-----Original Message-----
From: Claudius Li [mailto:aprentic@xxxxxxxxxx]
So my question is, given that this seems to be a solved
problem why is there so much debate on finding the solution?
Surely I am missing something obvious.
You're missing the social dynamics around it. There are several
parties
involved:
- State officials who actually pick the voting equipment. They
generally
are politicians, with a background in law or business. They don't
understand the complicated technical issues behind electronic voting.
- Companies who build the voting equipment. Their motive is profit.
They
want to get a marketable product out quickly and cheaply. They
perceive
(correctly) that the audience they're selling to does not understand
or care
about complicated security issues, and can be easily impressed by
trivial
but sophisticated-looking features.
- The public. They don't understand these issues either, and they
have a
short attention span.
- The news media. They don't push security issues because they lack
good
visuals and don't fit into a 15-second news spot. Anything longer and
they'll lose their audience (see above.)
- Computer scientists and voting activists. They *do* understand the
issues, but are unable to explain them in a way the news media, the
public,
and state officials find compelling and understandable. The companies
who
build the equipment can easily label them as alarmists or conspiracy
theorists.