This kind of intimidation will hit the hearts of volunteers and no volunteer will come forward if this kind of thing happens in future, that’s the reason I’m going to take in on, and I’ll face it, so that the volunteers get inspired by me…whatever research we have done, whatever work we have done is right
– Hari Prasad
Must Watch: From the EVT/WOTE conference, Dan Wallach presents today’s word: “Out of Site, Out of Mind”
Yesterday, MIT Professor Ronald L. Rivest provided his analysis of Internet voting for military and overseas voters.The talk centered on the balance between risks and rewards of using Internet voting vs. paper ballots for military and overseas voting. You will find many of Ron’s slides entertaining, some a bit technical, yet all serious. The conclusions are straight-forward and convincing:
“The risks of “internet voting” more than negate any possible benefits from an increase in franchise.”
“Deep anxiety aroused by the deaths in the water and on the interstates is calmed by the ameliorating belief that technology will save us, and if not now, soon. After all, the promise of technology is in the better life to come.”
Over the objections of the NY Board of Elections, The Supreme Court of the State of New York Nassau County, ordered the testing of voting machines by the University of Connecticut and Dr. Alex Shvartsman.
Winsted, Connecticut native, Ralph Nadar tells us why Prop 14 is good for big business and unhealthy for democracy. We place the misguided voter support of Prop 14 on our “list of good sounding ideas for fighting the last election.
“Enter online voting vendors looking to break into the market on the backs of these two groups. They ride in to save the day with big promises and high-tech solutions. Security becomes little more than sale pitch, like shiny chrome or electronic gadgetry in a new car. ‘You want security – we got security.’…Vendors need to stand in the corner with bankers and oil companies. Just whose elections are these anyway?”
Perhaps Governor Patrick will consider the arguments of Democrats like Connecticut Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz who opposes the Agreement and Minneosota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie who objects for the difficulty in counting the popular vote. We are not in principle against a national popular vote, but as a prerequisite we would require sufficient uniform national voting franchise and integrity laws, enforceable and enforced.
“Voting methods that utilize web-based technologies and telephone-based balloting do not allow the necessary levels of observability and transparency that exist within the current election process.”
We suggest that anyone concerned with the disenfranchisement from New York’s ill programmed voting machines should also be concerned and warn the public of the even greater risks they take when they mail in their votes.
