Let's design our OWN voting machines, does Diebold have a monopoly?

[Philosoraptor]

Are we required by law to use Diebold voting machines?

[eridani]

1. Or we could use hand counted paper ballots

Open source opscan would be good, though.

[Philosoraptor]

2. ANYTHING but Diebold Cheating Machines.

Let's step back in time a few centuries and use paper, with our own signatures, sealed by a notary. Naaaah, that's too antiquated and simple I guess. Plus there's no room for cheating.

[midnight]

6. What is open source opscan?

I have been voting long enough, but couldn't tell you what type of voting machine I'm using. It is one that I checked off a mark next to a name and then place the card into something that looks like a scanning bed.

[BeFree]

12. Open source on an op-scan

Sounds like you are voting using an Optical Scanner Electronic Voting system.

If that system used computer programming code that was open for inspection, then that system would be considered to have an open source code.

Unfortunately, no Electronic Voting System in use today has an open source code. The code is considered to be privately owned. Even though those codes are used to count close to 80% of the public vote, the code is kept from being made public.

What's up with that?

[lindisfarne]

3. I find it amazing they need such complicated code to add and subtract

'1' from a running total. Banks have been doing this for decades - and are far more accurate. (of course, the banks haven't promised to deliver an election to anyone).

[Philosoraptor]

4. How bout' an Abacus?

Or maybe we could just have a show of hands, anything but Diebold.

[eridani]

13. And bank transactions have unique ID numbers

Secret ballots don't.

[ForrestGump]

5. Here's my entry:

Complete with a guide to the curiosity known as George. And equal time, of course, for the Right to produce an impartial -- nay, fair and balanced -- companion volume on The Clenis ("Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" is the title), apparently still a major force on the American political and social scenes.



Florida will never fall again!

[WePurrsevere]

7. There are companies out there that could easily make a better voting mach

then Diebold and WITH paper receipts/ballots. Since my DH worked for many years as a tech for another very old and well known (OH based) company (ATM/Banking/Retail/Satellite/Computer equip) I know for a fact that they had a voting machine like this that they had developed, produced and scrapped many years ago (a "before their time problem"). They have an ATM machine that could easily be modified to be a voting machine.

There are a couple of others, like Fujitsu, he's mentioned as being capable of doing the job properly. Part of the problem is that Diebold and Interbold have a lock on this because of party "affiliation"... they're also CHEAP and are so for a reason. Recently I read on DU about another company coming out with another alternative that sounds really good... I'm sorry but I can't recall the name at the moment.

As for Diebold... they're full of crap as well as being pieces of cheap crap. They're a monopoly only because they're allowed to be by the "gov consumers" that are like sheep following the wolf. :grr:

edited to fix a typo/spelling error not picked up by spell checkB-)

[Philosoraptor]

8. Let's go back to the old ballot box.

So they buy them cause their the cheapest? We see where their priorities are.

[WePurrsevere]

11. Buy cheap crap for less seems to increasingly become US creed lately. This

mentality seems to have leeched into our gov even when quality is extremely important.

Although it may not be the only reason for them buying Diebold and their BS it probably the main one especially for areas that are already struggling to keep taxes down and make ends meet. They buy "cheap" for the same reason many of us need to... we have X dollars to spend and need that to stretch as far as possible.

[papau]

9. Just buy the SmartMatic touch screen used in Venezuela

translated from http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1197 which in turn is mainly the PR Release by SmartMatic

How it Works: Venezuela's New Voting Machines

Tuesday, Jun 15, 2004
By: Ernesto Villegas/Antonio Mujica - Radio Nacional de Venezuela/VTV

SmartMatic president Antonio Mujica laid to rest all questions about the reliability of the SmartMatic touch screen voting machines to be used in the August 15 presidential recall referendum. Mujica fielded questions in a Sunday night interview conducted by Ernesto Villegas on Venezolana de Television (VTV).

“The machine is very portable, which facilitates their logistics (movement and setup) during electoral processes,” indicated Mujica. The fourth generation machines weigh about six kilograms, and have a touch screen to register the vote electronically. The machine also prints a paper record that allows the process to be audited. “The machine’s internal electronics were designed from the beginning specifically for electoral events, with security features dedicated to electoral processes.”

Mujica refuted rumors appearing in the private media that these machines have been used only for lotteries. “This machine was made by Olivetti. We subcontract to that company, which uses its factories in Rome to manufacture these machines. Among many other things, Olivetti makes machines used for lotteries.” This seems to be the source of that rumor.

Mujica explained that demonstration machines will be set up throughout the country at commercial centers and plazas, and the National Elections Council (CNE) will conduct an educational campaign.

20,000 machines will be set up the day of the recall referendum, and 1,000 replacement machines will be on stand-by should they be necessary. All machines will be guarded by Plan Republica. Each machine is registered with the National Totalization Center, so that if an unregistered machine tries to connect to the system to add votes, it will be detected and rejected.

More at link...


EDIT: COPYRIGHT. PLEASE POST ONLY 4 OR 5 PARAGRAPHS
FROM THE COPYRIGHTED NEWS SOURCE PER DU RULES.

[madokie]

14. open source is the key word here

paper ballots hand counted would be my choice if I had one.

[woodsprite]

10. Didn't someone have a nice verifiable design, but they "offed" him? n/t