Voting Commission Head Calls for More Security for Electronic Voting

[CShine]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of a federal voting commission called Tuesday for tougher security measures for electronic voting by the November elections, but said the issue of requiring paper receipts as backup needs further study. DeForest B. Soaries, chairman of the Election Assistance Commission, said he wants election officials to be able to analyze software source code in the electronic systems they pay for, which some vendors have resisted.

"The increased use of electronic voting devices has created security concerns that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission must address," he said in remarks prepared for delivery at a Maryland conference of election officials.

In an interview before the speech, Soaries said the issue of paper ballots that voters can verify - perhaps the most-debated aspect of the controversy over electronic voting - requires more study and that calling for such receipts by November would be unrealistic. He said it was possible the panel would recommend paper ballots in the future.

"If there was unanimity among scholars and scientists on the paper issue it would be a more compelling case," Soaries said. "All of the research, all of the testimony we've received, all the writings that I've read argue for more research."

Some 50 million Americans - about 30 percent of voters - are expected to vote electronically on Nov. 2. But concerns about the ATM-like machines have grown since computer scientists began criticizing them as dangerously vulnerable to hackers and mechanical failure. Many local election officials defend electronic voting as reliable and voter-friendly. But increasingly state and federal policy makers are calling for a "voter verifiable paper ballot" that would create a physical record documenting voter intent.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBHI4KM8VD.html

[loudsue]

1. We need to push these people much harder....

They aren't moving fast enough, nor are they taking this seriously enough.

:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:

[stickdog]

2. Who are these 'scholars & scientists' who don't want a paper trail?

Working for defense contractors perhaps?

"If there was unanimity among scholars and scientists on the paper issue it would be a more compelling case," Soaries said. "All of the research, all of the testimony we've received, all the writings that I've read argue for more research."

Show me a scholar who doesn't want a physical voter verified audit trail and I'll show you a scholar who knows nothing about auditing.

[truthisfreedom]

10. fiction. there are NO scholars or scienists who DON'T want a paper trail.

any other claim is pure FICTION.

[Rebellious Republican]

3. Of course it will be to late, thats all they need is one more election

After that they will have a death grip on the US, then they will be able to institute Marshall law and change our name to the Fascist States of America. Democracy will not survive another four years under this Admin and they know it!

:argh:

[stickdog]

4. BTW, you can contact our dear misinformed Reverend Soaries here

[e-mail]

[AndyTiedye]

5. If The Machinez Control 30% of the Vote, We Lose. It's That Simple.

Bush* already has a 7% advantage in the Electoral College.
Add 30% to that, and 3-4% for Nader, and where are we?

Assume that the only people who will really vote for Bush* are
the 29% who are hard-core Fundies. Looks like a historic landslide
for Kerry. Bush* has a 7% advantage in the Electoral College,
so that brings him up to 36%.

If he gets half of the vote from the DRE machinez, he "wins",
without a single legitimate vote outside his Fundie base.

If the Diebold Republican Electing Machines are counting 30%
of the vote, it will be very easy for Walden O'Dell to "deliver"
the election to Bush*.

It's all about the Voting Machinez.

[phoebe]

6. Reverend DeForest B. "Buster" Soaries is a Republican, nominated

by Bush to sit on EAC. The EAC was created as a result of Help America Vote Act and has received little funding. Soaries wants to spend the money on research and has asked for the millions due EAC.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:yJ1EmPy03-QJ:www.rushholt.com/newspapers/dwarf.html+Deforest+B.+Soaries&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

from 2002
snip

Sharpe said Soaries’ contributions include $71,500 from the Republican National Committee; $2,000 each from Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist, former Port Authority chairman and Republican National Committee finance chairman Lewis Eisenberg, and Candy Straight, who is running for Essex County Executive.

timeline of EAC showing funding, etc.
http://www.eac.gov/annualreport_2003.htm?format=none

[stickdog]

7. He's also, once again, either incompetent or criminal. (nt)

[dusty64]

8. Why would a verifiable

record of ones vote and the requirement to do comparable counts between the paper record and the electronic one require further study?

[BeFree]

9. Kick

The heat is on! 6 months ago they said not to worry. Now it is: "We're fucking worried"

Maybe a bunch of dems learned how to program those machinez? Why, if I had a chance........

[stickdog]

11. This is called muddying the waters.

There's nothing controversial about this. All honest people who understand this issue want a voter verified paper ballot. Only cheaters and shirkers don't.