New Voting Systems in CA a Total Shambles

KFI 640am | March 2, 2004

[Publius6961]

Eric Leonard was reporting that the state is considering outlawing the Diebold touch screen system because it can be easily hacked.

Psychologically the new voting system here in Stockton, California, is scary, unsatisfying and troublesome: we get a card sized similar to some old style phone cards. The touch screen system is simple but unsettling since it provides no feedback, and when one hits the "cast ballot" touch button there is dead silence and again, no feedback. Then the card is "erased" and reused. Dozens of people can visit that place in a day, nothing whatsoever could be happening in the way of votes, and no one would know or even have a way to make a rudimentary check.

At the very minimum, there should be a clearly visible display somewhere displaying a running total of the voters who have visited. The presnt system does not even have a way of knowing if the voters exceeded the total legal number, be three times too many, nothing. And I can't even prove I voted to get a free cup of coffee!

[Publius6961]

People are bored and it looks like turnout will set a new low for a California primary election. People think nothing much is going to change and they're right, it won't.

Well, I might have to modify my tag line upwards.
Don't the morons realize that Prop 56, if it passes, will effectively gut Proposition 13?

Having not only runaway spending but runaway tax increases at all level of government is not enough to get people to go out and vote?

Gheeez!

[Cinnamon Girl]

Here's hoping that LA stays with the Inka system if we aren't going to use the punch card.

Unfortunately, on John & Ken, people were calling in saying that they didn't realize there was a new system and were using the ink pen to PUNCH holes in the ballots. I guess that's a lot of votes in the garbage.

[Andy_Stephenson]

Your vote Tabulation is done on the Diebold GEMS database version 1.17.17 So you have Diebold counting your votes. By the way I can hack the GEMS 1.17.17 in about 2 minutes.

I can create a new password. Delete lines from the audit log...It is so easy a 9 year old can do it we taught her how.

Andy

[novacation]

I voted with a pencil filling in a circle. Seemed to work pretty well and you can buy a lot of pencils for $100

[Andy_Stephenson]

Your in LA right?

Tabulation is done on GEMS.

It is quite easy to open the database (access) and change vote totals.

Does not matter what you voted with was it counted correctly and did it stay counted?

[Andy_Stephenson]

I see you are in Maryland...You guys use GEMS ver. 1.18.18. A Version I am suing the Current Washington Secretary of State over.

He certified it contrary to Washington Law.

[Feiny]

I had the same treatment in Santa Monica, but I just smiled proudly. There was also a Republican in front of me and one that came in after me....the poll worker even commented that "there was a sudden rush of republicans". hehehe

[muleskinner]

I just used a touch-screen system in Santa Clara county. Worked fine. I am wary of ballot by electrons, though.

[socal_parrot]

I voted in Orange County and was expecting touch screens. What I got was a dial to turn to select my candidate and a couple buttons. Took minutes to vote. I did notice some were having trouble and taking awhile.

[Andy_Stephenson]

GEMS there. Your Diebold...Sorry...your vote may or may not remain the same as you cast it.

[ridesthemiles]

Then the card is "erased" and reused.

On Tom Sullivan's show today, he indicated that each card is "individual". That sounded to me like they have to make millions of those cards. Sounds like it is much more expensive that plain old paper ballots. Also, there was reference to different formats in different precincts. If so, doesn't that mean a high cost to programming?
I am not that computer smart, but this sounds very expensive and VERY ERROR PRONE, not even counting the ability to re-arrange the outcome.

[StormEye]

"In Westminister and other parts of Orange County, voters are typing in the voting
pin numbers and ONLY Democrat ballots are popping up."

Then every Republican should cast a vote for Al Sharpton!

[Andy_Stephenson]

Here is a link to DU I know I know...but there is some good information there.

This issue again is non-partisan.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1186249

I will only post DU links re. voting, Mods. I am respectful that the the opinions expressed here at FR are different than mine. But on this issue, it is vital that we all agree that our voices are heard and counted correctly.

[FreedomPoster]

>>Eric Leonard was reporting that the state is considering outlawing the Diebold touch screen system because it can be easily hacked.

I wish my state would do that. I'd rather have a few $millions down the drain than a hacked, crooked voting system.

[Political Junkie Too]

New Voting Systems in CA a Total Shambles

It must be all the minority voters who don't understand how to use the technology, unlike all the punchcard ballots.

It's too bad we didn't have them for the recall vote the way the ACLU and the NAACP demanded! < /sarcasm>

-PJ

[Cinnamon Girl]

Why are you a Democrat, Andy? Seriously.

[Arthalion]

FYI, BlackBoxVoting is run by a DU lackey and left wing reactionary. As a computer programmer, I know full well the dangers and flaws with the concept of electronic voting, and I oppose it everywhere I see it. Still, you couldn't pay me to frequent the site of an avowed leftist.

And for the record: Modesto, CA. I walked in this morning and was handed a PAPER ballot and a PENCIL with the instructions "Fill in the appropriate bubble", which I did without any difficulties or technical screwups whatsoever. Of course, when I handed my ballot to the pollworker and commented "It's the perfect ballot, no chads and a paper trail!" she looked at me with ALL seriousness and said, "Yeah, but they discriminate against people with motor disabilities". I guess that's what I get for living in California :\

[ladyinred]

Oh no!!!!! How many democrats were disenfranchised?????? /sarcasm, of course.

[Pylon]

I voted touchscreen in San Diego tonight. Took less than 1 min, and I have a nifty "I voted touch screen" sticker to show off.