[MineralMan]

While code dealing with voting and tabulation should be available, I can't see that the operating system code has any relevance.

That said, I dislike these computer voting machines. I've been a programmer, and know that I could bury routines in code that could manipulate results. I doubt that anyone would find them or any evidence that they ever existed.

It's hard enough to keep track of code if you're writing it, much less examining someone else's code. Just about every program has abandoned or nonfunctional blocks of code in it. Those are the places to hide stuff. In any case, there is just way too much chance of fraud when computers are involved. I don't like them for elections. In fact, I'd like to see hand counts exclusively.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yep. An easier solution is to have a hard printout that is viewable after the voter is finished for postive verification. That way every machine can be verified after the election for monkey business.

[tfecw]

"That said, I dislike these computer voting machines. I've been a programmer, and know that I could bury routines in code that could manipulate results. I doubt that anyone would find them or any evidence that they ever existed. "

I disagree. The military has been writing programs to control highly sensitive combat systems, including nuke systems for a very long time. Not only the military, but banking applications, casinos, and pretty much every other application that deals with money all have measures to find hidden routines.
Someone should be able to write a counter program and secure it.
With minimal effort you can secure sensitive applications.

If we really want to crack down on fraud, the place to do it is before you even get to the machine.

I do agree on the operating system being irrelevant, although I can't help chuckling at the thought of Diebold pulling up the NC courthouse with 50 18-wheelers filled with a hard copy of the Windows source code, or the look on faces the 2 "experts" NC hires to go through it all.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Yes, open code

[beef]

I'm for the optical forms. Machine count + hard copy. It's the best of both.