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Electronic Voting Machines and Election Fraud
After the Florida election fiasco in 2000, billions of dollars were spent to replace the old system with its hanging, swinging or dimpled chads.
Many states chose electronic voting machines with optical scanners that scan a voters card, which has been marked - a similar system to how a lottery card or multiple choice exam is completed and scanned. These systems seem to work well, and since a paper ballot is used, a backup recount can be done if necessary.
However, other states have opted for electronic voting machines that use touch-screen devices, similar to an ATM machine. And herein lies the problem. First of all, with a touch screen device, there is no ballot available for recounting. Once a vote has been entered, that's it.
Secondly, even though a receipt can be printed out, there are often printer jams, the paper can be put into the machine incorrectly - in which case it will not print at all, and the receipts can be torn or printed illegibly.
Keep in mind that most polls are manned by volunteers, often elderly, and with little or no training, which compounds the problem.
In a scarier scenario, three scientists from Princeton University examined a touch screen voting machine and found it to be easily vulnerable to hackers who could cause the programming to transfer votes from one candidate to another.
It could take under a minute of access time for a hacker to re-program the machine, and although a key is needed to open the machine's lock, apparently these are easily available for purchase on the internet.
Once one electronic voting machine is infected, the program can easily be spread to other machines via memory cards.
Other horror stories involve terminals that fail to register votes, memory cards going missing and machines crashing and losing recorded votes.
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Many states chose electronic voting machines with optical scanners that scan a voters card, which has been marked - a similar system to how a lottery card or multiple choice exam is completed and scanned. These systems seem to work well, and since a paper ballot is used, a backup recount can be done if necessary.
However, other states have opted for electronic voting machines that use touch-screen devices, similar to an ATM machine. And herein lies the problem. First of all, with a touch screen device, there is no ballot available for recounting. Once a vote has been entered, that's it.
Secondly, even though a receipt can be printed out, there are often printer jams, the paper can be put into the machine incorrectly - in which case it will not print at all, and the receipts can be torn or printed illegibly.
Keep in mind that most polls are manned by volunteers, often elderly, and with little or no training, which compounds the problem.
In a scarier scenario, three scientists from Princeton University examined a touch screen voting machine and found it to be easily vulnerable to hackers who could cause the programming to transfer votes from one candidate to another.
It could take under a minute of access time for a hacker to re-program the machine, and although a key is needed to open the machine's lock, apparently these are easily available for purchase on the internet.
Once one electronic voting machine is infected, the program can easily be spread to other machines via memory cards.
Other horror stories involve terminals that fail to register votes, memory cards going missing and machines crashing and losing recorded votes.
Register your Voting Machine Fraud Complaint
If you feel your mid-term election vote was tampered with, electronically altered or lost by a voting machine, please click the link below to submit your complaint to a lawyer for a free evaluation.Last updated on