Posted on 11/07/2004 10:37:31 AM PST by Willie Green
Michael I. Shamos thinks outside the box -- and the polling booth. The Carnegie Mellon University professor wants to make voting so simple that someday you could cast your ballot at an ATM or lottery machine. The technology is extremely reliable, interfaces nicely, is seemingly ubiquitous and it is secure.
"I am giving a course in electronic voting," Shamos said. "I'm exploring the feasibility of alternative systems used by ATMs and lotteries."
He sees nothing wrong with taking a card to pick your favorite candidates instead of your favorite numbers.
And voter intimidation could be eliminated.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
Makes it too easy for the Dems to cheat.
"Of course, as a Democrat, I view this as a way to recruit for the Party and truly a healthy alternative to traditional methods. This way we will no longer have the red state/blue state conflict. It's quite simple, really, and very effective."
What's to prevent thugs forcing you to vote for particular candidates while you visit an ATM? There are reasons why there are laws prohibiting electioneering near polling places.
Wouldn't that require a central nationwide electronic database of eligible voters (with felons and dead people being continuously flushed out, and new voters added) with biometric identification for every voter?
I think the private sector already has that built into the ATM machines to prevent identity theft by spotting "unusual" purchasing patterns.
Yes, but any such protections rely upon the fact that ATM transactions are by nature not anonymous.
No doubt in my mind that they could accomplish the goal of safe electronic voting but the costs would be astronomical.
It is technically possible to set up a foolproof voting system where you could log in from your home computer. It's no different from numerous web sites where you can bank, buy and sell stocks, and the like.
BUT. The security of such a system would depend on the integrity of the people who ran it. It would be easy as pie for the people with access to the servers to cheat.
We all know the old saying, Quis custodiet ipsos custodios? You simply can't trust anyone to run such a system when control of the government and billions of dollars in tax money are at stake. That's why this is a dangerous idea. It's technically simple, but there's no way to make it foolproof against corruption and tyranny.
Consequently you are better off as we are know where corruption is confined to a few pretty well known precincts and the amount of damage they can do except when the vote is really close is pretty limited. Of course they can always get a bond issue through to build that overpass no one except the politically connected construction contractor wanted, but nothing is perfect.
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