MSNBC is reporting that Colorado has decertified over 75% of their voting machines

[LibertyEagle]

Turn it on now.

[LibertyEagle]

They're talking about an Ohio study that proves how hackable they are. Moving to optical scan paper ballots.

Very good. They were interviewing the Ohio (or Colorado?) Sec'y of State. Said that voting machines could be hacked with a magnet and a PDA.

[1913_to_2008]

I saw this. they say that the computers are easily hacked. Imagine that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEzY2tnwExs

[Bradley in DC]

Yeah, we've been talking about it.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=54382

Comment from a friend, chairman of his city's board of elections:

The article states:

"In addition to switching machines, Ms. Brunner recommended eliminating polling stations that are used for fewer than five precincts as a cost-cutting measure, and introducing early voting 15 days before Election Day."

That's right. You can solve your security problems by increasing the number of people who come and go through a polling place, putting a greater burden on pollworkers to make sure that everyone who shows up there actually belongs there. It also makes it less likely that the voters are known to the pollworkers as neighbors. Unfamiliar faces are much easier to verify, aren't they?

What _are_ these people thinking?

-- Rick

From one of my brothers who is a techie for a county gov in Ohio:

Yup. Pretty much spot on. The only glimmer of hope is that Hamilton and Clermont already use optical scan. Those devices are horrible on security too but the original paper ballots are then counted as part of the final certification (11 days later?). Of course, those are susceptible to the same issues as traditional paper ballots. The exception is that there are touch screen ones available at each location which have no paper trail, but those are used for handicap accessibility. Although, anyone could request to use them.

Both touch screen, optical scan devices and the vote tallying processes are a train wreck of security holes. But at least the optical scan ones add some comfort in replicating the existing flaws of traditional paper voting systems with a new "digital" sheen.

Got to stop by the market before Tea with Paul Supports at 4.

[jrich4rpaul]

Thank God.I hope the effort continues.

[Adamsa]

Hopefully the hackers will be on our side. :P

[PatriotOne]

I'm not going to get too excited until I find out WHAT they are going to replace them with. Plus, we need a heck of lot more states to decertify them before any impact is made. The crooks don't need to hack all states/counties...just enough to swing the vote.

[Fyretrohl]

I'm not going to get too excited until I find out WHAT they are going to replace them with. Plus, we need a heck of lot more states to decertify them before any impact is made. The crooks don't need to hack all states/counties...just enough to swing the vote.

Ahhh...But, if the government claims the machines are hackable, it sets a precedent for court. Then, based on fair vote acts, you could use the legal government opinion to try to overcome your state. Colorado appears to have just set the precedent.