PC WORLD: Diebold E-Voting Flaws Could Compromise Elections = FLORIDA

Diebold E-Voting Flaws Could Compromise Elections
Florida isn't crazy about optical scan voting devices slated to be used in the state's presidential primary elections next year.
Marc L. Songini, Computerworld
Wednesday, August 01, 2007 5:00 PM PDT
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135343-c,currentevents/article.html

Optical scan voting devices slated to be used presidential primary elections in Florida next year are significantly flawed and could compromise the outcome of the contest, according to a report released Tuesday by Secretary of State Kurt Browning.

The report was compiled by researchers at Florida State University, who were hired by Browning in May to conduct an independent review of optical scan and touch-screen devices made by Diebold Election Systems, one of the largest voting machine vendors in the country and a major supplier of gear to Florida.

The report cited a number of security gaps in the Diebold systems.

For example, it said, Diebold's Accuvote OS optical scan machine is vulnerable to vote manipulation by illicitly inserting a pre-programmed memory card into a voting terminal. The card, the report said, could be coded to flip votes from one candidate to another without detection.

In a letter sent to Diebold Election Systems President David Byrd on Tuesday, Browning said that the vulnerabilities cited in the report must be fixed by Aug. 17 or that the vendor's certification would be denied.

From the article:

A spokesman for Browning stated on Wednesday that Diebold had made assurances that the flaws would be addressed and he was confident the vendor would in fact do so. And, as some of the problems have to do with voting processes, not technology, Browning would issue special advisories to election officials to address those procedural gaps.

Similarly, Browning intends to have the Florida State researchers conduct similar studies of machines from other voting system vendors, including Elections Systems & Software. "We expect all voting systems to be certified and complete by the end of the year," he said.

:thumbsdown: x(