Hackers have already demonstrated the ability to corrupt online voting systems
New technologies allowing voters to cast ballots via the Internet or other electronic means are catching on in the United States and elsewhere, even as fears mount about security of the systems.
A total of 33 states are allowing some e-mail, fax or online ballots in 2010, according to the Verified Voting Foundation, a group that monitors security of election systems.
These systems, which are also used in several other countries, can potentially increase voter participation but security remains a question mark, especially following one spectacular attack on an Internet vote pilot project.
The startling security breach came in September, when a pilot Internet vote system for the city of Washington, D.C., was put online for a test.
A team of computer scientists from the University of Michigan had little trouble infiltrating the system, modifying ballots, changing the password and directing the system to play the university fight song.
"It was extremely easy. Within the first three hours or so of looking at the code we found the first open door and within 36 hours we had taken control of the system," said Alex Halderman, the Michigan professor who led the effort with his students.
To make matters worse, Halderman discovered that other hackers — including from Iran and China — were trying to do the same thing.
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No matter what there can never ever be a paper trail for the votes. There must be NO WAY POSSIBLE to audit the election in America.
ReplyDeleteVoting machines with receipts (like ATM's) must never be allowed. Because then someone could audit the election results to verify the voting was fair.
This is why I've been against early voting all along. All they have to do is count how many votes they are behind in early voting, extrapilate that out to incorporate the total number of votes during a typical election and "make up the difference" for their candidate. Yeah, I know...I'm a conspiracy nut. That really isn't the reason why Baltimore City announces it's totals wayyyy past every other juridiction in the state! Of course not!
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