On Sept. 29, Edward Felten, professor of computer science at Princeton University, demonstrated to Congress how to hack into a Diebold-made electronic voting machine and infect it with a virus – all in the space of a minute.
Diebold responded that the machine was an older model.
Criticisms have also risen against Diebold’s electronic voting machines used in previous elections.
Statistical experts from the University of California studied Florida's official 2004 presidential election tally. They reported an error rate larger than 0.1 percent that is unlikely to be attributed to chance alone.
President Bush was estimated to be given up to 260,000 excess votes. Democrat Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey has proposed higher standards for electronic voting including a back-up paper trial.
Congress adjourned for elections before voting on the proposal. They are not expected to return until Nov. 13, six days after the Nov. 7 elections.
This November, 90% percent of votes will be cast or counted electronically.
It is disappointing to think of the flaws in elections, and how it may discourage future voters. This is truly important information that perspective voters should know about.
In my second and even more intensive follow-up look into this issue, I wouldn't have included the statistical study anymore. That's media for you. Several different sources will make a fact seem very solid. However, dig a little more, and a little more, and a little more, and you don't feel so confident about the validity of the so-called fact. However, I have written a follow-up entry on electronic voting bringing up more issues to the table.
The study was done not by experts but my students in the department. Moreover, there is some question that the 11 counties they claim had irregularities could be narrowed to just 2 counties. And the 3% differences in those possibly, not inconcievably be due to other factors. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr has quipped this study multiple times in his efforts, but not even Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is always right it seems.
In my current, well-read, educated speculation, if there was electronic vote tampering that occured, it happened in Lucas County in Ohio which is a heavily Democratic county.
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