[LINK] electronic voting is coming

[Richard Chirgwin]

David Goldstein wrote:
> Kim said "Computers have so many avenues to allow invisible scamming of the system.  So much work to make them safe to use for voting."
> 
> Funny, I thought there were plenty of examples of elections around the world where elections using paper ballots were rigged.

At issue is the relative merit - in the case of Kim's remark, security
and transparency - of two systems. To say that paper is flawed does not
speak to that relativity.

I don't believe that in an already-corrupt regime, an electronic vote
will usher in a new era of honesty and enlightenment.

> 
> I would have thought both methods have their limitations. Even in Australia there are people who turn up to vote for other people.

And has been noted elsewhere, the "e-vote" is unique in terms of scope
(ie, access the system and change huge numbers of votes) and opacity
(the inside of the machine is most accessible to insiders).

This is apposite:
http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=10037216&nav=menu203_2

Accusations include changing votes on computers, and instructing others
in doing so.

As to the situation in Australia; numerous inquiries have been made on
the various phantom vote stories. In the main, they've been found to be
mostly trivial.

Your statement that "both methods have their limitations" is entirely
true. My opinion is that the limitations of the "e-vote" are much
greater, and as things now stand, intractable.

RC

> 
> David
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Kim Holburn <kim at holburn.net>
> To: Link List <link at anu.edu.au>
> Sent: Friday, 20 March, 2009 8:31:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [LINK] electronic voting is coming
> 
> There are so many problems with electronic voting.  Haven't we  
> discussed this all before?
> 
> The biggest question of all is why do it?  What is the problem you are  
> trying to solve?   The Economist article talks about paper ballots  
> with some clever trickery.  If you're going to use paper ballots  
> what's wrong with the old kind?  Why change?
> 
> Computers have so many avenues to allow invisible scamming of the  
> system.  So much work to make them safe to use for voting.
> 
> If you're going to move to all electronic systems then you need to  
> have cryptographic systems in place to allow proper audit trails.  It  
> can be done electronically but it's not simple.  Simple is to have the  
> machines print a ballot which is checked by the voter and have a  
> verified paper trail, but then again, why use computers?  What's wrong  
> with the current paper system?
> 
> If you're going to do without the paper trail then you have to use  
> complex cryptographic systems and you have to be able to prove every  
> part of all of the systems.  All the code of the voting machines would  
> have to be open and viewable by the public.  Not just voting machines  
> but all computers involved in the tallying process.  (Hmmmmm....)
> 
> In Holland touch screen systems are illegal because they radiate  
> signals that can be read by people some distance away who could render  
> a vote non-secret.
> 
> In the US it's all starting to unravel.  How would you solve what  
> these guys in Kentucky did with their voting computers?  Use paper  
> ballots, they are simply not subject to the same scams:
> http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7001
> 
>> KY Circuit court judge, county clerk and election officials among  
>> eight indicted for gaming elections in 2002, 2004, 2006
> 
> 
> I seem to recall the ACT has had some electronic voting for a number  
> of years.
> 
> Voting is the only time, the moment, in our oligarchical system where  
> we actually get to take part, to be part of our democracy.  So it's  
> critical we protect it.  Computers can so easily be corrupted.  That  
> said, the thing I do see is that a trusted electronic voting system  
> might allow us to vote more often. To be able to do it more often  
> would make our system more democratic.  Would this be a good idea?  I  
> don't know.  Wisdom of crowds or madness of mobs?
> 
> 
> Kim
> 
> On 2009/Mar/18, at 7:40 PM, David Goldstein wrote:
> 
>> The Economist has an interesting story on a number of initiatives  
>> around the world to deal with security issues in variations of  
>> electronic voting.
>>
>> A really secret ballot
>> A variety of schemes to encrypt ballot papers should reassure voters  
>> and help to make elections more secure
>> http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12673211
>>
>> David
>>
>>
>>
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