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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBREAKING: Virginia Board of Elections Votes Unamimously to Remove All Paperless Voting Machines
Virginia Is Getting Rid of Its Vulnerable Voting Machines | Gizmodo
Sep 8 2017
Virginias Board of Elections voted unanimously to decertify all of the states touchscreen voting machines, which are considered by cybersecurity experts to be vulnerable to manipulation by hackers. The race is now on to replace the machines, which are used in 22 counties, before Virginias elections in November. Industry experts and and the states elections department have recommended that the touchscreen machines be replaced with ones that record votes on paper instead of only electronically, so the votes can be audited and verified.
The Department of Elections believes that the risks presented by using this equipment in the November General Election are sufficiently significant to warrant immediate decertification to ensure the continued integrity of Virginia elections, commissioner Edgardo Cortes wrote in a letter to the Board of Elections recommending the change.
Virginias move to decertify all of its paperless voting machines is a critical step toward securing its elections and acknowledging that post-2016, were living in a brave new world where election interference from hostile foreign attackers is no longer theoretical, Barbara Simons, the president of the election security nonprofit Verified Voting, said in a statement. We all need to step up our game to secure our elections and restore voter faith that their votes will be counted as cast.
Touchscreen machines are still in use in several states, including New Jersey, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
https://thevotingnews.com/virginia-is-getting-rid-of-its-vulnerable-voting-machines-gizmodo/
And it was UNANIMOUS!! How cool is that? Hopefully this is a precedent for other states with paperless machines! It seems with all the news on Russian hacking, the public is finally waking up to the risks. Now if they can just bring Dem leadership along. Next we need mandatory audits in every state.
edited to add: Go to the link which will take you to Verified Voting. Get on their email list. They have been fighting tirelessly since 2000 for paper and audits. They have lots of cyber security people working with them.
liberal N proud
(60,334 posts)MoonRiver
(36,926 posts)Snackshack
(2,541 posts)Across the country.
phylny
(8,378 posts)My own polling place here in one of the "Redneckistan" areas of Virginia at least uses paper ballots which are fed into a machine that'll read them. When I inquired, the woman at the local board of elections said that there are mandatory, random recounts during each election.
calimary
(81,198 posts)I may have to steal it!
Besides, it's a bit tidier than "Dumbfuckistan"!
drray23
(7,627 posts)phylny
(8,378 posts)sheshe2
(83,728 posts)ms liberty
(8,572 posts)TheFrenchRazor
(2,116 posts)TheFrenchRazor
(2,116 posts)red dog 1
(27,792 posts)States like Wisconsin, Michigan & Pennsylvania would not have gone for Trump with all paper ballots, because you can't "flip" paper ballots.
BigmanPigman
(51,584 posts)Last edited Fri Sep 8, 2017, 10:49 PM - Edit history (1)
Of course 45 would gladly endorse that idea since he is doing SOOO much to deter foreign "meddling" into our elections.
diva77
(7,639 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,584 posts)help. I tried to tap it, tap twice, hold it, etc and gave up after an hour. I spent over two hours teaching myself how to cut and paste yesterday and I am so frustrated! I even bought a star hoping that might allow me to use the "smiles". I do not text and do not know very simple and basic computer stuff. Also, I am a visual learner and none of the You Tube videos help me with my touch screen tablet. Forget "linking" anything completely. Unless my dog can show me how to do it I have no tech help.
murielm99
(30,733 posts)where the message text goes. One is labeled "smilies." The very last smilie is three dots. Click on that. There are more smilies, and one is the sarcasm emoticon. Click on the sarcasm box, and you have it.
BigmanPigman
(51,584 posts)Why don't you see the picture before you post it? That is odd.
Now even when I type "sarcasm" I get the picture...huh?
murielm99
(30,733 posts)BigmanPigman
(51,584 posts)diva77
(7,639 posts)beneath it; click on "edit post" (there is an orange dot next to it); then place the cursor where you want the emoticon, and click on the "sarcasm" thingy. Then post the edited version...
BigmanPigman
(51,584 posts)since I do not know how to right and left click, etc. I have been encouraged by you and am grateful!
Now I fear that you have created a monster!
rogue emissary
(3,148 posts)spooky3
(34,430 posts)The adoption--I think they said counties that were ready to replace equipment had to buy verifiable systems. This was to lower the cost impact compared to requiring everyone to ditch current systems. Sounds as if they grew tired of waiting for everyone to update.
democrank
(11,092 posts)and pronto!
blueinredohio
(6,797 posts)dottie66
(59 posts)sammythecat
(3,568 posts)flyswatters, spoons, and nails are pretty much beyond improvement. Paper ballots are included on any such list. The integrity of our elections are, and always will be in question as long as they are done electronically. Using paper ballots is as close to hack proof as we can get. I can't think of a good argument against this other than money. Somebody with lots of lobbying money has a lot to lose if we go to paper ballots.
This always seems to be the reason for the resistance of good and sensible ideas. Somebody wants to keep making a lot of money doing something the wrong way.
dottie66
(59 posts)because election results would be slower?
ancianita
(36,017 posts)trueblue2007
(17,203 posts)red dog 1
(27,792 posts)stevepal
(109 posts)unless the vote is routinely verified everywhere in every election, there's still no way to know for sure if the results are accurate.
