information freezing, registering, transmitting, hubbing,bypassing, forgetting, transforming, was Re: [IP] Avi Rubin on electronic elections in MD: rough going

[David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: pat hache <tercasa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: September 13, 2006 11:26:59 PM JST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: information freezing, registering, transmitting,  
hubbing,bypassing, forgetting, transforming, was Re: [IP] Avi Rubin  
on electronic elections in MD: rough going

Hello.
Those first hand comments about the reality of electronic  
registration or transmission (to which place?) of the vote  
information emitted in polling places are interesting.
using internet links to a command center somewhere ( where?) induces  
the implementation of any kind of subtle, even secret feedback from  
those receivers , so to control, eventually, part of the way those  
are working, freezing, registering, transmitting, hubbing,bypassing,  
forgetting, transforming, a.s.o, the results of the vote process.
Who has access to those machine software, and the way those might   
transfer information , and to where officially  ---   and  
unofficially...

remembering Florida, Ohio ballots in the Us, and more recently  
difficult Mexico voting sessions (even if presidential elections in  
Mexico are not yet electronically performed, just eletronically  
digested at "some"  upper level - but where we still don't know  
exactly, here), i wonder if electronic machines will not kill  
democratic process by subtle or brutal manipulation of wich nobody  
really knows - or will reveal - the origins.

Progress in voting ? machines for voting "registration" are just an  
easy way to blurr and adapt the voting results to some discreet  
interests. including the diebold or their likes voting machines  
producers getting public money or funds to bypass the voting process  
in accordance to executable forces they even finance to stay elected.

Patrice Herbiet  (Sovet).
52-55 -  17.100.160
 fax        17.36.90.90
Mexico City

On 13 sept. 06, at 00:19, David Farber wrote:



Begin forwarded message:

From: Joseph Lorenzo Hall <joehall@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: September 13, 2006 1:37:15 PM JST
To: Dave Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Avi Rubin on electronic elections in MD: rough going
Reply-To: joehall@xxxxxxxxx

http://avi-rubin.blogspot.com/2006/09/my-day-at-polls-maryland- 
primary-06.html
(or, in a tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/gngb5 )

My day at the polls - Maryland primary '06

by Avi Rubin (JHU, ACCURATE)

(internal links omitted. -JLH)..............

(part)

So, this day at the polls was different from my two experiences in
2004. I felt more like an experienced veteran than a wide eyed newbie.
The novelty that I felt in 2002 was gone, and I felt seasoned. Even
the chief judges often came to me asking advice on how to handle
various crises that arose. Several other suggested that I should apply
to be a chief judge in the next election cycle, and I will probably do
that. The least pleasant part of the day was a nagging concern that
something would go terribly wrong, and that we would have no way to
recover. I believe that fully electronic systems, such as the precinct
we had today, are too fragile. The smallest thing can lead to a
disaster. We had a long line of "customers" who were mostly patient,
but somewhat irritated, and I felt like we were not always in a
position to offer them decent customer service. When our poll books
crashed, and the lines grew, I had a sense of dread that we might end
up finishing the day without a completed election. As an election
judge I put aside my personal beliefs that these machines are easy to
rig in an undetectable way, and become more worried that the election
process would completely fail. I don't think it would have taken much
for that to have happened.

One other things struck me. In 2004, most voters seemed happy with the
machines. This time around, many of them complained about a lack of a
paper trail. Some of them clearly knew who I was and my position on
this, but others clearly did not. I did not hear one voter say they
were happy with the machines, and a dozen or so expressed strong
feelings against them.

I am way too tired now (it's past 11 pm) to write any kind of
philosophical ending to this already too long blog entry. I hope that
we got it right in my precinct, but I know that there is no way to
know for sure. We cannot do recounts. Finally, I have to say a few
words about my fellow poll workers. We all worked from 6 a.m. to past
10 p.m. These volunteers were cheerful, pleasant, and diligent. They
were there to serve the public, and they acted like it. I greatly
admire them, and while the election technology selection and testing
processes in this country makes me sick, I take great hope and
inspiration from a day in the trenches with these people.

--
Joseph Lorenzo Hall
PhD Student, UC Berkeley, School of Information
<http://josephhall.org/>


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