BBV: Updated voting system on its way (Mendocino CA - Diebold TS)

[Bushfire]

Mendocino County voters will use the familiar punch-card at the Oct. 7 recall election but come November, the Diebold Election System will replace Votomatic punch-card voting machines, which have been decertified for use in California.

snip

"We would never have switched had the punchcard system not been decertified," Wharff said. "(Punchcards) have always worked well for Mendocino County."

As of Monday, the ACLU had not taken a position on the Diebold system, according to Stella Richardson, media relations director with the ACLU of Northern California.

snip

"Analysis of an Electronic Voting System" also concludes that voters would be able to view partial results and terminate an election early, options usually accessible by administration. This security hole could lead to manipulation of election results by malevolent poll workers.

much more...

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/Stories/0,1413,91%257E3089%257E1668879,00.html

[Bushfire]

1. Kick

for the CA DUers. :kick:

[Bushfire]

2. Once last kick

get off page 5.

[RedEagle]

3. Punch Cards Don't HAVE To Go

Who sold California on the idea that punch cards had to go? The HAVA Act may recommend it, but it DOES NOT REQUIRE IT. HAVA provides an option allowing counties and states to keep the punch cards.

I'm not saying that they are better than optical scan. They are better than Touch Screens without that paper trail. The voting scam appears to be in the optical scan and touch screen systems, mostly, although you can corrupt the count on the punch card.

I'm just wondering if it's easier to scam the optical scan because those programs are newer or now come from vendors with an agenda?

Did punch cards have to go because they could't manipulate them as easily?


Here's the site for the HAVA text: http://fecweb1.fec.gov/hava/law_ext.txt

The pertinent section falls right at the beginning of Title III. In fact, most of the important voting systems stuff falls under Title III.

It's:

Title III
Subtitle A
Sec. 301
(a)
(B)

(B) A State or jurisdiction that uses a paper ballot voting system, a punch card voting system, or a central count voting system (including mail-in absentee ballots and mail-in ballots), may meet the requirements of subparagraph (A)(iii) by--

<[Page 116 STAT. 1705>]

(i) establishing a voter education program specific to that voting system that notifies each voter of the effect of casting multiple votes for an office; and
(ii) providing the voter with instructions on how to correct the ballot before it is cast and counted (including instructions on how to correct the error through the issuance of a replacement ballot if the voter was otherwise unable to change the ballot or correct any error).

(C) The voting system shall ensure that any notification required under this paragraph preserves the privacy of the voter and the confidentiality of the ballot.


I don't see a "mandate" to get rid of punch cards. That's a lot of PR.