But why not take another step and just require HAND-COUNTED PAPER BALLOTS? They are cheaper in the long run and their results are as close to hack proof as it's possible to get. Unless every election is verified in some way, there's no way to know if hacking took place, but unless you have paper you can't possibly verify the vote so this is a step forward.
Amaryllis
(9,524 posts)fierywoman
(7,680 posts)diva77
(7,639 posts)has built in 100% audit (more than 1 person counts each vote).
TheFrenchRazor
(2,116 posts)even done in the first place. why not just hand count all the ballots in the first place? after all, the hand count is what is used during an audit to verify the accuracy of the machines, so clearly it is the highest standard of accuracy. NO, hand-counting is not perfect, but it is the closest that humans beings can come to perfect accuracy.
CottonBear
(21,596 posts)France uses this election method in addition to having limits on campaign length and a short time between the general election and runoffs.
CrispyQ
(36,450 posts)Interesting how that works, huh?
Akacia
(583 posts)shenmue
(38,506 posts)TheDebbieDee
(11,119 posts)can change the vote totals...
Amaryllis
(9,524 posts)must have audits; however, without paper, you can't even start on next steps. This is a big first step.
spooky3
(34,430 posts)These can be verified in audits.
red dog 1
(27,792 posts)Oregon's voting is done 100 percent by mail.
https://www.vote.org/state/oregon/
Bev Harris' website:
http://blackboxvoting.org/
About voting equipment in the USA
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/resources/voting-equipment/
Amaryllis
(9,524 posts)red dog 1
(27,792 posts)I chose text
Permanut
(5,598 posts)Thanks Amaryllis. Odd that it seems to be a problem getting a piece of paper out of a voting machine, when we do it every day with ATMs.
Amaryllis
(9,524 posts)spike jones
(1,678 posts)I have always though we should have mandatory voting. There could be a none of the above box for people who do not want to vote, but everyone must show up at the voting booths. The fine for not showing up should be a twenty percent tax on gross income.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)Tiggeroshii
(11,088 posts)clu
(494 posts)make some noise about this and maybe people will pay attention. i'm trying to think of an MSM outlet that would cover this but I feel comfortable that's it's KERA/NPR territory. gizmodo linked it in this case but fortunately they follow privacy concerns and are therefore ahead of the pack.
AllyCat
(16,175 posts)Pepsidog
(6,254 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)red dog 1
(27,792 posts)Last edited Sat Sep 9, 2017, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)
https://www.vote.org/state/oregon/Amaryllis
(9,524 posts)has vastly more safeguards than absentee ballots.
red dog 1
(27,792 posts)Thanks for that info.
What do you think about "all vote by mail"?
TheFrenchRazor
(2,116 posts)red dog 1
(27,792 posts)You can click on the link provided in Reply # 40 to learn more about it.
(I don't live in Oregon)
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)But I haven't been keeping up to date on them, either.
clu
(494 posts)replied to me with this link when I shared this OP on my gaming forum. how blue is Virginia state legislature?
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/22/491000431/virginia-governor-restores-voting-rights-to-felons-again
spooky3
(34,430 posts)And phased in.
MrPurple
(985 posts)Catch2.2
(629 posts)Hopefully other states will follow suit
dalton99a
(81,433 posts)colsohlibgal
(5,275 posts)It can and should be done and with strict monitoring and custody, Hell hire Switzerland as neutral observers, and video tape everything you can.
And make registering like registering for a driver's license.
MrPurple
(985 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)It's a beginning.
LenaBaby61
(6,974 posts)Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)Upthevibe
(8,034 posts)tclambert
(11,085 posts)to make sure the machines worked right.
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)wow!!!
Every state needs to do the same.
BannonsLiver
(16,358 posts)Dems have carried it in the last 3 presidential elections, both their senators are Dems and so is the governor and 4 Dem congressman. It's at worst a purple state.
drray23
(7,627 posts)virginia senate and house. This is despite the fact that as you pointed out, we have carried governor, lt governor ,senators, etc.. for many years.
AgadorSparticus
(7,963 posts)From the election too.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)Now they need to standardize voting machine throughout the US and make sure all of them are secure both at the initial voting machines and at the central counting areas.
madokie
(51,076 posts)many elections around Oklahoma were decided at the Democratic Primary. Many of the local offices wouldn't even draw a 'CON candidate because everyone knew they'd never get elected anyway so why bother. Somewhere along the line we started to use electronic vote counting machine and slowly the 'CONs started filing and some actually started winning to the point now its all 'CONs all offices and our state is a mess. We had our first 'CON governor elected in '61, prior to that since statehood we only had Democratic Governors for an example. We have many good great office holders back through the years but none and I mean NONE since the electronic vote counting machines.
The last time I did a search I was told that the cost for hand counting our paper ballots was in the 4 to 5 thousand bucks a precinct. Way too costly for us to use auditing to confirm our paper ballot totals. There isn't but about 2 thousand voters in my precinct.
I'm old, I'm 69 YO and remember all this so well. My trip to Vietnam woke me up to the underhanded shenanigans of our elected office holders, most of which you can't trust as far as you can throw them.
susanna
(5,231 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Time to make this a national priority before the next election cycle.
Hekate
(90,633 posts)Thrill
(19,178 posts)samnsara
(17,615 posts)...you can drop them off but we also have about 3 weeks to vote. NO LINES EVER.