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  • Hacking Democracy

    From Lee Lofaso@2:203/2 to All on Thu Aug 13 23:39:22 2015
    Hello Everybody,

    Do you think your vote counts?
    Do you think it even gets counted at all?
    Not that it matters, as somebody still has
    to count the votes, regardless of who cast
    those votes -

    http://theantimedia.org/for-26-and-an-8th-grade- education-you-can-hack-a-voting-machine/

    That's right. You don't have to be smart to
    vote. And do don't have to be much smarter to
    hack a voting machine.

    Maybe we should all go back to using paper ballots.

    But then we will be back to square one, the problem
    being how to stuff a ballot box without getting caught.

    Old-time politicians had an easy way of dealing with
    this problem. Let everybody vote, and once the cans
    were filled, then empty them into the nearest body
    of water. Problem with unwanted votes solved.

    --Lee

    --- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
    * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)
  • From Damon A. Getsman@1:340/200 to Lee Lofaso on Sun Aug 16 09:49:23 2015
    Re: Hacking Democracy
    By: Lee Lofaso to All on Thu Aug 13 2015 23:39:22

    Maybe we should all go back to using paper ballots.

    I think you're right about that part, at least. My software engineer roommate had a class at UMass Amherst that did a segment on hacking the current Diebold voting machines and that was back in Bush's first term. Besides, isn't Diebold somehow tied in to Halliburton & conglomerates?

    -D
    --- SBBSecho 2.27-OpenBSD
    * Origin: Tinfoil.synchro.net - now at FTN (1:340/200) (1:340/200)
  • From Lee Lofaso@2:203/2 to Damon A. Getsman on Tue Aug 18 22:44:27 2015
    Hello Damon,

    Maybe we should all go back to using paper ballots.

    I think you're right about that part, at least.

    Sometimes low tech is the way to go. Not the only way,
    but a better way than the alternative. Of course, anything
    can be abused, including the use of paper ballots. But at
    least there is a paper trail that can usually (but not always)
    be found to investigate or verify.

    My software engineer roommate had a class at UMass Amherst that did a segment on hacking the current Diebold voting machines and that was back
    in
    Bush's first term. Besides, isn't Diebold somehow tied in to Halliburton
    &
    conglomerates?

    Does it matter? Government set the criteria. Those in charge
    knew what company would be granted the contract. Everything on
    the up and up. Right? From all outward appearances, yes. But
    in reality, nothing could be farther from the truth.

    Somebody has to write the code for the machines to work.
    This was done in secret. Why?

    In Australia, the code was made public, and posted online.

    In the USA, no code has ever been made public or posted online.

    What happens in an election in the USA? We do not have
    national elections, as each state is an entity unto itself.
    The votes on the machine are stored on a flash drive, with
    nothing left on the machine for later retrieval. How are
    you going to have a recount if there is nothing to recount?
    What is there to verify? All you have is what is on that
    flash drive, given to the clerk of court or secretary of
    state ...

    --Lee

    --- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
    * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)
  • From Tim Richardson@1:275/93 to Damon A. Getsman on Wed Aug 19 12:28:38 2015
    Re: Hacking Democracy
    By: Lee Lofaso to All on Thu Aug 13 2015 23:39:22

    Maybe we should all go back to using paper ballots.

    I think you're right about that part, at least. My software engineer roommate had a class at UMass Amherst that did a segment on hacking the current Diebold voting machines and that was back in Bush's first term. Besides, isn't Diebold somehow tied in to Halliburton & conglomerates?


    There is only one reason for resistance to requiring a voter to present
    ID to prove they have the right to vote in elections; votes.

    Does anyone think illegal aliens don't vote in our elections?

    Does anyone think that those who have lost their right to vote don't
    vote in our elections?

    When a whole box full of votes are `suddenly discovered' in a back room,
    or a closet, or in somebody's trunk...do you `really' think nothing is
    wrong?

    There's been the `graveyard' vote since I can remember! People who've been
    dead for several years cast the `deciding votes' in a local or state
    election.

    A voter ID should be tied to a person's birth certificate or citizenship papers. No valid ID...you don't get to vote!

    There is no honest reason for the continued resistance to voter ID.
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