[Novalug] [OT] Dead People voting was - Open source voting machine

[Charles M Howe]

Here in Alexandria we use a voting machine named "eSlate", manufactured
bya company called Hart Intercivic. I recommend it to any jurisdiction.
It cannot be put online. The results are called in at the end of the day
and both parties eyeball the result.

Further thoughts:

(1) The eSlate's software has been audited, I was told (several years
ago). I suppose the os was Linux.

(A professor of computer science named Avi Ruben wrote a book several
years ago called "Brave New Ballot". Among other things he describes his
battles with a Maryland election official . She was absolutely certain
that nothing could go wrong, but she didn't convince me. She trusted
Diebold.

In that connection, I once heard the Arlington County Elections defend
Diebold, but here also I was unconvinced. She respected Diebold's right
to shield their proprietary software. I couldn't get the floor, but if I
had I would have asked why, when she was told that, she didn't tell him
not to let the door hit him in the butt on his way out.

I don't know for sure, but I suppose that one reason 2hy jurisdictions
cling to their Diebold/ES&S/Sequoia machines is because of the money
they have tied in them. If I were in their shoes I would invite a
responsible group, or more than one, to take a machine, wipe out the
software and invite them to write software using the machine. Subject to
audit, of course.

Charlie


On Fri, 2009-11-06 at 18:36 -0500, Bonnie Dalzell wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Nov 2009, Sean McGowan wrote:
>