Hello Damon,   
      
    LL>> Maybe we should all go back to using paper ballots.   
      
    DAG> I think you're right about that part, at least.   
      
   Sometimes low tech is the way to go.  Not the only way,   
   but a better way than the alternative.  Of course, anything   
   can be abused, including the use of paper ballots.  But at   
   least there is a paper trail that can usually (but not always)   
   be found to investigate or verify.   
      
    DAG> My software engineer roommate had a class at UMass Amherst that did a   
    DAG> segment on hacking the current Diebold voting machines and that was back   
   in   
    DAG> Bush's first term.  Besides, isn't Diebold somehow tied in to   
   Halliburton &   
    DAG> conglomerates?   
      
   Does it matter?  Government set the criteria.  Those in charge   
   knew what company would be granted the contract.  Everything on   
   the up and up.  Right?  From all outward appearances, yes.  But   
   in reality, nothing could be farther from the truth.   
      
   Somebody has to write the code for the machines to work.   
   This was done in secret.  Why?   
      
   In Australia, the code was made public, and posted online.   
      
   In the USA, no code has ever been made public or posted online.   
      
   What happens in an election in the USA?  We do not have   
   national elections, as each state is an entity unto itself.   
   The votes on the machine are stored on a flash drive, with   
   nothing left on the machine for later retrieval.  How are   
   you going to have a recount if there is nothing to recount?   
   What is there to verify?  All you have is what is on that   
   flash drive, given to the clerk of court or secretary of   
   state ...   
      
   --Lee   
      
   --- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb   
    * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)