggest that it's a compromise that compromises the integrity of the vote. If current e-voting machines are insecure and problematic (which there seems to be plenty of evidence to support), it shouldn't matter how much work or how expensive it is to replace.

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7 Comments

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Bumbling old fool, 5 Dec 2006 @ 5:35pm

/agree
If current e-voting machines are insecure and problematic (which there seems to be plenty of evidence to support), it shouldn't matter how much work or how expensive it is to replace.

I couldnt agree more. We won't have a democracy until the democratic elections are restored.

I don't know what kind of government we have now, but it's certainly NOT the democracy we have been trying to spread.

For shame...
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Stu, 5 Dec 2006 @ 6:40pm

Dear Bumble

"I don't know what kind of government we have now, . . . "

Yes you do - so do I. Just admit it, friend.

It's like any other illness - you have to admit you have it, and what it is, before you can apply a cure.
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Rick, 5 Dec 2006 @ 8:20pm

The Cure is....
...the second american revolution!

Revolt my patriotic friends!! Re-Declare our independance!
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Chris, 5 Dec 2006 @ 10:50pm

We'll never have another revolution.
The greater majority of america only cares about something if other people are talking about it. Once the hype dies down, so does any dialog surrounding the topic. Thankfully e-voting machines conitnualy muck-up and brings attention to how much of a disease they are to protecting the integrity of voting. However, it doesn't really matter either way when the popular vote is completey disregarded and courts decide elections. As soon as you convert something to 0's and 1's it's just a matter of maniuplation to change them into whatever you desire. The government is corrupt, and always will be beacuse it evolves around power. The easier you make it for someone to take advantage of a situation, the more prone someone will be to do so. The integrity of the human morale is a weak and fragile thing that can be easily swayed by temptation. I fail to see how e-voting will ever have my support, and I'm glad techdirt keeps pointing out how flawed of a system it turley is.
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Stephanie Russell, 6 Dec 2006 @ 6:44am

Voting Machines
I am a poll officer in the State of Georgia and would suggest that anyone who wants to understand the system,including the procedure for setting up and counting votes on machines, sign up with his/her county to take the classes offered by their county and take a day to work at the polls. That's what I did and was pleasantly surprised to see all the checks and balances in place. Our county has machines that print the voter a "receipt", but voters complain that it takes too long to process in a large turn-out election.

And just to clear it up once again, the US is a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy.A Republic is representative government ruled by law; in our case, the Constitution. A democracy is direct government ruled by the majority. A Republic recognizes the inalienable rights of individuals while democracies are only concerned with group wants or needs.
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Tired of the complaining, 6 Dec 2006 @ 8:47am

#4, Chris, your glaring spelling errors tend to take away from your point. Learn to either a. spell, b. use spell check. Also, America should always be capitalized there pink-o.

#5, Stephanie, excellent clarification. Sometimes people need to be reminded of these things from time to time.
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|333173|3|_||3, 6 Dec 2006 @ 8:00pm

yes, including the US Govt. at times.
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