Pentagon's Online Voting Program Deemed Too Risky

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36875-2004Jan21.html?nav=hptop_tb

"A Pentagon program for Internet voting in this year's presidential election is so insecure that it could undercut the integrity of American democracy and should be stopped immediately, according to computer-security specialists who were asked to review the $22 million pilot plan intended for about 100,000 overseas voters.
<snip>
McLaughlin said she was surprised that the critics would not want the experiment to run through the election to learn from it.

But Simons said that calling the program an experiment ignores the fact that voters will be casting votes that will count. If there is a question about the legitimacy of those votes, she said, the election could be undermined. It is no favor to overseas voters to let them think they have cast ballots when they actually have not, she said. "

BBV Alert

NPR had a report on this subject this morning. This pilot program for those out of the country is only being conducted in about 6-8 states. i cannot recall the whole list but it included South Carolina, Utah, and others that all sounded like Republican leaning states. The program would potentially capture 100,000 votes. Sounds like another attempt by the Bushies to interfere with electoral process and shore up their advantage.

...Just like with BBV. It's not the idea that's inherently bad, it's the implementation.

We know how to make electronic voting secure and auditable, just like we know ways to make online voting equally secure and auditable. It's just that no one's f-cking doing it the right way! We get called luddites and "overly paranoid" for saying an insecure system is insecure, just because it's electronic!

Anyone involved in this connected with the military SHOULD BE shot.

Don't want too many of those disgruntled enlisted folks exercising their rights, do we? Might kick more than a few GOPpers out of Washington if that happens.

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Supporters say the pilot for military, government and private citizens abroad is important to learn the right way to gather electronic votes and to help overseas voters who often have trouble casting ballots.
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Internet or any other means to vote via the internet is not safe or protected. I would not trust the military brass to conduct an honest election.

For many years the military, government employees and private citizens living abroad have managed to vote when they so chose. They should follow the same requirements that absentee voters living in the USA. Meaning the same deadlines!!

An idea to consider would be to have absentee ballots available online for those overseas. They could go online at the website for either the county election board or the state election board if the county does not have a website. Then print the ballot, fill it out and mail it back. There would have to be requirements to ensure that the ballot was completed by a valid voter.

By having the ballot available online it would reduce the time factor for the election board mailing the ballot to those overseas.

Keep in mind that those overseas in the 1800's and part of the 1900's were not given the opportunity to vote unless they were back home. In some states... not sure if it was all or just some... those in military were not permitted to vote.

Rummy's Pentagon will implement the "fix".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3419775.stm

Meanwhile, the "Leave No Paper Trail Behind",

repugnant republicans

are successfully bottling up in committee

Rep. Holt's proposed legislation demanding

Diebold's electronic voting machines produce

a verifiable paper record of our November Votes.

Say Hello, to the fascist united states.