voting 2004 -was it rigged or not?

[Neil D]

From the US-CERT cyber alert system

Page down and Look for Diebold on the left

Was the 2004 vote rigged by Diebold? The above cyber alert suggest that it could be rigged, if someone knew how to get into the back door of the voting boxes...

Now, the following blog is making those charges. The upper echelon in Diebold did know and someone is ratting out the rest....

The Brad Blog

Aw, but it couldn't be true, could it? It's just one of those flirtatious things that are made up...right?

[Dr. Shane]

These are the types of conspiracy theories that define the "ultra" extreames. The conservatives have their "ultras" and the liberals have their "ultras". What they both have in common is conspiracy theories. This is as fine of an example as any.

[Derrell M]

Our church abounds with conspiracy theorists. Usually centered around the fear of jesuits behind every corner.

[Dr. Shane]

I don't know about others, but I tend to view those that embrace the jesuit-conspiracy theories as <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/Nixe_nixe02b.gif" alt="" />

[Derrell M]

LOL!!

That might make for a good debate on its own thread.

[there buster]

As Maj. Frank Burns said: This is very reliable gossip.

[Neil D]

Apparently, there are quite a number of people, both democrates and republican who are attempting to reduce the incidents of 'conspiracy' theorys...And it appears that many are working to reduce and build up more confidence in our system. Which doesn't seem to go away with each occurance when a natural or man made disaster occurs during this administration.....

Quote:

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Mon Sep 19, 7:19 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Electronic voting machines used in US elections should give paper receipts to avoid suspicions of fraud, an electoral reform commission, led by ex-president Jimmy Carter and former secretary of state James Baker, said.

The independent commission also said that the voting system should be made more uniform across the United States. Individual states, and sometimes counties within a state, currently choose their own methods of voting.

Carter, a Democrat, and Baker, a Republican, were named to lead the commission after problems with the presidential election in November 2004 in the key state of Ohio.

They made 87 recommendations including the paper receipts for electronic touch-screen voting machines, which are becoming increasingly popular. Carter said this would make it easier to check fraud and confirm disputed results.

"It's a simple technological matter," Carter said.

"Nevada did it this past year -- so that there can be some comparison on the part of the voter: 'This is the way I touched the screen. Did my ballot comply?' And they look at the paper ballot."

Under the commission's proposals, random audits would be conducted to compare electronic ballots with paper ballots. "This would go a long way to deter any kind of temptation to fraud," Carter said.

The commission also said Americans should show a photo identity document, such as a driving licence, before being allowed to cast votes. For those without driving licenses, states should offer identification cards to qualified voters free of charge.

Baker said if voters failed to show photo identification, they could vote with a provisional ballot and later present the identification.

"Every one of the recommendations in our report, whether they are recommendations to the Congress or recommendations to the states, are designed to improve confidence in our system of federal elections," Baker said.

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[Jeannieb43]

It's problems like this that make it mandatory that all voting precincts create paper backups for each vote. The votes must be able to be hand-counted in event of a dispute.

These machines are good; they make voting easier. But in the long run they're too vulnerable to being infiltrated by hackers. A hand-counted vote is the only completely honest method.

[Dr. Shane]

As an election judge, I can tell you the problem isn't the voting machines. The problem is corrupt political machines, on both sides, get groups of people to travel from precint to precint and vote multiple times. I have had them come to my precint and there was no way for me to legally stop them from voting. 90% of all voter fraud will end when we require a picture ID in order to vote.

[Neil D]

Quote:

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As an election judge, I can tell you the problem isn't the voting machines. The problem is corrupt political machines, on both sides, get groups of people to travel from precint to precint and vote multiple times. I have had them come to my precint and there was no way for me to legally stop them from voting. 90% of all voter fraud will end when we require a picture ID in order to vote.

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Shane, read the article that I posted, especially what is in the box. It ain't long. Carter and Baker were advocating the used of picture ID. The article was talking about restoring voter confidence in the voting system. This includes reducing voter fraud AND creating a paper trail at the electronic voting booth.

And if you had taken the time to go to the URL, you would have seen a long article, but full of information on what Carter and Baker were proposing...all of it seem rather practical in my view.